Beneath the impossible Spire that pierces the heavens, the city of Ptolus sprawls in all its chaotic glory. Every district holds a different adventure — from the noble estates of the Nobles' Quarter to the monster-infested Undercity below the streets. Guilds, cults, criminal organizations, and ancient mysteries compete for influence in a city where delving into the dungeons below is an industry and magic items can be bought at corner shops. Welcome to the City by the Spire — there is always another door to open.
Story Arcs
Welcome to the City
The party arrives in Ptolus and establishes themselves as delvers — professional dungeon explorers. They take their first jobs, navigate the city's complex politics, and discover that the dungeons beneath Ptolus hide more than treasure.
The Deep Conspiracy
A cult operating beneath the city seeks to harness an ancient power buried under the Spire. The party must investigate the cult's activities, explore deeper dungeon levels, and uncover a conspiracy that reaches into the city's most powerful institutions.
Shadows of the Spire
The Spire itself holds secrets that could reshape reality. The cult's plan threatens not just Ptolus but the nature of magic itself. The party must race to stop them in the deepest, most dangerous levels beneath the city.
Session Outlines
These outlines are for planning reference only. Actual sessions are not created by the template.
The City by the Spire
The party arrives in Ptolus and is immediately overwhelmed by the city's scale and energy. They register as an official delving company (required by law), find lodging in Midtown, and take their first job from the Delver's Guild notice board: clear out a ghoul infestation in a recently opened dungeon entrance in the Undercity Market.
The Undercity Market
The party descends to the Undercity Market — a bustling underground bazaar built in ancient ruins where delvers sell their finds. The ghoul infestation is worse than reported, and deeper exploration reveals a recently breached wall leading to an unknown level. Strange symbols are carved into the walls.
Guilds and Grudges
Returning to the surface, the party navigates Ptolus's complex social landscape. The Delver's Guild offers better jobs for successful companies. A crime lord offers protection (for a price). The Inverted Pyramid — a secret society of mages — takes notice of the symbols the party found. Multiple quest hooks emerge.
The Noble's Problem
A noble hires the party to investigate disappearances from their household. The trail leads to a cult operating in the sewers beneath the Nobles' Quarter. The cult worships something they call "the Galchutt" — ancient entities imprisoned beneath the Spire. This is the first thread of the main conspiracy.
The Cult Revealed
Investigation of the cult reveals a network of cells throughout the city. They have infiltrated guilds, noble houses, and even the city government. Their goal: awaken the Galchutt, primordial entities of chaos and destruction sealed beneath the Spire millennia ago. The symbols from the dungeon are their ritual marks.
The Banewarrens
The cult is trying to open the Banewarrens — a sealed vault beneath the Spire containing the most dangerous artifacts ever created. The party must reach the Banewarrens first and secure them. The dungeon is multi-level, trap-laden, and guarded by ancient constructs that attack anyone without authorization.
Power Plays
Multiple factions move against the cult — and against each other. The Inverted Pyramid wants to study the Banewarrens' contents. The Commissar wants them destroyed. The Holy Order of Lothian wants them sealed forever. The party must navigate these competing interests while preventing the cult from achieving their goal.
The Undercity Wars
The cult activates sleeper agents throughout the Undercity. Monsters are released from sealed dungeon levels, and chaos erupts underground. The party fights through the turmoil, discovering that the cult's attacks are diversions — the real operation is happening deeper, near the Spire's roots.
Allies and Enemies
The party must assemble allies for the final push. The Delver's Guild provides experienced fighters. The Inverted Pyramid offers magical support. The Holy Order brings divine protection. But each ally has conditions, and the cult has agents among all of them. Trust is a luxury.
The Deep Levels
The party descends to the deepest dungeon levels — ancient constructions that predate the city by millennia. The architecture is alien, the creatures are unlike anything on the surface, and the cult's ritual chamber lies at the bottom. Each level is harder than the last.
