The UnderWorld

Far from the eyes of the modern world, there exists a realm that has only been hinted at in our myths and legends.

The UnderWorld has existed, in some form or another, since the beginning of time. The ancients spoke of it as the land of the dead far below the earth, from which no travellers save heroes may return. Dante wrote of it, or his interpretation filtered through his religious beliefs, in his Inferno: "Lasciate omni speranza, voi ch'entrate" &mdash; "Abandon all hope, ye who enter." However not all visions of the UnderWorld have been so dire. The ancient Celts saw it reflected in the homes of their gods, the Tuatha De Dannan. These legends survive to this day, in the form of little fairies who dwell inside of hills.

What Is The UnderWorld?
For thousands of years, scholars (both surface and subterranean) have argued that very point. There have been UnderWorlds beneath almost every human settlement, since the dawn of civilization. The loss of magic in the world saw the loss of so many of them until there are now only UnderWorlds beneath those cities that have managed methods of replacing the Radiance, usually in the form of a subway system. Does this fact indicate that the UnderWorld is merely a subterranean reflection of the world above, cast in earth rather than water? The subterranean world has always been a home to our legend and the mystic expressions of ourselves. Perhaps, then, that is the role that the UnderWorld plays: it is the space beneath the bed of the world, where monsters dwell, and the rabbit hole to Wonderland can be found.

UnderWorld Society
Regardless of its purpose, the UnderWorld is now almost a world unto itself &mdash; conected to, yet separate from the World Above. Its citizens go about their day to day lives, most never encountering surface society, or seeing the light of day. Many of these citizens are cast-offs from that daylight world: the homeless, the unwanted, the forgotten. These and more have left the surface world behind, to forge their own in the tunnels and caverns below, full of life and magic.

The people of the UnderWorld are as widely varied as those in the World Above. A mix of cultures make up the population, as is the case with any large city. Some of these cultures are similar to those found in the streets of the city above, but mixed in with these familiar strangers are those that are stranger still: the Freaks, the Legendaries, each as individual as a snowflake. The Lost, out of times past, and the Nomads, who have no such past. Manufactured beings like the Junkmen are the definition of "Ghost in the Machine" made manifest, while species like the Mole People and the Ferals, who force a re-examination what it means to be "people".

Domains
The UnderWorld is divided into various Domains, each ruled by a Lord. Like the kingdoms of old, the Domains of the UnderWorld forge allainces, trade in goods and services... and, at times, make war upon each other. The Lords each rule their domain as they see fit: some are benign, others are despotic. A key to survival in these tunnels and caverns is awareness of the mood and temper of each particular Domain's ruler... in some cases it can mean the difference between life and death.

Language
The lingua franca of the UnderWorld is English (it lies below London, after all, and at least nominally, that's the main language of that city). However, the language spoken by the UnderWorlders is filled with specificity to their environment and their lifestyle &mdash; a slang that reflects the mix of cultures that make up the population, combined with the circumstances they endure, unique to the UnderWorld. Mix this with healthy helpings of the latest street slang from the UpWorld (brought in by the Homeless Traders), and there you have the base patois, called Tunnel. Other languages are spoken, including French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German... hell, even Medieval Latin in some places...but Tunnel is the common ground that most denizens share.

Economy
The economy of the UnderWorld is based in barter. Traders exchange their goods (and often, their information) for other items of value, whether in the form of equipment, weapons, magic, a service or a favor. This system guarantees that when a Trader pushes his cart into a Domain, you can be sure that he carries things far more interesting than just a bit of broken clock radio, or the water pump from a '79 Rover.

Breeds
The denizens of these underground Domains are made up of several Breeds. A Breed is a grouping somewhat akin to a species or a race but usually cast in a wider net. Some, like the elusive Mole People, are a true race unto themselves. Others, like the Freaks, are as widely varied as the different species of flowers that blossom in the World Above. Some Breeds like the Junkmen and the Legendaries are borne of magic and not natural at all.

Guilds
Regardless of Breed, the peoples of the UnderWorld organize themselves by profession, which are regulated by the Guilds. Every Domain respects the rule of the Guilds, regardless of the whims of an individual Lord. The traditions and sacrosanct monopolies maintained by the Guilds allow for a rule of law that maintains a sense of order in the chaos of magic and survival that is the World Below. It is the order of things, and all but a dangerous few obey.

The Wild
Outside the protection of the Domains, the UnderWorld is wild and the Radiance manifests itself in wondrous and unexpected ways. Great beasts lurk through dark tunnels, ready to devour the unwary. In caverns deeper than any UpWorlder has ever traveled, there are lost cities built by inhuman hands.