Underkingdom


	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.

Access

The portal to the underkingdom is situated in Axe Glacier, north-west of Chaos Town and north of the abandoned temple. You will recognise the portal by the strange looking trees that surround it. These trees have apparently sprung up from seeds that were transported from the Underkingdom on the boots of warriors returning to seek solace in the Praetoseba. The portal hex itself is coloured purple. Additionally, there is a UK portal within the Bloodlands portal room and one within the Blackburrow portal room.