Slitherswamp

Slitherswamp was the eighth level of Undermountain.

History
Originally a sublevel located beneath the Farm Level, it was a series of water-filled caves not physically connected to any other part of Undermountain. Rather, it was connected by portals to the Serpent Hills and High Forest. Flora, fauna, fresh air, heat in the summer and cold in the winter, all came through these portals. Over time though, the water and organic materials that entered the sublevel turned the environment into a swamp. Circa 1295 DR, Halaster Blackcloak brought hundreds of snakes and serpentine monsters into the swamp to experiment on. Save for those creatures he took for his experiments, Halaster left the swamp and it's inhabitants alone, sealed in the sublevel. A few dark naga located the portals and managed to escape, prompting Halaster to install ssvaklor guards over the portals. However, in 1369 DR, a concerted effort by the sublevel's increasingly numerous residents broke through the defenses of the High Forest portal and fully half of the Slitherswamp's population escaped through it. The remaining 30-odd nagas and around a dozen ssvaklors ruthlessly kept the population of serpentfolk relatively small and ruled over them. In the following years, physical routes to the surrounding levels were cut, appeared, or formed, and the serpentfolk apparently built a collection of temples dedicated to evil yuan-ti gods. In 1491 DR however, the yuan-ti who worshiped at the temples were wiped out by a trio of spirit nagas. In light of this event, Halaster brought in a bullywug tribe, known as the Blacktongues to take control of the Slitherswamp, and installed a cruel death slaad, whom he controlled, to govern them.

Exits
The following ways could be used to leave Slitherswamp:
 * A tunnel in the north-west part of this dungeon up to level 7, Maddgoth's Castle.
 * A tunnel in the south-west part of this down to level 9, Dweomercore.
 * An archgate in a three-fork 5-meter-high cave and a mirror gate to level 10, Murial's Gauntlet.
 * A standing gate to level 11, the Troglodyte Warrens.

Inhabitants

 * The Ssethian Scourges
 * These were three spirit nagas who once fought the yuan-ti on this level, eventually emerging victorious. The nagas maintained a stable of thralls, controlling them with a rod of rulership.


 * The Blacktongues
 * Sent in by Halaster Blackcloak, this bullywug tribe acted quickly, enslaving four carrion crawlers and a hydra. The death slaad king's control gem was kept on level 9, Dweomercore, and Halaster Blackcloak forced the slaad to rule over the bullywugs.


 * Karstis of Dweomercore
 * The mages on level 9, Dweomercore, had sent a spy of their own, a mage named Karstis.