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Sample file Thomas Baumbach, Chris Harris, Jonathan G. Nelson published by AAW Games LLC PO Box #92 Snoqualmie, WA 98065 Sample file© AAW Games LLC. All Rights reserved. Printed in China Second Printing, July 2021 ISBN-13: 978-0-9899736-56 written by Jonathan G. Nelson and Stephen Yeardley developed by Thomas Baumbach editing team Thomas Baumbach, Thilo Graf, Will Myers, Mike Myler, Jonathan G. Nelson, Cory Vickruck, Stephen Yeardley graphic design Thomas Baumbach and Justin Andrew Mason cartography Sean MacDonald and Tommi Salama contributing authors Michael Allen, Curtis Baum, Thomas Baumbach, Chris Bayes, Brian Berg, Todd Gamble, Thilo Graf, Joshua Gullion, Steve Helt, Justin Andrew Mason, Kevin Mickelson, Will Myers, Mike Myler, Owen K. C. Stephens, Christina Stiles, Jason Stoffa, Rory Toma conversion Thomas Baumbach, Chris Harris, Jonathan G. Nelson artists Bruno Balixa, cover artist Kerem Beyit, Jacob Blackmon, Simon Buckroyd, Matt Bulahao, Claudio Casini, Storn Cook, Keith Curtis, Juan Diego, Gary Dupuis, Rick Hershey, Forest Immel, James J. Krause, Konrad Langa, Eric Lofgren, Butch Mapa, Justin Andrew Mason, Malcolm McClinton, Mates Laurentiu, Pozas Prime, Eric Quigley, Adam Schmidt, Tadas Sidlauskas, Bryan Syme, Ryan Sumo, Carlos Torreblanco, Luis Valente, Quico Vicens, and works in the public domain. Some artwork © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved. Cave by Andi Nur Abdillah from the Noun Project. Church, Hill Fort, and Spider Eye by Delapouite. Oak and Skull Slices by Lorc. Dwarf Helmet by Kier Hyel. Poison by sbed. Icons and derivatives licensed under Creative Commons 3.0. Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, (see above), the game mechanics of this AAW Games, LLC SampleSection 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered game product are Open Game Content, as definedfile in the Open trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements work other than the material designated as Open Game Content that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or may be reproduced in any form without written permission. are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.) The Darkness Arrives 2 Book I Shadows From the Underworld The Darkest Dawn 17 The Darkness Revealed 39 58 Descent into the Underworld 79 The Scourge of Embla Book II Rise of the Drow 95 Usurper of Souls 146 Commander of Malice Heart of the Frontier Book III Rybalka 170 The Civilized Territories City of the Ancestors Stoneholme 179 City of Lights SampleEmbla file185 City of Spiders Holoth 208 House Gullion 225 Book IV Underworld Settlements 242 Petrous Lair 299 The Underworld Forlorn 250 Purple Worm Nursery 300 The Fungi Forest 252 The Seekers 301 Glorious Graveyard 280 The Small Bleak Void 303 Gor’Hashad 282 The Sundered Tower 304 Graniteshellholme 285 Survey Expedition XL-17b 305 Jorumgard 287 The Demiplane of Venom 307 Lake Vaihtualohikaarme 290 Vethin’s Hold 309 Lake Xlekellum 292 Zatajiti’s Saturnalia 318 The Ossuary Collaborative 295 Underworld Magic 320 Bestiary 332 Ahool 332 Cursed Hill Giant 442 Fungiant 415 Inkblot Spider Swarm 499 Rememberances 534 Ahooling Hunter 333 Dark Creeper 355 Funglets 416-419 Karz Slug 454 Air Mephit 463 Darkmantle 357 Fungus Leshy 421 Kobold Pickpocket 455 Creature Index 541 Albino Eel Swarm 499 Dark Stalker 356 Fungus Queen 422 Kraidyl Hunter 458 Ancient Shadow 482 Deathcap Myconid 357 Gargoyle 423 Kra’Tah 456 Topic Index 542 Anghenfil 334 Deep Badger 358 Ghast 425 Lac’Kra’Tah 457 Animated Bellrope 335 Despair 362 Ghost 424 Lantern Archon 459 Shadow Bat Swarm 502 Ankheg 335 Dire Atrociraptor 340 Ghostwalk Spider 487 Liosalfar 460 Shadow Spider 491 T-Rex 508 Aranea 336 Dire Vvor 521 Ghoublin 425 Magma Roc 462 Shambling Mound 483 Vampire 509 Arboreal Grappler 337 Dire Wolf 525 Giant Spider 488 Mercane 465 Shrieker 483 Vampire Spawn 510 Aseadweed 338 Doppelganger 369 Gitwerc 426-427 Mimic 465 Skeleton 484 Vegepygmys 511-514 Assassin Vine 339 Draaki Merchant 369 Glabrezu 360 Minotaur 466 Skildpadder 485 Venom Spider 493 Atrociraptor 340 Dragon Disciple 372 Gnolls 428 Mosaic Golem 435 Sloth Spider 491 Venomwight 524 Babau Demon 359 Dragon Turtle 373 Gnomes 429 Mushroom Golem 436 Soul Shard 518 Vestraadi Vanguard 515 Barghest 341 Drider 375 Goblins 430 Mutated Sabertooth Tiger 480 Specter 486 Vidre 516 Basidirond 342 Drider Matron 375 Grand Vidre 518 Ogres 467 Spirit Naga 494 Violet Fungus 519 Basilisk 343 Drow 376-395 Gray Ooze 438 Onyx Ooze 347 Spite Spitter 495 Viper Eel 520 Bearded Devil 364 Duskthorn Dryad 396 Grick 438 Orcs 468 Squamp 366 Vvor 521 Behir 344 Dvergr 397-398 Grimlock 439 Otyugh 469 Stirge Swarm 502 Water Mephit 464 Black Pudding 346 Dweorg 399-406 Grizzly