Zar’Ahal
- The Queen's Palace
- One Thousand Lights
- Underrealm Guard Barracks
- Slave Slums
- Eastern Bastion
"As a Drow you have never lived until you have seen the made stars of our Home. The surface dwellers speak of their sun as though it holds a monopoly on the beauty of light but they are, as ever, wrong. For we have created stars of our own and oh, how they shine." - Attributed to the First Queen
Zar’Ahal is the home of the Drow, both spiritually and literally for large swathes of the Drow population.
When a Drow swears by Zar’Ahal, they are swearing by their homeland so an oath of this nature can be taken very seriously as the majority of Drow see Zar’Ahal as a monument to their people and something worthy of the utmost respect. Located deep underground in the land of the Underrealm, Zar’Ahal lacks the size of some of the surface cities it could be compared to purely due to the difficulties that arise when building a city underground.
Unlike surface cities, Zar’Ahal had to be built very carefully and very deliberately and it shows in how each section of the city is organised into very neat, very uniform, blocks. While it is ever expanding like it’s surface city contemporaries, Zar’Ahal prides itself on being able to maintain a relatively high standard of living and personal space within it’s walls. This is partially due to it’s regulated building patterns and partially because none of the Drow particularly care how well their slaves are house.
Overview
Demographic
Despite it's sheer size as a city, Zar'Ahal has maintained strict divisions of peoples due to the culture of the ruling class of Drow Elves. This is not an accident however as the local Drow that make up the citizens of the city wish to continue their domination over the races that reside within Zar'Ahal purely to serve them. Although humans and other races technically outnumber Drow within their own city, their influence on the city itself, on it's culture, is non-existent as each and every one of them are slaves to either individual Drow, Houses or the City itself.
Within the walls of Zar'Ahal Drow may pursue many careers and paths. Military service is a key pillar of the culture however, meaning it is far more likely that a visitor would run into a Drow with military training than one without it. Another massive industry within the city is the slave trade; not only does this include the capture and sale of slaves but also the maintenance of slaves within their slums.
Points of Interest
- The Queen’s Palace: A grand structure that has grown over the lifetime of the city itself, the Queen’s Palace is a monument to the wealth and the power of the drow. Constructed using stone carved from miles away purely for it’s aesthetic appeal, it is designed to be both imposing and inspiring. Several gatehouses and curtain walls make the Palace something of a Keep within a castle so it can be closed off during times of strife and the Queen’s Guard are some of the most fearsome warriors the Drow have ever produced.
- One Thousand Lights: Without naturally occurring light, the Drow needed something that could light their way without blinding them. Over the centuries it was discovered that soft, purple, lights were neither painful nor irritating to the Drow eyesight. As soon as this was discovered, mages were commissions to create orbs that glowed with this exact shade of light. Adding them to every street would be too expensive however so one thousand of the tallest, most important, buildings were selected and large light orbs were attached to their rooftops to illuminate the city.
- Underrealm Guard Barracks: Part of having a standing army of guards means housing them and the way the Drow got around having large, spread out, structures for their warriors was by building them upward rather than outward. Guard Barracks in the city are built into towers, some of which are directly connected to the walls of the city’s defenses and some are built in trouble-spot areas within the city itself to further add intimidation to protecting the peace.
- Slave Slums: The slave slums are, as the name suggests, slums where slaves live when they are not directly owned by a family or an individual. These communal slaves are at the disposal of the city government more than the average citizen but liberties were taken with said government property when they were lodged with citizen’s own slaves. Those the city created the slums, an area of run-down housing surrounded by slightly smaller walls and defenses to help deter slave revolts and abuse of government property.
- Eastern Bastion: Part of the eastern defensive wall that juts out from the wall itself, carved into the side of a mountain. This defensive feature is called a bastion but is actually closer to the size of a large tower.
History
To the known surface world, the city of Zar’Ahal still stretches back to the Age of Uroghosh. It is said that thousands of years ago, the drow elves once lived in harmony with the elves in the Falwood. This time of peace was known for a period of time until conflicts began to rise between the different tribes of elves.
