The Annals of Glen Forkovian
The Stunned Acolyte
If the Truncheon is a dive bar, the Stunned Acolyte is a five-star resort. It is the premier inn in Gosterwick, catering to wealthy merchants, high-ranking clergy, and successful adventuring parties who have actually made it back from the Halls with gold to spend.
The Vibe: Elegance, luxury, and exclusivity. The floors are scrubbed, the linens are fresh, and the wine is imported from the Archontean heartlands.
The "Kind of People" Rule: The innkeepers are notoriously snobbish. If you walk in covered in dungeon filth and goblin blood, you will be turned away at the door. You need to look—and spend—like a professional.
Hirelings: You won't find desperate "meat shields" here. Instead, you'll find Specialists: master locksmiths, veteran mercenary captains, and scholars of Thothian lore. They demand high wages and a significant share of the loot, but they won't flee at the first sight of a skeleton.
The Information Hub: This is where you overhear the "high-level" rumors. While the Puddle tells you about goblin raids, the Acolyte is where you hear about the movements of the Green Lady or the secret expeditions of the Archontean Legions.
The Muddy Puddle
Simply known as "The Puddle" to its regulars, this is a tough tavern that serves as the heart of Gosterwick’s working class.
Atmosphere: While still rough, it is less "criminal" than the Truncheon. It’s a place for laborers, excavators, and local Thorcin husbandmen to blow off steam. It is loud, boisterous, and physically violent, but usually in a "friendly" competitive way.
Activities: The main attractions here are drinking, dicing, and wrestling. It serves simple bar food (mostly stews and hard bread) that is a step above the Truncheon’s offerings but miles below the fine dining of The Stunned Acolyte.
Hirelings: If you need "honest" muscle—men and women who aren't afraid of hard work and know how to use a shovel or a mace—this is your spot. The hirelings here (like Ulf the Excavator) are often more reliable than the thugs at the Truncheon, but they generally refuse to enter areas rumored to be "unholy" or "haunted" unless paid a significant premium.
The Bailiff’s Truncheon
This is the seediest bar in Gosterwick. It is cheap, dirty, and almost always crowded with people who don't want to be found by the local authorities or the agents of Lady Alexia.
Atmosphere: It is a low-ceilinged, smoky dive bar where the air smells of stale ale and unwashed bodies. It caters to the desperate, the thuggish, and those with very little silver to their name.
The Secret Fights: It is an "open secret" in Gosterwick that the Truncheon has two sizable basements. While the first is for storage and illicit deals, the second basement hosts nightly, high-stakes bare-knuckle fights.
Hirelings: This is the best place to find "expendable" help—torchbearers, thugs, and pit-fighters who are willing to enter the dungeon for a single gold piece because they have no other options. However, their loyalty is incredibly low, and they are likely to flee at the first sign of a Babau or a Setite cultist.
It is arguably the most important location in town for any party that plans to survive more than one trip into the mountain. Astableon isn't just a shopkeeper; he is a scholar of the Thothian Empire and a member of the Dawn Striders, a faction dedicated to exploring and cataloging the secrets of Arden Vul. Astableon is quite wealthy, owing firstly to years of successful adventuring and secondly to catering to adventuring parties from his bookstore.
Why You Should Visit The Silver Scroll
The Dossiers: Astableon sells "Dossiers" (research papers) on specific areas of the dungeon. These act as "pre-generated lore" that can give you maps or tell you exactly what kind of monsters inhabit a certain level.
Scroll Sales: As the name suggests, it is the primary source for purchasing magical scrolls and ink.
Translation Services: If you find a tablet or a scroll in the dungeon written in Ancient Thothian, he is the man who can translate it for a fee.
Rumor Milling: He is a "High-Tier" rumor source. While the tavern gives you gossip, Astableon gives you history, which is often much more reliable.
In the massive megadungeon of The Halls of Arden Vul, the Dawn Striders are an adventuring company that serves as a potential faction for players to interact with, join, or use as a narrative springboard.
Unlike the ancient, monstrous, or undead factions that live permanently within the halls, the Dawn Striders are a contemporary group of explorers and "fixers" operating in the region.
