> [!infobox] > # The Luminescent Undercity > ![[Mycoshaal2.jpg]]<span style="display:block;text-align:center;">[[Mycoshaal2.jpg|Show to Players]]</span> > ###### Information > | | | > |---|---| > |**Region**| [[Zalfaria]] | > |**Ruler**| Matron [[Vaelthys Ssarathis]] | # Overview Mycoshaal is one of the most exotic cities of the Underdark, rivaling even the great Drow strongholds in its uniqueness and wealth. It is a city of soft, pulsing lights, where fungal towers stretch high into enormous caverns, their caps shedding luminescent spores that drift like falling stars. Unlike the cutthroat nature of some Drow societies, Mycoshaal has found balance in trade and cooperation, particularly with surface merchants from Kaldia. The city has deep ties to the spice and alchemical markets above, its rare fungi and underground flora making it a hub for alchemists, poisoners, and apothecaries alike. However, outsiders who wander too deep into Mycoshaal’s districts may find themselves lost in its more enigmatic, secretive underbelly, where shadowy deals and arcane secrets are whispered beneath the glow of ghostly mushrooms. # Geography & Architecture - Built within a massive subterranean cavern, Mycoshaal’s skyline consists of fungal towers, carved stone spires, and suspended bridges. - The city is layered, with the upper levels home to merchants, surface traders, and artisans, while the lower depths descend into more secretive and arcane territories. - Bioluminescent gardens of glowing mushrooms, lichen-covered stone, and underground rivers weave throughout the city, creating an otherworldly, dreamlike aesthetic. - Structures are often made from petrified mushroom stalks, dark stone, and chitin-like exoskeletons harvested from Underdark beasts. ### Culture & Society - Mycoshaal’s people—predominantly Drow, Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin), and Duergar—value mysticism, alchemy, and underground survival. - The city is steeped in fungal magic, with many shamans and mages specializing in spore-based enchantments, mind-altering brews, and living fungal constructs. - Status and influence are often determined by one’s knowledge of the Underdark, trade connections, and ability to navigate the city's unspoken social rules. - While less politically brutal than some Drow cities, Mycoshaal still operates in layers of intrigue, where debts and whispered favors shape the city's future. ### Politics & Leadership Mycoshaal is ruled by a council known as The Mycelic Conclave, a triad of powerful figures who each oversee a different aspect of the city's governance: 1. **[[Vaelthys Ssarathis]]**, Mistress of the Veil – A cunning Drow matron, she controls Mycoshaal’s espionage networks and ensures the city's interests are protected from both the surface and rival Underdark factions. 2. **[[Zidrin Blackroot]]**, The Sporekeeper – A Deep Gnome druid who commands the Mushroom Gardens, regulating the city's alchemical exports, food supply, and fungal magic traditions. 3. **[[Thrumgar Ironshade]]**, The Hollow King – A Duergar warlord turned merchant-lord, he enforces trade law, security, and the city’s mercenary companies, ensuring Mycoshaal’s wealth remains untouchable. ###### The Great Houses The most influential three Houses, whose leaders either sit on the Mycelic Conclave or have a direct hand in shaping the city’s laws and trade regulations. These Houses control critical aspects of Mycoshaal's survival, from espionage to agriculture and trade. 1. **House Ssarathis** – The House of Shadows - Led by [[Vaelthys Ssarathis]], Mistress of the Veil. - Masters of whispered secrets, political intrigue, and mercantile dealings, they oversee the Silken Veil, an organization specializing in spies, assassins, and diplomatic envoys. - Their agents operate both above and below, ensuring Mycoshaal remains independent of both the surface and rival Underdark cities. - Nicknamed: "The Eyes in the Dark" 2. **House Blackroot** – The House of Sporekeepers - Overseen by Zidrin Blackroot, The Sporekeeper. - Maintains the Mushroom Gardens, which feed the city and provide vital alchemical resources for trade. - They also research and develop fungal magic, particularly enchantments that involve mind spores, medicinal brews, and alchemical innovations. - Nicknamed: "The Rooted Lords" 3. **House Ironshade** – The House of Trade and War - Ruled by Thrumgar Ironshade, The Hollow King. - Oversees the mercenary guilds, trade caravans, and security forces that keep Mycoshaal's economy running. - Their deep mines and subterranean chitin-forging techniques make them wealthy weapon merchants, supplying arms to both the surface and Underdark factions. - Nicknamed: "The Hollow Coin" ###### The High Houses Below the Great Houses are the five High Houses, which are still extremely powerful but lack the same absolute control over Mycoshaal’s policies. Instead, they hold dominance in specialized fields, and their loyalties often shift based on economic alliances. 