Chapter 5: The Drowned City - Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep

Chapter 5: The Drowned City. Cael Morrow lies in a flooded cavern deep beneath the foundations of Ank'Harel. Only ruins of the place remain, but even so there is no doubt that Cael Morrow was one of the most magnificent cities in the world before the Calamity. (The city's original name is unknown; "Cael Morrow" is the name given to the place by the archaeologists of the Allegiance of Allsight.) In those days, it was home to elves of all kinds-including those who were transformed into Exandria's first orcs by the blood of Gruumsh the Ruiner after Corellon pierced his eye on the field of battle. The city was a bastion of hope, its magical wards blessed by the Arch Heart. Infuriated by his loss to Corellon, Gruumsh swore to annihilate Cael Morrow. The Betrayer stood more than a hundred feet tall, looming over a temple to Corellon in the center of the city. There, he raised his terrible spear, intending to strike the earth with such force that all of Marquet would be reduced to ash-only to have his blow parried by Alyxian the Apotheon at the last second. Cael Morrow, the Drowned City, is the grave of thousands of Gruumsh's victims. Even Alyxian's sacrifice, which protected much of the land of Marquet at the cost of his freedom, could not save the city. Now, the center of Cael Morrow is a planar rift born from the place where Gruumsh's spear struck the earth. This rift is the gateway to the Netherdeep, the fountainhead of the corrupting element ruidium, and an object of fascination to Ank'Harel's factions. The rift will draw the characters and their rivals into conflict once more-with the chance to become heroes. An aboleth mutated by ruidium haunts the dark waters of Cael Morrow Running This Chapter This chapter contains a description of the ruins of Cael Morrow, which the characters explore over the course of the various faction missions detailed in the previous chapter. These missions, which differ depending on which faction the characters have allied themselves wi...