(for colin)

Welcome to the town of Sanctuary, a vulnerable outpost surrounded by all the horrors of the Underdark. Sanctuary is a town filled with intrigue, mystery, and opportunity. Will you join the cause of the desperate ex-slaves that populate its gloomy streets, or work to find a way to the surface?

Your player will have the chance to try to join many public and private factions. Through an entirely in-game voting system, you can be elected to the Town Council and write or change any law. You can join the Seekers Organization and become a hero of the ex-slaves that populate Sanctuary's gloomy streets, striving for a way to the surface. You can become an elite mercenary with the Tigereye Company, a member of the secretive Spellguard, or dedicate yourself to the defense of the town in the Sanctuary Watch. Other factions are more secretive, and do not advertise publicly.

Sanctuary was founded 150 years ago by ex-slaves fleeing their drow masters. The slaves discovered a hidden and abandoned svirfneblin metropolis, and decided to use its ancient walls and defenses as a sanctuary. Much of the original city remains a mystery, and characters will have the opportunity to explore and discover the secrets of the past.

The ecology of the Underdark is as varied as the surface world above, yet far more dangerous. Dangerous monsters and settlements could prove deadly to the unwary explorer. Some creatures will attack on sight, or ignore you -- others may offer you assistance, or even hire you to perform tasks.

Aasimar (Base Race- HUMAN, Sub Race- Aasimar) Carrying the blood of a celestial, an Aasimar is usually a good-aligned and fights against evil in the world. Some have a minor trait suggesting their heritage, such as silver hair, golden eyes or an unnaturally intense stare. Those descended from a celestial minion of a Faerunian deity often carry a birthmark in the shape of the deity’s holy symbol or some other mark significant to that faith. Racial Abilities: +2 Wis, +2 Cha Special Abilities: Acid, cold and electricity resistance 5, Light once per day, +2 Bonus on Listen and Spot checks, Darkvision, Outsider, Quick to Master Favored Class: Paladin ECL: 1

Tiefling (Base Race- HUMAN, Sub Race- Tiefling) Because they are descended from evil outsiders, those who know of their ancestry immediately consider most tieflings evil and untrustworthy. Not all tieflings are evil or untrustworthy, but enough are that the prejudice tends to cling. Some tieflings have a minor physical trait suggesting their heritage, such as pointed teeth, red eyes, small horns, the odor of brimstone, cloven feet, or just an unnatural aura of wrongness. Those descended from an infernal minion of a Faerunian deity often carry a birthmark of the deity’s holy symbol or another trait related to that evil faith. Racial Abilities: +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha Special Abilities: Cold, fire, electricity resistance 5, Darkness once per day, +2 bonus on Bluff and Hide checks, Darkvision, Outsider, Quick to Master Favored Class: Rogue ECL: 1 (More information Here)

Svirfneblin(Base Race- GNOME, Sub Race- Gray Gnome)

Hidden in the depths of the Underdark live the svirfneblin, or deep gnomes. Reclusive, suspicious, and resentful of intrusion into their cavern homes, the deep gnomes share little of the humor or openness of their surface cousins. Where a rock gnome community bursts with energy, excitement and laughter, a svirfneblin city is a dull and colorless place of echoing silence and furtive motion in the shadows. All hands are raised against the svirfneblin – or so the deep gnomes believe, anyway.

The deep gnome may be the world’s stealthiest and most elusive folk. Centuries upon centuries of surviving the deadly perils of the Underdark have bred in this race an amazing gift for avoiding attention. In their cavern homes, they are nearly undetectable with magic and even in the strange and threatening (to them) surface world, the deep gnome’s natural stealth makes them difficult to spot or catch.

Svirfneblin have gnarled physiques, brown or gray skin, gray eyes, and gray hair (although males are bald). Then tend to be sullen, withdrawn and suspicious to a fault. Racial Abilities: -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -4 Cha Special Abilities: Small Stature, Hardiness vs. Illusions, Offensive Training vs. Reptilians and Goblinoids, Skill Affinity (Listen, Concentration, Illusion), Darkvision, Stonecunning, Special ability: blindness once/day +4 AC, +2 on all saves +2 Hide, Spell Resistance (11 + Character Level) Favored Class: Illusionist ECL: 3

Duergar (Base Race- Dwarf, Sub Race- Grey Dwarf) Long ago, mind flayers conquered the strongholds of clan Duergar of the dwarven kingdom of Shanatar. After generations of enslavement and cruel experimentation at the hands of the illithids, the duergar rose against their masters and regained their freedom. They emerged as a new subrace of dwarf with limited mental powers.