The Galchutt's Prison
The party reaches the chamber where the Galchutt are imprisoned. The cult's ritual is underway — reality warps, the walls bleed, and the entities within their prison stir. The party must stop the ritual while fighting the cult's most powerful members.
Sealing the Dark
The final confrontation. The cult leader channels the Galchutt's power, becoming a monstrous avatar. The party must defeat them and reseal the prison before the entities fully awaken. Victory secures Ptolus — for now. The Spire stands, the city endures, and beneath it all, the Galchutt continue to dream.
NPCs
Sheva Callister
Human · Delver's Guild Guildmaster
The tough, no-nonsense woman who runs the Delver's Guild. She assigns jobs, mediates disputes between delving companies, and maintains the register of all official delvers. Her knowledge of the dungeon levels is encyclopedic, and she has contacts in every faction. She takes a personal interest in promising new companies.
Mand Scheben
Human · City Commissar
The Commissar of Ptolus — the city's highest law enforcement official. A stern, principled man who struggles to maintain order in a city where dungeon delving is a major industry and monsters literally live underground. He distrusts the Inverted Pyramid and suspects corruption everywhere — usually correctly.
Jevicca Nor
Human · Inverted Pyramid Mage
A senior member of the Inverted Pyramid secret mage society. Elegant and brilliant, she serves as the society's liaison to trusted outsiders. She wants to study the Banewarrens' contents rather than destroy them, putting her at odds with the Holy Order. She provides magical support and arcane knowledge.
Brother Fabitor
Human · Priest of the Holy Order
A senior priest of Lothian who is charged with monitoring supernatural threats beneath the city. Devout and slightly paranoid, he senses the growing evil beneath the Spire before anyone else. He provides divine support and historical knowledge about the Galchutt.
Linech Cran
Human · Crime Lord
A powerful crime lord who controls much of the illegal trade in dungeon artifacts. He offers the party protection and information in exchange for a cut of their finds. Charming on the surface, ruthless beneath. He has unknowingly been doing business with cult agents.
Wuntad
Half-Orc · Veteran Delver
An experienced delver who has survived more deep-level runs than anyone in the guild. Scarred and missing two fingers, he serves as a mentor to new companies. His knowledge of dungeon ecology and trap design has saved countless lives. He has seen things in the deep levels that he refuses to describe.
The Architect
Unknown · Cult Leader
The mysterious leader of the Galchutt cult. They have infiltrated multiple organizations and command cells throughout the city. Their true identity is a prominent citizen whose revelation shocks the party. They genuinely believe awakening the Galchutt will transform the world into something better — a belief that makes them all the more dangerous.
Locations
Ptolus — The City
A massive city built at the base of a miles-high stone spire that pierces the clouds. The city is divided into distinct districts, each with its own character. Above ground: Nobles' Quarter, Oldtown, Midtown, the Docks, and the Warrens. Below ground: the Undercity, and beneath that, dungeon levels descending into antiquity.
The Undercity
The first underground level — a vast network of sewers, cellars, ancient ruins, and monster lairs directly beneath the city. Semi-mapped and regularly patrolled near the Market, but increasingly dangerous further from civilization. New passages are discovered constantly.
The Banewarrens
A legendary sealed vault beneath the Spire containing artifacts too dangerous to destroy. The seals are millennia old and were placed by the gods themselves. The interior is a multi-level complex of vaults, each containing a different category of banned items. Constructs guard every junction.
The Deep Levels
The lowest dungeon levels, hundreds of feet below the city. Architecture from civilizations that predate recorded history. The air is different here — warmer, charged with strange energy. Creatures unlike anything on the surface have evolved in isolation for millennia. Few delvers have reached these levels and returned sane.
The Nobles' Quarter
The wealthiest district of Ptolus, home to noble families, diplomatic residences, and the most exclusive establishments. Grand houses with private grounds, magical security systems, and servant staffs. Beneath the elegant surface, political intrigue and secret alliances shape the city's destiny.
The Spire Base
The massive base of the Spire where it meets the ground. The stone is unlike anything else in the world — smooth, impossibly hard, and faintly warm. No one has ever damaged it. Tunnels and chambers have been carved into the surrounding rock, but the Spire itself resists all alteration. The Galchutt's prison lies deep beneath.
Quests
Register Your Company
Become an official delving company with the Delver's Guild. This requires completing a qualifying delve, paying registration fees, and choosing a company name. Registration provides access to guild jobs, insurance, and legal protection.
Investigate the Disappearances
A noble's household members are vanishing. The trail leads underground to cult activity. Discover the cult's identity, their goals, and how deep their influence in the city runs.
Secure the Banewarrens
The sealed vault of forbidden artifacts has been breached. Enter the Banewarrens, assess the damage, and ensure the most dangerous items remain secure. Multiple factions want access — manage them while keeping the worst weapons out of anyone's hands.
Navigate City Politics
Ptolus's factions all want something from a successful delving company. Balance the demands of the Commissar, the Inverted Pyramid, the Holy Order, and the criminal underworld without making too many enemies.
Stop the Awakening
The cult plans to awaken the Galchutt — primordial entities of chaos imprisoned beneath the Spire. Descend to the deepest levels, stop the ritual, and seal the prison before the entities break free and unmake the city.
Encounters
Ghoul Infestation
The party's first delve — clearing ghouls from a recently breached dungeon section. The ghouls are numerous but disorganized, fighting in the cramped tunnels of the Undercity.
Sewer Cult Ambush
Cult agents attack the party in the sewers beneath the Nobles' Quarter. They fight with fanatical devotion and dark magic, preferring to die rather than be captured.
Banewarrens Constructs
Ancient constructs activate when the party enters the Banewarrens. They are powerful but follow predictable patrol patterns that can be exploited.
Deep Level Aberrations
Creatures from the deep levels attack as the party descends. These are alien beings that have evolved in isolation — they communicate psychically and fight with disturbing coordination.
The Architect's Avatar
The cult leader channels Galchutt power to become a monstrous avatar of chaos. Reality warps around them, and their attacks carry the madness of the imprisoned entities.
Factions
The Delver's Guild
True Neutral
The professional organization for dungeon explorers. They register companies, assign jobs, provide insurance, and maintain what maps exist of the dungeon levels. Membership is required by law for anyone entering the Undercity professionally. They are politically neutral and focused on safety and profit.
The Inverted Pyramid
True Neutral
A secret society of mages that wields enormous behind-the-scenes influence in Ptolus. They seek to preserve and study magical knowledge, including dangerous artifacts. Their motives are scholarly rather than malicious, but their secrecy and power make others suspicious.
The Holy Order of Lothian
Lawful Good
The dominant religious organization in Ptolus, dedicated to the god Lothian. They monitor supernatural threats, maintain wards against evil, and provide divine services. Their priests are effective monster hunters, and their archives contain crucial historical records about the Galchutt.
The Cult of the Galchutt
Chaotic Evil
A secret cult that worships the primordial entities imprisoned beneath the Spire. They have infiltrated every level of society and work toward the Galchutt's awakening. Their members include nobles, merchants, and even some delvers. Their leader, the Architect, coordinates cells throughout the city.
Recommended Characters
Pre-built characters designed for this campaign setting. Create them separately from the character templates page.
Sergeant Maren Holt
Human · Fighter · Level 4
A veteran of the Ptolus City Watch who knows every district, every gang, and every shortcut in the city built at the base of the impossibly tall Spire. Maren fights crime on the streets above while something ancient and malevolent stirs in the dungeons below.
Tinkwell Cogspark
Gnome · Wizard · Level 4
A gnome abjurer and proud member of the Delver's Guild who specializes in protective magic for dungeon expeditions. Tinkwell has mapped more of the vast dungeon complex beneath Ptolus than any living scholar, and her wards have saved countless delving parties from magical traps.
Use This Template
Create a new campaign pre-populated with all the arcs, NPCs, locations, quests, encounters, and factions from this template.