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Dorn admires the shiny brass-rimmed and spiked shield, and asks Aele, "You're sure it's enchanted?"

"Oh yes, without a doubt. Magic may mostly be surpressed on the Surface, but as a devotee of Cromm — whom it turns out is simply a more recent aspect of Thoth — I cannot be mistaken. I am also gifted to be able to discern curses, and the shield carries none."

Dorn smiles, studying the shield. "And you're sure neither of you wants to claim it?" He grins like a kid with a new toy. "What's this word inscribed on the spike?" He scrutinizes it, then tries to pronounce it: aurimignos. A blinding flash of light elicits surprised oaths from everyone in the hidden chamber — and none more loudly than Dorn himself.

"I guess that answered that question," Aele observes drily, humor in his tone. He studies the potion recovered from the chest. "Unfortunately, I don't have the knowledge or tools to guage this potion's properties, but I know a sage in Gosterwick who can do it, the next time we leave the dungeon for some downtime."

"I love how confidently you toss off 'leaving the dungeon'," Exie says. Then she turns to Sulla. "In my book, you have proven yourself. You got to Dorn and dosed him with that healing potion in the skeleton fight. I won't forget that."

"My thanks as well," Dorn says.

"You're welcome," Sulla says, continuing to sort some of the items that the party gathered earlier in visiting the mushroom forest cavern to the southeast. She ties off a bundle of the green, asparagus-looking vegetables and hands them to Exie. "They're better cooked, but can be eaten raw." Next she divvies up some edible mushrooms. Enough oily vine — Sulla calls it firevine — is available to make three torches. Sulla does so, then passes one to each of her companions. "They won't burn as brightly as regular torches, but they last longer. This is what the goblins use in King Weskenim's domain."

Dorn files away 'King Weskenim' for follow-up later, rubs his eyes. "I'm tempted to try to get this haul and us out of here. By my estimation, it's worth, not counting the shield, well north of fifteen hundred imperials. But it's not quite enough to make it worth the effort, and I'm a wanted man. Besides, I've a promise to keep." He looks at the wizard-priest of Cromm-Thoth. "We have to explore the Halls of Thoth. But first, let's get some sleep." He pulls a small hourlgass from his pack, cups it in his palm. "I'll take the first watch. Bed down, get some shut eye."

Exie wraps herself in her heavy woolen cloak. Too heavy for wearing in combat, it is worth the extra bulk and weight when sleeping. "We should try to use the copper pieces here in the dungeon — for bribes, for gear, food. Their value-to-weight ratio is quite low."

"Your right," Dorn agrees. "We'll divvy it up after we rest. Get some sleep, love. You're next on watch."

Several hours later, the four are rested and have packed. Exie crabwalks back down the short, crumbling stone stairs after listening with an ear pressed to the 'ceiling' of the hidden chamber. "I can't hear anything, but be ready to kill once we exit. We can't afford for others to learn of this location."

Once they emerge and confirm nobody lurking nearby, Sulla quickly leads the group north. "We're going to come upon a statue of a creature. Don't touch it, and don't get any closer to it than I do."

"What sort of creature?" Dorn asks.

"Uh, well ... usually it looks a little like you, but sometimes another creature ... what is it called when something swords through the air, not falling, but going somewhere..."

"Flying, and I think you mean soars, not swords," Exie supplies, helpfully.

"Yes, sometimes a creature is flying and lands on it, and that creature looks like the one on his necklace," she answers, pointing to Aele. He pulls out his holy symbol, a silver ibis. "This was given to me by my grandfather, when I was confirmed as a priest of Cromm. And I can tell you that until this very moment, it has always been a crown atop a mountain. I can't explain this change, unless the symbol is magical and I somehow have never detected that fact — something I find very hard to credit."

Sulla smiles impishly. "Many things change within Arden Vul. Items, minds, allegiances. Perhaps it is not that your necklace is magical, but that this place itself is..."

Rounding a corner in the passage, the party enters a large chamber. Directly ahead is a statue of a baboon, a creature none of the adventurers has ever encountered before.

"When will we enter the Thothian area?" Aele asks.

"Beyond this chamber," Sulla answers, gesturing toward the passage that exits this chamber behind the baboon statue. She says, "Don't move, anyone," then she takes one step forward. The eyes of the baboon statue light up, eldritch blue. It's mouth begins to open. Sulla takes one more step forward and the baboon raises both its arms above its head, ready to bring them crashing down.

