Silverrun Mines
Setting
The Silverrun Mines are one of the leading suppliers of silver for Ustrana. Populating the town of Silverrun are miners, their families, and steady streams of travellers. The buildings are in good repair, and there is almost constant traffic throughout the town. There is something for everyone in this prosperous town.
Entering the town, you can’t help but get caught up in the buzz of life. The main road runs past an imposing building that could be mistaken for a manor house, surrounded by small farms, a mill, and a bakery. All the signs mark it out to be Walker’s Tavern. The grass is lush, and wildflowers bloom around the well-kept buildings. A statue of Ralindir greets travellers and watches over the mining town.
Story, Hooks, and Stakes
With the kingdom dependent on the silver from the mines in Silverrun, any disruption to the mining operation can affect markets not just in Ustrana but across the continent. This new mine had a promising start, but getting deeper into the tunnels woke something up in the mountain. It started with giant spiders nesting in dark corners, and now something bigger seems to be down there. Adventurers from guilds around the area have been tasked with clearing out the tunnels. Your players’ party has travelled together for a short while, but still knows very little about each other. This quest was posted in the adventurer’s guild in the previous town, and their characters are likely motivated by the desire to right the wrong or profit financially. The listing assures the party of the dire nature of the problem, as there have been reports of at least two missing children. That development has caused the reward to be increased to 200gp per adventurer responsible for making the mines and town safe again.
Getting Access
Gaining access to the mine is the first step to solving the problem. While the town is suffering through the closure, the foreman Bob Reinclad is reluctant to allow the party into the mines. He is unwilling to fork over the reward and insists that the miners have it in hand. Passing a persuasion or intimidation check with a difficulty of 17, the party will convince Bob to allow the party to have access. They may also choose to haggle with the foreman to accept reduced wages at the GM’s discretion.
The Guide
If the party cannot gain access to the mines from the foreman, one of the manor staff will approach the group and direct them to The Powder Monkey and find a willing group of miners to take them down. If they gain access, the foreman will direct them to Torel Isendel to be their guide.
In The Powder Monkey, they can socialize and find a willing party to go down with them. Few are eager to go back down into the mines, but one man drinking at the bar lost his child to whatever is down there.
Torel Isendel
Torel Isendel is a stout human man of medium build, standing at the bar in The Powder Monkey; if not approached, he will speak up and volunteer to go with the party and guide them at least through the entrance. He will admit that spiders overwhelmed him before he could make it very far when he went to look for his child immediately after the abduction.
The Abductions
Should the party choose to look at the abduction sites with an investigation, perception, or tracking, they will find with a d20 roll: no signs of abduction on a critical failure; 2-10 signs of spiders; 11-16 signs of something unidentifiable other than spiders; 17+ shoe prints showing an unknown humanoid working alongside the spiders.
Deeper Down the Hunt Begins
The party may take Torel with them, he will have stats of a level 1 fighter, and basic gear up to the GM’s discretion. They will need to succeed a persuasion with a d20 roll of 16+ to do this. Upon entering the mines, 1-4 giant spiders of low difficulty attack the party. As they make their way through the mines, they encounter larger mobs of spiders. The narrow hallways create opportunities to stealth or to be surprised by combat. At the bottom level (or the last area the party goes to in the lower sections of the mine) is another batch of giant spiders and an Achlys Spider demon, or challenging devil creature of the GM's choice.
Achlys Spider Demon
The Achlys Spider has a female body with bat wings and spider fangs that protrude from her mouth. Her figure is grotesque, and upon seeing it for the first time, party members will roll a d20 to determine if they are affected by fear.
She has an expression that is twisted with agony, and her head can rotate clockwise at will. Achlys uses her wings to attack and fly into the air and can split venom from the fangs in her mouth. She is taller than most humanoids with her slender, curvy body. She feeds on the emotion of fear and despair and becomes empowered by it if she feeds enough. This empowerment allows her to take on the form of a spider, shredding her wings and growing four long spider legs protruding from her back two of these legs keep her floating up slightly off the ground. The other two legs are equipped with a sharp talon.
