Jerda'll
The City of Echoing Caves
Deep below the forest glades of Gethsemane lies the tall cavern city of Jerda’ll. Home to the Drow, the city is a place of unique culture and unusual beauty. Its people hold traditions of deep legends and shared songs. Protected from outside influences by its giant iron gate, Jerda’ll is truly a sight and sound to behold. Its people are known to sing and play old songs called The Acrylons. These pieces of music are said to aid them in their daily pursuits, share emotion, honor their dead, and protect their oldest stories from the withering effects of time.
The Acrylons can almost always be heard within the city in some capacity. Blacksmiths singing songs of metal work, pedestrians humming tunes that denote their mood or journey’s purpose, city guard chanting low simple songs of order. All of these songs meld and harmonize together when performed in proximity, as if they were part of some greater, singular composition. These melodies are taught to children parallel with things like language, and etiquette. The Acrylons give a sense of community, synchronicity, and connectedness to all people of the city. Their echoing through the caves fills the city with a sense of heartfelt warmth on good days, and a haunted feeling on darker ones. It is said that a Drow far from home can touch a raw stone and hear the songs of their people.
# Overview
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Main Opportunity | Citizens of Jerda’ll posses The Acrylons, a unique form of musical communication that creates an interconnected society amongst the Drow. The city’s people can react and respond to the song they hear around them. An uneducated eye may think the city moves like a machine, where each person fits into a functional box and their songs mesh together like the teeth of gears. The truth is more like the innerworkings of nature. There is an everchanging flow to the city, but you can see its truths if you know how to listen for it. Those who can comprehend it, can glean much from the city by ear alone. |
| Main Challenge | Residing underground can be an isolating way of life. However this is favorable to many Drow. So favored in fact, they keep their gates barred shut for to all outside parties. Guests are only allowed on official business, formal invitation, or the rare event. Outsiders are easy to spot in the city as they bear no songs. Most feel very out of place in the city. |
| Climate | Subterranean |
| Cuisine | Fungi, insect based diets, root vegetables, wild game |
| Export | None |
| Size | Medium |
| Outer Villages | None |
| City Leader | Maer Pilona Yekan |
| Primary Language(s) | Elvish |
| Majority Racial Group(s) | Drow |
| Majority Religion(s) | Trinity-Centric |
# Major Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Distinguishing Features | Subterranean, no sunlight of any kind, illumination from bioluminescent moss |
| Architecture | Sharp and elegant buildings, tall and detailed architecture |
| Color(s) | Black |
| Symbolism | The Moons arranged in a vertical line with from largest to smallest |
| Defenses | The Maw, Subterranean |
# People Groups
| Group | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| High Court | Social Class | The most highly respected members of the city. Those who are of the greatest skill within their profession, and are welcomed into the High Court by the Maer. These individuals are respect as the city’s leaders, with the Maer at their head. Members serve terms of 15 years, and may or may not be renewed after that. Society typically likes to have many people move through the position, but the most respected and successful are renewed every decade. There are typically around 50 members of the High Court at a time, and rank is determined by age. |
| General populace | Social Class | The people of the city. The vast majority. Citizens of Jerda’ll live lives that common folk of other cities would view as noble and lavish, but here it is merely the general quality of life. |
| Slaves | Social Class | Those charged with significant crimes who are forced to work and serve in recompense. Not allowed to live within the city, slaves typically reside in deep under the city working in mining operations or lumber camps and farms on the surface when work requires daylight. Made up mostly of captured thieves and bandits, almost no slaves are from the city. |
| Mentors | Career Level | Those who are very skilled within their profession. These individuals take on a single student at a time, and educate them on the ways of their craft. |
| Apprentices | Career Level | Young citizens who are learning the ways of a profession from a mentor. These individuals spend the first centaury of their lives building skills to go on in their own pursuits. These individuals will have multiple mentors, each of which will train them in a different aspect of their career path. |
# Goods and Services
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tikyri’ax | Keep | The city’s main keep |
| The Maw | Gate | The city’s main gate to the surface. West of Lightgate. A massive cave opening with a great iron gate built into it. It is fortified with troops and all who enter the city must pass their inspection first. |
| Jerda’ll Convergence | Teleportation Circle | The city’s main teleportation circle. Located within the keep. |
| The Stillyard | Market | The city’s commerce district |
| Vyzran’s Distillery | Tavern | A popular tavern for locals, conducts a small amount of export |
# Authority
The city is ruled by Maer Pilona Yekan, a highly respected ruler who has served as the city’s leader for 119 years. She is known for being extremely wise and decisive. The Maer of Jerda’ll is not known to move amongst the common people, and has a sort of mystery about her, even to the locals.
She and her army are a force to be reckoned with. Her army of fighters, specialized in close quarters combat due to their underground location.
# Laws
The city enforces its own laws.
| Law | Severity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Murder | High | If one kills outside of self defense, or does not have governmental permission. It is a great criminal act |
| Void Worship | High | One cannot conduct worship of the Void Gods |
| Detrimental Necromancy | High | Necromantic magic that does not heal is considered a great crime. |
| Thievery | Medium/High | Theft, breaking and entering, forgery, fraud, etc. is punished in respect to the severity of the crime |
| Assault | Medium/High | Harming another without due cause in any manner is punished in respect to the severity of the harm done |
| Organized Worship of Wandering Gods | Medium/High | Conducting worship of The Wandering Gods in an organized manner is not allowed. One many continue private prayer or worship. |
| Intrusion | Medium | A law that disallows outsiders that do not have express permission from the ruling powers of the city. |
| Cognitive Enchantment | Medium | Manipulating another person’s mind via Enchantment (School) without governmental permission is a crime |
| Slander | Low | Harming the reputation of a staple business or High Court that would cause financial harm, or damage their reputation (especially in regards to their craft) is punishable by a fine, assuming the claims are unfounded. |
# Modern Importance
The city of Jerda’ll is quite isolated from the world due to its location and its social practices. To outsiders, it lives mostly in rumors and myths of the common folk, but more worldly individuals are still relatively unaware of the city’s daily life.
It does however, act as one of The Three Corners’ primary access point to The Underdark, but it is almost exclusively used by the kingdom of Gethsemane.
# Historical Importance
Historically, the armies of Jerda’ll have been a fearsome and intimidating force. Those who have gone to war with Gethsemane would typically face extended ranged battles. However if Gethsemane got the upper hand, and could get a dispatchment of foot soldiers beyond enemy reinforcements, those who saw the black armor of Jerda’ll knew they stood on death’s door.
The Elves of Jerda’ll are trained to fight in little to no light, and in very narrow close quarters. This training proves very useful when invading a city. Fighting atop walls and in city alleyways is actually very akin to fighting in a cave.
# Other Things of Note
- The people of Jerda’ll tell stories of beings who live deep within The Underdark. Some speak of a hidden city of great beast-like people, covered in brightly colored, and vibrantly patterned fur. Each and every one of them a unique shape and size. There are similar stories of insectoid cities, or nomadic tribes of fungal beings.