HYPERBOREA / The Subterranean city of Krimmea

**Posted by SteveMND** 7/30/2014 9:13 am

So, in the campaign that I've started in, I rolled up a Kimmerian, and I ended up choosing to be one of the Kimmerians from the ancient isolated underground city of Krimmea, because, hey, ancient isolated underground city.

That said, I didn't find much about the actual location itself, aside from some rough history (isolationists escaping the Green Death, only recently started interacting with the upper world again, secretive, possible otherwordly influences, etc.)

Is Krimmea based on something specific from literature (like Leng, the mythos elements, etc.), or is it something created by the author out of whole cloth? I know the author likes to keep a lot of this vague so as to be very adaptable to any campaign or style, but I was curious if there was anything more about it out there that might be of interest.

For example: the Krimmeans, are they 'regressed' Kimmerians from all their isolation and limited resources, or do they fancy themselves the 'civilized' Kimmerians from ages ago, still holding to their loftier, more 'cultured' ways apart from the rabble that scamper about topside? Is it a warren of maze-like corridors stretching for miles, or is it a set of vast, open caverns with spired towers reaching up across the gulf to the ceiling above? etc, etc.

Again, if there really isn't anything more specified about it that's fine too, but as I said previously, I do loves me some lore, so if there is anything out there already, I'd love to take a look.

**Posted by Chainsaw** 7/30/2014 12:03 pm

No idea what Jeff has in mind, but for some reason I imagine it somewhat like a buried version of the domed city of Xuchotil in Robert E. Howard's Red Nails. You might want to check that out for ideas. It's a great story, so I think it's time well spent regardless.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 7/30/2014 12:56 pm

I've read a lot of pulp fantasy, and I don't really recall anything that might be a specific model for Krimmea. Which is not to say there isn't one, just that I don't recognize it offhand.

Anyway, I don't think the Kimmerians were ever "civilized". They have always been a nomadic, "barbarian" race. If anything, the city-dwelling subterranean Kimmerians may have advanced over their surface brethren. It's not really spelled out in the gazetteer, so it's pretty much up to each referee to interpret.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 7/30/2014 1:39 pm

I certainly think of Quarmall in "The Lords of Quarmall" from Leiber's Swords Against Wizardry. PC underground Kimmerians I tend to think of having been exiled for n generations but still holding themselves separate from the steppe Kimmerians.

**Posted by DMPrata** 7/31/2014 5:43 pm

I think K'n-yan, but the beauty is that we're all right.

**Posted by Ghul** 8/06/2014 7:00 pm

Part of my inspiration was derived from the underground cities of antiquity, such as Derinkuyu.

**Posted by Chainsaw** 8/06/2014 9:58 pm

Super cool. Thanks for the link.