Nice cover, layout, and design. Very Shadowdark.
All the artwork is good, too. Love the tiny splashes of red in the otherwise b&w look.
“These first level chumps” is pure gold phrasing xD and will become a part of my table vernacular. It’s also a neat idea that I don’t see often, you know, explaining why these nobodies are the ones undertaking this kind of challenge. I’ve seen it in DCC, but not so much elsewhere.
And I love the use of the encounter levels for areas as given in Shadowdark. I tried to do that, too, but I think you did it better. Well done.