Getting Started

The page is dedicated to preliminary information on Underworld Ascendant's development and story.

The Underworld as a character
No other game has such a vivid imagining of an underground fantasy realm as Underworld Ascendant. The Stygian Abyss is a vast world unto itself...


 * Plunder ancient temples, navigate subterranean rivers, gaze in wonder at the masterwork of jade dwarven halls, scale plunging ice caverns, trek through enchanted forests of giant mushrooms, dare shadowy tombs of the undead, and much more.
 * Alive with bustling underground societies: enclaves of human renegades scavenging for survival, villages of the mysterious shambler 'mushroom people' performing arcane rituals, dwarven factories producing the finest arms and armor.
 * Face monstrous creatures like the ripper, a vicious, ambulatory plant whose bark is prized by The Stygian Abyss' intelligent races; stay clear of mass migrations of ravenous rotworms; dodge the giant spider's sticky webs it casts through the air.
 * Alter the environment to your advantage. Flood an arid plain to help the damp-loving shamblers expand their territory, gaining their favor.Changes you make can ripple across the game's reactive, ever-changing ecology, producing startlingly unpredictable results.
 * The Stygian Abyss makes the typical fantasy game's above-ground assortment of medieval towns and wilderness seem stale by comparison.

A dynamic, player-driven narrative
Get drawn into an epic story with ties to the original Ultima Underworld games. Play as The Avatar, a human newly arrived from our earth through a mystical Rune Gate. As a "stranger in a strange land" you will...


 * Meet shrewd characters, with their own motivations and agendas. Some may be swayed to your cause, while others may manipulate you.
 * Encounter rugged dwarf frontiersmen, fierce dark elf renegades, and strangely alien shamblers. Each faction holds a valid claim to The Stygian Abyss. Which side will you join? Will you unite, or destroy?
 * Entangle yourself in a tale of intrigue and conflict as three fierce, rival factions struggle for control. Your choices will determine the ultimate fate of The Stygian Abyss.
 * The 3 main factions who vie for dominance of The Stygian Abyss.
 * Rune Gates connect to other worlds as well, including the lands of the Shroud of the Avatar. Over the eons travelers have spanned these worlds, including a band of rogue dark elves who set themselves up in The Stygian Abyss. Discover how these worlds have intertwined over the ages.