Sloopdilmonpolop, the City of Pools, was a city of the kuo-toa in the middle Old Shanatar domain of the Underdark.[1]
Geography[]
The City of Pools was located just shy of 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) beneath Firedrake Bay.[1] Tunnels from the northwest, north, northeast and southeast allowed relatively dry access to the cavern network, while a small subterranean river, called The Motherflow, came in from the east, and a larger one, called The Deepflow, came in from the south. All of the flooded passages beneath Firedrake bay, the Dragon's Neck Peninsula and the Starspur were claimed as the city's territory, but these claims were not typically enforced.[5]
Geographical Features[]
A cluster of eighteen moisture-laden caverns, crusted with salt made up the majority of the city, with a nineteenth cavern in the center of them all.[5] This nineteenth cavern was nearly one thousand feet long and wide and home to the Sacred Pool of the Sea Mother, a square, subterranean lake.[6] The River of Brine was a saltwater waterway that connected all of the caverns, the waters of which originated in sea caves along the Lagoon of the Trollspears in Tethyr's County Starspur.[7]
Government[]
In the late 14th century DR, Dagagoorg served both as Priest-King (Va-Poolgol) of Sloopdilmonpolop and high priest of the Sacred Pool of the Sea Mother.[6] He was served by nine Priest-Dukes (Oorg-Poolgoopan), who acted as both his advisory council and governors of various aspects of Kuo-toan life. The three most powerful of these were Bahurlgagoop, who was responsible for the city's fisheries; Viboolkugoorg was in charge of trade; and Gibupgagool was the city's war leader.[5] The other six Priest-Dukes governed agriculture, mining, pilgrims, sacred places, slavery, and childrearing.[5]
Ruling over the king and his dukes though, was the kraken known as The Cephalopolop. He had quietly guided the Priest-Kings of the city for centuries, using them in his personal vendettas against the other krakens in the region.[5]
Trade[]
The kuo-toa harvested crustaceans, fish and mollusks from the waters, collecting pearls and shells as byproducts and creating scrimshaw too. They also farmed kelp and salt. In addition to what they took from the sea, they also mined ores from the rock (though most veins were played out and the tunnels flooded to grow more kelp).[5]
Defenses[]
The city had a permanant armed force consisting of eight hundred kuo-toans. Over five thousand six hundred more militia could be mustered in times of need. A police force consisting of four hundred monitors (Blib-sanvu) dealt with internal issues,[5] led by Commander Kurplarhagoon.[6]
History[]
Circa −3000 DR, Sloopdilmonpolop was founded by Sloopdilmonpol, a great kuo-toa prophet, as a temple-city[2] in the Underdark off the coast of Tethyr.[8]
Eventually the temple grew into a theocratic city-state, with priest-king rulers.[1]
After an increasing number of expansionist raids by the city's denizens, the dwarves of Sondarr and Xothaerin dispatched scouts who eventually discovered the City of Pools. This touched off a centuries-long war of mutual extinction, known as the Axe and Fin Wars. The city was never taken, but the long conflict ushered in a period of decline from which the city never recovered.[9] The only benefit to this was the city's emergence as a mercantile hub.[10] Compared to most Underdark cities, Sloopdilmonpolop was actually somewhat welcoming to merchants and travelers. Illithids were not welcome.[5]
After the Spellplague, Blibdoolpoolp's shamans lost contact with the goddess and many turned to the worship of Ghaunadaur. Additionally, the city was flooded by kuo-toan refugees fleeing the Abolethic Sovereignty.[4]
Rumors & Legends[]
The drow of Guallidurth claimed to be the true rulers of Sloopdilmonpolop, but this was merely an excuse that they gave for not attempting to conquer it.[11]
Notable Locations[]
Notable Inhabitants[]
- Oorg-Poolgoop Bahurlgagoop
- Cephalopolop
- Va-Poolgol Dagagoorg
- Commander Gapolploorg
- Oorg-Poolgoop Gibupgagool
- Commander Kurplarhagoon
- Rhydek the Icy
- Oorg-Poolgoop Viboolkugoorg
- Villezzenet Magry'Tzornyl
- Visil'Taphenos Meadswimmer
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 174. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 119. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 116. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 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. 235. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 117. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 118. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 119. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 119–120. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1999). Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. Edited by Jeff Quick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 120. ISBN 0-7869-1509-9.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 155. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.