"It's enchanted," Aele observes.

"Yes," Sulla agrees, taking two steps back toward her companions. The statue's mouth closes, it's arms lower, and then slowly the glow of the eyes begins to fade.

"I can probably find a way to disable it," Exie says, thinking as she studies the ten foot statue.

"But do we risk it?" asks Dorn. "Fail to disarm it and get squashed like a bug. That thing must weigh double what the four of us do combined.

"I could act all mysterious, but I am working on gaining your trust," Sulla says. "I have seen another way to bypass it." She turns to Aele. "Your holy symbol on your necklace. It identifies you as a priest of Thoth, and you yourself recently said it has become clear to you that Cromm is a modern aspect of Thoth. You are the second priest of Thoth I have met. The first one wore a symbol just like yours. Approach the statue, Zhorvin."

The priest regards the halfling, appreciating her use of his familiar rather than his intimate name.

"It's a hell of a risk, Aele," Dorn cautions.

"As is all of life," the priest answers, and Aele takes two steps forward. A fluttering comes from a dark corner somewhere beyond the baboon statue and close to the chamber's ceiling, then into the light of the lantern an ibis swoops, lands atop the baboon's head, and before everyone's eyes becomes part of the statue.

"Amazing!" Aele breathes, right hand holding his holy symbol.

"It's a guardian golem," Lexie says. "A Thothian guardian that recognizes one of its own," and she regards Aele with new eyes. "Will it let us pass?"

"Yes," Sulla answers, "now that it sees we are escorted by a Thothian."

Dorn shakes his head. "I'll be damned. I'm best friend to a Thothian."

Seventy years ago, the Great Collapse occurred, presaged by a massive earthquake that destroyed many structures in the city of Prelm. An entire westernmost neighborhood fell into the Deep Down, forever lost. The remainder of the city was divided into Upper Shelf to the east, and Lower Shelf in the west. The height difference is two hundred feet.

The shift from a unified city to one literally divided by elevation—and the constant threat of the "Deep Down"—creates a palpable sense of vertical tension. Prelm is a place where geography is a constant reminder of a traumatic past.

The Anatomy of Prelm

The city is defined by its sheer drops and the precarious nature of its foundation.

Upper Shelf: The original city level, now bordering a massive precipice to the west. It houses the elite or those who can afford the "safety" of height. Then there are the Sky Islands that appeared for the first time after the Great Collapse. They float at various heights above the city, and drift — never colliding — in a circular area roughly three miles across.

The Great Drop: A 200-foot vertical cliff face created by the quake, separating the two halves.

Lower Shelf: The sunken district that survived the fall. It is now shadowed by the Upper Shelf and exists in a permanent state of literal and figurative "under-ness."

The Void-Scar: The westernmost gap where the neighborhood was lost entirely to the Underearth—a dark reminder that the ground isn't always solid.

Lingering Questions of the Deep Down

When a city is literally broken in half, the social and physical infrastructure has to adapt in fascinating ways. As DM, even in a solo campaign, I'm curious about a few details:

Connectivity: How do people move between the Shelves? Are there massive industrial elevators, treacherous winding staircases, or perhaps even a bucket-and-pulley system for goods?

The Atmosphere: Does the Lower Shelf suffer from poor air quality or permanent shadows because of the 200-foot wall to its east?

The "Deathly Below": Is the Underearth a physical place people attempt to explore, or is it treated as a graveyard that everyone pretends doesn't exist?

In Prelm, the Void-Scar is not just a geological wound; it is the city's spiritual drainpipe. With no space for traditional graves, the citizens have turned the very thing that swallowed their ancestors into a ritualistic necessity.

The Funerary Rites: The "Weightless Walk"

Because the Void-Scar is believed to be "bottomless," the people of Prelm do not bury their dead; they release them.

The Lead-Lining: Before a body is sent to the Scar, it is wrapped in heavy, salt-cured canvas and weighted with "Sinker Stones"—black river rocks from the Occoro Bay. This is to ensure the body descends quickly and does not "tumble" in the updrafts, which is considered a bad omen.