While the Falwood elves were content with staying within their borders and living in peace, their drow cousins sought for more and wanted to conquer other cities and expand. Though not evil by nature, the ambitions poisoned the leaders of the drow elves, turning them against their Falwood brethren.
The conflict came to a crux at Fal’Addas, where a great battle took place before the city was fully constructed. The battle erupted after tensions that had been building for hundreds of years finally gave way to bloodshed.
Ultimately, the drow were defeated in battle and forced to retreat to the subterranean levels of Arethil. The survivors of the drow tribes wandered the underground for weeks, many of them dying in the pursuit. It was believed that the drow race almost went extinct here until they came upon a magnificent creature they had never seen before.
This creature took the form of a mantis and a drow, an ancient beast that had vast intellect and wisdom. It is said that this was the Goddess Maelzafan who first appeared to the drow tribe leader Malevina. The Goddess granted the gift of dark magic to the drow in return for Malevina swearing the lives of herself and her people to her.
Maelzafan showed the drow how to live in their new home and guided them towards crafting the halls of Zar’Ahal. The cost of creating a thriving life where there had been none was supreme loyalty and the price of blood. Malevina then performed the first sacrifices to appease Maezafan, choosing a few men over having to choose her sisters. Is is said that the tradition of men becoming second class citizens in Zar’Ahal began here and has held true for thousands of years since.
Drow thrived as a society since Zar’Ahal was established, and it quickly grew as the drow numbers grew. Drow ventured out and explored the tunnels, quickly discovering other races and cities. Without Falwood elves to get in their way, they were able to bring the other civilizations to heel and rule over the Underrealm. The drow also grew accustomed to their subterranean home, their abilities in darkness growing while their sensitivity to sunlight grew worse.
Fractures in leadership within Zar’Ahal and in-fighting led to drow ultimately losing much of their power in the Underrealm, though they still hold several cities below Arethil. The Goddess Maelzafan had since stopped answering the drow and the elves were left weakened.
Though Zar’Ahal is built as a fortress and is near impossible to penetrate, the society within its walls are fractured.
While the Falwood elves were content with staying within their borders and living in peace, their drow cousins sought for more and wanted to conquer other cities and expand. Though not evil by nature, the ambitions poisoned the leaders of the drow elves, turning them against their Falwood brethren.
The conflict came to a crux at Fal’Addas, where a great battle took place before the city was fully constructed. The battle erupted after tensions that had been building for hundreds of years finally gave way to bloodshed.
Ultimately, the drow were defeated in battle and forced to retreat to the subterranean levels of Arethil. The survivors of the drow tribes wandered the underground for weeks, many of them dying in the pursuit. It was believed that the drow race almost went extinct here until they came upon a magnificent creature they had never seen before.
This creature took the form of a mantis and a drow, an ancient beast that had vast intellect and wisdom. It is said that this was the Goddess Maelzafan who first appeared to the drow tribe leader Malevina. The Goddess granted the gift of dark magic to the drow in return for Malevina swearing the lives of herself and her people to her.
Maelzafan showed the drow how to live in their new home and guided them towards crafting the halls of Zar’Ahal. The cost of creating a thriving life where there had been none was supreme loyalty and the price of blood. Malevina then performed the first sacrifices to appease Maezafan, choosing a few men over having to choose her sisters. Is is said that the tradition of men becoming second class citizens in Zar’Ahal began here and has held true for thousands of years since.
Drow thrived as a society since Zar’Ahal was established, and it quickly grew as the drow numbers grew. Drow ventured out and explored the tunnels, quickly discovering other races and cities. Without Falwood elves to get in their way, they were able to bring the other civilizations to heel and rule over the Underrealm. The drow also grew accustomed to their subterranean home, their abilities in darkness growing while their sensitivity to sunlight grew worse.
Fractures in leadership within Zar’Ahal and in-fighting led to drow ultimately losing much of their power in the Underrealm, though they still hold several cities below Arethil. The Goddess Maelzafan had since stopped answering the drow and the elves were left weakened.
Though Zar’Ahal is built as a fortress and is near impossible to penetrate, the society within its walls are fractured.
