The Drow City of Holoth: A Tale of Power and Ruin
The drow city of Holoth was once a powerful force within the Underworld. It was dominated by the ruthless and influential House Gullion. Its towering fortress, Tolgorith Tower, stood as a symbol of strength and cruelty. Yet, despite its might, the drow city now lies in turmoil — a fractured shadow of its former self. Conflict and occupation have scarred the once-mighty settlement. Ultimately, this is the story of Holoth’s fall, the twisted artifact that fueled its power, and the dark fate that awaited its infamous ruler.
The Power Behind the Drow City: The Vidrefacte’s Corruption
Holoth’s dominance stemmed from a powerful artifact called the Vidrefacte. The enigmatic crystalline race known as the Vidre gifted it to Matron Maelora Gullion. This artifact was a conduit of unimaginable power — capable of absorbing souls and converting their lifeforce into potent magical energy.
To secure her supremacy, Maelora used the Vidrefacte to expand Tolgorith Tower far beyond its natural size. As a result, the artifact’s dark magic fueled the twisted growth of the fortress, transforming it into a formidable bastion of power. However, this expansion came at a terrible cost. Maelora sacrificed members of rival drow houses, her own kin, and enslaved captives from the surface to feed the artifact’s endless hunger.
Holoth flourished under House Gullion’s dominance. Yet the power Maelora wielded was unstable — and her arrogance would ultimately lead to her downfall.
The Collapse of Tolgorith Tower
The drow city’s demise began when adventurers, aligned with the dwarves of Embla, launched a daring assault on Tolgorith Tower. The conflict culminated in an epic battle atop the corrupted spire. There, Maelora and her powerful offspring clashed with the invaders. Meanwhile, the Grand Vidre — a being of crystalline power — seized the opportunity to reclaim the Vidrefacte.
The Vidrefacte, an immense crystal far larger than any drow, stood as a monumental anchor of power within Tolgorith Tower. As the Grand Vidre began a powerful ritual to reclaim the artifact, cracks spread across its surface. Its internal glow flickered violently. Soon after, the energy sustaining the tower’s unnatural expansion destabilized. The once-mighty fortress began to crumble. Over the course of ten agonizing minutes, the structure imploded, dragging down its corrupted foundations.
Although Tolgorith Tower collapsed, the damage was localized. Consequently, the drow city itself remained standing. However, the power vacuum created by House Gullion’s fall plunged Holoth into internal conflict. Rival drow houses vied for dominance, and unrest swept across the city as former slaves and displaced commoners sought their place in the aftermath.
Despite the devastation, one key figure escaped — Matron Maelora Gullion herself.
Matron Maelora’s Escape to the Demiplane of Venom
Fleeing through a portal connected to the Demiplane of Venom, Maelora abandoned her crumbling empire in search of sanctuary. The Demiplane of Venom, a twisted and toxic reflection of Naraneus’s will, proved to be as perilous as it was corrupted.
This nightmarish realm — composed of pulsating, pockmarked flesh, venomous seas, and webs of spidersilk bridges — became Maelora’s refuge. Yet it was far from safe. Within this domain, Maelora’s form twisted and changed as she became the Commander of Malice, a dark angel of Naraneus.
The Demiplane’s foul environment poisoned those unaligned with Naraneus’s dark will. For this reason, survival without powerful magic or resilience proved nearly impossible. For Maelora, it was a crucible of suffering — yet one she endured, driven by her desire for vengeance and power.
Maelora’s Final Defeat
Determined to end Maelora’s threat once and for all, the same adventurers who had brought down Tolgorith Tower pursued her into the Demiplane of Venom. There, amid the toxic seas and grotesque landscapes of the corrupted realm, they faced Maelora in her transformed state — the Commander of Malice.
The final confrontation was fierce. Maelora’s corrupted angelic form radiated venomous power, twisting the battlefield against her foes. Nevertheless, the adventurers ultimately triumphed. They struck her down in her darkened form and ensured her influence would no longer plague the Underworld.
With Maelora’s death, her ties to Naraneus were severed, and her dark legacy seemed to end — for now.
The Ruins of Holoth: A Drow City in Conflict
With Maelora’s escape and Tolgorith Tower’s destruction, Holoth’s remaining nobles withdrew their forces. As a result, this set the stage for a brutal power struggle. The drow city’s streets became battlegrounds for displaced drow houses and newly emboldened rebels seeking revenge.
Meanwhile, slaves once held in Tolgorith Tower’s shadow revolted. They exploited the confusion to reclaim their freedom or exact vengeance upon their former masters. Despite this upheaval, many areas of the drow city remained intact. Holoth’s infrastructure endured, but its stability was shattered.
In the wake of Maelora’s fall, the Coalition — an alliance of dwarves, funglets, and other Underworld factions — seized control of Holoth, now renamed Hopeholme. The surviving drow nobles were forced to either submit or resist. This resulted in bitter conflict across the occupied city.
Makinnga’s Escape and the Future of the Drow
Although Holoth’s fall seemed absolute, one of Maelora’s powerful offspring, Makinnga Gullion, escaped the tower’s destruction. Now at large in the Underworld, Makinnga’s schemes may yet see House Gullion rise again — or perhaps claim power for herself.
With Maelora’s death, Makinnga may seek to fill the void left by her fallen mother. Moreover, she may exact vengeance against those who betrayed their family’s legacy.
After the Fall: Your Role in the Shadows
The collapse of Holoth is not merely a tragic tale — it is an opportunity. In the wake of the drow city’s destruction, power shifts in the shadows. Adventurers exploring the city may align with surviving drow houses, manipulate the occupying Coalition forces, or delve into the twisted remains of Tolgorith Tower itself.
With the Vidrefacte’s power shattered and Maelora’s influence ended, the fate of the Underworld remains uncertain. Will you rebuild Holoth’s legacy, rise as a new force in the power vacuum, or stand as a guardian against the darkness threatening to consume it all?
The choice is yours — and in the Underworld, choices are everything.
Rise of the Drow: After the Fall 🕷️
The City Has Fallen — Will You Rebuild, Rebel, or Rule?
The mighty drow city of Holoth lies in ruin, its elegant towers shattered, its streets filled with conflict and opportunity. The Coalition’s brutal occupation tightens its grip, but beneath the watchful eyes of their guards, power shifts in the shadows.
You are drow. Now is your chance to take the power back.