Echo of the depths

Holidays. Even underground, people find reasons to relax. Here are the main ones.

Day of Steam (Arsia). The main holiday of the nobility. They roast a boar in a steam press, drink wine, and light lamps. On this day, the poor are given extra bread to prevent rebellion.

Day of the Deep (Kanrion). A celebration of water. Divers bring gifts to the canyon floor. They eat coral and seaweed. They sing hymns to the Mother.

Nomad Night (Koyawel). All four factions gather together. They eat, drink, and exchange goods and stories. No quarreling is permitted on this night.

Pickaxe Day (Shakher). A miners' holiday. They remember those who died in the mines. They drink alcohol and sing songs. Children are given their first pickaxe.

Water Festival (Varliya). Energyam scholars launch glowing boats on the rivers. They recite poetry. They drink lake water.

Traditions.
— Before descending into the mine, they knock on the stone three times. For good luck.
— A wedding involves exchanging brass rings. In Arsia, marriages between social classes are forbidden.
— Funerals: the body is given to a cauldron or water. There are no graves.
— Initiation — at the age of 12, a child receives his first instrument.
— A guest is to be fed and given a place to stay. To refuse is shameful.

Prohibitions.
— Don't whistle in the mine - the gas is calling.
— Not to talk about heaven is heresy in Arsia.
— Don't drink water from someone else's lake — in Canrion.

Clothing. In the underworld, your clothing reveals who you are. Tiers, factions, wealth—it's all clear at a glance.

Poor.
— The overalls are made of leather and burlap. The coal dust has ingrained it forever.
— The boots are heavy, with a metal toe.
— The cloak protects against water drops and steam.
— A cloth mask — against gas and dust.

Know.
— A copper corset is for ladies. It squeezes the waist and shines.
— Brass jewelry — rings, brooches, chains.
— Furs — from wolves with tusks. Luxury.
— The silks are imported from Canrion.
— Monocle — with lenses, for reading and importance.

Workers.
— The blacksmith's apron is leather, covered in burns.
— Mechanic's glasses - with magnifying lenses.

• Gloves - from lava and steam.
• Helmet - against landslides.

Factions.
— The Cult of Steam — copper masks, red cloaks.
— Cult of the Depth — blue cloaks, coral beads.
— Syndicate — gray cloaks, no signs.
"The AWOLs carry whatever they find. But they all have a pickaxe on their back."
— Nomads — leather, fur, lots of pockets.

Canrion. Gill masks, waterproof raincoats, coral jewelry.

Diseases. In the underworld, everyone gets sick. Gas, mercury, mold, high blood pressure—they kill slowly.

Diseases.
— Gas—from a heavy gas. Cough, weakness, death within days.
— Mercury—from mercury. Hands shake, the mind becomes clouded, teeth fall out.
— Mold—from spores. The skin turns green, the body rots from the inside.
"Caisson collapse—from the pressure in the depths. The blood boils, the joints ache."
— Brass—from dark brass. The metal grows into the skin.
— Crystalline—from the Nexus crystals. The body hardens, rings.

Medicine.
— Herbalists treat with mushroom and mold infusions. Inexpensive.
— Doctors are for the nobility. Leeches, scalpel, suture.
— Mechanics — install prosthetics in place of severed arms.
— Scientists from Energyam are looking for cures for gas and mercury poisoning.

Funds.
— A breathing filter—against gas. A wet cloth or mask.
— Antidote for spider and scorpion venom.
— A stimulant — it invigorates, but wears out the body.
— Crystal pain reliever — applied to the wound.

Danger. There are no healers in Shaher. In the Free Lands, only herbalists. In the Depths, there is no healing at all.

Food. In the underworld, they eat what grows without sun. The poor eat mushrooms and mold. The rich eat Canrion fruit.

Poor.
— Mushroom bread is made from mushroom flour and sawdust. Hard, but filling.
— Mold porridge — made from luminescent mold. Cheap.
— Charcoal tea is boiling water with charcoal. Bitter, but warming.
— Dried boar meat is a rarity. A holiday.

