Undertown is a vast network of abandoned tunnels and sunken streets underneath the city of Chicago.
Description[]
- Billy
So you’re taking us into a maze of lightless, rotting, precarious tunnels full of evil faeries and monsters.- Harry Dresden
Maybe leftover radiation, too.- Billy
- — Dresden and Billy before entering Undertown[1]
God, you’re a fun guy, Harry Dresden.
Undertown is a network of caves, ruined buildings, tunnels, and ancient construction underneath Chicago. It is a dark, damp, cold place full of creatures that shun sunlight and human company. It might be radioactive.[1]
Goblins, spirits of the earth, wyrms, vampires, trolls, molds and fungi not of the natural world, and things wizards don't even have names for, come from here.[1]
History[]
Dresden's Chicago used to be a swamp, level with Lake Michigan. It kept sinking and the City kept building and layering upwards. The lower levels exist as a whole city under the street level of the City proper. There used to be a problem with rats and criminals that got crowded out by supernatural things that do not take well to sunlight, creating a mini-civilization.[1]
Harry Dresden claims that it once housed the Manhattan Project.[Footnote 1] The tunnels that once housed it were just the start of Undertown.[1]
In the series[]
"Welcome to the Jungle"[]
- Main article: Welcome to the Jungle
In "Welcome to the Jungle", Dana Watson and her sisters use Undertown to start their ascension rite to godhood.[2]
Death Masks[]
- Main article: Death Masks
In Death Masks, it is where the Denarians had set up shop. Nicodemus Archleone holds Harry Dresden captive under running cold water to nullify his magic. Nicodemus tries to recruit Dresden into the Denarians.[3] Shiro trades himself for Dresden and then gives his Sword, Fidelacchius, into his keeping.[4]
White Night[]
- Main article: White Night
In White Night, it was where Vittorio Malvora met with Cowl while Harry Dresden spied on them using Little Chicago.[5]
"Down Town"[]
- Main article: Down Town
In "Down Town", Harry Dresden describes it to John Marcone as an area without any order or cohesion, where nothing appears as it is - doors open and close on their own, and tunnels' behavior is even trickier. Terror and despair dominate the area.
The Golem's master takes up residence in Undertown along with his golem, using it as his base of operations until Dresden and Marcone stop him.[6]
"Something Borrowed"[]
- Main article: Something Borrowed
In "Something Borrowed", Georgia Borden is kidnapped by Jenny Greenteeth, put under a sleeping spell, and brought to Undertown, where she was guarded by shellycobbs. Dresden and Murphy are forced to fight them in order to rescue her.[7]
"Heorot"[]
- Main article: Heorot
In "Heorot", Harry Dresden and Ms. Gard raid Undertown in the search for Elizabeth Braddock.[8]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Summer Knight, ch. 14
- ↑ "Welcome to the Jungle"
- ↑ Death Masks, ch. 21
- ↑ Death Masks, ch. 22
- ↑ White Night, ch. 15
- ↑ "Down Town"
- ↑ "Something Borrowed"
- ↑ "Heorot"
See also[]
External links[]
- Manhattan Project - Wikipedia
- Google Maps - interactive picture of corner in daylight—arrows on bottom move your view around intersection, also clicking cursor on places, if get too close zoom out a little
- Randolph and Wabash - Flickr
- Randolph and Wabash II - Flickr
- Randolph and Wabash III - Flickr
- Manhattan Project - Encyclopedia Britannica
- The Manhattan Project - ushistory.org
- The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb - atomicarchive.com