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.  

Care package

  After a restful night, our party prepares to make the trek north to Macreadus's cabin to deliver supplies. Speaker Masthew has verified that the mine is safe (except for one giant rat, which his men disposed of) and pays the party for their services. He advises staying out of Lonelywood as there are "creatures" in there, so skirting the edges of the forest will be the safer route north. Baradin stables Buddy the Mule in Termalaine, not wishing to subject Buddy to the arduous cross-country trek.   It is a day of travel, but an uneventful one, and it is getting on for evening when our party arrives at The Black Cabin. It is immediately apparent that the cabin is in a state of disrepair and hasn't been occupied for some time. There is damage to the roof, and snow piles up around the outhouse.   Treading carefully, our heroes navigate the exterior walkway. Looking first into an abandoned workshop, where Tatters gets excited about a family of squirrels living in a bookcase. Sadly, the squirrels are less enamoured with Tatters and quickly run off.

Character(s) interacted with

Campaign
Rime of the Frostmaiden
Protagonists
Shest
Player Journals
Winter's End? by Shest
Unusual Kobolds by Shest
Report Date
11 Nov 2022
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters


Cover image: Termalaine Mine by Midjourney AI