Rich.
— Canrion's fruits are apples, pears, and grapes. Imported.
— Wine is pressed with a steam press. A symbol of luxury.
— Wolf meat — roasted on lava. A delicacy.
— Coral dessert - sweet corals of Canrion.

Drinks.
— Steam water—carbonated, from boilers. From the nobility.
— Mushroom tea is for the poor. It invigorates.
— Alcohol is made from mold. Strong, for courage.
— The lake water is clean, only in Voronka.

Festive.
— Feast of the Steam — in Arsia. They steam roast a wild boar.
— Day of the Deep — in Canrion. They eat corals and algae.
— Nomad Night is in Koyavela. All factions eat together.

Hunger. In Shakher and at the bottom of the Stalagmite, they eat rats and beetles. Hunger is a common cause of death.

Weapons. In the underworld, they fight with whatever's at hand. The poor have picks and knives. The nobility have brass and steam.

Closer.
"A pickaxe is a miner's weapon. It's heavy, hits slowly, but pierces stone and skulls."
— Everyone has a knife. Fast, quiet, for close combat.
— The sword is used by mercenaries and nobles. Expensive, but reliable.
— A brass hammer is used by blacksmiths. It crushes bones and mechanisms.
— Pneumatic claws — those of the Mechanics. They squeeze and break.

Farther.
— The crossbow is with the guards. The bolts are brass.
— The steam pistol is for the nobility. One shot, then reload.
— Brass bolts - fired by siege scorpions.
— The bandits have the net. They catch and drag you away.

Against monsters.
— Fire — against mold, mud worms, mercury.
— Steam — against mutants and parasites.

• Acid - against siege scorpions, ore.
  — Light — against squals, ghouls, lantern fish.
• Water - against steam spiders, smoked ones.

Armor.
— Leather is for the poor. Cheap, weak.
— Copper — for mercenaries. Heavy, rattles.
— Brass — for the nobility. Durable, shiny.
— Armored — made from crayfish. Like brass, but lighter.
— An exoskeleton—used by the Arsian nobility. Steam-powered, strong, slow.

Economy. Money in the underworld is brass. But the poor count in coal, and the rich in crystals.

Currency.
— A copper coin is a small coin. Bread, water, and a place to sleep.
— Brass is the main coin. Pickaxe, lantern, lunch.
— The crystal is large. Weapons, prosthetics, a month in the tavern.
— Nexus is wealth. Palace, mechanism, life.

Prices (approximately).
— Loaf of bread — 2 coppers
— Flashlight — 5 coppers
— Rusty pickaxe — 10 coppers
— Room in the tavern — 1 brass

• Sword - 5 brass
  — Prosthesis — 3 crystals
• Steam gun - 10 crystals
  — House in Stalagmite — 50 crystals

Who trades what?
— Arsia — coal, brass, machinery. Monopoly on steam.
— Energyam — tools, blueprints, water. Buys ore.
— Canrion — food, corals, masks. Imported metal.
— Koyavel — ore, alloys, leather. Sells to everyone.
— Free lands are a black market. Everything that was stolen.

Black market. The syndicate sells dark brass, Nexus crystals, and mutagen gas. Prices are triple. Possession is punishable by hard labor.

Taxes. In Arsia, a third of the income. In Energyam, a tenth. In Kanrion, none. In Koyavela, a gift to the elder. Those who are unauthorized pay no one.

Transportation. Between the cities are tunnels, mines, and chasms. On foot, it would take months. But there are faster routes.

Steam trains run between Stalagmite, Karli, and Shaher. There are three classes of carriages: brass for the nobility, wooden for merchants, and freight for the poor. Tickets are expensive. Those without tickets are dropped off in the tunnels.

Nomadic caravans—the house-carts of Koyavel. They move slowly, but they can reach everywhere. They take passengers for a fee. Mercenaries guard them along the way.

Canrion's boats are both underwater and surface. Ferries belonging to the nobility sail across Lake Voronka. Bathyscaphes with lamps and masks navigate the canyon.

