Hidden away from the eyes of the world, the Umbral Depths is a place of mystery, magic, and terror. There are entrances scattered all over Canelux, some marked clearly by signs and runes, while others are cracks in the earth only wide enough to admit a man. The light dies quickly once the adventurous souls descend into the depths, and the environment grows strange even faster. The upper depths contain dangers such as hunting parties of dark elves, giant bloodthirsty bats, and shadowy creatures ready to snatch the unwary into their lairs.
Journeying deeper brings new dangers, including lakes filled with acid, areas where magic goes haywire, and blind monstrosities, capable of spotting anyone trespassing into their territory without the need for sight. Many creatures have developed echolocation and other senses, some magical, to replace their lack of eyes. Scholars have opined that the areas of wyld magic have also warped these creatures, as some have developed supernatural means of evasion.
There are a number of dwarven settlements found in the middle depths. Some are welcoming to adventurers. Others are not so kind to outsiders, guarding their treasures and secrets jealously. Their ability for crafting armor, weapons, and other goods of precious metals and gems is renowned even amongst surface dwellers, and there are some well traveled paths to the friendlier dwarvish cities.
Even with the destruction of their largest city, the ever-infamous drow continue to flourish in the middle depths, even with their diminished numbers. Their cities remain places of dark wonders, lit with faerie fire. Dwellings for each House are built within stalactites and stalagmites, and the busy markets are filled with drow-made goods, artifacts, slaves of various races, and specially bred animals for traversing the Depths. When their capital city was destroyed and their daemon-queen slain, the drow became even more exclusive regarding visitors to their cities. Some adventure out into the Depths and up to the surface to seek new sources of power for their people, while other Houses turn to daemon magic and darker sources to maintain their positions and power.
The deepest areas of the Depths hold the greatest dangers, but also the purest metals and most precious gems. The dwarves and drow often fight each other over mining rights, though both are reluctant to set up permanent camps here. Magma flows unpredictably into caverns through fissures in the ground, and noxious gasses fill others. Dragons and demons lurk in these regions, and the unwary can find themselves trapped with no escape. But the lure of the rarest materials continues to bring adventurers through all areas of the Depths.