Military
Overview:
Zar'ahal's military has been honed to a sharp point. Centuries of conflict with other underrealm cities, defending the city from dangerous creatures of the underrealm, and skirmishes between houses.
The military of Zar'ahal is unconventional in that it has two sources it draws forces from: professional soldiers and militia.
Militia soldiers are those loyal to individual Houses of Zar'ahal. Each noble house has its own standing array of guards, soldiers, mages, and agents that look to further that house's interests and defend their house from the aggression of others. While these forces are loyal to the individual Matriarch, they are ultimately answerable to the Queen and can be called up to serve the monarch should the need arise. Make no mistake, despite the name, most militia soldiers are still skilled fighters serving day to day as guards, spies, and similar for their houses.
Professional soldiers are those who have joined the centralized military of Zar'ahal and serve within it at all times. Making up a smaller portion of the potential army of Zar'ahal, the centralized Royal Army a sizable force and the most elite group of fighters within the city. Tasked with maintaining order on the streets of the city as well as scouting and protecting the tunnels surrounding Zar'ahal, the royal army is a potent force to be reckoned with and easily capable of crushing the forces of any individual militia with ease.
Structure and Order of Battle:
The modular backbone of the Zar'ahal military is the company. When a tunnel needs cleared or a slave revolt needs pacifying or an escaped convict needs to be found, a company of soldiers gets the job done.
A conventional company is structured as follows: nine soldiers plus their sergeant make up a squadron (10 soldiers total). Four squadrons plus their lieutenant make up a platoon (41 soldiers total). Four platoons and their captain make up a company (165 soldiers total).
Each company of this sort takes on a specialization with the most common specializations being infantry company, cavalry company, siege company, ranged company, and scout company.
For larger scale operations and open warfare, commanders play a versatile role by leading groups of companies organized into divisions, regiments, or battalions as needed. This is where the modular design of the army comes into sharpest focus. A commander may select an assortment of specialized companies in order to complete a goal with these joint units ranging in size from a few hundred up to thousands.
Company Specializations
Infantry companies are trained in both light and heavy combat with equipment and duties being tailored to the requirements of the mission. Most often, light equipment and skirmishing tactics are preferred, but when called for these same soldiers can suit themselves in heavy armor, shields, and prepare to go spear to spear with the enemies of Zar'ahal.
Similarly, cavalry companies serve versatile roles as well. Capable of acting as either light or heavy cavalry atop their Vornyx, these warriors are often used for screening and scouting, but can also be used to ride into and break enemy formations, chase down stragglers fleeing from battle, and sow chaos within enemy ranks.
Siege companies are an indispensable part of the Royal Military. Trained in the operation of all manner of siege equipment and well studied in tactics of siege breaking, the siege companies are skilled in a extremely broad range of equipment and tactics. Whether the need is operating catapults, digging trenches and tunnels, spreading disease in enemy cities, or building ramparts and siege towers, the siege company brings a versatile and critical set of skills to any large scale conflict.
Ranged companies specialize in all manner of ranged weaponry including bows, crossbows, handbows, and in some cases magic. Ranged companies most often consist of trained archers together with mages that specialize in incantations and devastating spells that cannot be otherwise cast in the fray of combat. Spells requiring long casting times and with horrible effects are often practiced and executed among the ranged companies.
Atypical Companies
Scout companies are among the most elite infantry forces within the Zar'ahal military and are made up entirely of the most capable and motivated soldiers in the Drow army. Tasked with long range operations deep into enemy territory, scout companies specialize in skirmishing, reconnaissance, pathfinding, sabotage, infiltration, and even assassination. A group to be feared throughout the underrealms, the scouts break the mold of the conventional companies with their scouts most often being deployed in groups of two or four. For this reason, scout companies have a structure as follows: two Drow make up a scouting pair (2 soldiers total). Two scouting pairs make up a skirmishing team (4 soldiers total). Two skirmishing teams and their sergeant make up a squadron (8 soldiers total). Four squadrons and their lieutenant make up a platoon (33 soldiers total). Four platoons and their captain make up a scout company (133 soldiers total).