The Stalagmite elevators are steam-powered, divided into tiers. The upper ones are for the nobility, the lower ones for the workers. There are secret shafts that lead to the Free Lands.

Pneumatic tubes with capsules. Works within cities. Only the Syndicate can operate between cities.

Connection.
— Rumors are the main source of news. In markets, taverns, at forges.
— The messengers are runners and boar riders. Fast, but dangerous.
— Resonators are crystals that ring with steam. They transmit signals over a distance.
"Maps are rare. The Syndicate has complete ones, the nomads have their own, and the countries have cropped ones."

Dangers. Collapses, creatures, gangs, Grays. Don't go through the tunnels at night.

Technology. The world runs on steam, water, and brass. But technology is a privilege. The nobility have toys, the poor have pickaxes.

For everyone.
— The hand winch is the only mechanism allowed to commoners.
— Gas lamp — glows blue, heats weakly.

• A pickaxe, a wheelbarrow, a hammer - made of copper or iron.
  — Pneumatic mail—tubes with messages. In rich houses—indoors, in poor houses—only at the post office.

For the nobility.
— The steam elevator takes you to the upper levels. Entry is prohibited for the general public.
— A steam press crushes grapes for wine. Ore is crushed by hand.
— Mechanical fan — fans the baron while he eats.
— The waiter automaton pours wine and breaks down every day.
— Steam bath - heated by a boiler the size of a house.
— Mechanical birds sing on brass strings in cages.

For business.

• Gill masks (Canrion) - breathe underwater for hours.
  — House-carts (Koyavel) — move on steam and wheels.
  — Water machines (Energyam) — turbines, pumps, filters. They operate in the current.
  — Boring worms — they bore tunnels. Abandoned in the depths.
  — Prosthetics—mechanical arms, legs, eyes. The nobility have brass, the poor have wood.
  — Carapace armor - from shellfish, strong as brass.

Prohibited.
— Dark brass is an alloy from the depths. Stronger than ordinary brass.
— Nexus crystals are the memory of ancestors, blue.
— Mutagen gas is green and changes living things.
— Exoskeletons are Arsia's combat vehicles for suppressing riots.

Factions. In the underworld, everyone survives as best they can. Some believe in steam, others in the depths, and still others in coins. These are the main forces.

The Cult of Steam is the religion of Arsia. It teaches: "Steam gives strength, strength gives right." The nobility are the "chosen of the cauldron," the poor are the "ash." Priests wear copper masks and serve in cauldron-temples. Water is forbidden as "unclean." They say that heaven is heresy.

The Cult of the Deep is the faith of Canrion. They worship the dark water and the blind creatures of the canyon. They believe that life came from the depths and will return there. Diving priests bring offerings to the bottom. They believe that the "Mother" sleeps in the deepest layers.

The Syndicate is a criminal network that spans all countries. Smuggling: dark brass, Nexus crystals, mutagen gas. They have their own people in the ports, markets, and guards. They don't kill needlessly—only for the right reasons. They say they have a map of all the tunnels, including the forbidden ones.

Guilds are craft unions. Blacksmiths (Valandras), mechanics (Energyam), miners (Shakher), merchants (Koyavel). Each has its own charter, secret signs, and exams. Without a guild, a craftsman is nothing. Guilds provide protection but demand loyalty.

The Council of Guardians are the rulers of Canrion. They are the oldest scientists and divers. They decide matters together, without the help of nobles. They guard the secret of the canyon: what sleeps at the bottom.

The Squadron are fugitives from Arsia. Not a faction, but a brotherhood. They build outposts in the Free Lands. Their code: "We ask no one who they are or where they come from." They help each other. Enemies are executed or exiled.

The Grays are Arsia's secret service. They monitor the Rogues, the Syndicate, and the Energium. They wear gray cloaks and leave no names. They are said to be everywhere—even among the nomads.