The Sky-Caskets: For the wealthy of the Upper Shelf, the dead are placed in ornate, vented iron cages. These are lowered by silver chains over the edge until they disappear into the mist. Once the chain goes slack, the mechanism is released.

The Silent Drop: In the Lower Shelf, burials are communal. At dusk, the "Pall-Carriers" wheel the deceased to the edge of the western docks. No prayers are spoken aloud, as residents fear that sound attracts the "Echo-Takers"—the malevolent spirits said to live in the Deep Down.

The Supernatural Fear: The prevailing superstition is that the Void-Scar is a "living hunger." Many believe the neighborhood that fell 70 years ago didn't die, but was transformed into a subterranean mirror-city: Pelrm (pale-URM). They fear that if a body is dropped without proper weights, it will be caught by the "Lost Ones" and its soul will be prevented from ever reaching the afterlife.

Architectural Style: The "Anchor & Rust" Aesthetic The Lower Shelf cannot build out, and the ground is too unstable to build up traditionally. This has resulted in a style called Pendent Architecture.

Suspended Tenements: Many buildings in the Lower Shelf are literally bolted to the 200-foot cliff face of the Upper Shelf. They resemble iron-and-wood barnacles, supported by massive tension cables anchored into the "stable" rock above.

The Foundation-Less: On the ground level of the Lower Shelf, buildings are constructed on "Sled-Plates." These are massive iron rafts designed to distribute weight. If the ground shifts again, the building might tilt or slide, but it won't immediately crumble into the Underearth.

The Damp-Gothic: Due to the 200-foot shadow cast by the Upper Shelf, the Lower Shelf is perpetually damp. Architecture features heavy use of corrugated copper (which turns a ghostly green), bioluminescent moss-lanterns, and steep, slanted roofs to shed the constant condensation dripping from the Upper Shelf’s drainage pipes.

The Vertical Economy: The "Weight and Pulley" Trade Wealth flows down, but resources flow up. This has created a unique economic symbiosis based on gravity.

1. The Gravity-Train (Down-Market) It is incredibly cheap to send goods from the Upper Shelf to the Lower Shelf. Waste, greywater, and industrial scrap are "exported" downward via a system of gravity-chutes. The Lower Shelf has built its entire economy on salvage-refining, turning the Upper Shelf's trash into usable "Reclaimed Iron" and "Sifted Coal."

2. The Great Winch (Up-Market) The Lower Shelf borders the sea, making it the city's primary port. However, the Upper Shelf owns the processing plants.

The Lift-Tax: A massive portion of the city’s gross domestic product is spent on the energy required to winch fish, salt, and foreign luxury goods 200 feet up.

Winch-Barons: The most powerful families in Prelm aren't politicians; they are the owners of the Great Steam Winches that bridge the two halves. To control the winch is to control the food supply.

3. The "Mist-Farming" Because the Lower Shelf is shaded and humid, they have a monopoly on Fungiculture and Mist-Silk. They grow rare, light-sensitive mushrooms and harvest silk from cavern-spiders that thrive in the shadows of the Great Drop. These are luxury items that the Upper Shelf "elites" crave but cannot produce in their sunny, dry heights.

The Winch-Barons: The "Iron Kings" of Prelm

In a city split by a 200-foot wall, the person who controls the vertical movement controls life itself. The House of Vane currently holds the monopoly on the "Great Central Crank," the largest steam-powered lift in the city.

The Leverage of Power: The Vanes don't trade in gold; they trade in "Lift-Credits." Merchants from the Lower Shelf docks must pay a literal "Weight Tax" to get their seafood and imported spices to the hungry Upper Shelf markets.The Counter-Weight Strategy: To save on coal, the Winch-Barons use a clever system: they time the descent of "Upper-Waste" (sewage and scrap) to act as a counterweight to pull the "Lower-Wealth" (fish and silk) upward. In Prelm, one person's trash literally lifts another person's treasure.

The "Fall-Saboteurs": A common fear among the Vanes is the "Snap-Cutter"—political rebels from the Lower Shelf who threaten to sever the cables, which would plunge the Upper Shelf into a famine and the Lower Shelf into a crushed ruin.

Geography: The "Bellows" Effect The physical layout of Prelm creates a unique microclimate between the water and the abyss.

Mapping the Flow: From Bay to Void To visualize how the city functions, imagine a horizontal line bisected by a vertical cliff:

1. The Eastern Edge (Occoro Bay): The lifeblood. Cold, salty water where deep-sea trawlers dock. The air here smells of brine and fish scales.

2. The Lower Shelf Docks: The most crowded part of the city. Everything is damp. The buildings here are built on "Sled-Plates" because the ground near the water is soft.

3. The Great Lift-Wall: A 200-foot sheer cliff honeycombed with "Pendent" housing. This is where the poorest live—literally clinging to the side of the world in hanging shacks.

4. The Upper Shelf (The Over-City): A place of marble and dry air. It juts out slightly over the Lower Shelf, creating a permanent "Rain-Line" where runoff falls onto the slums below.

5. The Western Edge (The Void-Scar): The "Silent Zone." No one builds within 50 yards of this jagged drop. It is a place of white mist and the smell of ozone. This is where the funerals happen.

The "Echo-Takers" and the Ghost-Neighborhood There is a persistent rumor in the Lower Shelf that on nights when the wind blows from the west, you can hear the bells of the sunken neighborhood, Prelrm, ringing from the Deep Down.

The "Lure": It is said that some citizens, grieving lost loved ones, have tried to descend into the Void-Scar using illegal, hand-cranked winches. None have ever returned, and the Winch-Barons have made "Unauthorized Descent" a crime punishable by exile to the Scar itself.

The Supernatural Anchor: People believe that the only reason the Lower Shelf hasn't fallen in yet is because the ghosts of the sunken district are holding it up—waiting for the rest of the city to join them.

DM's Note: create some NPCs for this location and hyperlink to this post.

In the Shadowdim setting, sometimes (though rarely) when a loved one dies tragically, their soul inhabits an item of someone to whom they were especially close in life.

Such a spiritual investiture—a Remnant Bond—transforms a mundane object into a "Soul-Bound Relic."

Upon Exodore Swift's death, Dorn's serrated longsword — already an item of high quality — becomes a Soul-Bound Relic. Since the bond is rooted in their eternal love, the serrated longsword will no longer behave like a cold piece of steel. It becomes a protective, reactive extension of Exie’s will to keep Dorn alive.

Beyond the +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, Swift (for that is now the sword's name) has these qualities:

1. The Phantom Guard (Defensive) Exie was always watching Dorn’s back in life; in death, her spirit guides the blade to intercept blows. Effect: While wielding (not sheathed) the sword, Dorn gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class.

2. Exie's Vitality (Defensive) Whenever Dorn draws Swift from its scabbard, if it has not been drawn in the past hour, it confers temporary hit points. These do not stack, and only apply if previously bestowed temporary hit points have been depleted.

3. Swift Vengeance (Defensive) Whenever Dorn is wielding Swift and he sustains injury from a beastman, the spirit of Exodore inhabiting the blade lashes out, inflicting 3 hp (or 1 HD) of damage on the offending beastman.

Swift functions only as a mundane, though high quality, sword when anyone other than Dorn wields it. It's powers will scale with Dorn as he becomes more experienced:

• Dorn Stelgaard, aka Thrangir of Belaphas
• Exodore Swift, aka Surret of Arcturus
• Aele Truemas, aka Zorael of Archontos

Party Stats At Levels 3

Party Stats At Levels 1 & 2

Dorn rolled 7 and 10 for level-up hit points for rising from 2nd to 3rd level. His Constitution bonus is +2, so +12 hp added onto his level 2 max of 22 comes to 34. Nice! He gains another +1 to base-attack bonus, raises his Strength to 18, which'll give another +1 to-hit (and damage), and his sword becomes Swift, the Soul-Bound Relic, as Exie's spirit infuses it. So that's another +1 to-hit (and damage). That raises his overall to-hit bonus with Swift to +8. His new STR 18 gives an additional point of damage too, as does the weapon's +1 bonus, so damage with Swift becomes 1d8+7. For his level 3 Knack, he takes Defensive for another point to AC.

Aele in advancing from level 02 to 03 raises Con to 18, immediately granting 2 more hp (17 -> 19). Rolled additional hit points with Advantage, getting 3 & 5 (takes the 5 and adds 3 for 8 (19 -> 27). No changes in BAB or Saving Throws. Aele takes Defensive as 3rd level Knack. Aele doesn't have as much of an upgrade, though the additional hitpoints help.

