Trueland Gazetteer 

 
 

Credits 
Writing​: Matthew Bannock and Tim Bannock 

Editing and Layout​: Tim Bannock 

Cover Art​: Bob Greyvenstein 

Cartography​: Elven Tower Cartography, Tim Bannock, Inkwell Ideas 

❖ The Western Frontier map by Tim Bannock using Worldographer. 

Worldographer is ©Inkwell Ideas. 
❖ Dalentown map by Elven Tower Cartography, based on a design 
by Tim Bannock. 

Art​: Patrick E. Pullen, Jayaraj Paul 

❖ Jayaraj Paul (page 22) 

❖ Patrick E. Pullen (pages 23, 24) 

Version 1 - April 2020 

Legal 
©Tim Bannock. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places, items, art and text herein 
are copyrighted by Tim Bannock, with the exception of material previously released as part 
of the Open Gaming License; see the OGL at the end of this work. The mention of or 
reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or 
copyright concerned. 

Old-School Essentials is a trademark of Necrotic Gnome. The trademark and Old-School 

Essentials logo are used with permission of Necrotic Gnome, under license. 

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use 
only.    

 
1 
Table of Contents 
Credits ​1 

Legal ​1 

Table of Contents ​2 

History Lessons ​5 

The Elder Gods ​5 

The Awakened ​6 

Awakened Ancestries ​6 

Trueland ​6 

Underlund ​6 

Religion & Patrons ​8 

The Western Frontier ​8 

The Dwarf Holds ​9 

Dalentown Settlement ​9 

Gazetteer ​10 

The Queendom of Valendur ​10 

Adventures & Hooks ​10 

Make It Your World! ​10 

Dalentown ​11 

Brice House ​11 

Governor Belina Brice ​13 

Lady Grey Dalthor ​13 

Brightguard Cavalry ​13 

Griffon ​14 

 
2 
 War Horse ​14 

Brightguard Soldiers ​14 

Militia Fort Guards ​15 

Servants & Staff ​15 

Command Staff ​15 

Chapel Priest ​16 

Acolytes ​16 

Brightwell Manor ​17 

Roster ​17 

Eldon Brightwell ​18 

Rock Down ​18 

The Wizard’s Enclave ​19 

Other Settlements ​19 

Geographical Features ​19 

Deadwater Bog & Shadow Hills ​19 

Dragon’s Roost ​20 

The Flying Citadel ​20 

Flying Citadel Encounters ​20 

Whisperwood ​21 

Effects of the Whisperwood ​21 

Swamp Hag ​22 

Lich ​23 

Whisper Wraith ​24 

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a ​25 

 
3 
 1. Definitions: ​25 

2. The License ​25 

3. Offer and Acceptance ​26 

4. Grant and Consideration ​26 

5. Representation of Authority to Contribute ​26 

6. Notice of License Copyright ​26 

7. Use of Product Identity ​26 

8. Identification ​26 

9. Updating the License ​26 

10. Copy of this License ​26 

11. Use of Contributor Credits ​27 

12. Inability to Comply ​27 

13. Termination ​27 

14. Reformation ​27 

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE ​27 

 

   

 
4 
 Trueland Gazetteer 
 

The eponymous town from A ​ dventures in Dalentown for 5th edition​ is the 
“homebase” for player characters in the Trueland Campaign Setting. You 
might already be thinking to yourself: “​Bah! I don’t want to learn a 
150-page history and 72 patron deities to run it “properly!” I just want stuff 
I can use in the campaign setting I already use!​”​ ​Or, “​I built my own 
campaign setting! What can I pilfer from here? Or is this one of those 
weird settings where the adventures and mechanics don’t mesh with my 
setting?” 

Don’t worry! All of the Dalentown releases, and as a result the Trueland 
Campaign Setting, are meant to be used at your table immediately. If you 
want a setting, we’ve set some broad strokes below. If you don’t need a 
setting, and you’re just looking for a pre-made town, some NPCs, 
encounters, and adventure scenarios, that’s what we try to provide in 
spades. Use or ignore the next few pages as you wish; everything else is 
primed for adventure! 

History Lessons 
There only existed one entity, the Sleeper, the old one. This being was the 
only thing in the infinite universe. Driven mad by loneliness it began to 
wish and dream, creating infinite tales of madness and wonder. 

The Elder Gods 

 
Eventually it began to slumber. It's dreams sprung to life, becoming a 
shower of realities and gods within each. These gods learned they could 
siphon power from the Sleeper, and each other. Soon, they created 
worlds where they could raise armies of followers to war with each other 
as a means to defeat and absorb one another, and thus increase their 
power. 

This era of the Gods’ War would not last. They battled to a dwindling 
number, and eventually the war captured the attention of the Sleeper. 
Even within its torpor it blinked these elder gods from existence, leaving 
their bodies behind as stars and planets. 

 
5 
The Awakened 
 
When the Elder Gods were — Banished? Destroyed? Who knows — the 
soldiers in their armies woke as if from a dream, the memory of it fading 
and harder to recall with time. For a long time, lasting animosity and 
similar-but-fractured beliefs created a seemingly endless tide of wars. 
Much of the world was ravaged by these conflicts, and if not by them, 
then by the mutated offspring of the Elder Gods’ worst magical and 
biological weapons. 

What the people woke to was the fleeting apparitions of a nightmare, but 
soon, that too subsided. With the greatest of creatures driven by base 
urges mostly destroyed or destitute, it finally fell to the Awakened to 
build a new world. 

Awakened Ancestries 
The term used for any sentient ancestry in Trueland is “the Awakened.” 
There is no set list of ancestries that are included in the Awakened, as 
the only real criteria is an awareness that leads to building 
communities in the sense that dwarves, elves, halflings, humans, 
giants, goblins, orcs, and so on understand it. 
 
For example, the antlings (detailed in F​ olk of Dalentown Volume 1​) are 
a recently discovered ancestry. Only the folk of the Dalentown region 
know of them and have dealings with them. They certainly group 
antlings among the Awakened, but folk from far off parts of Valendur 
may not know of them, and thus wouldn’t know to consider them at all. 
 

Trueland 
 
An arc of this world has become known as “Trueland,” the home of 
humans, elves, dwarves, and other ancestries created by the Elder Gods 
and abandoned to their own survival. Many chose simple lives, while 
others became adventurers seeking out fragments of knowledge and 
power to change the world. 

Underlund 
In the deep caves of Trueland, it is said there exists mysterious 
dungeons that test adventurers to unknown ends. These places are 
referred to as Underlund, or sometimes The Sunless or Darkblessed 
depending on one’s inclinations: 

 
6 
 ❖ Most elves, rock gnomes, and humans refer to it as Underlund. 
So do dwarves, but some dwarves call it Ironhome. 
❖ Dark elves, goblins, kobolds, and orcs call it The Darkblessed, or 
the Darkblessed Realm. 
❖ Halflings, cawbrie, gnomes, and many sylvan creatures call it The 
Sunless. 

 
The Western Frontier (scale: 1 hex = 6 miles) 

   

 
7 
It is said that Underlund may be the birthplace of young, new gods, or 
they may be the vaults of the Elder Gods’ ancient weapons. Still others 
say they simply exist as fragments of the dream. Perhaps they are all 
onto something, for the lure of treasure and knowledge untold has 
brought a great many people to this realm. 

Religion & Patrons 

In this setting, the lack of major patron deities and the presence of 
half-forgotten Elder Gods puts a slight spin on players of classes like 
clerics, as well as NPCs who might be members of cults, or who might 
tend to religious monasteries and temples. 
 
Religion​. Worship is greatly divided, spread between a great number of 
beliefs. The powers granted are linked to spirits associated with 
bloodlines, tribes, and families. A player may describe the small 
religion they belong to, and there may be one or more spirits involved. 
Often, a spirit covers one or two domains, but no single spirit carries 
more than three domains as this may be a tipping point to help avoid 
the notice of the Sleeper. When it comes to religion, it is well 
understood and accepted that individual homes and businesses have 
a shelf, closet, or room that is a private shrine. Leaving a coin or 
modest gift for a host's shrine is common practice. 
 
Patrons​. More enigmatic—often but not always chaotic or even 
infernal—patrons are far more powerful than these spirits, but give only 
a fragment of themselves in return for arcane rites and sacrifice that 
may be literal or symbolic. Evil cultists tend to be feared, and that 
being the case, some will claim to be casters of other sorts, 
masquerading as pilgrims, preachers, and healers. Some admit to 
what they are but use their innate charisma to keep the balance of fear 
and respect needed to avoid witch hunts. 
 

The Western Frontier 

 
As a whole, there are very few parts of Trueland that are considered 
“civilized,” in the sense that there are considerable population centers all 
at trade with one another. The wars of the Elder Gods, and those that 
came immediately after (often spurred on by dragons, giants, or 
otherworldly fiends) left the land in ruin, and most centers of history and 
lore utterly destroyed. Thus, much of the land is dotted with small 

 
8 
communities, and even the most powerful only hold a single city-state 
and perhaps one or two sizable settlements outside of that. 

One such region is the Western Frontier, an area that is claimed by The 
Queendom of Valedur, but that effectively is a loose confederation of 
small settlements. It is here that the settlement of Dalentown has begun 
to grow, though it rests on an interesting piece of not-quite-so-forgotten 
history... 

The Dwarf Holds 

Driven by the greed of dragons, several settlements of dwarves (called 
Holds) were established in the hills and valleys inland from the Warring 
Mountains and the Borden Gap. One in particular, its name long 
forgotten, was established in the Underlund beneath a series of hills near 
the fertile Celestian River. A special vein of diamond was discovered, and 
soon this settlement was a valuable asset to the dragon armies. 

When the Elder Gods were banished and most of the dragons driven 
back into the mountains, greed lingered. The dwarves sought ways to 
mine diamond ore more efficiently, and they turned to an 
alchemist-mage who was unknowingly touched by one of the Elder Gods. 
The dwarf hold was abandoned when it became ground zero for a horde 
of demonic oozes. (See D
​ D-01 The Darkness Beneath Dalentown​ for 
more!) 

