Gloamhold

Ashlar: The Duchy on the Frontier

The Duchy of Ashlar is on the far northern frontier
of the Kingdom of Therund. This is a land of hardy,
resilient folk mostly isolated from the civilisation of
the south and surviving for centuries in the shadow
of an ancient evil.

For many hundreds of years Ashlar and the lands

around it were enslaved and ruled over by the Dark
Dwarves, led by Skalf Ironhelm. Originally the
Ironhelm Dwarves had been exiled from their
homeland to the south and had founded a thriving
town called Skalfs Hold on the southern slopes of
the Mottled Spire. Skalfs Hold was built to protect
the mining complex that burrowed into the depths
below the mountains. In those times they traded
and allied with the nearby settlements for many
years.

Over time the Dwarves became wealthier, more

powerful, and more adversarial. They expanded
their kingdom into the depths of the earth and built
the underground Citadel Kazad Argal, fueling this
expansion with slaves, taken from the neighbouring
Human and Elven settlements by force. As the years
went by Languard was ruled by a Human Lord in
name only, with fealty being paid to Skalf in gold,
food, cattle, and people.
Nobody knows how or why, but the Dwarves of
Kazad Argal drew back and have not been
encountered or heard from for a hundred years or
more now. Most crawlers believe that there are
secret ways into Kazad Argal from Rivengate, those
who claim to have found them disagree on what is
there though. Some say it is now a ghost city, while
others say the Dark Dwarves live there still.
Languard: The Northern Holdfast
Storied Languard - capital of Ashlar and its greatest
city - stands strong against Hard Bay’s turbulent,
stormy waters. To the northwest across the bay lie
the curse-haunted ruins of Greystone and
Gloamhold’s doom-wreathed halls. Languard is a
noisy, dirty, rain sodden place. Here, amid broad,
muddy streets teeming with life and danger-filled
alleyways, there is little that cannot be bought - for
the right price.
Even in the warmer summer months there is almost
always a handful of storms that can last more than
a week, the locals chalk them up to “The Old Bitch”,
The goddess of storms, Serat. Winters are cold and
wet, and the winter storms all but cut off the city
and the duchy from the outside world. “If it isn’t
raining in Languard, just wait” is a common phrase
due to the year-round downpours.

Although it is Ashlar’s largest and richest settlement,

living in Languard still feels like living on the frontier,
and its proximity to Gloamhold throws a pall over
its alleys and thoroughfares.
For many Crawlers, the legendary ruin of
Gloamhold draws them to Languard like moths to a
flame.
Gloamhold: The long dark
The crumbling dungeon complex known as
Gloamhold casts a long shadow over the ancient
city of Languard and all the land for miles around.
Within the grim, spray-drenched granite headland
of The Mottled Spire, Gloamhold broods amid dark
tales of desperation, death, and forgotten treasures.
Some of the better-known locations are:
 Rivengate – This is said to be a sprawling citadel
of numerous levels. Built many centuries ago, its
original inhabitants are unknown, but there are
some who say that the Dark Dwarves of Kazad
Argal expanded into the upper levels at some
point before they ultimately met their doom. The
lower levels are rumoured to be used by groups
of smugglers and bandits to avoid the eyes of the
law in Languard. A brave sailor can take a ship
directly into the huge opening in the granite
cliffside and enter Rivengate from the huge stone
landings in The Murkwater, the perilous tides and
wreckage of previous ships provide a test of their
skill though.
 The Shard - The destroyed tower was supposedly
once a lighthouse and stands alone on the
highest point of The Mottled Spire, like a broken
tooth protruding from a gum. Its foundations are
said to be made of very wide square terraces and
nothing like Human or Dwarven craftsmanship.
The uppermost levels of the tower have at some
point crashed down and covered the
mountainside, but during the summer storms
locals say that the lightning flashes briefly reveals
a Shadowy Tower, rising from the current ruin
and showing The Shard as it once was in ages
past. There are paths down into lower reaches
which have been termed The Cellars.
 The Greystone Ruins – Word has it that the
fishing village of Greystone was founded 100
years ago in a doomed attempt to settle the land
around The Mottled Spire. The place was
abandoned after a few years, and the decaying
stone buildings and cave systems buried in the
hillside around the village are said to be stalked
by the sadistic, inbred descendants of the first
settlers.
The Crawlers Code
In this game you will be “Crawlers”, desperate or
foolhardy rogues delving into ancient ruins in
pursuit of wealth, power and forgotten knowledge.
Below are some of the accepted facts of being a
Crawler and how the game world works:
 The deep dark of Gloamhold – None of the player
races have dark vision. Torches only last 1 hour in
real time due to the unnatural darkness that
envelops Gloamhold.
 Your enemies want you dead – Exploring the
ancient precincts, crypts, and chambers of the
most dangerous place in the known world is not
for the faint hearted. Encounters will not be
balanced for your party level or size, but they will
never be unfair. Retreat is often an option.
 Don’t get too attached – Your characters are
likely to die unless they are lucky, skillful, or
smartly played. Don’t worry too much. New
characters are quick to roll up and you can be
back in the game very quickly. With that in mind
it’s probably best to limit any background for new
characters to a paragraph or two at most.
 The more the merrier – If the party is
shorthanded (less than 5-6 bodies) then add
some hirelings to the group. Languard has no
shortage of brave and desperate souls who will
accompany you for some coin.
 Motivation – Your character should be motivated
by fame, riches, desperation, lost knowledge, or a
passion for exploration of the unknown. Nobody
else would dare the journey across Hard Bay to
Gloamhold.
 XP – This is earned through treasure gained or
boons acquired while crawling, not necessarily
through defeating enemies. More XP is awarded
according to how rare or meaningful the treasure
or boon is. Acquiring a boon could be learning an
important secret, receiving a great blessing, or
taking a meaningful oath. In short, this is any
revelation which significantly impacts the
character and the way they see/interact with the
game world.

Character Creation
 The game system being used is Shadowdark.
 Characters begin at 1st level.
 Characters roll their stats in order, using 3d6 (If
none of your stats are 12 or higher. Then reroll all
6 stats)
 Available character races are Human, Dwarf, Elf,
Halfling, and Half-Orc.
 Available character classes are the Bard, Fighter,
Priest, Ranger, Thief and Wizard.
 Starting level 1 hit points will be the maximum for
your class plus your CON modifier. At level 2
onwards you will roll your class hit die (No CON
modifier is added).
 Each character will start with 1 rumour. Roll
2d6+Cha, a result of 9 or higher means that you
have heard a 2nd rumour.
Adventure awaits...
Your motley band of inexperienced crawlers have
gathered for an early breakfast at your current
home, the Orcs Head tavern in Low City, a rowdy
dockside tavern favoured by Crawlers. You have
spent the last few days carousing and gathering
information while you waited for the tides to favour
your short voyage across Hard Bay.
You were woken early this morning by a messenger
from Taneli Leino, the captain of The Sea Drake,
with the news you were waiting for. He has agreed
to ferry your group across the bay for 5sp per
passenger and he will return to collect you two
hours before sundown on the next 2 evenings. If
you aren’t there by the end of the second evening,
he considers your agreement void. His note
requested that you meet him on the dock outside
The Drunken Sailor tavern in 1 hour.
The only thing left is to decide your destination. Will
you sail The Murkwater into the gaping maw of
Rivengate and explore the old Citadel? Will you
brave the abandoned ruins and cave complex of
Greystone? Or will you climb the steep, winding
path up to explore The Shard and its cellars?
Adventure awaits…