• Archontean Regalia, The
• Book of the White, The
• Heart-Seed Scarab, The
• Lycandus' Vestments
• Malachite Mask, The
• Sun Lances
• Swift, Soul-Bound Relic Longsword

Item: The Heart-Seed Scarab

Wondrous Item (Holy Symbol), Rare (Requires Attunement by a Cleric or Paladin of Thoth)

This thumb-sized scarab is carved from translucent green agate, pulsing with a faint, internal amber light. It feels strangely warm to the touch, unlike the cold dampness of the Fungal Court.

Resonance of the Ibis: While holding the scarab, you have Advantage on Intelligence (History) and Intelligence (Religion) checks related to the Thothian Empire and the ruins of Arden Vul.

Echo of Lycandrus: You can use the scarab as a spellcasting focus. When you cast a spell that restores hit points, the target gains 1d6 temporary hit points as a thin, protective film of translucent spores coats their skin for 1 minute.

The Vault Key: The scarab is the only physical key capable of bypassing the "Weight of Ma'at" seal on the Hall of Records.

Given to Aele by The Sovereign of the Mushroom Forest on Level 3 of Arden Vul (2.6.2026)

This magic item grants access to the Hall of Cylinders. It is likely that Aele and Dorn will go there at some point.

A wizard-priest may hang one additional simultaneous ritual at every odd level above 1st, to a maximum of five at level 09. Beyond that, the priest can learn more advanced, difficult rituals at increasing levels beyond 9th.

• Thoth's Champion
• Thoth's Comfort
• Thoth's Balm

To enact this ritual, the wizard-priest of Thoth must prick himself and draw a single drop of blood after intoning a one-minute prayer to Thoth. The priest can then trigger the hanging effect with a word or gesture. When he does so, he rolls 3d10 and keeps the two highest rolls, summing them. The priest can distribute these points as healing among himself and any allies that are within thirty feet and his line of sight.

The Prayer:

"O Silver Tongue of the Night, who restored the Eye of Horus when it was shattered—hear me. As my blood meets the earth, let thy wisdom meet our wounds. From the void of the New Moon, bring forth the fullness of life."

The Trigger: either, or both, of the following

Gesture: Tracing a crescent shape in the air with the bloodied finger.

Word: "Iah" (The name of the moon/moon god).

A priest of Thoth may invoke this ritual by holding first a copper piece, then a silver, and finally a gold piece in his hand and intoning the following:

Copper piece: "Thoth's most freely given gift, valued not nearly enough, is wisdom." The CP turns to metallic dust and blows away.

Silver piece: "Thoth's eyes are upon his faithful. His words chime in their minds like the tinkling of silver bells." The SP turns to metallic dust and blows away.

Gold piece: "May Thoth bequeath the hidden knowledge to his servants."

Follow the above with: "O Logos En-Amenti, Thoth-Hermes, Psuche-Stratos—Vibrate the Hidden Key."

Once enacted, this ritual hangs a magical effect that will be triggered when the priest either says or subvocalizes the following: "Eulogeson tou Doulous-sou, O Thoth-Amon."

Triggered, the hanging effect confers a +1 bonus to the priest and his allies' HP, AC, and Saving Throws for the next three minutes.

To invoke Thoth (the Thrice-Great Hermes), an Archontean priest would likely focus on the concepts of Logos (the Word), Ma’at (Balance), and the Moon.

The Invocation Phrase "O Logos En-Amenti, Thoth-Hermes, Psuche-Stratos—Vibrate the Hidden Key."

Breaking Down the Ritual Meaning O Logos En-Amenti: "The Word in the Underworld." This acknowledges Thoth’s role as the scribe who records the hearts of the dead and brings the light of reason into the darkness.

Thoth-Hermes: The syncretic bridge. In Archontean tradition, names hold power; using both his Egyptian and Greek aspects "locks" the deity into the ritual space.

Psuche-Stratos: "Commander of the Soul." This asks for his guidance over the practitioner's mind and spirit.

Vibrate the Hidden Key: A reference to the Kybalion and the idea that the universe is mental and vibrational. You aren't just asking for a favor; you are asking him to change the frequency of your reality.

• baboons
• beastmen
• goblin
• hequeti