Dalentown Settlement 
A few centuries passed, with the dwarves having moved south, and the 
realms of humans, halflings and elves taking over in the east. When 
adventurers discovered the fertile Elkhorn Plains region, folk from the 
Queendom of Valedur came to settle the region. They first constructed a 
fort to the south of the Sabertooth Ridges, then settled in Dalentown. 

With the discovery of several other Awakened communities, Dalentown 

has gone from a small farming town to a booming trading town. In recent 
years, a village of artifact-hunters has grown around the Wizard’s 
Enclave, which has lended to Dalentown also becoming a hub of 
questionable activities, too. 

And even more recently, the dwarf hold beneath the town was uncovered. 
Mining — which was previously relegated to small deposits of silver and 
iron ore — may become a whole new industry for the town. Once they 
clear out all the demonic oozes, of course. (See ​DD-01 The Darkness 
Beneath Dalentown​ for more on this.) 

 
9 
Gazetteer 
The Western Frontier is a nickname coined by the people of Valendur, 
which claims the territory but exerts only minimal control over it. They 
have their own problems, after all. 

The Queendom of Valendur 

 
Valendur is one of the larger powers in Trueland, and that’s not saying 
much: the Queen claims two city-states, a half dozen forts, and a dozen 
towns. She has three governors: one for each city-state, and one for the 
Western Frontier. There’s enough turmoil in the city-states trying to 
establish trade with neighboring realms, so the frontier ends up being an 
afterthought, at best. 

Adventures & Hooks 

Dark Rulership​. Perhaps the queen is a v​ ampire​,​ a
​ nd Dalentown survives 
in relative autonomy for being beneath her notice. A position in great 
peril now that the ruins of the dwarf hold have been discovered. She has 
a vested interest in the wealth the mines could bring. Her trusted 
inquisitors among the Brightguard may come to the area to reinforce her 
rule. Perhaps courtly intrigue and manipulation are the only things that 
keep Governor Belina Brice in power in this little edge of the world, and 
the queen leverages any advantage she can gain. 

War Comes to Dalentown​. The queen is a good woman and a brilliant 

strategist, but she is in peril as ​gnoll w
​ arbands have teamed with an evil 
efreeti w
​ ho has enslaved a tribe of goblins to best her with superior 
numbers. Soon battles will reach all the way out to our beloved 
Dalentown. 

Rivalry​. Perhaps the scholar-queen has a keen interest in lore and is fond 
of hiring adventuring teams to delve into the wilds and ruins that dot the 
world. This would certainly bring her into conflict with Xailaria, the head 
of the Wizard’s Enclave. 

Make It Your World! 

Since the maps for the Western Frontier are done with 6 mile hexes, 
it’s pretty easy to drop it into any fantasy campaign setting continent 
without displacing a whole lot of land. The Queendom of Valendur and 
the larger world outside of the Western Frontier are not things we have 
plans to detail at this time. This means it’s the perfect opportunity for 

 
10 
 you to build the world you want, or to substitute the kingdom or empire 
of your choice. 
 
You’ll see more sidebars like this one throughout the following 
sections. They are meant to provide inspiration and ideas for 1st 
Edition & BX games set in these locations. Many appear in other 
adventures (or will appear in future ones), so these ideas are meant as 
quick-start guides; find out more by visiting ​timbannock.com​ and 
looking for all of our Dalentown releases! 
 

Dalentown 
 
Dalentown is a flourishing town, likely on its way to becoming a city in its 
own right. The Lord Mayor and a council of influential folk from the 
merchant and working classes have ensured the town’s independence 
over a few generations now. Its remote location has kept the few 
scattered kingdoms from exerting any sort of real power over the region, 
though it does have close relationships with some nearby settlements. 
That said, many of those settlements are strange, and exist outside of 
the typical politics of the Trueland setting. 

Notably, Dalentown has a recently uncovered dwarf hold that contains a 

rare vein of diamond. Prior to that, the town was only known for some 
scattered silver and iron mines, and a fertile valley for farming around the 
Celestian River (an offshoot of the Pioneer River). 

Dalentown is currently run by Lord Mayor Kevren Palomar, a failed wizard 

from Valendur’s court. He’s made up for his shortcomings in magic by 
being an adept civil leader. He is advised by a council of merchant and 
working class citizens. Some of these councilors are in the pocket of the 
local thieves’ guild, known as the Lamplighters Guild. 

Brice House 
 
Governor Belina Brice is a charming bard and sage, fond of telling 
stories. Known adventurers can expect an invitation to her estate, which 
is about two day’s ride from Dalentown, skirting the southern edge of the 
badlands of Sabertooth Ridges. She is always accompanied by the lovely 
Lady Grey Dalthor, a divination wizard, Belina’s companion, and her most 
trusted advisor. Rumors say that Dalthor also has the taint of 
demon-blood in her lineage. 