Role and Identity
The Organization: They are depicted as an established adventuring guild or company. In many campaigns, they serve as a "home base" or sponsoring organization for the player characters.
Leadership: A key figure associated with the group is Rudigar Red-Nail, a veteran who often acts as a mentor or quest-giver (appearing in Volume 4 of the setting materials).
Local Presence: They maintain a presence in the nearby town of Gosterwick. Their primary local contact is often Astableon the Scribe, a librarian/bookstore owner who uses the code phrase, "The pen marks a deeper truth," to identify fellow members.
Primary Objectives The Dawn Striders generally focus on:
Exploration & Mapping: Systematically cataloging the various levels of the Halls.
Containing Threats: They are particularly concerned with the "hopper" (Heqeti) threat and the malevolent influence of the Ziggurat.
Intelligence Gathering: They collect rumors, historical dossiers, and tactical information to ensure their agents don't go into the dungeon blind.
Narrative Function For a GM (Referee), the Dawn Striders are a "Lawful" or "Good-aligned" anchor in a very hostile environment. They provide:
A "Safety Net": A source of rumors and basic supplies.
Replacement PCs: When a character dies, a new one can easily be introduced as a "Dawn Strider reinforcement" sent from Gosterwick.
Direction: They provide hooks to specific locations, like the Tower of Madness or the Ziggurat, which helps players navigate the overwhelming scale of the megadungeon.
The Dawn Striders do not have a massive, fortified guildhall in Gosterwick. Instead, they operate with a focus on secrecy and intelligence.
Primary Contact & Base: Their local agent is Astableon the Scribe, who owns and operates a bookstore in Gosterwick. He serves as the party's handler and primary source of information.
The Code Phrase: To identify themselves as Dawn Striders (or allies), members must use the phrase: "The pen marks a deeper truth."
Services Provided: From this bookstore, Astableon provides "dossiers" of rumors, historical context, and tactical information about the halls. He is the link to the broader organization's resources, often acting as the gatekeeper for missions related to the "Hopper" (Heqeti) threat.
Relationship with the Archonteans The relationship between the Dawn Striders and the Archontean Empire (and its local representatives) is complex and defined by the "Lawful" alignment of both groups, but with different priorities.
Shared Heritage: The Dawn Striders are largely an Archontean organization. They share the Empire’s interest in reclaiming the glory of the "Golden Age" of Arden Vul and preventing ancient evils (like the demon prince Kauket) from destabilizing the region.
Operational Secrecy: Despite their shared goals, the Dawn Striders often work in the shadows and away from the direct oversight of the Drome (the Imperial government) or power-hungry Archontean lords. They believe that if the true extent of the secrets in Arden Vul leaked to certain Imperial factions, it would trigger a reckless and dangerous power struggle.
The Green Lady (Alexia Basileon): The Dawn Striders generally coexist peacefully with the local Archontean authority in Gosterwick, led by the "Green Lady." However, their mission to "Cleanse the Ziggurat" is often treated as a clandestine operation to avoid drawing the attention of rival Imperial agents who might want to exploit the Ziggurat's power for themselves.
Relationship with Other Factions The Heqeti (Hoppers): The Striders are sworn enemies of the Heqeti. They view the frog-men’s attempts to summon dark entities as the primary existential threat in the region.
The Halfling Goons/Local Thieves: While the Striders are focused on high-stakes "save the world" missions, they often have to navigate the more mundane criminal elements of Gosterwick, like the halfling "tax collectors" who demand fees from anyone entering the dungeon.
In summary, while the Archonteans provide the historical and cultural framework of the setting, the Dawn Striders provide the active "mission control" for players who want a clear objective in an otherwise sandbox-style megadungeon.
Astableon the Scribe: Visit his bookstore The Silver Scroll in Gosterwick. He is a key agent for the Dawn Striders and often has dossiers or leads on specific items like the "Chambers of Thoth." Astableon is a 9th level, mostly retired, Sage. The Sage is an NPC-only class. Astableon is a historian and antiquarian, and an expert on the Thothians.
Gosterwick (referred to a Vertucaster by imperials) is the essential "home base" where most adventuring parties lick their wounds and spend their hard-earned gold during downtime between delvings into Arden Vul.