Stats and Modifiers
Hit Points: 300 Armor Class: 18 (natural armor) Movement: 30feet, 60feet flyingWeaknesses
Attacks of this type deal twice the damage
Fire
Bludgeoning
Environmental Features that cause disadvantage to challenge and saving rolls for Achlys:
Light
Sunlight
Abilities - Attacks - Spells
Wing Strike - Multi Attack - Melee - Str. +4
Action Cost: Action
Range: Melee, 5feet
Damage Type: Bludgeoning
Dice Mechanics: 2d6 per strike
Discription:
Achlys will attack up to two times with her wings. She may target up to two oponents with this attack. If Fear Syphon has allowed her wings to turn into spider legs then this attack is no longer available, but it opens up the option of Talon Strike.
Talon Strike - Multi Attack - Melee - Str. +4
Action Cost: Action
Range: Melee, 5feet
Damage Type: Piercing
Dice Mechanics: 2d8 per strike
Description:
After a successful use of Fear Syphon, Achlys will gain the ability to use two legs that protrude from the top of her shoulders to attack with a fierce piercing blow.
Bite Attack - Melee - Dex. +2
Action Cost: Action
Range: Melee, 5feet
Damage Type: Piercing, Poison (Constitution Challenge: 13 or higher on a d20)
Dice Mechanics: 1d8 Piercing + 6 Poison (3 Poison on a success to resist the poison)
Discription:
Achlys bites down on an oponent with her large fangs. Poison is pumped into the taget causing additional damage. Failing the constitution challenge will cause the target to take an additional 3 poison damage at the start of their next 3 turns. Saving the constitution challenge will prevent the additional rounds of damage.
Fear Syphon - Ability
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range:100 feet
Dice Mechanics: Constitution Challenge: 16 or higher on a d20 roll
Description:
Achlys lets out a piercing scream and targets one creature within range to intimidate. She reaches into the mind of her target and syphons the fear from them and while causing no damage it allows her to change to her spider form. This allows her to use the powerful Talon Strike attack.
Acid Spray - Ability
Action Cost: Bonus Action
Range: Ranged, 10foot cone
Damage Type: Poison (Constitution Challenge: 13 or higher on a d20)
Dice Mechanics: 2d4 (half damage on a successful challenge)
Description:
Stretching her fangs forward, Achlys releases a cone of poison spray at her targets.
Outcome
When the party kills the devil creature, a small opening will appear. Looking around in it, they will discover a summoning circle that is no longer active and the children, still alive, along with the bones of miners that had gone missing. Higher perception or investigation rolls may yield incriminating evidence of Bob’s involvement in the summoning.
When the party returns to the adventurers’ guild for their reward and reports their findings, the guild representative informs them that Bob has fled town, but they receive their reward without issue. Rescuing the children will cause a bonus of 50gp per party member paid out by grateful residents.
This adventure is designed to be compatible with 5E mechanics, and flexibility for a GM to adjust based on their party's level.
Table of Contents
Amenities
Walker's Tavern is the largest structure in town. It has an inn on the second floor, and the adventurer’s guild has a desk and quest board on the main floor. Horses and carts are also welcome to stay in the stables. Bea’s Brew & Bread provides the ale and bread for the taverns, and a pair of small farms provide the food for Walker’s.
The Powder Monkey Tavern is known for its explosive brawls as the local miner population blows off steam at the taps. It is near the miner’s homes and dormitory, and passersby can often see an angry partner dragging a drunk miner back home. Adventurers are not always welcome, but plying miners with drinks is an excellent way to make friends.
Tanner's Tonics is a shop of alchemical pleasures. Tanner has a wide selection of, sometimes questionable, potions concocted from plants grown around the shop and mushrooms from the mine entrance. Buyer beware.
The market has stalls with a wide variety of goods provided by merchants that travel through the area. Locals don’t frequent the market, but there is never a shortage of people buying and selling because of the main road access.
The Lumber Yard provides everything from firewood to tunnel supports. The employees here are intimately acquainted with their local patch of the Childing Forest and could be handy guides.
Spare Names
Keeping names on hand can be a useful tool for a GM. Here is a list of some male, female, and neutral names to use in this adventure:
Male
- Aron Rev
- Milton Pickerton
- Freth Bouldermight
- Caulder Millwright
- Brem Nargov
Female
- Leah Isran
- Aneta Faulbreth
- Frieda Miller
- Nadia Mistera
- Jerica Nihm
Neutral
- Kyreth Linstrad
- Rennyn Taber
- Rue Flerith
- Calarel Torkin
- Elion Prisnar
A solid adventure
PANGORIO
andHYPNOSIUM