Umbral Depths
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the artwork depicting locations, cities, and cultures in the Thesa Campaign Setting is generated by AI. These images are intended to convey the atmosphere and essence of the world and are not final representations. Should this project expand, we plan to replace AI-generated images with commissioned artwork to more authentically capture the setting. We kindly request not to engage in discussions regarding the morality of using AI-generated imagery.
The Umbral Depths is an eerie twilight realm that is hidden deep within Auros, where the darkness and chaos left behind in the creation of the world remains and light is but a distant memory. This otherworldly plane, a labyrinth of darkness filled with spectral echoes and forgotten horrors, blurred the boundaries between reality and nightmare. The Umbral Depths are deeper than the Underdark, buried far beneath the realm of Drow and Menzoberranzan
Hidden in the most desolate and forsaken places, the Fell Gates served as enigmatic entrances to the Umbral Depths. These ancient portals, draped in spectral veils of chaos, flickered with dark energy and emitted an unsettling hum. Passing through them feels like stepping into a waking nightmare, where time and space bent in unpredictable ways, creating a landscape both mesmerising and terrifying.
Within the depths, the Zhal Woods sprawl. A forest of twisted, gnarled trees that whispered secrets and lies, their bark twisted with wretched faces of lost souls and their branches, like skeletal fingers, creates a canopy that blocks out even the faintest light. The air is thick with fog, and the ground tangled with roots and shadowy brambles. This forest was home to the Xyrazhals, shadowy predators with glowing eyes that stalked their prey with silent ferocity.
Further into the abyss, bottomless chasms stretch across the landscape like gaping wounds, immense bottomless pits whose walls are covered in jagged, crystal formations that glow with faint luminescent light. Staring into their depths too long could drive one mad, as the void seemed to pull at the very essence of being. Lining the edges of some chasms are remnants of ancient structures, now lairs for the Nyxaris, ghostly beings that guarded the secrets of the depths with jealous zeal.
The Weeping Ruins stand as a testament to lost grandeur, once a magnificent Umbran city now a haunted wasteland. The ruins are overgrown with necrotic flora that drain life from anything they touch. Amongst the crumbling buildings wandered spectral echoes of the city's former inhabitants, their mournful wails mingling with the whispering wind. Here, the imprisoned god Solarius lay bound in torment, his presence a dark stain upon the land.
Rising ominously from the shadows, the Dread Citadel marked the dark heart of the Umbral Depths. This fortress of black stone was both imposing and impenetrable, standing as the prison of Solarius, the once-great god of creation. Betrayed and bound in chains of shadow, Solarius's torment radiated throughout the realm, creating an aura of hopelessness that sapped the will and courage of all who entered. His Veil of Despair spread through the plane, making every step a struggle against overwhelming dread. The Umbral Depths slowly corrupts Solarius, turning his struggles into anger and hatred, twisting his once glorious form into shadow and miasma.
Creatures born of shadow and malice prowl the depths. Xyrazhals, with their fluid, smoke-like bodies and glowing eyes, blend seamlessly into the darkness, hunting with relentless precision and cunning. Nyxaris, ethereal and ghostly, drain the life force of the living, their shadowy forms flickering with an eerie luminescence. The Noctareth, known as Umbral Leviathans, monstrous serpents with writhing tentacles and multiple mouths, shimmered with dark hues of black, deep purple, and midnight blue, their presence alone enough to inspire terror. Vorkoth commanded legions of lesser undead, enforcing the will of Solarius with an iron grip.
The environment itself seems alive, an entity of shadow, gloom and chaos miasma. Perpetual darkness disorients and confuses, turning every path into a perilous journey. Faint whispers filled the air, seeping into the minds of those who hear them, driving them to madness. The suffocating gloom makes breathing a laborious task, and the shadow corruption twists flora and fauna into grotesque forms. Prolonged exposure to this realm alters adventurers, both physically and mentally, leaving them forever changed.
Fragments of Solarius's divine power, shattered and scattered, manifests as brief, flickering bursts of light as the chained god struggles against his bindings. These shards of the god’s essence provide momentary illumination but also drew the attention of malevolent creatures. Adventurers who reach Solarius might receive a fragment of his power, but these cursed blessings came with a heavy price, such as a gradual descent into madness or a binding oath to free the tormented god. The magical energies of the Umbral Depths, twist and amplified by Solarius's presence, made spells both a boon and a peril, their effects wildly unpredictable.
The Umbral Depths are a realm of immense danger and dark beauty. It is a domain where the brave and the desperate sought power and secrets, knowing that only the strongest could survive its many terrors. Here, in this haunted twilight, the line between reality and nightmare was thin, and every step taken is a step into the dangerous unknown.