Chapter 3: The Darklake - Out of the Abyss

Chapter 3: The Darklake. Though its name might evoke images of a single subterranean body of water, the Darklake is a network of underground rivers, natural tunnels, and canals that connect innumerable water-filled caverns and chambers. This vast waterway stretches over a hundred miles across, with ceilings that are miles high in some places and depths that are unfathomable. Long ago, duergar engineers extended and widened many of the interconnecting passages of the Darklake. They also constructed locks for raising and lowering watercraft to different levels within it, opening up large portions of the network for travel. Many Underdark creatures are experienced in navigating the Darklake, including the kuo-toa-fishlike humanoids known for their insane obsession with unraveling the secret patterns of the Underdark. Still, better to trust a kuo-toa guide than attempt to traverse the Darklake alone and become lost within it forever. The adventurers can use the Darklake to reach many destinations in the Underdark. More importantly, water travel makes it difficult for their drow pursuers to track them. The kuo-toa town of Sloobludop is located on the eastern edge of the Darklake, and is a potential source of watercraft and navigational aid. But as they seek out these resources, the characters learn of terrible powers loose in the Underdark-worse than the drow, the kuo-toa, or any other threat of this dark realm. Traversing the Darklake The adventurers need to find a way to cross the Darklake on the way to their ultimate destination-out of the Underdark and back to the surface world. They might attempt to find a guide or hire passage in Sloobludop, but other possibilities could also present themselves. Modes of Travel The adventurers might find different ways to cross the Darklake, depending on how long they traverse it and who or what they encounter along the way. Since there is no wind in the Underdark, all water travel involves either rowing at 1½ miles per hour, or...