World of Kralis

Tav Aeduhn - The Great Depths

(pronounced: tav a-doon)

The world is vast and holds hundreds of different species, cultures, kingdoms and nations. Yet, beneath the feet of every king, knight, traveler, merchant and surf there exists a whole other "world", a vast network of caverns, tunnels, oceans, seas, villages, cities, nations and realms. This is known as Tav Aeduhn, the Great World Beneath.

Tav Aeduhn is made up of hundreds of thousands of interconnecting caverns and tunnels, as well as vast oceans of water and lava. It is home to foul creatures as well as good-aligned beings that survive the enclosed darkness.

Traveling through the Tav Aeduhn is not something just anyone can do, it takes a bit of planning and strategy and more often a good map, a good current map. This world is often changing from natural disasters such as flooding, cave-ins, earthquakes and massive houlthi that burrow through the world. It is possible for travelers, especially merchants, to travel from Ka Los, beneath the Great Sea and arrive in Dardura Sheva simply by traversing the vast tunnels and great cavern kingdoms beneath the world.

Tav Aeduhn is comprised of four regions (Upper, Middle, Lower and the Darkness), each descending deeper into the world and closer to the Great Chaos imprisoned within its core.

Tav Aeduhn Realms

Deep beneath the lit world of the surface there exists another world, alien in most respects but very much like that of the surface. There are great cities, fortified towns, and hidden villages. There are vast lakes of cool, drinkable water and vast lakes of red hot lava. There are deep forests of mushrooms, trees, and other forms of vegetation. Everything about Tav Aeduhn Realms seems to be enlarged, from the creatures to the flora to bodies of water to the vastness of wild lands.

Tav Aeduhn Realms or more commonly called the Deep Realms or the Lower World are home to hundreds of other species, city-states, kingdoms and nations. It is linked by millions of tunnels that spread like a spider’s web in all directions, making getting lost in Tav Aeduhn Realms easy, even for the most experienced of trackers and guides.

There are many dungeons and surface cities that link the lightless world with that of the lit world. Most dungeon levels never exceed thirteen, for by that time they have begun to impede into Tav Aeduhn Realms. All of these make for easy access to the world of Tav Aeduhn Realms. Beneath the surface good and evil often gets twisted and turned around. Not every species is evil and every person met is going to be helpful.

There are five portions of Tav Aeduhn Realms: Wild Regions, Upper Regions, Middle Regions, Lower Regions and Deep Regions. The Deep Regions are areas that extend beneath the Lower Regions, but stop just before the core of the world. These realms are hot, humid, and very dangerous. Very few species make this place home and it is often left to the more dangerous creatures of Tav Aeduhn Realms. The Wild Regions are by definition any area that is not with 1000 feet of a civilized area just as a large fortified town or city. This regions are ruled by marauding bands of creatures, bandits, monsters, etc. Unless civilizations are within 2000 feet of each other Wild Regions exist.

Upper Regions

The Upper Regions of Tav Aeduhn Realms general begin at 2000 feet below the surface and extend to just under seven miles. These regions are filled with large underground cities, numerous towns, and many hidden villages. Wild Regions are very few and sparse, as all the creatures, monsters and unwanted have been driven further beneath into the Middle, Lower and Deep Regions.

Middle Regions

The Middle Regions of Tav Aeduhn Realms begin at about seven miles and typically have a three-mile depth to them. These regions are less inhabited than the Upper Regions, but still are home to large cities and towns. Villages in general disappear behind illusions, or false walls and entrances for many reasons, protection being the biggest, but there is also a sense of paranoia behind these decisions. More dangerous creatures are found in these depths and many times these areas are the staging grounds for raid to the Upper Regions as well as the surface. The Middle Regions are truly the last frontier of civilization before plunging into even darker depths and greater dangers.

Lower Regions

The last region before Tav Aeduhn Realms, is the Lower Regions also often called “Hell”, these regions are sparsely populated and only the largest, greatest cities can survive the wars and raids that occur on almost a weekly basis if not a daily basis. This region is home to dark and evil things, and organizations that wish to hide from all forms of intrusion as well as others that seek to avoid all contact. Many holes and tunnels lead to heavily sealed doors of metal, what lies behind them very few know, and very few want to know.