4. **House Veythra** – Arcane Scholars and Underdark Enchanters - Focus: Magical study, fungal enchantments, and knowledge preservation - Operates the Obsidian Archives, Mycoshaal’s largest repository of magic and history. - They research subterranean ley lines and the unique relationship between spore-based life and magic. - Mages and scholars from the House often become tutors for aspiring spellcasters. 5. **House Drathiln** – Poisoners and Perfume Masters - Focus: Alchemy, toxins, and exotic perfumes - Produces high-quality poisons, rare incenses, and hallucinogenic substances sought after in both Mycoshaal and Kaldia. - Their signature "dreamblight" concoctions can induce visions, open the mind to prophecy, or create controlled illusions. 6. **House Xelvren** – The Fleshweavers (Fungal and Symbiotic Medicine) - Focus: Healing, body modifications, and fungal grafting - Experts in spore-based healing techniques, body enhancement, and fungal grafting, allowing certain individuals to bond with Underdark flora for heightened abilities. - They provide elite healers and mystics, but some whisper of their experiments in spore-bonded warriors. 7. **House Zorlyth** – Tunnels and Infrastructure - Focus: Underdark navigation, tunnel construction, and subterranean cartography - They maintain the city’s network of hidden paths and tunnels, ensuring safe passage through the treacherous Underdark. - Their miners and architects are responsible for carving out Mycoshaal’s more extravagant structures, including the great fungal towers. 8. **House Kalzith** – Silk Weavers and Textile Lords - Focus: Silk production, exotic textiles, and subterranean fashion - Masters of breeding giant cave spiders for their silk, used in crafting luxurious robes, enchanted armor, and trade goods. - Their silk is infused with minor magics to react to light and shadow, making it a coveted fashion material in both Mycoshaal and Kaldia. ###### The Lesser Houses The Lesser Houses do not hold noble status but still play important roles in the economy and culture. These include: 9. **House Drazzil** – Beastkeepers and Mount Breeders - Domesticate giant lizards, cave bats, and other Underdark creatures for riding, hunting, or guard duty. 10. **House Myrthos** – Bioluminescent Artisans - Specialize in crafting light-based art, glowing murals, and phosphorescent dyes used in architecture. 11. **House Yldros** – Bone Crafters and Chitin Smiths - Work with the remains of Underdark beasts, turning them into weapons, armor, and jewelry. 12. **House Drolnith** – Gastronomy and Exotic Cuisine - Famous for their fermented fungal wines, deep-roasted insects, and rare dishes that change flavors based on temperature or lighting. ### Economy & Trade - Exports: Rare Underdark mushrooms (for spices, alchemy, and poisons), glowing fungi, bioluminescent dyes, exotic cave fish, medicinal spores, silk from subterranean spiders, enchanted chitin armor. - Imports: Metals, exotic fabrics, surface spices, magical reagents, enchanted artifacts. - Aliases: The Glow Below, The Fungal Spire, The Shrouded Bazaar. ### Unique Traditions & Rituals - **The Night of Drifting Spores** – A festival where glowing spores are released into the cavern, creating a mesmerizing, starry sky illusion in the darkness. - **Fungal Communion** – Some Mycoshaalans practice a ritualistic bond with fungal networks, allowing them to share memories or even thoughts through mycelium-linked enchantments. - **The Sporeborn Trials** – A coming-of-age ceremony where young Mycoshaalans venture into the deep tunnels to retrieve a rare fungus, proving their ability to survive the dangers of the Underdark. ### Notable Locations - **The Luminescent Bazaar** – A massive underground market of exotic wares, where traders from both the surface and the Underdark barter in strange currencies. - **The Hollow Hall** – The main seat of the Mycelic Conclave, a spiraling fortress of petrified mushrooms and carved obsidian. - **The Gloamreach** – A mysterious, sacred cavern deep beneath the city, where hallucinogenic spores drift like mist and ancient fungal spirits are said to whisper secrets.