Magic users can be found at every level of the Drow military with varying degrees of skill and talent. Despite this, there are still teams of magic users who practice and train together consistently. These dedicated mages may practice any and all forms of magic depending on their interests and specialties. These battlemage companies are rarely deployed as a whole outside of open warfare but smaller teams from these companies are often deployed alongside other units of the Zar'ahal military.
While battlemage and scout companies make up the elite of the Zar'ahal military, penal and slave companies are the opposite end. Numbering in droves, these groups are more akin to hordes of poorly equipped infantry than true military forces. Driven forward by a few officers that will often simple sacrifice those under their command as the fodder that they are, the officers of the penal and slave companies are there only to ensure that those under their command do their duty of walking forward into the fight.
Zar'ahal's military has been honed to a sharp point. Centuries of conflict with other underrealm cities, defending the city from dangerous creatures of the underrealm, and skirmishes between houses.
The military of Zar'ahal is unconventional in that it has two sources it draws forces from: professional soldiers and militia.
Militia soldiers are those loyal to individual Houses of Zar'ahal. Each noble house has its own standing array of guards, soldiers, mages, and agents that look to further that house's interests and defend their house from the aggression of others. While these forces are loyal to the individual Matriarch, they are ultimately answerable to the Queen and can be called up to serve the monarch should the need arise. Make no mistake, despite the name, most militia soldiers are still skilled fighters serving day to day as guards, spies, and similar for their houses.
Professional soldiers are those who have joined the centralized military of Zar'ahal and serve within it at all times. Making up a smaller portion of the potential army of Zar'ahal, the centralized Royal Army a sizable force and the most elite group of fighters within the city. Tasked with maintaining order on the streets of the city as well as scouting and protecting the tunnels surrounding Zar'ahal, the royal army is a potent force to be reckoned with and easily capable of crushing the forces of any individual militia with ease.
Structure and Order of Battle:
The modular backbone of the Zar'ahal military is the company. When a tunnel needs cleared or a slave revolt needs pacifying or an escaped convict needs to be found, a company of soldiers gets the job done.
A conventional company is structured as follows: nine soldiers plus their sergeant make up a squadron (10 soldiers total). Four squadrons plus their lieutenant make up a platoon (41 soldiers total). Four platoons and their captain make up a company (165 soldiers total).
Each company of this sort takes on a specialization with the most common specializations being infantry company, cavalry company, siege company, ranged company, and scout company.
For larger scale operations and open warfare, commanders play a versatile role by leading groups of companies organized into divisions, regiments, or battalions as needed. This is where the modular design of the army comes into sharpest focus. A commander may select an assortment of specialized companies in order to complete a goal with these joint units ranging in size from a few hundred up to thousands.
Company Specializations
Infantry companies are trained in both light and heavy combat with equipment and duties being tailored to the requirements of the mission. Most often, light equipment and skirmishing tactics are preferred, but when called for these same soldiers can suit themselves in heavy armor, shields, and prepare to go spear to spear with the enemies of Zar'ahal.
Similarly, cavalry companies serve versatile roles as well. Capable of acting as either light or heavy cavalry atop their Vornyx, these warriors are often used for screening and scouting, but can also be used to ride into and break enemy formations, chase down stragglers fleeing from battle, and sow chaos within enemy ranks.
Siege companies are an indispensable part of the Royal Military. Trained in the operation of all manner of siege equipment and well studied in tactics of siege breaking, the siege companies are skilled in a extremely broad range of equipment and tactics. Whether the need is operating catapults, digging trenches and tunnels, spreading disease in enemy cities, or building ramparts and siege towers, the siege company brings a versatile and critical set of skills to any large scale conflict.
Ranged companies specialize in all manner of ranged weaponry including bows, crossbows, handbows, and in some cases magic. Ranged companies most often consist of trained archers together with mages that specialize in incantations and devastating spells that cannot be otherwise cast in the fray of combat. Spells requiring long casting times and with horrible effects are often practiced and executed among the ranged companies.
