Cavelord

A cavelord was a devoted wanderer of the Underdark dedicated to defending the Realms Below.

Culture
The way of the cavelord called to those who had a great love for the deep, dark, and closed-in spaces of the world. They had a yearning to learn all they could of subterranean seas, the roots of mountains, and hidden places that never saw light.

Activities
Cavelords journeyed through the caverns and tunnels of the Underdark, always looking for passages leading ever deeper and for older and older natural wonders that lay buried in the dark earth. Hence they were only very rarely come across by others, apart from the few adventuring parties on similar expeditions into the heart of the world. Nevertheless, working alone and unknown to others, cavelords worked to protect the Underdark environment and eradicate unnatural horrors where they found them.

Prerequisites
They often began as rangers, druids, and barbarians, but anyone who enjoyed trekking the endless passages of the underground could become a cavelord. They needed good knowledge of the Underdark, wilderness survival skills, good senses, and tracking ability.

Abilities
Cavelords were hardy fighters with a variety of skills in Underdark lore, wilderness survival, animal handling, and dealing with the races of the Realms Below.

As skilled tunnel-runners, they moved with ease through passages that would be too narrow or too low for others, rarely being slowed or made vulnerable by them. Later, as talented tunnel-swimmers, a cavelord learned to hold their breath for far longer periods of time than previously possible, and to swim swiftly.

While in a cave or tunnel, a cavelord could follow tracks swiftly and without error.

With their cavesense, while underground, a cavelord could draw upon a mystical connection with the Underdark to gain superior darkvision, enhanced hearing, and eventually even tremorsense.

Once a day, a cavelord could invoke the strength of stone itself in order to boost their strength for one minute.

Experienced cavelords could create obedient creatures of stone similar to liths, as with the spell changestones, once a day.

At their pinnacle, a cavelord was said to have the bones of the earth, being treated by the Underdark as its own. If a cavelord suffered a mortal injury while underground that was not too great, then the very earth itself would intervene to save them from death. Before death could take them, the cavelord was immediately petrified, similar to the effect of flesh to stone, and became joined with the stone like a natural feature. After a full day had passed, unless the stone had been smashed or cut, the earth released the cavelord, gravely weak and lacking all powers but alive.

Notable Cavelords

 * Tobulux, an exiled beholder ranger turned cavelord.