Undercity sewers

"It can be pretty nasty down there."

- Mission Vao

The Undercity sewers referred to a sewer complex on Taris not far from the Undercity. While originally meant to serve as a sewage disposal system for the nearby area, criminal elements from the lower levels of the planet started seeping in due to a lack of supervision by the city authorities. By 3,956 BBY, the complex was house to both a group of Gamorrean slavers and dozens of rakghouls, both factions preying on passers-by.

When the amnesiac Sith Revan entered the sewers looking for the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, he was forced to cut his way through droves of the area's inhabitants, which led to a drastic decrease in the population of the sewers. It is likely that the sewer system was destroyed in Darth Malak's subsequent orbital bombing of the planet.

Description
The Undercity sewers served as the meeting point of several sewage drains from the nearby area and was connected to other, similar sewage stations through a series of long metal pipes. Sewage was transported into one of four large reservoirs, though the reason for this is unknown. The Undercity sewer complex had at least one maintenance level which was largely unsupervised by 3,956 BBY. Several pipes were apparently missing or in gross disrepair, as raw sewage flowed directly through the maintenance level at several points which resulted in the area being engulfed by a strong smell reminiscent of the planet Gamorr. Most of the complex was made up of a permacrete-like material, bolted fast with metal bolts, as well as large, rusted metal sheets. The walls of the maintenance level were decorated with simple, golden lines and circles in several places, and were illuminated by a host of dim lamps. The sewage system appeared to be largely automatic and was driven by enormous, perpetually rotating gears. Maintenance and waste removal was performed by droids, although these were largely absent or malfunctioning by 3,956 BBY.

Lower sewers
The maintenance level referred to as the "lower sewers" was potentially the most overrun by criminals and animals. Two ladders granted easy access to the level from the area directly surrounding the Undercity. Most functional doors in the area had manual locks which were easily picked. The level contained large groups of rakghouls, and served as the main base of the Gamorrean slavers. The Black Vulkars gang, fearing for their safety, set up a ray shield to keep the two factions from entering the "upper sewers" outside their base. The area was heavily mined, though it is unclear who perpetrated this.

Upper sewers
Although it was separated from the rest of the sewers by the aforementioned energy shield, the "upper sewers" still contained several rakghouls and slavers. The area was effectively sealed off; the only two entrances being the corridor from the lower sewers and the gate to the Black Vulkars' base itself. The area did contain one ladder leading either out of the sewers or to a higher maintenance level, but it was blocked off.

History
The sewer system was established by Taris city some time before 4,156 BBY to manage the sewage from the buildings surrounding the Undercity. Over the years, maintenance of the system apparently ceased completely, leaving it rusted and malfunctioning. With the lack of upkeep, criminal elements managed to disable the manual locks of the maintenance levels of the facility, and it soon served as a hideout for Gamorrean slavers, who used many small sections of the vacant complex as holding cells for slaves. The Black Vulkars gang based in the Lower City, directly above the sewers, were forced to put up an energy shield to keep elements from the Undercity wandering through the sewers from entering their headquarters, which led to a concentration of criminal activity in the complex. At one point, a rancor managed to find its way into one of the maintenance levels of the sewers, settling in the north-east and surviving by eating passers-by.

When the amnesiac former Dark Lord of the Sith Revan entered the Undercity in order to rescue the Jedi Bastila Shan from the Black Vulkars, he encountered Mission Vao, who offered to help him enter the Black Vulkars' headquarters in exchange for helping her save Zaalbar, her Wookiee companion, from the Gamorrean slavers in the sewers. Revan agreed and entered the complex, killing several rakghouls and Gamorreans, eventually rescuing the Wookiee, who swore a life-debt to him. In return for freeing Zaalbar, Mission deactivated the shield hindering access to the Black Vulkars' lair from the sewers. Revan then encountered the rancor in the north-east of the complex, but was able to kill it and enter the Black Vulkars' base.

Rakghouls
Victims of the rakghoul disease who found themselves mutated into savage rakghouls were shut out from the Undercity by a large metal wall, forcing them to look for food and shelter in the sewer complex near the village. They soon inhabited large parts of the sewers, becoming a threat to the Gamorrean slavers, who attempted to kill them off by sealing them inside small rooms and starving them to death.

Rancor
A large rancor somehow managed to find its way into the sewers around 3,956 BBY, likely looking to feed off the large amount of Gamorreans and rakghouls in the area. It operated out of a large hall just outside the sewer entrance to the Black Vulkars gang's base, severely restricting access both to and fro. It is unknown exactly how the rancor ended up in the sewers, or if there were other specimens prowling the lower levels of Taris.

Inhabitants
"Those Gamorreans like to hang out in the sewers. The stink reminds them of home, I guess."

- Mission Vao

Black Vulkars
The Black Vulkars gang, led by Brejik, controlled both entrances to the upper sewers area, which may have contributed to the lack of maintenance in the area. Their headquarters may originally have been a part of the sewer complex, suggested by the numerous pipes leading down to the sewers adorning the walls in several places, as well as the fact that several of the doors in the base carried the symbol of Taris city.

Gamorreans
A group of Gamorrean slavers operated out of the lower sewers, capturing passers-by and selling them to other criminal groups on the planet. People wandering the lower levels of Taris were unlikely to be missed, which substantially lowered the risk of being discovered by Tarisian security forces. The Gamorreans may have been affiliated with Davik Kang, the leader of the Exchange on the planet, who was said to have a hand in everything on the lower levels, even slavery. The Gamorreans may have suffered large losses in 3,956 BBY, both when Revan cut his way through the sewers, and when Darth Malak's Sith forces bombarded the planet.

Hidden Beks
At least one associate of the Hidden Beks gang visited the sewers looking for a way to enter the Black Vulkars' base, despite their leader insisting they refrain from doing so. The Hidden Bek carried vials of synthesized odor with which he hoped to lure the rancor outside their base into eating something that would cause it internal injury. However, the Hidden Bek was killed by the rancor before being able to carry out his plan.

"Promised Land" believers
Some inhabitants of the Undercity believed in the "Promised Land," a mythical location on Taris said to be completely self-sufficient. This belief, along with the desire to escape the poverty of the lower levels, caused at least three villagers to venture out in search of the fabled colony: Rukil's grandfather, father, and apprentice&mdash;Malya. All three found clues regarding the whereabouts of the Promised Land that pointed them towards the Undercity sewers, but they all perished within the complex.

Sith
Hoping to capitalize on Bastila Shan's battle meditation ability, Darth Malak ordered his Sith forces to attack the Endar Spire, a Republic warship carrying the Jedi Knight. As the battle turned against them, several Republic soldiers, Shan included, boarded escape pods and dropped to Taris's surface. After learning that most of the pods had crash-landed near the Undercity sewers, Sith forces soon crowded the area. Several patrols were sent into the complex to ensure that neither the Jedi nor any Republic soldiers escaped. At least a few of the participating Sith soldiers were killed, most likely by rakghouls or the rancor.

Behind the scenes
The Undercity sewers only appear in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The player is required to visit the area in order to advance in the main storyline of the game. The area was designed, in part, by BioWare level artist Mike Trottier.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic