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Underhill
Scarlet Hall
natural defenses
glamour & other magics
silk & other textiles
wine
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livestock & grain
Buried in the misty, remote depths of the Bazizhugi mountains northwest of the Spine is one of the best-kept secrets of the fae: the fabled city under the mountain, Underhill. It is regarded as the second largest fae city and the birthplace of the Winter and Autumn Courts, and serves as the political, economic, and cultural center for faeries on the Epressan continent.
Steeped in tradition, Underhill has a history as long and colorful as the fae themselves, reaching back ages and millennia, recorded in both oral and written forms. By mortal comparisons, the preservation of this knowledge has remained relatively untouched by the dark ages that afflicted their historical records. However, Underhill (like other fae cities) is guilty of being highly xenophobic, and rarely documented events and societies beyond their own, and any elder fae who had existed in previous ages have long since passed with their times.
The city itself is located underground. There are more than thirty known entrances to the cave and its subterranean river system, most of them carefully protected by varying magics and guards. Most travelers enter through the waterfall gate approaching from the southwest, colloquially known as the Lovers' Door. A string of smaller villages have cropped up along the river beneath the waterfall and leading up to this entrance. The second is the Maw, the enormous mouth of the cavern. Facing northwest, it is not generally used as an entrance except by fae capable of flight. Not only is this dangerous, it is also a fineable offense; the airspace above the city in the vault of the cavern has strict laws regarding flight. Other frequented entrances include tiny tunnels carved by water into the ceiling and nearly a dozen small subterranean rivers running south and southeast.
The city boasts a regular climate ensured by its underground location. It is perpetually cool and damp and dark, and this suits its inhabitants just fine. Only the city districts near or beneath the Maw experience weather patterns, with regular rain and snowfall common in a subtropical climate. While the sun rarely shines on Underhill, the moons occasionally pass across the opening of the Maw. As the Winter and Autumn Courts follow a lunar calendar, these rare instances are associated with some of the unseelie fae's most important holidays.
Underhill prides itself as culturally and racially diverse. In this same vein, the city makes religious accommodations to their solar and seelie fae inhabitants. A variety of temples and shrines can be found in Underhill and the practice of religion is a protected right. All three major fae religions have places of worship, including the Summerlanders with a dedicated temple at the foot of the Maw where they may find the best lighting. Descendants of changelings have contributed a number of smaller shrines to the gods of their native cultures, and these are just as often visited by warlocks.
The Game, played by the elite, can be vicious and merciless, sometimes afflicting the city with times of conflict and upheaval. Not all strong political moves are quiet, and the fae (especially the unseelie) are prone to strong acts of violence. Some power moves are felt by the whole city in more than a political sense. Though Underhill's residents ride these bouts of chaos like boats on a wave, these collisions can become dangerous to civilians. This has resulted in two things: a population that responds quickly to disasters and popularization of news media. Scandal sheets are notably popular, even to the slums furthest from the Game.