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Great Bhaerynden

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Great Bhaerynden,[4] also referred to by the local gold dwarves as the Deepwilds,[2][3] Deep Lands or simply the Deeps,[1][5][note 1] was a domain of the Underdark located in the south-central region of Faerûn beneath the vast plains of Shaar.[1][2][3][4][5][note 1]

History[]

This region was the first homeland of the dwarves, in a cavern known as Bhaerynden. However, it was later invaded and conquered by the drow when they first ventured into the Underdark in search of a realm of their own,[4][2][6][7] scattering the dwarves and sending them into exile.[6] The drow renamed their new home Telantiwar, but this kingdom didn't last.[4][2][7]

Less than two millennia later,[7] around −7600 DR,[4][8][9] for reasons that remained unknown well into the Present Age,[4][7][8][9] after the drow had torn Telantiwar apart in a civil war great magical explosions rocked the cavern of Bhaerynden[6][8][10] and the domed ceilings of its enormous vaults came crashing down.[4][6][7][8][9] Many of the drow were crushed beneath rocks and rubble from the rock layer above. This great collapse laid ruin to many of the shattered dwarven cities the drow had seized for Telantiwar, opening the cavern up to the sky and creating what later became known as the Great Rift.[6][8][2][7][9][10] Many scholars suggested the the drow had caused the collapse by weakening the cavern roofs through excessive tunneling and an over-reliance on magic to support the roof's weight. Many gold dwarves on the other hand believed the collapse was the work of their god Moradin, crashing his mighty axe down to destroy Telantiwar.[9]

DeepRealms Map

A 14th century DR map of the eastern reaches of the Great Bhaerynden, with a red outline indicating the approximate borders of the Deep Realm.

The drow nobles that survived this disaster gathered what people, slaves, and equipment they could before fleeing elsewhere in the Underdark to find a new place to call home.[10]

Following this there was a hectic scramble in the Underdark to lay claim to new territory.[9] Before long dwarves returned to their ancestral homeland and established the Deep Realm, staking their claim on both the Great Rift and much of the surrounding lesser caverns and tunnels. These dwarves would become the ancestors of Faerûn's gold dwarves.[6][9][7]

When the Spellplague struck Toril in the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, great rifts opened up in the Underdark beneath the Sea of Fallen Stars, which in turn caused the collapse of great swathes of land.[11] One of the casualties of this disaster was the Great Rift, whose western half collapsed into the deeper reaches of Great Bhaerynden, creating a huge canyon that was later dubbed Underchasm.[11][12] Much of the communities in Great Bhaerynden were devastated in the wake of this formation, with numerous outposts and settlements becoming displaced. Many of the remaining drow realms in particular fell to ruin,[7] such as Llurth Dreier. The thousands of drow that once called that city home scattered throughout Great Bhaerynden. Some moved to other drow holds, whilst others assaulted any place they thought they could conquer,[13] with some even managing to take control of Underhome.[11][13]

Inhabitants[]

Gold dwarves lived in the Great Rift and a lot of the adjoining caves.[14] They regularly patrolled the vast caves that were outside of their control. Occasional ambitious gold dwarves would attempt to establish homesteads or mining outposts, but within a year or two dangerous creatures that lurked within the recesses of the Great Bhaerynden would always drive them back.[14] Beyond gold dwarves, duergar could be found scattered throughout the region.[15][16]

Drow and half-drow held the cities of T'lindhet[17] and Llurth Dreier.[18] Halflings lived in Deepburrow in Great Bhaerynden.[19] Earth genasi, urdunnir dwarves, and many creatures of elemental earth made their home in Earth's End.[20][7] They were later joined by more genasi, as well as Halruaan ethnic humans, both fleeing from the destruction of Halruaa during the Spellplague.[7] In the Lowerdark reaches of the Great Bhaerynden, it was home to aboleths, cloakers, deepspawn,[1] the mysterious slyth,[21][22] and horrid wildlife, such as giant spiders and night slugs.[1]

Following the Spellplague, drow clans displaced from Llurth Dreier wandered the Underchasm. These drow were referred to broadly as the "wild drow", a moniker born from their stubborn refusal to cooperate with each other enough to build any sort of major settlement.[13]

Unlike settlements in the Northdark, the cities of this region interacted more closely with the cities above ground.[23]

Geographical Features[]

Abysses & Rifts[]

  • Chasm of the Spiders[24]
  • The Great Rift, a large rift or canyon considered to be part of the Upperdark, it was the center of gold dwarf civilization.[14] Large portions of it were destroyed or cut off by the Spellplague in 1385 DR.[25]
  • Lightdrinker, a deep abyss and shadow crossing that formed following the Spellplague.[13]
  • Underchasm a huge canyon created by the Spellplague in 1385 DR.[7]

Bodies of Water[]

  • Darkgulf[13][26]
  • The Deepfall, a large underground waterfall[1][2][3][14][27] at the northern end of the Great Rift that carried the River Shaar into the deeper depths of Great Bhaerynden.[14]
  • The Falls of Myndyp[24]
  • The Lightless Sea,[26] also known as the Undersea.[13]
  • Riftlake, a large body of water in the Great Rift that the River Shaar originated from.[2][3][28]
  • The River of the Serpent[24]
  • The River Shaar.[28]
  • Selendar, a river formed from the water pumped out by the Pumps of Pyraddin.[29]

Caverns & Tunnels[]

Other Locations[]

  • Blackrock Anvil, a natural lava cascade.[1]
  • Fuirgar Air-Shafts,[24] a series of passive vent shafts in the heights of Fuirgar that were created by the dwarves to bring more air down into the Deep Lands.[29]
  • Needle Leap, a natural stone bridge overtop a rift.[1]
  • Rootstalk, an enormous living fungal organism that covered every inch of a cavern that was 1 mile (1,600 meters) in diameter. Much of its body was hollowed out into passages and chambers for housing humans, myconids, and other fungal parasites.[31]

Important Locations[]

Landmarks[]

  • The Gate, a gargantuan pair of heavily guarded doors in the deepest reaches of the Great Rift that seperated it from the rest of the Deep Lands.[32][note 2]
  • Pumps of Pyraddin, a dwarven pump system beneath the Lake of Salt that continually drained water from the springs around it down into the depths of the Great Bhaerynden.[29]

Realms[]

  • Bhaerynden, the first great kingdom of the dwarves and the namesake of the Great Bhaerynden.[2]
  • Deep Realm, the kingdom of the gold dwarves that was centered within the Great Rift.[14][1]
  • East Rift, a kingdom of gold dwarves that formed following the Spellplague's destruction of the Deep Realm.[11][33] It was located along a shelf of the Underchasm,[11] built atop of and within the ruins of the Great Rift.[33]

Settlements[]

  • Deepburrow, a small halfling city mostly situated above the surface on the northern frontier of Lluiren.[19]
  • Earth's End.[20][7] Originally a mere adventuring outpost founded for travelers from the Elemental Plane of Earth,[20] it became a large and vibrant community following the Spellplague.[7]
  • Fluvenilstra, a settlement in the Lowerdark[21] that was host to the greatest abundance of edible and useful flora in Great Bhaerynden.[21][13]
  • Golothaer, a drow city that was part of Telantiwar.[34]
  • Helmstar, a poor independent trading outpost.[1]
  • Llurth Dreier, a city of fungi-farming drow in the Middledark that revered Ghaunadaur.[18][2][13][35] Following the formation of the Underchasm it fell apart and became known as the Oozing Ruin.[13]
  • T'lindhet, another drow settlement in the Middledark.[17] Following the formation of the Underchasm, it was the largest remaining drow enclave in Great Bhaerynden.[13]
  • Underhome, the heavily fortified capital city of the Deep Realm and the Great Rift.[36] A few years after the Underchasm had significantly damaged the Great Rift, the city was overran by some of the drow refugees of Llurth Dreier.[25]
  • Velm's Brace, a ruined dwarven stronghold that was believed to be haunted.[1]
  • Wildstar, a small dwarven stronghold.[1]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Although the terms "Great Bhaerynden" and "Deep Lands" are never explicitly stated to be synonymous, the description of the latter in Dwarves Deep corresponds to the same geographic area. It is described as being "...east of the Shining Sea and south of the Sea of Fallen Stars" and "...fan out beneath the Shaar for many thousands of miles". Furthermore, the very similar "Deepwilds" the given as a dwarven name for Great Bhaerynden in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting p. 192 and Shining South p. 160. And both sources state that the Deepfall and Wyverncaves are located in Great Bhaerynden, whereas both were previously stated in Dwarves Deep as being part of the Deep Land.
  2. ↑ As the Great Rift is later stated on page 155 of Underdark as being located in the Upperdark, this gate most likely opens up to the Middledark or "Middle Great Bhaerynden".

Appearances[]

Novels & Short Stories

Realms of the Underdark: "Sea of Ghosts"
Referenced only
The Ghost King

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Ed Greenwood (October 1990). Dwarves Deep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 48. ISBN 0-88038-880-3.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 160. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 192. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 126. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ed Greenwood (October 1990). Dwarves Deep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 0-88038-880-3.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 17–19. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 226. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 11. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Ed Greenwood (July 1991). The Drow of the Underdark. (TSR, Inc), p. 46. ISBN 1-56076-132-6.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 50. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  12. ↑ Jak Koke (August 2009). The Edge of Chaos. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-5189-5.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 227. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 155. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  15. ↑ Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 171. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
  16. ↑ Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 10. ISBN 978-0880388214.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 178. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 158. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 147. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  22. ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 31. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  23. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 97. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 ProFantasy Software Ltd. (1999). Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas. TSR, Inc. File: Deep Realms.FCW
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 120. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  27. ↑ Roger E. Moore (April 1996). Sea of Ghosts (Realms of the Underdark). (TSR, Inc), p. ?. ISBN 978-0786904877.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Karen Wynn Fonstad (August 1990). The Forgotten Realms Atlas. (TSR, Inc), p. 11. ISBN 978-0880388573.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Ed Greenwood (October 1990). Dwarves Deep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 10. ISBN 0-88038-880-3.
  30. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  31. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 185. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  32. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 65–66. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 46. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
  34. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1992). Menzoberranzan (The City). Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 22. ISBN 1-5607-6460-0.
  35. ↑ Ed Greenwood (1992). Menzoberranzan (The City). Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 3. ISBN 1-5607-6460-0.
  36. ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1990). Dwarves Deep. (TSR, Inc.), p. 49. ISBN 0-88038-880-3.
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