The gray dwarves are an evil and bitter race, but retain the superior skill and workmanship of dwarvenkind. They have found a niche for themselves in the Underdark, creating armor and weapons to trade with the warring races of that realm. They seem to have been denied the Thunder Blessing.

Duergar on the whole are evil, but some turn their backs on their fellows and seek a different sort of life. For some, this means abandoning the evil gods of the duergar and embracing the traditional pantheon, while for others it is a more practical betrayal, using involving stealing from other gray dwarves. When discovered, an outcast is typically stripped of his possessions, tattooed on the face and arms to mark him as a criminal and cast out under penalty of death. Some clans secretly aid their outcasts – or encourage them to leave before they are found out. To return is to die.

This grim fate drives most outcasts to the surface, where they struggle to survive in an unwelcoming world. The surface dwarves hate the duergar because they turned to evil, and no other surface race holds much love for the gray dwarves. Most of the gray dwarves met by surface dwellers are tattooed exiles, although a small number were lucky or smart enough to leave before being discovered.

Male and female duergar are bald, and women do not grow beards. They are much thinner than other dwarves, with severe facial expressions, gray hair and gray skin. Racial Abilities: +2 Con, -4 Cha Special Abilities: Stonecunning, Darkvision, Hardiness vs. Poisons, Hardiness vs. Spells, Offensive Training vs. Orcs and Goblinoids, Defensive Training vs. Giants, Skill Affinity (Lore), Darkvision, Immune to paralysis, phantasms, and magic or alchemical poisons, +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks, +1 bonus to Listen/Spot, Invisibility once/day, Light Sensitivity Favored Class: Fighter ECL: 2

Drow Descended from the original dark-skinned elven subrace called the Illythiiri, the drow are cursed into their present appearance by the good elven deities for following the goddess Lolth down the path to evil and corruption. Also called dark elves, the drow have black skin that resembles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair.. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be often mistaken for white) in shades of pale lilac, silver, pink and blue. They also tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves. Most drow on the surface are evil and worship Vhaeraun, but some outcasts and renegades have a more neutral attitude. Racial Abilities: +2 Dex, -2 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha Special Abilities: Immunity to Sleep, Hardiness vs. Enchantments, Bonus Proficiencies (Longsword, Rapier, Shortbow, Longbow), Skill Affinity (Listen, Search, Spot), Keen Senses, Darkvision, Light Sensitivity, Light Blindness, Spell Resistance (11 + Character Level), Darkness Ability Female favored class: Cleric Male favored class: Wizard ECL: 2

Earth Genasi (base race Human, subrace Earth Genasi)

Earth genasi are patient, stubborn and contemplative in their decision making. Marked at birth with obvious traits reflecting their heritage, earth genasi are often shunned by others, but their physical gifts make them able to defend themselves against most attackers. Earth genasi are obviously not human, but have mostly human features except for one or two distinguishing traits related to their elemental ancestors like earthlike skin, eyes like black pits or gems, very large hand or feet, iron gray hair or metallic sheen to skin or hair.

Racial Abilities: +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha, -2 Wis Special Abilities: Darkvision Favored Class: Fighter ECL: 1

In order to maintain the consistency and balance of the setting, we ask that people send a brief application to our e-mail account when they wish to play an exotic character. Players should send applications for unusual backgrounds (such as involvement in a canon organization), for non-Bioware sub-races, for prestige-classes, for faction-entrance, and the other things listed below.

