Editing Hex by Hex (section)

==Orestes's Pit==
Legend tells of the Bard Orestes whose greatest love (a fair maiden of 1 and 20 years) was dying of a terrible disease. Forsaking the world, he built a cabin at the edge of the continent, and sat by her side playing the most beautiful music, desperate to try to soothe her passing. As she wasted away, a passing trader heard his astounding music, and tried to pay him with gold, silver, and gemstones to travel with him and play for his customers - but although Orestes's love told him to leave her and go live his life, he refused.

The trader moved on, heartbroken that he would never hear the bard's music again, and shared this tale of the love sick bard with all he met. It resonated with the people of the nearby towns and cities, and word spread across the realm.

Over the months his love lay dying, Orestes dealt with many more offers, including appointment to the royal court and even his own ship laden with servants and gold to take his music to the next continent. He refused all comers despite his lady's protests, and continued to sit by her side, his music (though still beautiful) becoming sadder and sadder.

Finally, an unholy creature deep in the Underdark heard Orestes singing his sad songs. It found the depth of Orestes's misery to be the most pleasant thing it'd ever heard. The creature appeared before Orestes in smoke and sulfur and offered him a deal - he would save Orestes's lady's life, curing her illness, but Orestes would have to come with him and serve him deep in the Underdark, singing his sad songs forever. To ensure Orestes's eternal grief (and thus his beautiful melancholy music), the creature stipulated that Orestes would never be allowed to see his lady love again.

Desperate to stop him, she screamed her violent rejections of the creature and the offer, but Orestes mad with love refused her, and agreed to the monster's bargain. The woman immediately felt stronger, breathing clearly she was cured of her illness. With one final look at Orestes of pained anguish, she disappeared from the cabin, spirited to who knows where.

The entirety of the cabin (and many miles of ground surrounding) sunk into the Underdark, creating what has been since known as Orestes's Pit. It is a dark and foreboding sloped hole, honeycombed with tunnels and chambers, and filled with vile servants of the creature. Orestes's melancholy songs reverberate perfectly in this damned echo-chamber, and can be heard from miles around, fainter and fainter as you get further from the source deep at the center. Centuries have passed, and many adventurers have died deep in Orestes's Pit, their belongings scattered by the creatures clamoring to listen to Orestes's music. To this day, unholy creatures of all sorts still make their homes in and around Orestes's Pit, drawn by the music, and vying with each other for deeper homes within the pit.