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Lands of Deepearth	-	-	-	DSG

Geography: Several large caverns provide alternative routes
through this area. The caves join together at their northern
extremities, where they connect to the huge, excavated chamber
that contains the windpipe (see Unique Features). The six caves
leading to the windpipe are living caves with many spectacular
formations. Each includes a vast central chamber, 80 feet high or
higher and several miles long. Much narrower connecting passages
link these caves to the excavated tunnel leading to Area
26, and to the circular chamber containing the windpipe.

Denizens: A large outpost of drow live in the chamber of the
windpipe, and patrols of the dark elves are common in the connecting
caves. Because the windpipe allows access to their
realms below, the drow selected to man this outpost are of high
level and morale. All dark elves encountered in the area are fighters
of 4th level or higher, with a magic-user and cleric of 5th level
or higher. If the drow encounter a party they can easily overpower,
they try to take prisoners to work as slaves.

Despite the drow patrols, the caverns host a wide variety of
other creatures. Doombats lair among the stalactites clustering
the ceilings, as do a few piercers. Oozes, jellies, and slimes
abound among the small pools of water, and clusters of lichens fill
the cavern floors. Basidironds nestle among clusters of harmless
fungus. Many a giant rat or carrion crawler moves from cave to
cave, restlessly seeking prey.

Resources: The pools of water here are subject to infrequent
flowage, and about 50% of them have been polluted by noxious
creatures or their droppings. Each of the six large caves has at
least one or two sources of pure water, however.
The outflow of air from the windpipe is sufficient to maintain an
ample supply of oxygen here. No mineral wealth has been
unearthed.

Unique Features: The windpipe is a smooth shaft through the
earth. It is about 20 feet wide and stretches from the lowest
realms of Deepearth to a high mountain crevasse some 20 miles
distant. The windpipe is subject to alternating blasts of air that
blow up from the depths and then back down. It accounts for
most of the ventilation in the realms of the drow, and also serves
as a means of transportation.

For approximately one turn per hour, the windpipe fills the surrounding
caverns with a roaring sound as air blasts upward from
the heart of Deepearth. During these spurts, a character can step
into the shaft, lie down, and be propelled upward by the force of
the air. The character can slow or reverse his climb by changing
his orientation. Thus, a character standing upright falls at a rapid
speed.

The windpipe is inactive for about four turns per hour, and carries
a downward blast of air for another turn. Neither of these conditions
is suitable for transportation. The exact timing between
blasts is a matter of guesswork and luck, since it varies as much
as 50%. The journey from Area 25 to Area 28 takes five rounds
and the reverse takes eight rounds, so bad timing (and fatalities)
is not unheard of.

The drow have become skilled at using the airflow to pass
between Areas 28 and 25. The trip requires careful timing in
order to slow the change in altitude at the proper time, and characters
new to the experience must make successful Intelligence
Checks in order to stop correctly. For characters traveling
upward, failure simply means that they must reverse course. Failure
to halt downward movement results in falling damage of 6d6
points.

In Area 25, the windpipe entry is a door-sized opening in the
side of the shaft.