Atypical Companies
Scout companies are among the most elite infantry forces within the Zar'ahal military and are made up entirely of the most capable and motivated soldiers in the Drow army. Tasked with long range operations deep into enemy territory, scout companies specialize in skirmishing, reconnaissance, pathfinding, sabotage, infiltration, and even assassination. A group to be feared throughout the underrealms, the scouts break the mold of the conventional companies with their scouts most often being deployed in groups of two or four. For this reason, scout companies have a structure as follows: two Drow make up a scouting pair (2 soldiers total). Two scouting pairs make up a skirmishing team (4 soldiers total). Two skirmishing teams and their sergeant make up a squadron (8 soldiers total). Four squadrons and their lieutenant make up a platoon (33 soldiers total). Four platoons and their captain make up a scout company (133 soldiers total).
Magic users can be found at every level of the Drow military with varying degrees of skill and talent. Despite this, there are still teams of magic users who practice and train together consistently. These dedicated mages may practice any and all forms of magic depending on their interests and specialties. These battlemage companies are rarely deployed as a whole outside of open warfare but smaller teams from these companies are often deployed alongside other units of the Zar'ahal military.
While battlemage and scout companies make up the elite of the Zar'ahal military, penal and slave companies are the opposite end. Numbering in droves, these groups are more akin to hordes of poorly equipped infantry than true military forces. Driven forward by a few officers that will often simple sacrifice those under their command as the fodder that they are, the officers of the penal and slave companies are there only to ensure that those under their command do their duty of walking forward into the fight.
Lore
"Zar'Ahal is a place of wonders both old and new - within the walls of our fair city, citizens are free to research areas of magic and study that they see fit. The crafts are venerated and those who master them are held in the highest of regards. I say to you now, with no word of mistruth, that the citizens of Zar'Ahal are free and they will fight to the death to maintain that freedom. Do not test our walls and you will find that our riches may flow outward but throw yourselves against them and prepare to be repaid in blood." - Ghatra of Zar'Ahal, Drow Emissary on a trade mission to Alliria
"... that place (Zar'Ahal) may as well be hell. Sure, there's no fire or brimstone but there are demons and devils there the like that you can't even begin to imagine. Every day and each night they control and torment you until you wish you can sleep in peace, but they always find a way to bring you back from even the worst wounds. Gods even now, after all these years, when I have nightmares I don't dream about dragons or fire or anything like that; all I need to see is the purple glow of those damned lights, to know that I am right back there in that hell." - Petrov Anghella from his book, "Serving the Dark Elves; My Story in Chains"
Zar'Ahal is a city with two reputations, both true in their own way. While it is known as a beacon of powerful mages, of darker magics and of martial discipline almost unmatched across the majority of it's population, it is also known for it's slave-holding. People who trade with the city close their eyes to the suffering of the slaves in order to walk away richer than they could ever dream of and they do so happily.
For those who don't profit directly from the city, it is known as the Darkened City both for it's location underground and for the practices that go on there against most conventional surface morality. It is said that a Drow of Zar'Ahal is the equal of any demon - for they can bring you fortune should you please them and torment should you run afoul of them.
"... that place (Zar'Ahal) may as well be hell. Sure, there's no fire or brimstone but there are demons and devils there the like that you can't even begin to imagine. Every day and each night they control and torment you until you wish you can sleep in peace, but they always find a way to bring you back from even the worst wounds. Gods even now, after all these years, when I have nightmares I don't dream about dragons or fire or anything like that; all I need to see is the purple glow of those damned lights, to know that I am right back there in that hell." - Petrov Anghella from his book, "Serving the Dark Elves; My Story in Chains"
Zar'Ahal is a city with two reputations, both true in their own way. While it is known as a beacon of powerful mages, of darker magics and of martial discipline almost unmatched across the majority of it's population, it is also known for it's slave-holding. People who trade with the city close their eyes to the suffering of the slaves in order to walk away richer than they could ever dream of and they do so happily.
For those who don't profit directly from the city, it is known as the Darkened City both for it's location underground and for the practices that go on there against most conventional surface morality. It is said that a Drow of Zar'Ahal is the equal of any demon - for they can bring you fortune should you please them and torment should you run afoul of them.
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