Andomhain, the Black Abyss

Songs of the Sidhe by David Ross

Andomhain, the Black Abyss, is a vast deep-sea region of cave complexes, hills, and fortresses riddled with air pockets and dominated by a vast tower called Tir Andomhain. Roughly as large as four massive mountains, the rugged terrain makes the structure seem larger still. Mostly air-filled, about half of Tir Andomhain’s interior is covered by lakes of benthic seawater open to the ocean depths.

Andomhain is utterly without sunlight, but many parts are lit by glowing fungi, fish, or torches. Some areas, especially those underwater, are nearly devoid of life and have the minor negative-dominant trait.

However, no parts are devoid of death. Although few know why, dead and dying creatures and plants find their way here from all over Faerie. The sea washes them in constantly, even from seemingly distant waters. The earth itself disgorges them; tales tell of dying wanderers being swallowed by sinkholes or sandstorms far away and then awakening in the dirt of Tir Andomhain.

Some dying beasts seem to instinctively seek out portals leading here. It is said that all the soil and seas of Faerie touch Andomhain somehow, and for this it is nicknamed ‘the Roots of the World’.

All parts of Andomhain are populated by organisms with a skewed life cycle – they grow fast and strong off of profuse dead matter and then begin a long period of weakening and senescence before they rejoin the rot they fed on. Always they are plagued by disease, either slight or debilitating.

Only the Fomorians, the dominant inhabitants here, seem unfazed. This may simply be because they tend to be diseased and misshapen for most of their lives anyway. The giants dwell primarily in fortresses built of bone, iron, copper, and crystal.

Tir Andomhain is one of the oldest habitations in Faerie, built by the primeval giantess Domnu. She had arrived in Faerie during an ancient conflict between dragons and giants, when a group of giants took asylum with Queen Gloriana. Many giants left at the end of the conflict, but Domnu and her followers stayed and built Tir Andomhain as their new home.

It is said that she is mother of both the fomorian and the firbolg races. Since then, Tir Andomhain and the surround region have changed hands many times. During the Wars of Divine Succession, the tower became the seat of the Unseelie Court under King Tethra. The Court moved elsewhere eventually, but though it came back again from time to time, it always left again.

When King Vindos II killed or drove out all the Fomorians of the Unseelie Court, he took Andomhain as his personal realm. The Queen of Air and Darkness, in turn, chose another site as her retreat when she succeeded him.

More recently, a large region of Andomhain including part of Tir ndomhain was conquered by the fomorian warlord Inciona. Desiring its ancient secrets and hoping to exploit its many planar links, she set herself up in the palace Caer Dathyl within Tir Andomhain. Since then, Inciona has spent her time reinforcing her holdings, repairing decayed fortifications, and conquering surrounding areas to create a buffer against her enemies.

During this time, the realm has been plagued by even more death than usual because her servants greedily horde whatever resources they can pluck from the fierce grip of Andomhain. Consequently, the fomorian holdings are havens for some life. Fomorians collect up beleaguered examples of bounty and beauty and preserve them in grand gardens, where they can be more efficiently exploited.

Aside from the Fomorians, strange deep-sea Unseelie fey and vicious linnorms lurk in the shadows of Tir Andomhain, and there are whispers of crevasses and caverns deep beneath which hide secrets as old as Faerie itself. Few dare venture there, and fewer have returned. Those who come back are mad and crippled, babbling about portals which lead to places of insane suffering.