The Logothetes of Gosterwick
These officials were personally selected by Lady Alexia. They are often viewed with a mix of respect and fear because they report directly to the Azure Keep.
Valerius Scaurus (Logothete of Trade): * Role: He manages the town's economy, taxes, and the influx of artifacts coming out of Arden Vul.
The Vibe: He is a shrewd businessman who doesn't care much for "adventuring glory"—he cares about the 10% tax on all treasure recovered from the Halls.
Domitius Afer (Logothete of Public Works): * Role: Responsible for the rapid construction and infrastructure of Gosterwick.
The Vibe: A man under immense pressure. He’s the one who has to make sure the walls are reinforced and the roads can handle the massive merchant caravans.
Theodora Komnene (Logothete of Records): * Role: She manages the town’s archives and the registry of "Wardens."
The Vibe: If you want to become an official Warden of Vetucaster, you have to go through her. She is famously detail-oriented and likely knows more about your party's background than you’d prefer.
The Knights of the Azure Shield
These aren't just your average town guards; they are an elite military order dedicated to the Green Lady.
The Commander: Sept Commander Horatius Gesellion. He is a veteran warrior who commands about 60-70 knights stationed at the Azure Keep.
Their Jurisdiction: They generally don't patrol the streets for petty crimes (that's for the town watch); instead, they deal with high-level threats, dungeon-delver riots, or external attacks.
Equipment: They are recognizable by their polished plate mail and bright blue shields emblazoned with a golden sun.
Rumor: The Green Lady’s Secret "Logothete" There are whispers in the back corners of the Yellow Cloak that Lady Alexia has a fourth Logothete whose name isn't on any official ledger. This individual supposedly handles "special acquisitions"—meaning they hire adventurers to go into Arden Vul to retrieve specific items that Alexia wants for her private collection.
In Gosterwick, justice is a tiered system based on the Archontean legal code. While the Thesmothete Eusebia Phokas handles day-to-day civil and criminal disputes, the Green Lady (Lady Alexia Basileon) reserves "High Justice" for herself.
If you are a Warden or a prominent figure, you do not want to end up in her court. Here is how the punishments break down:
The Sentence: Fines followed by death.
The "Inventive" Part: Lady Alexia is notorious for making executions "public and slow." Rumors suggest she uses magical or alchemical means to prolong the process, ensuring the condemned serves as a visceral warning to the rest of the town. For a Warden who betrays her, this is often viewed as a "breach of contract" that requires an "equalizing" of the debt through suffering.
The Sentence: Punishments vary based on the severity of the harm but frequently involve amputation (losing the offending hand) or heavy fines. If the crime is severe enough to border on High Justice, the death penalty is on the table.
The Sentence: This is where the punishments get particularly Archontean. Depending on the value stolen (usually over 50 gp), you can expect:
Fines: Often triple the value of the stolen goods.
Mutilation: Specifically blinding (for peeping or spying) or castration (for certain domestic crimes).
Amputation: Standard for repeat thieves.
The Sentence: Usually swift and summary. Expect time in the stocks, a public flogging, or immediate expulsion from the town. For non-citizens, the law is far less patient; if you can't pay a fine, you might find yourself "recruited" for dangerous labor details.
In Gosterwick, the specific official you need to see for real estate depends on whether you are looking for the right to buy land or the actual purchase and registry of that land.
As a Warden of Vetucaster, you should focus on these two officials:
The Role: In Archontean bureaucracy, the Private House traditionally manages the properties and estates of the imperial family (or in this case, Lady Alexia).
The Function: If you are looking to purchase land or a house, Aedelwine is the one who handles the administration of these holdings. He ensures the property is vacant, legally cleared for sale, and that the transaction aligns with the Green Lady’s interests.
The Role: She maintains the town's official archives.
The Function: Once Aedelwine has brokered the sale, Theodora registers the deed. More importantly, she verifies that you are a Warden in good standing. Without her "stamp of approval" on your citizenship status, the sale cannot be finalized.
