The Cumaean Canal

"Here, the dark waters run down from the surface, from a brighter sea..."

The Cumaean Canal Staging Area is a true marvel of engineering that allows for easy passage between the Neath and the Surface.

The route to the Surface is constructed from giant arches supporting a series of locks. While the Canal is a hotbed for the Great Game, it's also surprisingly well-maintained and efficient; the governments of the Surface ensure it remains so. Apparently, the Cumaean Canal proper was dug by the mysterious Stone Pigs.

The Canal leads to Lake Avernus, a lake in southern Italy that the Romans believed to be the entrance to Hades.

Lamentation Lock

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Lamentation Lock is a stone building set into one of the giant gates which punctuate the Canal, placed about halfway between the Surface and the Neath. The Lock and its Warden are the subject of many tales and mysteries; different accounts state that Lamentation Lock is a bank, a hospital, a prison, or a summit.

The truth is, the Lock is a little bit of each. It is a place filled with thieves, murderers, and spies, and some of their ill-begotten loot. It attracts those running away from trouble - which is often of a personal, psychological character, but at times includes prosecution or intrigue. While everyone is free to enter, the Warden doesn't permit his inmates to escape easily. Most who enter have no reason to leave anyway, as they might be trying to forget their past and the memories of what led them to Lamentation Lock.

The place itself is divided into three Wards (Violent Ward, Thieves' Ward, and Traitors' Ward), and most visitors-turned-inmates find their home in one of these. They spend their time scheming, planning, and brawling with other inmates, but they never quite find the right time or opportunity to leave and put their plans in motion.