The world is an endless stone. There is no sky: kilometers of granite overhead, and instead of sun, there are steam lamps, gas lanterns, and glowing corals. People live in tiers and cities carved into the rock. Between them are tunnels, mines, chasms, and darkness.

Countries. There are four major powers in the underworld.
— Arsia is a dystopia of the nobility. Four cities (Stalagmite, Voronk, Shaher, Karli), estates, cruel laws, steam for luxury.
Energyam is a land of scholars and free cities (Varlia, Valandras). Water instead of steam, councils instead of nobility, the Self-Willed flee here.
— Canrion is an underwater canyon, a city in the water. The Council of Guardians, gill masks, corals, the breadbasket of the world.
— Koyavel is a nomadic community without cities. Houses are carts, four factions, the law of the road.

The Free Lands are abandoned mines that belong to no single country. There are no authorities, laws, or taxes here. Anyone can dig, build, and trade—as long as they survive. This is where the Unauthorized (fugitives from Arsia), gangs, hermits, and outposts live. They are dangerous due to cave-ins, creatures, and people. But it is here that the hero's path leads.

The Wastelands are deep, dead tunnels on the border of the Freelands. The stone here is dark, the air is dry, and water is rare. There are no cities here—only goblin lairs, packs of tusked wolves, and the nests of beasts. The Wastelands divide the Freelands from the distant mines. To venture there alone is suicide.

The Depths are the lowest of all. There, maps end and legends begin: ancient ruins, dormant mechanisms, mutants, the Primordial. No one knows where the Depths end. They say it's where the gas that changes people comes from. And from there, too, come the rumors that the sky exists.

Those who live between the countries. Nomads are traders who travel in caravans through the Free Lands. Rogues are fugitives who build outposts. Syndicates are smugglers who transport forbidden goods between Arsia and Energyam. Gangs are those who rob everyone.

Gasmen are former miners who inhaled toxic gas. Their bodies have turned gray, their lungs glow. They exhale a cloud of poison. They are slow, but their breath kills faster than a sword.

The Smoked Ones are fused with coal. Their skin is black and hard as rock. Their eyes glow red. They roam abandoned coal mines, burning anything that burns. They are afraid of water.

Flames—bodies that burn forever, but don't burn out. They were blacksmiths or mechanics who found themselves in a cauldron. They produce heat and steam. Upon death, they explode.

Ore—skin turned to stone, blood to brass. Slow, heavy, nearly unkillable. Inside is a vein of metal, which is what kills them. Dangerous in close combat.

Mercury-bearing creatures – from mercury poisoning. Their bodies are fluid and translucent. They pass through cracks. Touching them poisons them. They can only be killed by fire or steam.

Moldies are covered in glowing mold from deep caves. Their minds are extinguished, but their bodies live on. They spread spores—whoever inhales them becomes moldy themselves. They pose a danger to entire cities.

Crystalline—crystals grown from within. Their bodies are transparent and ring when they move. They reflect light and blind. Crystals are expensive—traders hunt them. But the mutant protects them to the death.

Propane-breathing creatures breathe steam, their bodies bloated. Upon death, they explode in a cloud of boiling water. They live near hot springs and are afraid of the cold.

Tarry ones are covered in black resin from deep cracks. They cling to their victims and don't let go, slowly drawing them in. Fire kills them, but also sets everything around them ablaze.

Steam spiders are small mechanisms made of copper parts that escaped from the workshops and bred in the tunnels. They weave webs of wire. They are dangerous in packs: one is weak, ten can tear a man apart in a minute. They are vulnerable to water—they rust.

Cannibal boilers are old steam engines that have "come to life" due to overheating. They crawl on wheels or legs, devouring coal, wood, and people. Inside is a red-hot firebox. The only way to kill them is to rip off a valve or flood them with water.

Guard automatons are life-sized brass figures that guard the palaces of the nobility. They serve according to a program, but sometimes they go mad, beating everyone indiscriminately. They are programmed to detect friend or foe. They can be deactivated by finding a gear key.