The Darkness

The greatest threat to beings that dwell in Tav Aeduhn Realms is the lack of light and the complete darkness that many areas offer. While many species have perfect nightvision to correct this, there is still the threat of danger that they cannot see with their “heat vision.” However, the caverns, tunnels and areas of these regions are not completely without light.

Many areas are illuminated by light as strong as a cloudy day by certain mosses called lantern moss. This moss grows wild through out the Deep Realms and can often be located fairly quickly. Because of this moss, many great caverns are filled with oak, pine and even aspen trees as they gain sufficient light from the moss that covers the ceilings and walls of such caverns. In addition, there are numerous mushrooms and other plants that shed light as well. In other locations nebulous cloud of phosphorous exist high in a cavern bathing the whole area beneath it in a yellow-orange light.

Many different types of naturally occurring rocks often shed a dim green or blue light that illuminates a 20 foot diameter area per every cubic foot of stone that is revealed. While darkness does pervade everywhere in Tav Aeduhn Realms light in the form of natural occurrences and magical spells is often not far away.

Landscapes

The landscape within the Deep Realms varies greatly. There are caverns of limestone, caverns of smooth granite, tunnels made smooth rivers that have gone dry or shifted and each of these may vary in size, length and width. There are lakes, rivers, blocked passages, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, flowstone, grottos, sinkholes, waterfalls, and much more. Unlike the surface, travel in the DeepRealms is a three-dimensional trip. Often characters may find themselves go up and then down and then backpeddling in a new tunnel just to reach an area that on the surface may have only take a few hours, has taken days.

Survival

Unless you travel below the Upper Regions of Tav Aeduhn Realms , then there is little need to worry about sufficient food, water, or even air, as those species that call this region home have created a living world with many of the same similarities as the surface world. However, beyond the Upper Regions, food, fresh water and sometimes breathable air becomes scarce. The cities and towns become oasis' that become treasured sights for travelers into Tav Aeduhn Realms.

Known Locations

City of Iron - City of Demons and Fiends

Huusitahar - City of Demons and Fiends beneath the Bayreesh Mountains

Duana Tagh - Fir Darrig Realm beneath the Kingdom of Nazhryn

Ur - Chovahian Realm beneath Alisanos

Lurikith - Demonic City beneath the Blue Mountains

Dreach - Demonic City beneath the black ice of Iztalik

Melek Ba Rys- Fir Darrig Realm

The City of Char- Fir Darrig Realm beneath the Nazrafu Desert

Och Adnach- Fir Darrig Realm beneath Empire of Resha

Ithanh Urth- Fir Darrig Realm beneath the Aham Mountains

Haaturig Tegwa- Fir Darrig Realm beneath the Sea of Magnara

Eit Dhuraag - Fir Darrig Realm beneath Haarn Empire

Khanzar - Chovahian realm beneath the Fire Mountains

Baah Ruch - Fyrgin realm beneath the Great Dale

Cuzhudal - Chovahian realm beneath Khamari Mountains

Dhirus Nazar - Chovahian realm beneath the Curiza Mountains (present day Mountains of Bayreesh)

Ogath - Aurox Realm beneath the Vast

Unta Dhar - Fir Darrig realm beneath the Vast

Duraretzan - Aurox city beneath the Curiza Mountains (present day Mountains of Bayreesh)

Malmotik - Chovahian realm beneath the Kingdom of Panthias

Dungeons of the Night - Dungeon complex beneath Zhosarik

Tuunga - Realm of the undead beneath present-day Parika

Hurigan - Chovahian realm beneath the Great Dale

Guurish - Dark city of Mala beneath the Kingdom of Nashatras

Mahstechoor - Chovahian realm beneath the Dhunadin Sea

Ahuletgan - Chovahian realm beneath the black ice of Izalik and the Curiza Mountains

Dungeons of Dunn - Hidden beneath the Empire of Resha