Salkan Soiree Ep18: Faffing About

Run Date: December 6, 2023

PCs
Lucy: Lv1 Thief
Helvezia: Lv1 Paladin

Hench
Matt Lv0 Dunestrider

Faffing About

A couple of players and a real slow start. Tossed some dice, set up a scenario, and went to it. After deciding they didn't want to trek back to the Crystal Sanctum, and declining the other old hooks floating around; Lucy and Helvezia hung out in Sherbin and drank. Over several days, they learned about Sherbin's most hated drunk's manic exploits, and various commentary on how he should just be left to hang out in the savanna. 

As fate would have it, said drunk found his way into the PCs card game. After gaping silence and utter confusion, the pair managed to get a conversation going and quickly discovered the man used to be part of a mining crew. After some catastrophic event (ie: I don't remember), the mine had been abandoned, as was Mr Exploit. The pair bought the location for a drink after finding out it was an old silver mine. Then they packed up and set out.

The mine was close; up the road, cross the river, navigate the mountains a bit. As the group hit the old bridge, they spotted a small pond created by collapse and erosion. It was lush with violet flowers. They weighed for a moment as to whether it would be worth the gamble. Might be valuable, might kill you on contact. They pressed on. As late afternoon set in the group spotted the edges of a shield emblem and followed it into a tunnel into the mountain. Within was a carved home; complete with shelves, well, and stone beds. A safe haven marked by the Concern, as evidenced by a hidden bag of silver nuggets. The pair chose to stay the night and hit the mine in the morning.

The following day, they hiked up the rest of the path and found the old mining camp. They didn't spot anything guarding it, nor any inhabitants, so promptly headed toward the mine's entrance. Just before they began to enter, however, they spotted a light and heard voice. A quick back and forth, and they chose to stay where they were. Helvezia took the lead and hailed the coming creatures.

As luck would have it, it was a group of adventurers returning from their own explorations. They all carried sacks that appeared well-laden, and the party could tell by the sound that it must have been more silver ore. The two parties conversed and ate lunch together, and Helvezia managed to ask their leader, George, to assist in their own. The Leader of the Chewpacabras is always ready to help who he can!

With that, the party descended into the mine. George explained, as he was ever helpful, the areas his group had explored and what they'd found. He noted the ants they slew and pointed out the silver veins in the rock, an old sitting chamber, and a strange stone blocking a tunnel entrance. The party followed a couple exploratory tunnels before returning to the blocked one and listening. They could hear faint ticking, metal on stone.

Helvezia and George slid the rock over enough to get a peak and nearly got picked by the skeletal miner beyond. What followed was potshot after potshot using the small space they'd created. George dropped a military oil just through it and ignited the lot. Soon after, another wave came and broke down the stone blocking their way. The party made quick work of them.

With the obstacle gone, the group entered a chamber and found hunks of silver ore lying about. They promptly started packing their sacks and pressed further in. A few more turns, another exploratory tunnel or two, and another blocked tunnel. The same procedure was executed, and this time the group spotted deep orange orbs glowing against the back wall. They hadn't appeared to notice the party yet.

Nothing ventured, the group moved the stone and walked into the room to examine the orbs. They quickly found that they were giant luminous beetles, and that some of them were feeding on the silver ore itself. Helvezia tossed some bits of food their way. A few came down to check it, and immediately roared with light and charged the party. The first round was enough for the party to realize they were in a losing battle. They mounted a retreat after taking heavy blows, rushed through the door, and shoved the stone back into place. After that, George noted he was hitting his limit and needed to head back. The rest agreed and they returned topside.

After a short breather, the two parties went their separate ways. Helvezia, Lucy, and Matt returned to Sherbin to convert their ore into liquid and settled in for a few drinks.

Rewards (Totals)

100 XP
36 GP

Afterword

We had a rough start with a lot of floundering. I don't keep a lot of hooks on hand and encourage the players to take the initiative themselves. The question is what happens when nobody has initiative? Once we got by the initial frustrations, things went well enough. I have a new point of interest (as I usually end up with after most sessions) and more pieces to fit into the greater whole. The blank slate has some marks, and will continue to gain many more.