 
11 
  

Governor Brice’s charisma didn’t win her over in the courts of Valendur, 
however, so she has been relegated to what most people consider the 
worst possible job: governing the Western Frontier. This amounts to 
exerting little power over mostly ignored settlements. She does have a 
retinue of the Brightguard at her disposal in the fort she calls home, but 
their duties are entirely made up of “patrol the road to Dalentown,” and 
“track down any criminals.” Half of them are probably on the take from 
the Lamplighters or the mysterious Wizard’s Enclave, anyway. There are 
some who feel Governor Brice actually knows more about the ruins in 
this region than she lets on, and that her political goals brought her here. 

   

 
12 
 

Governor Belina Brice 

Lawful human, she/her; sagely, kind 
 
AC ​2 [17], ​HD 3
​ (13 hp), A​ TK ​1 x weapon (1d8 or by weapon), ​THAC0 
17 [+2], ​MV ​60' (20'), S
​ V ​D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ​ML 8
​ , ​AL ​L, X
​ P3
​ 5, 
TT V
​ x3. 
 
➢ Armor​: Plate mail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Sword (1d8), 2 daggers (1d4) 
➢ Gear​: ​Helm of telepathy 
 

Lady Grey Dalthor 

Neutral elf, she/her; guarded, terse 
 
AC ​9 [10], ​HD 1 ​ ** (4hp), ​ATK 1
​ x dagger (1d4) or 1 x spell, ​THAC0 ​19 
[0], M​ V ​120' (40'), S
​ VD
​ 13 W14 P13 B16 S15 (MU3), ​ML 8 ​ , ​AL ​N, ​XP 1
​ 6, 
TT V ​  
 
➢ Weapons​: Dagger (1d4) 
➢ Gear​: ​Crystal ball,​ spellbook 
➢ Spellbook​:​ C
​ ontains all 1st and 2nd level magic-user spells. 
➢ Spells memorized​: 
○ Level 1​: ​read magic, charm person 
○ Level 2​: ​locate object 
 

Brightguard Cavalry 
These elite soldiers are mounted on w
​ ar horses​, or 25% chance on 
griffons ​instead. 
 
AC ​2 [17], ​HD 3​ (13hp), A​ TK ​1 weapon (1d8 or by weapon), ​THAC0 ​19 
[0], M
​ V ​60' (20'), S
​ V ​D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F3), ​ML 1
​ 0, ​AL ​L, X
​ P3
​ 5, 
NA 2 ​ d4 (2d6), T
​ T ​V 
 
➢ Armor​: Plate mail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Sword (1d8), lance (1d6) 
 

 
13 
 Griffon 
AC ​5 [14], ​HD 7 ​ (31hp), A​ TK ​2 x claw (1d4), 1 x bite (2d8), ​THAC0 ​13 
[+6], M
​ V ​120' (40')/360' (120') flying, ​SV D​ 10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4), M ​ L 
10, ​AL N
​ ,X​ P ​450, T
​ TE
​  
 
➢ Attack horses​: Although trained, within 120’ of a horse the 
griffon will attack the horse unless a morale check is passed. 
 

War Horse 
AC ​7 [12], ​HD 3 ​ (13hp), A
​ TK ​2 hooves (1d6 ea.), T​ HAC0 ​17 [+2], ​MV 
120' (40'), S​ V ​D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ​ML 9 ​ , ​AL ​N, X
​ P ​35, T
​ T ​None 
 
➢ Charge​: When not in melee. Requires a clear run of at least 20 
yards. Rider’s lance inflicts double damage. Horse cannot 
attack when charging. 
➢ Melee​: When in melee, both rider and horse can attack. 
➢ Beast of burden​: Carry up to 4,000 coins unencumbered; up to 
8,000 at half speed. 
 

Brightguard Soldiers 
Elite foot soldiers. 
 
AC ​2 [17], ​HD 1​ (4hp), ​ATK 1​ weapon (1d8 or by weapon), ​THAC0 ​19 
[0], M
​ V ​60' (20'), S​ V ​D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ​ML 9
​ , ​AL ​L, X
​ P1
​ 0, ​NA 
2d4 (2d6), T ​ TV​  
 
➢ Armor​: Plate mail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Sword (1d8), crossbow (1d6) 
   

 
14 
 

Militia Fort Guards 

Run of the mill guards. 
 
AC ​4 [15], ​HD 1​ (4hp), ​ATK 1​ weapon (1d8 or by weapon), ​THAC0 ​19 
[0], M
​ V ​60' (20'), S​ V ​D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F1), ​ML 8
​ , ​AL ​L, X
​ P1
​ 0, ​NA 
2d4 (2d6), T ​ TV​  
 
➢ Armor​: Chainmail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Sword (1d8), crossbow (1d6), dagger (1d4) 
 

Servants & Staff 

Run of the mill staff for the fort. 
 
AC ​9 [10], ​HD 1
​ /2 (2hp), ​ATK 1​ x weapon (1d6 or by weapon), ​THAC0 
20 [-1], M
​ V ​120' (40'), S
​ V ​D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), M
​ L ​6, ​AL ​Any, X
​ P 
5, N
​ A ​1d4 (1d20), T​ T ​U 
 

Command Staff 
Strategists, organizers. 
 
AC ​2 [17], ​HD 3
​ (13 hp), A​ TK ​1 x weapon (1d8 or by weapon), ​THAC0 
17 [+2], ​MV ​60' (20'), S
​ V ​D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ​ML 8
​ , ​AL ​L, X
​ P3
​ 5, 
TT V
​ x3. 
 
➢ Armor​: Plate mail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Sword (1d8), 2 daggers (1d4) 
   

 
15 
 

Chapel Priest 
The head of the fort’s chapel. 
 
AC ​2 [17], ​HD 1
​ (4hp), ​ATK 1
​ x mace (1d6), ​THAC0 ​19 [0], M ​ V6​ 0' (20'), 
SV D
​ 11 W12 P14 B16 S15 (C3), ​ML ​7, ​AL ​L, X​ P1
​ 0, ​NA 1
​ , ​TT ​U 
 
➢ Armor​: Plate mail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Mace (1d6) 
➢ Spells memorized​: 
○ Level 1​: ​detect magic, light 
 

Acolytes 
The chapel’s defenders. 
 
AC ​2 [17], ​HD 1
​ (4hp), ​ATK 1
​ x mace (1d6), ​THAC0 ​19 [0], M ​ V6​ 0' (20'), 
SV D
​ 11 W12 P14 B16 S15 (C1), ​ML ​7, ​AL ​L, X​ P1
​ 0, ​NA 6
​ , ​TT ​U 
 
➢ Armor​: Plate mail armor, shield 
➢ Weapons​: Mace (1d6) 
 

   

 
16 
Brightwell Manor 
 
A couple days’ journey from the town, in a valley forming low mountain 
pass, is Brightwell Manor. This large estate is owned by Eldon Brightwell, 
a noted alchemist and physician. He has a very large family, and employs 
many mercenaries to help guard both his estate and the mountain pass 
itself. (This place is the focus of the module ​DD-02 The Darkness Beneath 
Brightwell Manor​.) 

Roster 
Can’t wait for ​DD-02 The Darkness Beneath Brightwell Manor​ to come 
out? Here are a few options. 

Normally, Eldon Brightwell might have minor magical potions for sale. 
Though kooky, he’s generally reasonable to deal with from a business 
perspective. His family (use stats for b ​ rigand cavalry​ and, ​mediums​, 
including m
​ aster mediums​) and the mercenaries he hires for protection 
from the beasts of the wilderness include commoners (​normal human 
house staff and servants), a handful of ​brigand foot soldiers​, and the 
occasional b​ andit ​or b
​ andit leader​. 

Eldon can be an excellent, if eccentric, patron, as he seeks rare 

alchemical ingredients that may involve any of the following: 

❖ Delving into Underlund to find rare subterranean plants. The 

party may have to trade with or square off against chaotic 
dwarves​, dark ​elves (​ chaotic alignment and use poisons that 
paralyze), ​kobolds​, or more powerful beings like d ​ jinni ​or 
medusa​. 
❖ Raiding monster nests for eggs, feathers, or the like. Great 
examples would be ​manticores​, ​wyverns​, and ​owl bears​. 
❖ The party may have to handle negotiations with members of the 
Wizard’s Enclave faction (​master mediums​, ​brigand 
magic-users​, or ​acolytes o ​ f the Elder Gods), or avoid getting 
caught on smuggling charges by the Brightguard (​veterans​, 
nobles​). 

   

 
17 
 

Eldon Brightwell 
Chaotic human, he/him; eccentric, wily 
 
AC ​8 [11], ​HD 1
​ 1** (40hp), ​ATK 1 ​ x dagger (1d4) or 1 x spell, ​THAC0 1 ​ 4 
[+5], M
​ V ​120' (40'), S
​ VD​ 7 W8 P7 B10 S7 (MU11), ​ML ​8, ​AL N ​ , ​XP 2
​ ,700, 
TT F
​  
 
➢ Weapons​: Dagger (1d4) 
➢ Gear​: spellbook, ​ring of protection +1​ (factored into above 
stats), ​wand of paralyzation​,  
➢ Spellbook​:​ C ​ ontains all 1st and 2nd level magic-user spells, 
plus 1d6 randomly determined spells of each subsequent level 
in addition to the spells memorized, below. 
➢ Spells memorized​: 
○ Level 1​: ​magic missile, read languages, sleep, 
ventriloquism 
○ Level 2​: ​continual darkness, knock, phantasmal force 
○ Level 3​: ​fly, invisibility 10’ radius, protection from 
normal missiles 
○ Level 4​: ​charm monster, polymorph others, polymorph 
self 
○ Level 5​: ​animate dead, magic jar 
○ Level 6​: ​invisible stalker 
 

Rock Down 
 
Rock Down is a small village of gnomes and halflings that provides 
Dalentown with the finer things in life. They have apple and pumpkin 
orchards, as well as extensive wineries. 

The village has no central leadership, though most of the folk listen to 
either the married priestesses Kashia and Verdi, or “Pops” the Gnome, a 
druid. Beyond the confines of the village, however, the most well-known 
resident is Cordia, because every foodie knows she’s the best baker in all 
of the region’s festivals. 

