Slitherswamp

Slitherswamp was the 8 level of Undermountain, previously one of the sub-levels of area that came to be known as the Twisted Caverns. It was a series of fetid caverns that were infested with a variety of serpentfolk and other semi-aquatic races, including yuan-ti, nagas and bullywugs.

Description
The muck-filled caverns of Slitherswamp were wholly unpleasant. Many caves and passageways were covered in thick mud, if they were not nearly flooded. The heat and humidity of the swamp caused the cavern walls to drip with moisture.

Entrances

 * A tunnel in the north-west part of the swamp came down from Maddgoth's Castle. It opened up into a cavern, about 20' (6.1 m) above its floor.

Notable Locations

 * Temple of the Great Snake:


 * Yuan-ti Temple:

Exits
The following ways could be used to leave Slitherswamp:
 * 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 Murial's Gauntlet.
 * A standing gate to level 11, the Troglodyte Warrens.

Inhabitants
Due to Slitherswamp's unique formation, many species native to the swamps of Faerûn dwelled within. Buzzing and crawling insects, such as centipedes and fireflies, could be found throughout the swamp, along with much larger amphibians such as giant frogs.

All sorts of vegetation were alive within the caves of Slitherswamp. Some notable flora included the luminescent ferns that grew out from the muddy ground, beds of kelp that were tended by the domain's amphibious inhabitants, and even aggressive shambling mounds.


 * 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.

History
Originally a sub-level located beneath the Farm Level, its water-filled caves were 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 from Faerûn through these portals into the domain. Over time though, the water and organic materials that entered the sub-level turned the environment into a swamp.

Sometime around the Year of the Ormserpent, 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 away from the rest of Undermountain. A few dark naga located the portals and managed to escape, prompting Halaster to appoint ssvaklor to guard over the portals.

In the Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR, a concerted effort by the swamp's increasingly numerous inhabitants broke through the defenses of the High Forest portal and half of Slitherswamp's population escaped. Around 30 nagas and approximately 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 the Year of the Scarlet Witch, 1491 DR, 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 Kuketh, whom he controlled, to govern them.