Vault of the Drow

Disambiguation: This page is about the cavern region in the underoerth where Erelhei-Cinlu lies. For the adventure of the same name, see Vault of the Drow (adventure).

"Deep beneath the mighty Hellfurnace Mountains lies the Vault of the Drow, an immense hemispherical cyst of Oerth’s crust over six miles long and nearly as broad. Its mineral-veined ceiling rises more than 1000 fathoms above its crystal-strewn floor; near the zenith of the dome is a huge mass of tumkeoite, which as it slowly decays and transforms into lacofcite glows like a ghostly, plum colored moon in the firmament of the Vault, while other phosphorescent nodes dimly gleam like stars in the same story heaven. The lights of this subterranean sky reflect in the dark waters of the Pitchy Flow and the Weeping Spring, and the image of the whole strange canopy is trapped and distorted within the Mere of Glooms.

Many passages and trails wind through out the underworld but one road enters the Vault through a fissure in its southern wall. The road descends through a gorge about 200 yards wide, which gradually become broader as it goes north. A full mile from the entrance, an ancient stronghold called the Black Tower stands four stories high, watching over the Underdark road. The tower’s foundations rest upon a steep-sided mound of stone, its massive walls worn smooth by the passing of ages, almost fused with the natural rock platform upon which the tower was built.

a narrow incline leads up to the Black Tower – all visitors are required to report there, for it serves as a checkpoint and customhouse for foreigners entering the Vault. All non-drow are questioned regarding the purpose of their visit, and those deemed acceptable are issued a cloak of silk dyed an unnatural shade of green, which they must wear to identify themselves as aliens in the drow homeland. Interlopers who lack the special cloak soon find themselves killed or enslaved by the many drow patrols that range the Lower Vault.

An enormous natural antechamber to the Vault opens perhaps two miles west of the black tower. Its entrance is walled and gated, with six strong towers along its length. Behind this wall is the fortress of the military sisterhood of the Vault, a society of female drow warriors sponsored by each of the eight noble houses but who swear allegiance only to Lolth. Nearly two and a half miles to the northeast of the Black Tower is a walled compound that serves as a stronghold of the military brotherhood of the vault, a society of male drow warriors in service to Lolth, which is financed by the sixteen merchant clans who dwell in the Lower Vault.

The strongholds of these merchant clans are walled villas scattered throughout the Lower Vault. Disturbing forests and thickets of fungi grow between the sixteen merchant villas here, all on the floor of jagged rocks and jutting formations of crystal. To the north, by the banks of the Pitchy Flow, the black-walled city of Erelhei-Cinlu stands as a gateway to the Upper Vault. A plateau occupied by eight noble estates stands across a leering span called the Flying Bridge on the other side of the river. Further still is a guarded passageway leading to the temple chamber of the Demon Queen of Spiders, called Lolth’s Egg. The enormous red and green ochre cavern holds an accused pagoda-like spider temple, the infamous Great Fane of Lolth.

The most likely destination for adventurers travelling to then Vault of the Drow is Erelhei-Cinlu itself. Representatives of nearly any race might be found here, whether as visitor, resident, or captive; indeed, it is not unknown for one person to have each of these ranks at some point during his sojourn in Erelhei-Cinlu, and the city of the dark elves is always ready to tempt new visitors with all the arousements that darkness can offer."

References

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Black Tower (Vault of the Drow)	Building	Defensive Structure, Tower,	D3 Vault of the Drow (adventure)	11
Black Tower (Vault of the Drow)	Building	Defensive Structure, Tower,	Dead Gods	82
Black Tower (Vault of the Drow)	Building	Defensive Structure, Tower,	Dragon magazine #298	73
Black Tower (Vault of the Drow)	Building	Defensive Structure, Tower,	Into The Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook, D&D 4e	67, 68
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth	7, 11
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth	1, 11, 18, 23
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa	2, 9, 10
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	D3 Vault of the Drow (adventure)	All
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	Deities & Demigods (1st & 2nd printing), AD&D 1e	107
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	Deities & Demigods (3rd+ printing), AD&D 1e	92
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	Dragon magazine #241	43
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	Dungeon magazine #070	62
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess	72
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e	5
D3 Vault of the Drow	Adventure	Located in: Hellfurnaces,	World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983)	30
Eldar Elemental God, Temple of (Vault of the Drow)	Building	Temple,	G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King	9, 10
Eldar Elemental God, Temple of (Vault of the Drow)	Building	Temple,	GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders	87, 125
Vault of the Drow	Place		Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits	2, 3
Vault of the Drow	Place		Reference	SEE ALSO Erelhei-Cinlu
Vault of the Drow	Place		Sea of Death	94, 95, 236
Vault of the Drow	Place		WG12 Vale of the Mage	7
Vault of the Drow	Place		World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983)	30
Vault of the Drow	Place		Against The Giants: The Liberation of Geoff	42
Vault of the Drow	Place		LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad	IC, 33
Vault of the Drow	Place		D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth	1, 2, 11, 18, 23
Vault of the Drow	Place		D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa	9
Vault of the Drow	Place		Dead Gods	74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86
Vault of the Drow	Place		Dragon magazine #209	13
Vault of the Drow	Place		Dragon magazine #230	10
Vault of the Drow	Place		Dragon magazine #298	7, 73, 74, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 85, 86
Vault of the Drow	Place		Dragon magazine #300	90, 91, 92, 93
Vault of the Drow	Place		Into The Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook, D&D 4e	3, 67-69
Vault of the Drow	Place		Dungeon magazine #070	62
Vault of the Drow	Place		From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess	72
Vault of the Drow	Place		Greyhawk Adventures	43
Vault of the Drow	Place		GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders	2, 3, 53, 55, 56, 61, 65, 70, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 112, 121, 125
Vault of the Drow	Place		Living Greyhawk Gazetteer	18
Vault of the Drow	Place		Player's Guide to Greyhawk	7, 24