Key Financial Tip: The Warden’s Discount Don't forget that one of the primary perks of being a Warden of Vetucaster is a massive 50% discount on the purchase of land within the town walls.
Standard Price: Real estate in a boomtown like Gosterwick is incredibly expensive due to high demand from merchants and adventurers.
Warden Price: Lady Alexia uses this discount to ensure the "elite" of the town (the adventurers she can call upon in a crisis) are the ones who actually own the physical buildings, keeping the town’s defense in capable hands.
Where to find them? Both officials operate out of their respective offices near the Thesmothete's Townhouse, located in the more affluent northern section of Gosterwick, moving toward the Azure Keep.
Two days have passed, during which time our heroes have taken advantage of the hospitality of the small contingent of Thothian Wizard-Priests on Arden Vul's third level. Aele has been almost beside himself with revelatory awe: first he has learned that Thoth and Cromm are in fact the same deity. He still has not gotten a satisfactory answer to some of his questions, but he has some direction now as to where those answers might be found.
Why can't Surface races cast spells? Why are enchantments under the sky erased or suppressed, while those in Underearth are intact, and more potent the deeper one descends? While Dorn and Exie have hunted stirges and giant rats, and Sulla has left to report in to Roskelly, Aele has spent long hours in conversation with multiple Wizard-Priests, but none moreso than with Thalas, the high priest of the Thothian Enclave.
The high priest Thalas and Nanefer the Arcanist have taken a meal with Dorn, Exie, Aele, and Sulla, and now drink a wine found a decade ago in one of the crypts that the enclave discovered — a bottle with an estimated age of 200 to 225 years! It is a fruity, heady delight.
Thalas has traded upon Dorn's not well-concealed desire to travel to Gosterwick for downtime by describing a contact he has in the town, one Astableon the Scribe. "I would like for you to deliver a book to Astableon in Gosterwick. He will have a package to send back to me in your care. If you agree, I will provide one thousand imperials up front if you will agree to this task, and another thousand when you deliver the package to me."
Aele sits forward eagerly, but holds his tongue and looks to Dorn.
"I am not opposed to the idea," Dorn says, thoughtfully. And I am damn sure not opposed to being paid. "But how will we get out of the dungeon without the halflings interferring?"
"I can teleport you to the base of the Great Stairs, and from there you can make your way overland to Gosterwick."
Exie leans forward, "I got all of that except ... teleport..."
Nanefer sips wine. "It is an ancient way to use magic called a spell. Their use has been lost for centuries on the Surface, but here in the Deep Down, I have rediscovered them. By using one of these spells, I can instantaneously move you to the valley floor."
Thalas adds, "Sulla, we are putting much trust in you to be speaking so freely of 'the halflings' in your presence. Please ensure that our trust has not been misplaced."
"Oh, it hasn't been, believe me," Sulla declares. "I just wish that I could go with you," she says, looking wistfully at Father Aele Truemas, who quickly blushes scarlet, and diverts his gaze to intense scrutiny of the food on his plate.
"Perhaps someday my research will find a way to make that possible," says Nanefer. "As things stand right now, though, you'd be dead within a few days of being exposed on the Surface."
Twelve hours later, the trio are ensconsed at the Inn of the Lost Archon in Gosterwick. After a meal, they travel to The Silver Scroll bookstore and are greeted by a middle-aged, short, wizened man with gray hair and a goatee.
"Welcome to the Silver Scroll," he says, and his voice is surprisingly deep. "Please feel free to browse, or ask about anything of particular interest." Dorn spends a minute gazing at scrolls and books. "This is quite the collection you have here. I have always been a man of action rather than of letters, but of late I've come to believe that the pen marks a deeper truth..."
Astableon doesn't seem to react. He putters around the bookstore a a couple minutes, then moves to the door, locks it, and flips over a sign so that any customers who approach will read it: "I'll Open Again Soon!"
"Well," the wiry scholar says after joining the others at one of the bookshelves, "I certainly agree. The pen does mark a deeper truth. And words are more than audible wastes of breath. Thoth himself didn't cast spells; he penned them in the ink of the celestial effluvium. How can a simple bookstore owner be of service?"