   

 
18 
The Wizard’s Enclave 
 
Xailaria (sometimes “Xailaria the Red”) appears to be a young wizard 
who has inexplicably built an entire village around her manor, as well as 
an organization of spellcasters, artifact-hunters, and smugglers of all 
types. They travel throughout the region collecting magical items, tomes 
of lore, and exploring the many ruins that dot the region. 

It’s said that Xailaria is the daughter of a lich or other powerful 

spellcaster, and she may be much, much older than she appears. 
Regardless, she certainly considers herself above the law, and does not 
bow to Governor Brice. 

Other Settlements 
 
A number of other settlements can be found in the Western Frontier, but 
they are almost all unique in that they are not folk normally settled in 
other regions of Trueland. 

Wellspring​. The farming village of Wellspring is mostly populated by the 

bovathi, a stout folk practiced in the druidic crafts. 

The Colony​. A large antling settlement known only as “The Colony” can 
be found in the foothills of the Warring Mountains. Only a single area 
above ground is known to the folk of Dalentown, for they trade with the 
antlings for ore and Underlund delicacies like spidersilk and mushrooms, 
while the antlings crave baked goods. 

Cawbrie Settlements​. Soldara and Ridgetop are settlements of the 

cawbrie, an ancestry of avian folk that live in the Pioneer Mountains and 
Thunderbeast Forest. 

Geographical Features 
 
The following are among the most noteworthy geographical features in 
the Western Frontier, at least in terms of the rumors of danger, riches, or 
both. 

Deadwater Bog & Shadow Hills 

This area is festering with enclaves of vicious giants (​trolls​, ​ogres​, and 
hill giants​), and they may or may not be controlled by a coven of hags 
that lair somewhere deep within Deadwater Bog. 

 
19 
Dragon’s Roost 
When the Elder Gods were banished, the wars immediately following 
were mostly invoked by dragons. They were cursed (and kept in line) by 
the Elder Gods with incredibly powerful base compulsions such as greed, 
which put them at odds with the more tumultuous and elemental giants. 
Dragon’s Roost was one of the key fortresses for the dragons, built by 
servitors among the dwarf, orc, and goblin ancestries. 

In the last days of those wars, Dragon’s Roost was the site of one of the 
greatest betrayals: the dwarves rose up against their oppressors, and 
began destroying the citadel from within using booby traps and 
explosives. The orcs joined them, using the destruction to trap or kill as 
many dragons as they could. And the goblins fled, as they do. 

The ruins of Dragon’s Roost are said to contain some of the greatest 
artifacts of both the dragons and the Elder Gods. But the Warring 
Mountains remain the domain of what few dragons survived, and thus 
few are willing to brave this area to find out what still rests beneath the 
rubble. Though it is said that goblin warrens still provide a secret 
backdoor… 

The Flying Citadel 

A ruined castle resting upon a chunk of rock connected to two other 
larger motes of earth floats lazily through the sky in this region. None 
know its purpose or its current inhabitants (if there are any), but legends 
speak of a guild of wizards that once used it as their headquarters. 
Several steel planks jut outward from it, docking catwalks that used to 
host airships at the height of the wars between the Elder Gods’ creations. 

Flying Citadel Encounters 

While the Flying Citadel will certainly be explored in a future release, why 
wait? Here are a few options for it, or for similar flying motes of earth in 
your adventures. 

Roll 1d8 to determine the main encounter type or group, and come up 
with (or steal from other sources) a few additional encounters to expand 
it. 

1. A ​wraith p
​ rotected by a ​bronze golem​. The wraith is all that 
remains of a spellcaster, and the golem was its guardian in life, 
but remains bound so in death as well. 
2. A ​master medium l​ eads a band of 3d4 mediums, a band of 
mercenaries including 2d6 h ​ obgoblins​, and their ​giant bat 
mounts. They’ve come to the earth mote seeking magical 
 
20 
 treasure (roll or choose a magic item as the object of their 
quest). 
3. The facilities on the floating island are infested with aberrations, 
and a portal continues to spew out more periodically. The party 
must shut the portal down. Creatures might include ​giant 
vampire bats​, ​fire beetles​, c ​ himera​, ​manticores​, ​owl bears​, or 
stirges​. 
4. A mated pair of ​chimeras l​ ive on the island. 
5. Stone statues of people dot the island. Lurking in ruined 
buildings are a herd of b ​ asilisks​. 
6. A ​roc u​ ses this as its lair. 
7. A ​lich a​ nd nearly a dozen shadows scheme vengeance upon 
their living world below. 
8. A ​vampire t​ rapped in a magical circle can be found inside one of 
the buildings. She is guarded by 2 ​flame salamanders​; she’s an 
outcast from the fiendish courts, and she may be willing to help 
the party in exchange for her freedom. 

Whisperwood 
Whisperwood is a pine forest, and the unique whisper pine trees muffle 
sound. Also whisper wood burns poorly, and so locals say travel in the 
winter is very dangerous. 

The place is home to a unique form of undead spirit known as Whisper 

Wraiths. They are rare among the undead in that they are benevolent, 
often warning travelers of danger. They communicate silently, conjuring 
shadowy illusions and visions that reference local folklore. 

