“No one knows where the River Serades ends. They say if you shout down into it, the echo never returns.”

Cutting through all the layers of Litar’s underworld, the River Serades isn’t made of water, but is instead a vast chasm—an abyss that swallows light, sound, and hope. Its width stretches hundreds of feet, but its depth… remains unknown. No dark dwarf, no drow, no traveler has ever returned to tell what lies below.

The edges of the precipice are sharp and sheer, as though the world itself once ruptured, revealing this gaping wound. Surrounding rocks are dusty and rugged, etched with strange fissures and ancient writings whose origins have long been lost in darkness. Occasionally, sparkling crystals and veins of crimson magical minerals appear along the walls, yet no one dares mine them—for those who slip are lost forever.

Atmosphere and Phenomena

You could gaze into the abyss for hours, and it would never change. Yet occasionally, something stirs far below—movement glimpsed briefly in the darkness, unknown and unseen.

Eternal Darkness
  • Even magical lights are extinguished after mere seconds.
  • Ordinary torches seem dimmer here, and sounds lose clarity.
  • It feels as though the void itself lives and breathes.
Whispers from the Deep
  • Those who linger near the edge sometimes hear voices.
  • Are these past victims? Demons? Or does the Abyss itself speak back?
  • Some believe forgotten cities or ancient civilizations exist deep below.
Rare Magical Storms
  • Once every few decades, strange red lights ignite within the chasm, and the air fills with crackling whirlwinds of energy.
  • During these storms, no one approaches the edge—for all who’ve tried vanished forever.

Uses of the River Serades

For most inhabitants of the Underdark, this chasm is a boundary best avoided. Yet, the dark dwarves have found a grim purpose for it:

  • In Bator, dead slaves and unwanted prisoners are thrown into the River Serades.
  • Certain necromancers believe that bodies cast into the abyss can be resurrected—but in forms unknown.
  • Upper layers of the Underdark utilize the chasm as a natural barrier, constructing bridges and guard posts only at critical points.

Conclusion

The River Serades is more than just a fissure. It’s an eternal, endless grave swallowing secrets, fears, and lives. It divides the world yet pierces through it, a scar upon the body of the Underdark. What lies beneath? Legends differ. But no one has dared venture down and returned to tell the truth.