Exie removes her backpack, opens it, and pulls forth a bundle wrapped in purple cloth. Astableon accepts the package and moves to the nearby counter where he unwraps it and runs a finger over the leather binding of a sizeable tome. "Oh, how wonderful! This is a historical text called The Lost Celestial Ephemeris. It is a text that links the stellar movements to historical events. Since I don't know you, I can only guess that you accepted this pickup and delivery task for the Thothian priesthood in Arden Vul." His tone does not frame this in the interrogative.
"You guess correctly," Aele confirms. "I am Aele Truemas, a priest of Cro— of Thoth."
"Well!" exclaims Astablion, hands coming together before his chest, palms pressured together as if that is the only thing preventing him from bursting from enthusiasm. "It has been years since Thoth gained a priest." He retrieves a locked wooden box from beneath a counter and hands it over to Aele. "Thalas will have told you to deliver the package to me, and that I would send him something back with you, in turn."
Aele accepts. "Yes, exactly so." The priest pauses, then says, "We may be in Gosterwick for a few days, not much more than a week, I imagine. I trust that short delay will not prove problematic in this item's delivery?"
"No, indeed," the sage says. "He's been waiting on this for several weeks. A few more days shouldn't matter. But I do have a quest for you, if you're interested."
Exie turns from the bookshelf. "Let's hear it."
"Some years ago, I lost a notebook while in Arden Vul. If you can find it and return it to me, I will pay fifteen hundred gold imperials. It is bound in a monster hide that is rough to the touch and black in color. It bears the initials A.G.H. in silver inlaid on the spine of the notebook, and it will be found in pristine condition — clean and dry and intact, regardless of the environment from which you retrieve it. You should not attempt to open it but should return it to me at your earliest convenience after finding it."
Dorn has been listening intently and now turns from looking out a window. "Is the notebook rightfully yours, and are there or could there be others seeking it — others with whom we might ... come into conflict?"
Astableon smiles. "You are a shrewd customer. That bodes well, for it will make you more careful in the dungeon. Yes, the journal is rightfully my property. And it could possibly bring risk upon you if you accept this quest. More than a dozen years ago, I found a way, alchemically, to extend life. The notebook contains the details of my research methodology and how to produce the needed elixir. Somehow, word spread — though I am most discrete. A necromancer nearly destroyed me and the other members of the Dawnstriders; two of us were killed, and the rest of us escaped — barely.
So yes, you could be putting yourself at risk; that is, more particular risk than the general risk you're already taking by entering Arden Vul at all."
Dorn nods, and mentally tables three other questions that have come to mind. He glances at his companions to read their body language. After a moment, Dorn says, "We'd stand a better chance of success if you could provide some of those fifteen-hundred imperials to us up front for provisioning..."
The party has enough XP from (a) combats in Arden Vul and from fulfilling the quest that Thalas gave them, to advance to 2nd level. The 1,000 imperials they collected from Thalas before departing the megadungeon brought total party wealth to 2,716 imperials. Astableon wound up fronting them 700 of the promised 1,500 imperials, bringing party wealth to 3,416 gp.
Let's roll Dorn's additional hitpoints, using Advantage. A pair of d10's, the results come up 2 and 8. That's 8 new hit points added to his previous maximum of 12, but don't forget to add 2 more for his Constitution bonus; for a new HP max hit points of 22.
Having already taken Fleet at level 1 (for improved Initiative), Dorn's choice for a free Knack at level 2 is Great Strike, which gives +1 to all weapon damage.
Saving throws won't change until level 3.
Base Attack Bonus improves to +1. Damage with unspecialized weapons are +3 damage.
Longsword (specialized) is now +5 to-hit and +5 to damage.
And that's it for Dorn's leveling.
I rolled with Advantage for Exodore's additional hit points, and got a 5 and a 7. She should have had 13 hp at first level (max the d10 +3 more for Knack: Tough). I had mistakenly given Exie a d8 instead of the appropriate d10 for a Gestalt Fighter-Thief; therefore, max hit points increase from 13 to 20. Not too shabby.
