To fully understand the Underkingdom, one must first understand its people and origin.
When humankind were still rubbing sticks together to make fire, the world was populated by a race of intelligent
creatures, with a civilization far more advanced than our own. These creatures were small in stature but strong
and intelligent. But their most useful characteristic was their command of magic. As mankind evolved, he learned
to share the planet with his benign neighbours, but soon became jealous of their magic skill and began to persecute
them.
For many generations mankind warred with the magic users, with little effect, but
as man's intelligence grew, he was able to figure out tactics that eventually turned the
battle in his direction. The last great army of the fyrbylygs, for so they were known in
human language, assembled on a plain whose name in their language was Myvanyn
in a last ditch effort to defeat humanity and reclaim the planet. But by now, man was a
fearful rival, twice as tall as the average fyrbylyg and ten times stronger, for seven
days the last great battle continued and although they fought bravely, the fyrbylygs knew their
time was over. As sunset each night, the fyrbylygs buried their slain and each burial mound
formed a large hill. To this, it is said, the seven hills of Myvanyn still stand as a proud memorial to
those brave warriors.
On the seventh night, the leader of the fyrbylygs called his people together
and told them all was lost. They agreed that further fighting was pointless and that the time had
come for more radical action. The assembled masses combined every last iota of magical energy
they had to create a new world for themselves- a world where mankind would never intrude and
where they could be safe. That world was to become known as the Underkingdom. You won't find
it on any maps, for mankind knows not where it lies, save that it is somewhere under this earth.
When the sun rose on the morning of the eighth day, mankind was amazed to find not a single
fyrbylyg in sight.
A few of the little fat people (for that is what fyrbylyg actually means)
stayed behind in hiding to carry on the war against humanity, but the vast majority fled to
the Underkingdom, where they live to this day. The story of the fyrbylygs captured mankind's imagination.
Many legends have grown up since that fateful day - leprechauns, brownies, spirits of the mines all owe
their origins to the fyrbylygs. The truth is that they were the ancestors of what we today call kobolds.
For countless years they slaved to develop and refine their Underkingdom until eventually they had created
an idyllic and peaceful universe for themselves, where they lived in contentment for uncountable millennia.
That was until recently!
Our reader may recall stories of a malevolent race known as the Brotherhood of Yasnac
or the Yasnaki and their attempt to destroy the Grand Order of Thaumaturges. If not, then
you are urged to read the history of Kesmai and the other known lands. To make a short
story long, the Yasnaki were 'hoisted on their own petard", as it were, when they unleashed the
Dragon of Droon and many of them were destroyed. A few remained in the known lands and indeed
it is believed that revival of the brotherhood has already commenced in the
land of Leng. But thanks to the bravery, courage and greed of many noble warriors,
the indigenous Yasnaki have really been able to regain their former power in the land
of humans. Until recently it was believed that the few stragglers who still inhabit the
known lands were all that remained of the Yasnaki after the debacle.
In recent times
however, a kobold messenger has brought frightening news to us from the Underkingdom.
Some of the Yasnaki, fleeing from the destructive force they had unleashed, ran to Axe Glacier.
There, they hoped to find a magic portal to Annwn a land inhabited by great forces of evil with which
they hoped to ally themselves. But when they arrived at the spot where the portal should have
been, they found that it had vanished - well thats what comes from using outdated maps! Fearing
that they would be cornered and slaughtered, their strongest magicians set about reopening the
portal while some of their warriors started to round up hostages as protection from attack by
lawful adventurers.
One such group happened by the forge of the master blacksmith, Vulcan -
seeking to take him prisoner. As they arrived, Vulcan was just putting the finishing touches to his
latest and perhaps greatest weapon - a magical sword of amazing lightness and swiftness - like a
hummingbird. Needless to say, the Yasnaki warriors grabbed it eagerly and ran back to where
their comrades were about to reopen the portal. Now, for all their skill and cleverness, the Yasnaki
have this strange knack of never quite getting their magic to work quite as intended. No sooner
had they all escaped through the portal than they realised two significant facts. Firstly, they had
not arrived in Annwn as planned, but were in a wilderness in some dark land that none of them
recognised. Secondly, the portal they created had self destructed after five seconds and now they
had no way back.