Boring worms are giant machines that bore tunnels for mines. Abandoned in the depths, they continue to drill. They don't distinguish between friend and foe—they devour everything within their reach. They become deaf from the loud noise.

Brass golems are animated figures from ancient ruins. Made not by humans, but by a forgotten civilization. Slow, but nearly indestructible. They come to life when the treasure they guard is touched. They search for their "heart"—the lost component.

Hunter-claws are steam-powered mechanisms with two claws. They served as stevedores in the ports of Voronok. Now they catch travelers near the water. They grab them and drag them to the bottom. They are disabled by a blow to the back—there's a vulnerable pipe there.

Siege Scorpions are Arsia's riot-fighting war machines. Abandoned in Shaher, they fire brass bolts. Slow but armored. Vulnerable to acid—it corrodes joints.

Mechanicuses are half-breed machines: half flesh, half brass. Created by a mad inventor, they roam the tunnels and scavenge for parts—from the living. They fear fire.

Hooters are small flying machines that hum and blind with light. While harmless alone, they can be misled and trapped in a flock. They are used by bandits in the Free Lands.

Karsikis are aquatic snakes up to 5 meters long. They lie in wait in narrow tunnels and flooded mines, coiling around their prey and dragging them to the bottom. In the water, they are almost invisible—their scales blend in with the stone.

Karams are large filter-feeding mollusks. They clean the water in lakes and rivers. When disturbed, they cling to the body, dissolving the flesh with acid. Karams' meat is a delicacy, but difficult to obtain.

Carps are toothless scavengers. Adults are defenseless, so they fire their young with the speed of a crossbow bolt. The young bite into their prey and drink its blood. The mother sacrifices her offspring for food.

Chladni are wheel-sized jellyfish. Transparent, they float in the water. When touched, they sting with paralyzing venom, then slowly draw you into their mouths with their tentacles. They glow blue, allowing sailors to find their way in the dark.

Gars are dog-sized crustaceans. They live at the bottom of flooded mines, feeding on ore. Their shells are like brass, used to make armor. Their claws can break bones. They are slow on land, fast in the water.

Squals are blind sharks up to 4 meters long. They can smell blood a kilometer away. They swim in the deep lakes of Canrion and Voronka. They attack in packs. They are vulnerable to light—a bright lamp scares them off.

Mud worms are giant worms up to 10 meters long. They live in the muddy bottoms of lakes and canals. They emerge from underfoot, grab you, and drag you down. They can only be killed by fire or steam.

Monsters of the Underworld. Tunnels, wastelands, and abandoned mines are home to many creatures. Here are the most common ones.

Goblins are a race from the Wastelands. There are three types:
— The regular ones—fighters with rusty swords and clubs made from mine scrap. Slow, but they hit hard.
"Thieves are fast and weak, but agile. They steal food, tools, and coins. They run away if you fight back."
— Riders are tanks on underground boars. Dangerous from the front, but vulnerable without protection: if knocked off the boar, they're practically helpless.

Oversized spiders—the size of a palm, with a leg span of up to half a meter. They live in abandoned pipes and dark corners. The venom paralyzes the victim, then the spider envelops it in a cocoon and slowly digests it. They are vulnerable to fire and light.

Oversized ants—up to a meter in length. They nest in old boilers and abandoned caves. Their mandibles can break bone. They move in columns—one ant is weak, ten are dangerous.

Ghouls are former miners who died from gas and came back to life. They resemble humans in appearance, but are withered and black. They move slowly, digging their nails into the flesh and slowly drinking blood, weakening their victims. They are afraid of light.

Wolves with tusks are like wild boars, but they live in packs. They hunt in groups of 5–10. They are dangerous in tunnels where there's little room to turn around.

Rare monsters:

Mimics are gregarious creatures resembling coins, beads, or bullets. Their bodies are covered in microspines containing a soporific agent. The victim falls asleep, and the mimics penetrate, gnaw through, and lay eggs. They are dangerous to the greedy.
Narki – up to three meters long. They wrap around their victims and break bones. The body is soft, so a sword can easily tear it, but the grip is deadly.