Half-drow have dusky skin, silver or white hair, and a broad range of eye colours. They are often just as dark-hearted as their elven parents, but with a bitter resentment that comes from knowing that they are considered second-class members of drow society. In human society, half-drow are distrusted nearly as much as their full-blooded cousins. Despite this, good half-drow are much less rare than good drow. Whether this has to do with the influence of their human drow, or the desire to rebel against the drow who treat them so poorly, is difficult to tell. Special Abilities: Darkvision ECL: 0

Important NPCs:

Mayor Yorrick Bresley:

The grandson of one of Sanctuary's town founders, Yorrick Bresley is a well-regarded and serious leader. He tends to attempt to remain neutral in most town affairs, concentrating his energies on ensuring the town as a whole is well defended and its people safe.

Councilmember Gaeseric the Unyielding

Gaeseric "the Unyielding" is a formidable man of impressive physical stature, an ex-slave who escaped from drow captivity with his mute companion Gundahar. Having been in the city for well over a year, Gaeseric has had time to adapt to the nuances of "free" life in the Underdark, and has begun attracting something of a political following based on his personal strength, pro-active attitude, and down-home charismatic flair.

Councilmember Demetrius Bhast

A distinguished and silver-haired member of the Sanctuary Council, Demetrius Bhast possesses a sharp tongue and acerbic wit. His stirring speeches have earned him the support of a sizable number of Sanctuary citizens, and he is well known for his substantial personal contributions to the town's welfare. These contributions, which Demetrius never fails to point out, have nevertheless not diminished his relatively lavish lifestyle.

Councilmember Victoria Colivin

A working woman of steely nerve and exquisite attire, Victoria has established herself as sole proprietor of the Comely Inn, a bed and breakfast most reknowned for facilitating the Oldest Trade. Victoria has recently been elected to one of the prized Town Council seats, and has moved swiftly in pressing an agenda that supports increased expedition and slave recovery.

Councilmember Grigor Starag

Earthwalker Grigor Starag, a devout and respected priest of Grumbar, runs the largest shrine in Sanctuary. Although not a natural orator, he is a dependable and conservative presence in the Council and does not hesitate to make his opinions known.

Councilmember Adelia Tyrell

Adelia Tyrell is a dedicated scholar and priestess of Oghma who has done much to catalogue many of the area's most pressing mysteries. In her early years in Sanctuary, she did not hesitate to roll up her sleeves and investigate mysteries herself. Compelled by conscience to join the Town Council, she has recently had little time for research or writing, although she's always on the lookout for a pupil to continue her work.

Sheriff Eugene Walters

Sheriff Eugene Walters is the somewhat controversial leader of the Sanctuary Watch. Although not known for great feats of personal heroism, the Sheriff has done much to cultivate a disorganized town guard into the well-regulated civil defense and law enforcement group that guards Sanctuary's gate.

The Captain

The Captain is an inscrutable and powerfully-built duergar who refuses to respond to any name other than his rank in the Mercenary Company that he leads. He seems to have little interest or patience in the rules and regulations enforced by a town of ex-slaves, and instead leads the Tigereye Mercenary Company as he always has: with an iron will and dependable cunning. Although far from a popular figure amongst either the town's residents or its leaders, the Captain and his company are widely considered to be necessary assets to the town's defense.

Commander Simms

Commander Simms is the brilliant, reclusive and paranoid leader of the Spellguard. After several close calls with assassins, Simms has secluded himself in the Spellguard Tower. Despite this, his effectiveness as a leader has not been diminished, and the Spellguard remain as relevant to the town's defense and operation as ever.

Ivlysar Tal'en'qir

Ivlysar is the impeccably polite elven leader of the Seekers organization. Although the Seekers tend to be known for their ebullience and almost cultish fascination with a return to the surface, Ivlysar is a morose and grim leader, all too aware of the dangers of the Underdark that surrounds them and the challenges his organization faces.

Vhaeruanite Thieves' Guild

Disrooted from Traensyr due to the opposition they posed to the Lolth-driven segregation that plagues all drow societies; cults of Vhaeraun are beginning to loosely form in the surrounding regions at an alarming rate, and under extreme secrecy.

They specialise in intrigue, thievery, treachery, and actively support rebellion and chaos where it suits them. While they are as merciless as their blood kin, they preach of the unity of elven races; because only through ambition and unity will dominion of the surface and the lands below it come into elven hands.