I'd also erred on Exie's to-hit, by failing to assign weapon specialization: short sword. At first level, given her stats, she'd have been +2 to hit and then improve that to +3 due to specialization. She'd have been +2 to damage, then another +2 for specialization. So her shortsword at level 01 should have been +3/+4. Gaining 2nd level improves her BAB +1, so now she is +4/+5 with shortsword — almost as good as Dorn's +5 to-hit +5 to-damage with his longsword.
Knack: Tough raises max hp at level 02 to 20. Knack: Resilience improves saving throws.
Initially, I wasn't entirely sure about keeping Aele, but I've used Ewen Cluney's Entanglements [tool][6] and have a good vibe for the wizard-priest now. For Aele's 2nd level additional hit points, I rolled with Advantage and got 3 and 5, so max 2nd level HP are 17.
Full stats for all three player-characters are here.
During their week of downtime in Gosterwick, Dorn and Exie pair off as sparring partners, training hard to stay in form.
Exie makes a 2d6 check at the end of the week. She is a fighter-gestalt, so will add 1/3 of her level (rounded up) as a bonus — that comes to a +1. And since she has a partner (Dorn), she gets another +1. She rolls 2d6+2 and gets a total of 10. Woohoo! Exie chooses to benefit from a bonus of one point to her armor class, to-hit rolls, and damage rolls until her next downtime. This will mean that functionally Exie will be:
AC 15, +5 to hit with shortsword, and shortsword damage will be 1d6+6. Sweet! Let's see how Dorn fares:
He rolls 2d6+2 and the result is a 9; not quite as nice, but it entitles him to pick two benefits, and he chooses a bonus of one point to his AC and his to-hit rolls until his next downtime. This means that functionally Dorn will be:
AC 17, +6 to hit with his longsword, and damage will remain 1d8+5:
Aele does the wizardly/priestly equivalent of combat sparring to stay in top form. He studies at the Gosterwick library, meditates at the temple of Cromm, and prays for guidance and protection in the trials that lie ahead for the party. Let's see how he comes out at the end of the week of downtime. He is in good standing with Cromm-Thoth, for a +1 modifier.
He rolls 2d6+1 and gets a total of 12. Rock on, Aele! He may choose three of the following to benefit from until his next downtime:
He chooses (a) +1 to all saving throws, (b) +2 to Spell saves, and +1 to Surges. This will mean that Aele's functional saving throws till the next downtime will be:
Poison 13(11), Breath 14, Poly 12(10), Spell 11(9), Magic Item 10(8)
Summary:
Dorn: AC 17; +6 to hit with longsword and deals 1d8+5
Exie: AC 15; +5 to hit with shortsword and deals 1d6+6
Aele: Poison 13(11), Breath 14, Poly 12(10), Spell 11(9), Magic Item 10(8)
I'll add the above info at the top of the next Actual Play write-up as PCs Under Downtime Perks. Ah, level 2. It really is more than twice as nice as level 1. See you in the next Actual Play!
The following was written after round #1 in Dorn and Aele's encounter with beastmen and Set cultists at a defiled shrine a couple miles outside of Gosterwick.
In the rules for Shadowdim, if the three of more player-character heroes are acting as a unit in combat, then they do not get to use a Fray die. Acting as a unit does not necessarily mean they are arranged in a phalanx. They might be separated from one another by several yards, but if they have the ability to move freely about the battlefield, they don't get a Fray die.
If only two heroes are together in a combat, they are allowed to use a Fray die. However, damage done by the Fray die is applied to foes' hit points, not their Hit Dice. This is the case as long as the two heroes have the ability to move freely about the field of combat, such that they potentially could close ranks with one another, fighting side by side or back to back. If some magical effect, physical obstacle, or other impediment precludes the two heroes' ability to close ranks with one another, then their Fray dice do damage to foes Hit Dice, rather than foes' hit points.
If a single player character hero is alone and fighting one or more foes, that hero's Fray die damage is always applied as Hit Dice damage.
Fighter-Rogue gestalts use a d6 Fray dice that can only target foes with whom the PC is in melee range of; Wizard-Priest gestalts use a d4 Fray die that can hit any foe, even one that has more Hit Dice than the Wizard-Priest has levels, and the Wizard-Priest's Fray die can be used at range — up to 30 feet away.