Effects of the Whisperwood 

Travel & Movement​. Thieves benefit from a +10% bonus on their Move 
Silently rolls within the Whisperwood. Because whisper wood burns 
poorly, travel during colder months can be dangerous as fires are very 
hard to set. Characters may suffer hit point loss at the end of each 
night’s rest from the effects of extreme cold over time. 

   

 
21 
  

Swamp Hag 
Hags are giantesses, 
horrid looking females 
as large as ogres. They 
lust for human flesh to 
eat, and often 
polymorph themselves 
into human form to hunt 
(an old lady being a 
common shape), or to 
lure their prey from 
places of safety. 
 
AC ​1 [18], ​HD 8
​ * (36hp), ​ATK 2
​ x claws (2d8), 1 x bite (1d8), ​THAC0 ​12 
[+7], M
​ V ​120' (40'), S
​ VD
​ 8 W9 P10 B10 S12 (8), ​ML 7 ​ , ​AL ​C, ​XP ​1,200, 
TT E
​  
 
➢ Call Mist​: The hag can summon a mist that covers an area 80 
feet in diameter. 
➢ Polymorph​: The hag can change its shape to appear as an old 
woman (human, elf, dwarf, or halfling). It retains all of its 
abilities in this form. 
➢ Rend​: If the hag hits with both of its claw attacks, the victim is 
held and the hag inflicts automatic damage with all three 
attacks thereafter. 
➢ Witch-Hag​: Only 25% of hags are witch-hags, but if a coven of 
three hags is formed, then one of them is automatically a 
witch-hag. Witch-hags have the following spell-like abilities, 
each of which can be used 3 times per day. 
○ Charm monster 
○ Clairvoyance 
○ Phantasmal force 
   

 
22 
 

Lich 
Liches are the undead 
remnants of wizards, 
either made undead by 
their own deliberate acts 
during life, or as the result 
of other magical forces 
(possibly including their 
own magics gone awry). 
 
This lich is based on a 12th level magic-user, and is a good indication of 
the type of spells a lich would have ready. 
 
AC ​0 [19], ​HD 1​ 2** (54hp), ​ATK 1 ​ x claw (1d10 + paralysis) or 1 x spell, 
THAC0 ​10 [+9], M ​ V1 ​ 20' (40'), S
​ V ​D6 W7 P8 B8 S10 (12), M
​ L ​9, ​AL ​C, 
XP 2​ ,700, T
​ T ​G 
 
➢ Visions of Fear​: The very sight of one of these dread creatures 
causes any being of 4 HD or below to flee in abject terror. 
➢ Paralysis​: For 3d6 turns (no saving throw). Elves and creatures 
larger than ogres are unaffected. 
 
➢ Gear​: ​ring of spell turning​, ​rod of cancellation​, spellbook 
➢ Spellbook​: Contains all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level magic-user 
spells, plus 1d6 randomly determined spells of each 
subsequent level in addition to the spells memorized, below. 
➢ Spells memorized​: 
○ Level 1​: ​charm person x​ 2​, darkness, read magic 
○ Level 2​: ​invisibility, mirror image, web, wizard lock 
○ Level 3​: ​dispel magic, fire ball, lightning bolt 
○ Level 4​: ​dimension door, hallucinatory terrain, wall of 
fire 
○ Level 5​: ​feeblemind, hold monster, teleport 
○ Level 6​: ​anti-magic shell, death spell 
   

 
23 
 

Whisper Wraith 
Whisper wraiths are shadowy 
humanoid figures with bright 
pinpoints of light for eyes, almost 
like starlights. 
 
 
 
 
 
AC ​3 [16], ​HD 4 ​ ** (18 hp), A
​ TK ​1 x touch (1d6 + paralysis), T
​ HAC0 ​16 
[+3], M
​ V ​120' (40')/240' (80') flying, ​SV D ​ 10 W11 P12 B13 S14 (4), M
​ L 
12, ​AL C
​ , ​XP 1
​ 75, ​NA 1​ d4 (1d6), T
​ T ​E 
 
➢ Undead​: Make no noise, until they attack. Immune to effects 
that affect living creatures (e.g. poison). Immune to 
mind-affecting or mind-reading spells (e.g. c ​ harm​, ​hold​, s
​ leep​). 
➢ Mundane weapon immunity​: Only harmed by silver weapons 
or magic. 
➢ Damage reduction​: Half damage from silver weapons. 
➢ Paralysis​: For 2d4 turns (save versus paralysis). After 
paralysing a target, whisper wraiths will attack others. 
➢ Magic Abilities​: Each can be used once per day. 
○ Commune 
○ Confusion 
○ Curse 
○ Phantasmal force 
○ Remove curse 
 

   

 
24 
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 
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This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the 
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25 
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If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your 
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You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text 
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26 
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reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 

Open Game License v 1.0​ © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 

System Reference Document​ © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, 
Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 

System Reference Document​ © 2000–2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan 
Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, 
Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by 
E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 

Modern System Reference Document​ © 2002–2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors 
Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, 
Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker, based on material by Jonathan 
Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John 
Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker. 

