Upper Galleries

Overview


The @Upper Galleries form the highest and most accessible layer of @Gloomdeep . Once the civic and cultural heart of the goblin metropolis, these vast halls held markets, forums, archives, and temples carved with geometric precision. When the Corpse Plague erupted, fire and collapse consumed much of this level. Today, it serves as the forward bastion for the @The Ashen Vigil efforts, anchored by the fortress of @Emberhold.

History

  • Civic Splendor: The galleries were designed to mimic sunlight through radiant veins of sunstone, illuminating plazas and courts where goblin merchants and artisans thrived.

  • The Fall: When @The Vaults below ruptured, the plague spread upward through the lower roads and aqueducts. Entire districts burned as goblins tried to seal themselves away from the dead.

  • The Vigil’s Claim: Centuries later, the Ashen Vigil established @Emberhold here, transforming the ruins into a defensive perimeter against the encroaching horrors.

Description


The upper level consists of partially collapsed markets, shrines, and civic chambers. Cracked sunstone veins still emit a pale glow across the blackened stone, giving the ruins a ghostly light. The air carries the residue of burned oil and ash. The outer galleries lead downward into @The Pillar Warrens through collapsed stairways and guarded tunnels.

Dangers (Ordered by CR)

  • CR 2 – @Feral Goblin : Countless plague-twisted goblins roam the ruined markets.

  • CR 2 – @Corrupted Zealot : Vigil soldiers fallen and reanimated by plague.

  • CR 3 – @Whispering Shade : Faint spiritual echoes within the broken halls.

  • CR 4 – @Bloated Gobin Corpse : Corpse husks swollen with volatile plague fluid.

  • CR 5 – @Feral Human : Infected explorers lost to the necropolis.

  • CR 6 – @Corpse Garden : Piles of fused dead that drag themselves through ash.

  • CR 8 – @Plague Drake : Medium-sized plague drakes nesting in collapsed plazas.

    Points of Interest

  • @Emberhold – The Vigil’s bastion and pyre stronghold.

  • @Sunstone Forum – Central civic plaza, now fractured and buried in ash.

  • @Ashen Market – Former jewelers’ district, burned and used as pyre ground.

  • @The Silent Archive – Destroyed record hall preserving fragments of goblin history.

  • @Sunken Sanctum – Temple dedicated to the sun, now breached and silent.

  • @The Ash Pit – Collapsed market-turned mass grave.

  • @The Fractured Mirrors – Chamber lined with cracked sunstone reflecting trapped souls.

Faction Presence

  • @The Ashen Vigil : Controls @Emberhold and maintains the Watchfires, burning revenants on sight.

  • @The Mage Guild : Operates covert agents who study recovered relics from sealed shrines

  • @Order of the Last Light : Monitors Vigil activities from surface outposts but refuses to enter.