Koyavel is not a country, but a free community of nomads. They have no cities: they are forever on the move through the tunnels and abandoned mines between Arsia, Energyam, and Canrion. There is no nobility, no social classes, and no official religion. There is only one law—the law of the road: guests are inviolable, slavery is prohibited, and anyone who kills on the road is banished forever. Those who break the law face the Gray Path—exile to the Free Lands without the right to return.

The community consists of four factions that stick together for survival.

Miners extract ore, coal, and rare alloys in short stops and sell them to outposts and other countries. Without them, Koyavel would have no metal.

Farmers live in cart-houses—large steam-powered, wheeled machines that crawl through tunnels. Inside are greenhouses with compressed-air lamps where they grow fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms. Among them are hunters who hunt livestock for meat and leather along the way.

Adventurers hunt monsters of the deep and sell the trophies: fangs, shells, and glowing glands. This is the most dangerous faction, and even merchants fear them.

Merchants buy goods from everyone—ore, food, masks, machinery—and transport them to other cities, selling them at a higher price. Their caravans connect the entire underground world.

About their daily life. The nomads are never sedentary: they move during the day, and at night they set up camp near water or ore. They live in cart-like houses, roofed with copper and leather, and light their way with gas lanterns. In the tunnels, they are recognized by the hum of their boilers and the creaking of their wheels.

Canryon is a country with only one city, located in a deep underwater canyon. Its inhabitants have lived in the water for so long that they've learned to create masks that allow them to breathe freely underwater for extended periods.

Canryon is a peaceful and tranquil place. Its residents explore the underwater canyon, read books, and most of the city's buildings are built on water. This country is famous for its mechanical water machines and for growing most of the country's fruits and vegetables.

Energyam is a land of machines, scientists, and free cities. If Arsia is rotten and classless, Energyam is its opposite: here, intelligence is valued, not blood. The country lies in deep caves with underground rivers and lakes. Water is often used here instead of steam: it turns turbines, sharpens tools, and cools boilers. Energyam's main strength lies not in its nobility, but in its scientists and mechanics, who gather in councils and decide matters together. The Unauthorized from Arsia flee here—those who survive the tunnels are welcomed here.

Varlia is a city of water and knowledge. Rivers flow through the streets, small lakes sparkle in the lowlands, and machinery runs on the current. Most of the inhabitants are scholars: they study stone, steam, and ore and write treatises. In the center of the city stands a vast library—a collection of blueprints, maps, and records from across the underworld. It is said that in its depths lie books forbidden in Arsia.

Valandras is a city of blacksmiths and mechanics. Tools, weapons, and machine parts are forged here. Near one of the walls, where there are many forges, lava constantly drips from a crack in the rock—it is collected and used for smelting and hardening. The air in Valandras is hot and dry, ringing with the blows of hammers.

Regarding ore. Energyam has little of its own ore. Most of the metal and components are purchased from nomads—roving traders who travel between cities through the Free Lands. Therefore, Energyam values ​​trade and rarely wages war: without the nomads, their mechanisms would grind to a halt.

Arsia is a country where the nobility and gentry rule, and the poor have no chance of achieving the same high status. There are four cities in this country.

The first city is Stalagmite. At the very top live the highest nobility and politicians, and the lower you go, the poorer the people become. Stalagmite is the city where {{user}} has spent his entire life.

The second city is Voronk. It resembles a funnel, with a deep lake of crystal-clear water at its center. The closer to the lake, the wealthier the people live. And on the sides of the city live the nobles. Voronk is a wealthy city, where there are no poor.

The third city is Shakher. Many poor people live here, and the rich never come here. All the houses in Shakher are carved out of stone, and there are no primitive machines. This city is more like a factory where people mine ore.

The fourth city is Karli. It is the seat of all Arsia's power and can be considered the capital. Everything in Karli runs on machinery, and there are many merchants and blacksmiths there.

Arsia is a country that is a prime example of a dystopia. Laws here are quite harsh for the poor, but for the rich, everything is perfect.