Session 2: Mine Games
General Summary
We continue our adventure, exploring the mine at Termalaine... Having defeated an ambush by two kobolds, our heroes continue to follow the spiralling passageway down deeper into the mine. The passage ends in another rickety platform across the central shaft. There is a makeshift rope and pully basket arrangement to get to the other side. Before crossing the chasm, the party decides to make sure that this side is secure. Shest, once again scouting ahead, spies a group of kobolds - one of which appears to have wings. He signals the others, and they prepare to strike. Shest fires a bolt from his crossbow, hitting the leader. (Who's wings appear, on closer inspection, to be made of fabric and wood). He cries in pain but surprisingly does not attack back. Instead, he asks to speak and urges his companions to lower their weapons. The leader introduces himself as Trex and says that they never meant to scare the miners; it was all a misunderstanding. All they seek is a safe place to stay, and they are prepared to earn their keep by working in the mines alongside the regular miners. It seems the clan was attacked by a yeti on the slopes of Kelvin's Cairn, and they have been trying to survive in the wilderness ever since. The mine was the first dry place they came across out of the wind and cold. Trex is unusually eloquent for a kobold. After some discussion, he agrees to accompany the party back to town and plead his case before the Speaker. He and his companions lay down their arms and agree to wait while Shest explores the far side of the chasm. Crossing the shaft without incident, Shest discovers two chambers. The first is a working tourmaline seam, abandoned when the kobolds invaded. The second has an unusual skull embedded in the wall, half excavated. Shest tries carefully to pry it loose, but it shatters, revealing an unusual purple gem. The party escort Trex and his group out of the mine, pausing only to recall two more of Trex's clan who were intent on sabotaging one of the platforms across the central shaft and who the party had missed on their way down. The party makes their way back to town with Trex's clan in tow. Stopping outside of town so as not to alarm the residents of Termalaine. Speaker Masthew is sent for and returns to meet with the kobolds. Skeptical at first, Oarus is keen to think the best of people and agrees to allow the kobolds to stay and work in the mines as they offered to do. He thanks the party for their assistance, dispatches some militia to verify that the mine is indeed free of dangers, and promises to have their payment ready the following day once he has received confirmation that all is well. He hastens off to make arrangements for the kobolds. Shest has also spent some time with the strange purple crystal and has experienced a psychic call from somewhere far to the south.