Well, I'm sure you have guessed by now that the Yasnaki remnants had arrived in the
Underkingdom - home to our friends the Robolds, descendants of the fyrbylygs. The
bedraggled group was fatigued, weary and disheartened and no match for the
Robolds, who promptly despatched them to the darkest corners and deepest holes in their
universe, never expecting to see them again. And that, dear readers, is where the kobolds made
their biggest mistake since burying their gold and using a rainbow to mark
the spot.
It didn't take long for the Yasnaki to rediscover their evil skills and they set about regrouping
and regaining their former might. The kobolds had not found the Underkingdom completely
Lempty when they arrived. In fact it was inhabited by surly trolls who were not at all pleased
with their new-found company. However, the trolls were a disorganised rabble and no match for
the wily, magical kobolds, who had promptly banished them to the nether regions - the same
regions where the Yasnaki were now headquartered. The Yasnaki knew that they could not defeat
the trolls in their current debilitated state, so they forged an alliance with them.
Trolls, as everyone
Knows, are stupid creatures and were not an intellectual match for the yasnaki.
Therefore, when the evil magicians offered to train the trolls in the ways of magic and
warfare, so that they could defeat the kobolds, the trolls readily agreed. From that
point on they were easily manipulated by the humanoids, who picked the strongest (if
not the brightest) of them and with great pomp and ceremony, declared him king of the Trolls and
Ruler of the Universe. The silly old troll was flattered beyond belief and when the
the Yasnaki presented him with Vulcan's hummingbird sword and a hummingbird amulet to wear, his joy was
complete.
The Yasnaki genuflected to their new "king and declared their eternal love and devotion
and in return the Troll King promised them the freedom of his kingdom. The Yasnaki did help the
trolls to become a more organised force. They taught them how to make new weapons, including
their own legendary returning hammer. They also taught them limited magic skill - limited because
the troll brain isn't really big enough to master much more than very basic magic. From the best of
the troll warriors they selected a small group for special training and these became the Troll Elite
Guard. Of course, none of this was done for the good of the trolls. What the Yasnaki needed was
time and creating a troll army that could keep the kobolds occupied was just the diversion they
needed to allow them to rediscover themselves.
With the troll army in place and the attention of the lawful Robolds firmly fixed on that
threat, the Yasnaki started to plan their return to power and their conquest of the
known lands. The first part of their plan involved ridding themselves of their greatest
weakness - their mortal bodies. They came to the conclusion that being mortal had been their
undoing and decided to do something about it. After many refinements to the process, during
which some of their number were metamorphosed into strange and unspeakable undead forms
(mummies, skeletons, banshees and so on) the final and perfect Yasnaki incarnation was
perfected.
The undead Yasnaki sorcerer had been born and the most powerful and evil
of them all became The Overlord - spiritual leader of all the undead.
Having attained their undead form, they began to rebuild their physical
empire. They agreed that it would not be prudent to rely on the troll army
as their only fighting army and so a subgroup, under their best warriors -
the Swordmaster and Cartel the Master Assassin - set up a headquarters that would
concentrate on developing fighting skills and wizardry, while the rest, under the
guidance of the Overlord would concentrate on the black art of sorcery.
As time passed, the forces of the Yasnaki grew stronger and stronger and fortune
favoured the army of the troll king. Together, these groups have been gradually wresting
the Underkingdom from the kobolds. The kobolds have managed to build a fortified town
in which they have been able to survive for now, but the rest of the Underkingdom is under the
control of the twin forces of chaos. A recent development has been the capture of the kobold
princess by the Troll King and this has been the ment has been the cap
by the Troll king and this has been the last straw for the long-suffering Kobold king,
Kookoo, As in times past when his ancestors did battle with the human race, he has summoned all
his subjects and in a massive effort they have combined their individual magic to reopen the portal
to Axe Glacier. He has sent his emissaries to mankind with a plea for the safe return of his
daughter (for which he offers a unique magical potion as reward) and the purging of the forces
of chaos. So far, many warriors have travelled to answer the Kookoo's call and many have
perished a a result. Will you go? Will you survive? Knowledge is power. So to help you in your
mission, should you decide to accept it we offer some insight into the geography of the Underkingdom.
This insight is not intended to replace maps but rather complement them.
