The Campaign Builder's Guild

So, having more time than I'm used to recently, I was thinking about how to change the somewhat "classic" fantasy setting into something new and interesting - flip it upside down. Then it hit me - flip it upside down!

So the premise would be as such. Some unknown event forced the standard motley fantasy troupe underground for good. This WOULD NOT be a "drow" campaign or an "Underdark" campaign. Here are a couple of images that stormed my head that I think describe the setting well.

1. The key city of human kind, build on, inside, and around massive stalagmites (the ones that go up), which would be a beacon of a thousand little lights blinking in the deep dark of a vast underground cavern. But the city would be a dangerous and shadowy place, only held together by the even more malicious threats that wait outside the city walls and in the labyrinthine caverns and tunnels of the setting.

2. This setting's version of the elf being even thinner, emaciated, and bleach pale with giant shining eyes as they hunt and stalk prey and trespassers in a forest of moss and mushroom.

3. A caravan of merchants, traveling on giant pack-beetles, lighting their way with pale-blue phosphorescent fungi as they wind their way through a pitch black cavern, as eye-less beasts sit in wait.

Themes could be survival and chiaroscuro and an exploration of the darker nature of things. This is just a basic premise, but I think this idea could grow into something really neat and original.

Quote from: Leetz1. The key city of human kind, build on, inside, and around massive stalagmites (the ones that go up), which would be a beacon of a thousand little lights blinking in the deep dark of a vast underground cavern. But the city would be a dangerous and shadowy place, only held together by the even more malicious threats that wait outside the city walls and in the labyrinthine caverns and tunnels of the setting.

3. A caravan of merchants, traveling on giant pack-beetles, lighting their way with pale-blue phosphorescent fungi as they wind their way through a pitch black cavern, as eye-less beasts sit in wait. [/quote]Themes could be survival and chiaroscuro and an exploration of the darker nature of things. This is just a basic premise, but I think this idea could grow into something really neat and original.
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Interesting, I would like to see what else you imagine for this setting.

@Llum, Well, the only thing it would have in common with the Underdark would be that it's underground. I really don't plan on using much if any of the material already used for the Underdark, which is kinda what I was getting at. And yes, no Drow, as they are the most over-rated and over-used fantasy troupe :) at least in my opinion

As for the rest, I really haven't thought that far into the setting into concerns on how populations are fed and what not (I like to use "magic" as a last, sometimes first, resort answer.) But yes, water would be a big issue. Maybe this city is built upon a group of rare fresh-water springs?

I made a Sphere like this for a Wake campaign and describing cities built into giant columns in an underground chamber was extremely fun.  Food source wasn't a problem there because of Gates, but the Sphere was a vast underground sea and the only spots of dry land were these stalagmites and stalactites bearing settlements. What about fish?  What about... bats?  Creatures that can reach the surface quickly, like bats, and may not be as affected by a topside environs as playable races, etc..

along the lines of this setting, here would be some possibilities of how standard fantasy would fare underground.

the elf race - like I mentioned before - emaciated, pale, with giant lemur-like eyes. would live in fungal and moss forests. could be vicious hunters or reserved guardians.

the small/hobbit race - maybe they went totally feral and serve as the settings "goblin" race, preying on whatever it may be. like a million scuttling Golums, only less annoying.

the dwarf race - this would be tricky to make different, considering they're basically an underground race anyways. but maybe presenting them with a darker tone? like they're really pissed off that everyone else came down into their homes. Could be very militaristic and racially focused.

the human race - I think humans would be best used as a vessel to present social, cultural, and technological change that has happened as a result of being underground for so long.  

I also thought that the concept of dungeons would basically work the same, just switched around. You go up instead of down and start and the bottom of a dungeon and work your way to the top.

I think this could be a really cool setting.

Maybe the dwarves are the only who still dare venture onto the surface (for whatever reason). They were always accustomed to the double life of above/below.
Anyway, sounds like a project with promise.

I think it would be interesting to take the stereotype of the grumpy dwarf even farther, making him down right evil and nasty.

Okay, may I just say that the idea of little gollum/smeagul things is awesome. It totally fits a darker, underground theme. I can just picture swarms of them crawling all over the walls.

  This sounds interesting and I will be keeping up with it. But I do not see how you could make it drastically different from the Underdark, after all, the Underdark pretty much covers an underground setting.

You could make it relatively different from the Underdark by simply populating it with radically different creatures than usual, or by making large sections of the underground particularly unique.  Like a huge section that's actually the petrified remains of a collosal god-beast, or something - an enormous fossil.  Actualy that'd work well as an Underdarky section for the Cadaverous Earth...

The idea of the stalagmite city makes me think of this image.

Well the point I was trying to get at by saying it wasn't an Underdark setting was 2 fold.

the first was to disassociate some of the stereotypes and expectations people may have of an underground world - like drow, duergar, aboleths, and underground version of above ground races.

the second was to reinforce the fact that this setting is not the dark twin of a world in the light, but in fact THE world, as there is no world of light to compare it to. so while ive been brainstorming in my head, I'm trying to describe this world without referring to things that would not exist in it - dawn, dusk, sun, stars, storms - things like that.

and yeah Steerpike, there could be some really neat areas. I was thinking a mushroom forest (kinda cliche but still cool) would be neat to use, but haven't thought too far beyond that.

I have thought that a single large city would make a great hub to the setting - something weird and Sigil-esque.

Leetz- perhaps identify what it is about the "underdark", write down those themes, then avoid and subvert them in your design philosophy. (Edit: I see you seem to have answered part of my question while I was typing- oops.)

I also like the idea of the stalagmite city. :)

Don't forget the fish and insects of the tunnels. What if there were blind flying carp in the tunnels that hunt by the feel of vibrations (like bats)? (A dwarf fortress player's worst nightmare.)

idea: at the heart of the setting would be a kingdom of humans based in large cavern focused around this key stalagmite city, with a bunch of feudal fungus farms surrounding the city. maybe all the lights from the human settlements, some crystals in the rock, and phosphorescent fungus gives the cavern a subtle, twilit glow so there is someplace that's not in total darkness?

[edit] the Dusk-Lit Kingdom? the Twilit Kingdom? Lantern Kingdom?

There are some animals that can emit light, such as fireflies, glow worms and anglerfish. Perhaps the undeground humans have started breeding such animals to light their lanterns? You'd have to come up with a species that can produce fairly bright light for this to be practical, though.

Some fungus or moss might also emit light- but what if there is a drawback to the emissions, like the light makes creatures woozy and sleepy. So the light is used sparingly.

or light would attract things that eat you once outside the safety of a settlement. :)