Castles & Crusades: Players Handbook​, © 2004, Troll Lord Games; Authors Davis Chenault 
and Mac Golden. 

Castles & Crusades: Monsters Product Support​, © 2005, Troll Lord Games. 

Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game​ © 2006–2008 Chris Gonnerman. 

New Spells: A Basic Fantasy Supplement​ © 2007 Chris Gonnerman, Ola Berg, Angelo 
Bertolli, Jeff Querner, Everett Bradshaw, Emiliano Marchetti, Ethan Moore, Jim Bobb, and 
Scott Abraham. 

OSRIC™ ©​ 2006, Stuart Marshall, adapting material prepared by Matthew J. Finch, based 
upon the System Reference Document, and inspired by the works of E. Gary Gygax, Dave 
Arneson, and many others. 

 
27 
Swords & Wizardry Core Rules​, © 2008, Matthew J. Finch. Eldritch Weirdness, Book One, © 
2008, Matthew J. Finch. 

Darwin’s World​ © 2002, RPGObjects; Authors Dominic Covey and Chris Davis. 

Mutant Future™​ © 2008, Daniel Proctor and Ryan Denison. Authors Daniel Proctor and Ryan 
Denison. 

Advanced Edition Companion​, © 2009–2010, Daniel Proctor. Author Daniel Proctor. 

First Level Magic-User Spells Grindhouse Edition Spell Contest: Bookspeak​, © 2011 Daniel 
Smith. 

First Level Magic-User Spells Grindhouse Edition Spell Contest: Howl of the Moon​, © 2011 
Joel Rojas. 

Cave Cricket from the Tome of Horrors​, © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors Scott 
Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original material by Gary Gygax. 

Crab, Monstrous from the Tome of Horrors​, © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author 
Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. 

Fly, Giant from the Tome of Horrors​, © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author Scott 
Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. 

Golem, Wood from the Tome of Horrors​, © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors Scott 
Greene and Patrick Lawinger. 

Kamadan from the Tome of Horrors​, © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author Scott 
Greene, based on original material by Nick Louth. 

Rot Grub from the Tome of Horrors​, © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors Scott 
Greene and Clark Peterson, based on original material by Gary Gygax. 

Labyrinth Lord™​ © 2007–2009, Daniel Proctor. Author Daniel Proctor. 

B/X Essentials: Core Rules ©

​ 2017 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

B/X Essentials: Classes and Equipment ©

​ 2017 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

B/X Essentials: Cleric and Magic-User Spells ​© 2017 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

B/X Essentials: Monsters ​© 2018 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

B/X Essentials: Adventures and Treasures ​© 2018 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

Old-School Essentials Core Rules ©

​ 2018 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Genre Rules ​© 2018 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin 
Norman. 

 
28 
Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Cleric and Magic-User Spells ​© 2018 Gavin 
Norman. Author Gavin Norman. 

Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Monsters ©

​ 2018 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin 
Norman. 

Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Treaures ©

​ 2018 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin 
Norman. 

Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy: Rules Tome ©

​ 2019 Gavin Norman. Author Gavin 
Norman. 

Monstrosities​, © 2012, Frog God Games LLC; Authors Andrew Trent (“the Venomous Pao”), 
Trent Foster, Salvatore Macri (“Skathros”), Scott Wylie Roberts (“Myrystyr”), Sean Stone 
(“Stonegiant”), Sean Wills (“Geordie Racer”), Cameron DuBeers, Matt Hoover (“Random”), 
Mike Davison, Russell Cone (“Grim”), Mudguard, Old Crawler, Michael Shorten (“Chgowiz”), 
Mark Ahmed, Scott Casper (“Scottenkainen”), The Lizard of Oz, James Malizsewski, 
Michael Kotschi, J.D. Jarvis, John Turcotte, Guy Fullerton, Michael Coté, Thomas Clark, 
Tanner Adams, and Matt Finch (“Mythmere”). 

Tales from Dalentown: Trueland Gazetteer for 1st Edition and BX​. © 2020, Tim Bannock; 
Authors Matthew Bannock and Tim Bannock. 

DD-01 The Darkness Beneath Dalentown for 1st Edition and BX​. © 2019, Tim Bannock; 
Authors Matthew Bannock and Tim Bannock. 

Adventures in Dalentown for 1st Edition and BX​. © 2020, Tim Bannock; Authors Matthew 
Bannock and Tim Bannock. 

DD-02 The Darkness Beneath Brightwell Manor for 1st Edition and BX​. © 2020, Tim 
Bannock; Authors Matthew Bannock and Tim Bannock. 

Folk of Dalentown Volume 1 for 1st Edition and BX​. © 2020, Tim Bannock; Authors 
Matthew Bannock and Tim Bannock. 

END OF LICENSE 

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY 

The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game 
License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered 
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DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT 

The Open content in this book includes the monster names (with the exception of proper 
names for Nonplayer Characters), monster descriptions, monster statistics, and monster 
abilities. No other portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission. 

 
29 
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Adventures in Dalentown

Folk of Dalentown Volume 1