Bear 439 Owlbear 470 Stone Golem 437 Water Spider 493 Blood Servant 333 Dødelig Bandit 368 Gøgelid 431 Petrous 471 Storm Crow 496 Weeping Treant 505 Bog Troll 348 Earth Elemental 407 Half-Drow Chamberlain 440 Phase Spider 490 Succubus 361 White Dragon 371 Bone Collective 349 Earth Mephit 463 Halfling Templar 440 Plesiosaurus 472 Svirfneblin Spy 497 Wight 522 Book Golem 432 Eclipse Angel 408 Half-Ogre Monk 441 Poison Naga 473 Svirf Riding Slug 498 Wight Necromancer 523 Bulette 350 Efreeti 410 Half-Orc Mountaineer 441 Puffball Swarm 500 Svirf Siege Slug 498 Winter Wolf 525 Cannon Golem 433 Erinyes 364 Heritage Spider 489 Purple Worm 474 Titan Centipede 503 Wolf 525 Carrion Beetle 350 Ethereal Spade 411 Hill Giant 442 Purple Wormling 475 Titan Wasp 503 Wood Kyton 367 Cave Dragon 370 Ettercap 412 Hobgoblin 443 Putrefly Swarm 501 Torosaurus 506 Wraith 526 Centaur 351 Fallen Titan 413 Hobgoblin Sergeant 443 Quasit 361 Triceratops 506 Wraith Lord 527 Chikfari 352 Feral Deep Badger 358 Hooded Lantern Archon 459 Rift Crawler 476 Troglodyte 507 Xorn 528 SampleChoker 353 Fire Mephit 464 Hoyrall Druid 444 Rift Flumph 477 Troll 507 fileYellow Musk Creeper 530 Chuul 353 Flaming Skull 481 Humans 445-453 Roper 478 Troll Skeleton 484 Y’rthak 529 Colliatur Reaver 354 Flesh Golem 434 Ice Devil 365 Sabertooth Tiger 480 Tunnel Spider 492 Zombie 532 Columna 478 Froghemoth 414 Imp 366 Screaming Skulls 481 Twisted Treant 504 Zombie Mammoth 532 Crazed Drider 374 Frost Giant Skeleton 484 Inkblot Spider 490 Shadow 482 T-Imperator 508 Zwerc Hermit 533 vi FOREWORD DROW? BRING ‘EM ON HE “DROW” OR “DARK ELVES” ARE AN EVIL SUBTERRANEAN RACE OF METAL-WORKERS DRAWN FROM ANCIENT NORSE MYTHOLOGY, BUT THE DROW AS WE KNOW THEM IN POPULAR TCULTURE TODAY ARE THE CREATION OF THE CO-FOUNDER OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®, GARY GYGAX. It was Gary who gave us agile, sinister, sophisticated— even jaded—and deliciously evil elves who are, yes, beautiful. And we can’t get enough of them. Gaming tome after gaming tome, and novel after novel (notably those of R.A. Salvatore, whose Drizzt Do’Urden™ has become a “classic” character of modern fantasy), has appeared and been bought, in handsome numbers. And still we want more. On one level, the drow are (with the notable exception of Drizzt and some worshippers of a dancing surface deity I was asked to create for the race years ago, Eilistraee) unabashedly evil (not to mention alluring) foes for any party of adventurers. On another, they are either the dominant race of the subterranean setting, or trying to become the outright rulers of the underworld. And gamers who love subterranean settings love every glimpse they can get of drow society, drow aims and doings, and just about every glimpse we can get into the daily lives of dark elves—their cities, culture, feuds and intrigues, faiths, wars on rivals, traveling merchants, and raids on the surface world. Bring on new noble houses, new merchant cabals, dark elven poisons and spells and magic items, the dark gods they worship and the dark technologies they pursue. It was Gary Gygax who first linked some drow to spiders and an evil spider-goddess, but the endlessly ambitious and warlike dark elves can be so much more. Rise of the Drow gives us some of that “more.” New drow settlements, new locations to explore, new threats for adventurers to face. The more the merrier, I say. Bring on Maelora and the Vidre (who raise a rich array of possibilities for any inventive game master) and Holoth. And let dastardly new drow adventures begin! Sample—Ed Greenwood file PREFACE vii RISE OF IMAGINATION HIS BOOK BEGAN AS A DISCUSSION BETWEEN TODD Rybalka and into the dwarven city of Embla while others GAMBLE, JOSHUA GULLION, STEPHEN YEARDLEY, AND became lost, deep in the forest of mushrooms where the MYSELF BACK IN 2012. We all shared a love and largest organism in all the world exists. And like ancient fascination with the Underdark and drow in mycelium, roots creeping and crawling deep, every Tparticular. We experienced our first run-ins with the dark idea took hold and grew, even beneath the surface, into elves in different ways, at different times but the drow a world seemingly real and alive, populated with all race itself, their society, religion, and way of life intrigued manner of creatures and their homes. us, being so different and alien from our own. This world underground, this Underworld, grows each Imagination—and the subsequent inspiration to create— and every day, with every adventure you play, with manifests and presents itself in many ways, shapes, and every new character you create, because, now that we forms and every once in a while, a creation gets away have finally completed the most detailed collection of from you.