THE UNDERGROUND HIGHWAY Bart Savenije Book Two of the Lost Books Of Talislanta The Talislanta game and fantasy world are the creations of Stephan Michael Sechi. Talislanta is a trademark of SMS, and is used here with permission. Writing: Bart Savenije. Editing, Layout, & Cartography: Paul Cunningham. First Printing, October 2010. This book may be reprinted for personal use only. For more information about the world of Talislanta, visit talislanta.com. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Travelling Underground _______________________________________ 2-5 Map: Subterranean Talislanta ___________________________________________________ 2-6 HISTORY _______________________________________________________________ 2-8 The Forgotten Age_______________________________________________________________ 2-8 The Archaen Age________________________________________________________________ 2-9 The Great Disaster______________________________________________________________ 2-10 The Phaedran Age ______________________________________________________________ 2-10 TRAVELLING UNDERGROUND____________________________________________ 2-10 The Underground Highway_______________________________________________________ 2-10 Learning the Rocks _____________________________________________________________ 2-11 Chapter 2: Excerpts from the Geological Repository in Durne________________ 2-13 THE GNOMEKIN PROTECTORATE ____________________________________________ 2-14 The Seventh Road ______________________________________________________________ 2-14 Sidebar: Station Seven _______________________________________________________ 2-14 Sidebar: Tunnel Lights _______________________________________________________ 2-15 Map: A Bunk Hole on the Underground Highway __________________________________ 2-16 The Cymril Underground Connection_______________________________________________ 2-17 Map: A Grotto on the Underground Highway _____________________________________ 2-17 The Underground City of Durne ___________________________________________________ 2-18 Sidebar: Encounters in the Gnomekin Protectorate__________________________________ 2-18 The Durne Slideways ___________________________________________________________ 2-19 Map: The Durne Slideways____________________________________________________ 2-19 Ironroot ______________________________________________________________________ 2-19 Sindar Canyons ________________________________________________________________ 2-20 The Sapphire Mountains _________________________________________________________ 2-21 The Dead River ________________________________________________________________ 2-21 The Land Kra Burrows of Kasmir__________________________________________________ 2-22 The Jaspar Mountain Mines ______________________________________________________ 2-22 Brown Astar __________________________________________________________________ 2-23 Map: One of the Caverns of Brown Astar_________________________________________ 2-24 The Muses of Brown Astar _______________________________________________________ 2-25 The Subterranoids ______________________________________________________________ 2-25 THE WESTERN WATERWAYS___________________________________________ 2-27 The Dead Lagoon ______________________________________________________________ 2-27 Forgotten Shrines_______________________________________________________________ 2-28 Map: Forgotten Shrine Beneath the Witchwood____________________________________ 2-29 Fan Sea ______________________________________________________________________ 2-30 The Fan-Ra-San________________________________________________________________ 2-30 The Three Sisters_______________________________________________________________ 2-32 Sidebar: Encounters in the Western Waterways ____________________________________ 2-33 Map: Death Spiral of the Golden Sister __________________________________________ 2-34 The Onyx Mines _______________________________________________________________ 2-35 Spy's Fate_____________________________________________________________________ 2-36 Sidebar: Amerdeiro's Journal __________________________________________________ 2-36 The Cliffs of Khazad ____________________________________________________________ 2-37 The Dark Tongue_______________________________________________________________ 2-37 THE LOST BOOKS OF TALISLANTA 2 - 2 THE EASTERN STRETCH _______________________________________________ 2-38 The Ancestral Home of the Vajra __________________________________________________ 2-38 Harakin Raiding Tunnels_________________________________________________________ 2-39 The Citadel of Karang ___________________________________________________________ 2-39 Lava Lake ____________________________________________________________________ 2-40 Sidebar: Encounters Beneath the Volcanic Hills____________________________________ 2-40 Map: The Island of Fate and the Fire-Pits of Malnangar _____________________________ 2-41 Sassan's Mansion_______________________________________________________________ 2-42 The Sauran Connection __________________________________________________________ 2-42 The Mazdak Cascade____________________________________________________________ 2-42 Guerrilla Rocks ________________________________________________________________ 2-43 The Colourful Caverns __________________________________________________________ 2-44 The Kalixa ____________________________________________________________________ 2-44 Cicz Spring and the Mandalan Stream ______________________________________________ 2-46 The Rajan Connection ___________________________________________________________ 2-47 Secrets Taken to the Grave _______________________________________________________ 2-48 ROOT CANALS _________________________________________________________ 2-48 Deodar Subways _______________________________________________________________ 2-48 Lost Treasures _________________________________________________________________ 2-49 The Sea Floor Tunnel ___________________________________________________________ 2-49 The Underground Highway - South Branch __________________________________________ 2-50 Sidebar: Encounters within the Root Canals_______________________________________ 2-50 Root Canals ___________________________________________________________________ 2-51 Map: Root Canals in the Swamps of Mog ________________________________________ 2-52 The Mudmines of Karansk _______________________________________________________ 2-53 SHIFTING SANDS AND ANCIENT TALES _________________________________ 2-54 Subterranean Salt Tunnels________________________________________________________ 2-54 Sidebar: With a Grain of Salt __________________________________________________ 2-54 The Urkra Mystery _____________________________________________________________ 2-55 The Broken Chasms ____________________________________________________________ 2-56 The Kharakhan Catacombs _______________________________________________________ 2-57 The Archaen Marchway _________________________________________________________ 2-57 The Caranthean Vaults __________________________________________________________ 2-57 The Ancient Ruins______________________________________________________________ 2-58 Sidebar: A Thaumaturge's Vault ________________________________________________ 2-58 The Emerald Eye _______________________________________________________________ 2-61 Deadwood ____________________________________________________________________ 2-61 Map: Black-Wood Tunnels Beneath Deadwood____________________________________ 2-62 The Satada ____________________________________________________________________ 2-63 DEEP WHITE___________________________________________________________ 2-65 Black and White _______________________________________________________________ 2-65 Sidebar: Slumbering Ice ______________________________________________________ 2-65 Cold Storage __________________________________________________________________ 2-66 The Icy Dungeon _______________________________________________________________ 2-66 High and Far __________________________________________________________________ 2-67 Sidebar: Encounters in the Deep White __________________________________________ 2-68 Crystal Corridors _______________________________________________________________ 2-69 The Ruins of Farnir _____________________________________________________________ 2-69 The Hoarfrost Mines ____________________________________________________________ 2-70 Map: Ice-Locked Ruins of Farnir _______________________________________________ 2-71 Hiding in the Dark______________________________________________________________ 2-72 THE UNDERGROUND HIGHWAY 2 - 3 Chapter Three: Going Down ____________________________________________ 2-73 ADVENTURING UNDERGROUND __________________________________________ 2-73 ADVENTURE SEEDS ____________________________________________________ 2-74 Durne and the Darklands _________________________________________________________ 2-74 Fan-Ra-San Tears ______________________________________________________________ 2-74 Full Demonic Circle ____________________________________________________________ 2-74 Muddy Business _______________________________________________________________ 2-74 Thaumatreasurehunt ____________________________________________________________ 2-74 Facing the Dark ________________________________________________________________ 2-74 Chapter Four: Rockbottom Lore_________________________________________ 2-75 Equipment ____________________________________________________________________