General Summary
Continuing our adventure in the
Salmonsen Mine, we pick up the action as a living creature of mud, earth & stone has just fallen from the ceiling of an alcove in the mine, tensions are high as the threat is overwhelming.
"The-Take"
Totals
Druld (4 XP)
Horjak (4 XP)
Osgar Cazyach (4 XP)
Total Treasure Sold
None
Items Found
Guardian Stone (Primordial "Rolling Stone" final gift given to Osgar Cazyach)
Items Awarded
1,000gp in a huge sack as payment from Andre Salmonsen.
Red glass lantern. (by Andre Salmonsen)
Continuing Moment of Tension in the Salmonsen Mine
Roll for initiative!
Osgar Cazyach takes the first action, casting a protective shield on himself and waiting cautiously.
Druld approaches the Man of Mud and Stone, placing himself in peril but opting to communicate in Primordial, seeking a peaceful resolution.
A reaction roll turns the tide: FRIENDLY is the outcome.
Despite potential disruption from Andre Salmonsen's thug, present to monitor the delve, his initial indignance subsides, recognizing the elemental's formidable presence.
Horjak adopts a pacifist stance, showing no threat to the elemental.
Fortunate diplomacy and delicate negotiations avert combat. Druld and Horjak engage with the elemental, while Osgar scouts the rear of the alcove.
The alcove is revealed as an access point to the earth's veins, a pathway deep into its depths.
Druld's reverence and desire to communicate with the earth manifest a new spell: Speak With Stone. Kneeling, hands pressed to the stone, he connects with a collective spirit and learns the name of Rolling Stone and the entity they protect known as "Substratalus", a central focus of power deep beneath the mines.
Druld's vision of the collective.
With new knowledge, the group faces a conundrum: how to honor their deal with Andre Salmonsen while managing the potent forces they've uncovered.
The peaceful elementals are resolute in protecting their collective, guarding something of immense power, potentially the very artifact Andre has sought for years.
Tensions escalate as the party coerces Garson, Andre's thug, using Horjak's summoning of the Willowman to extract details about the sought artifact, deciding it must remain hidden.
A ritual to seal the new area begins with the aid of the elemental, tragically consuming "Rolling Stone" and requiring magical sacrifices from the party.
Successful in sealing the exit, the group secures the mine against further intrusion but remains vigilant.
A Sealed Sacrifice.
As the group begins their retreat, the dangers lurking beneath the rickety ladder "bridge" over the sloped chimney leading to the dark waters below become evident. Tentacles, hunting for the warmth of their bodies, start to emerge.
In a moment of brilliance, Osgar Cazyach uses an orange nutritious substance, harvested from the depths of The Crypt of Whispering Sorcerers, to distract the tentacles.
This diversion grants them precious moments, but crossing the gap remains perilous with the tentacles continuing their search for flesh.
Desperation sparks further ingenious actions; a shield is thrown to block a poison-taloned tentacle, and two damaging spells are cast, buying just enough time for the group to reach the central shaft.
Finally safe, the mine elevator carries the group to the surface, securing their escape from the dark and dangerous depths below.
Surface exit at the newest mine expansion.
After leaving the dangers and revelations of the mines behind, the group faces a new challenge: navigating the mine owner, Andre Salmonsen.
The first order of business is ensuring that Garson, the mine thug, has been sufficiently "convinced" to keep quiet about the deeper truths of their adventure.
They need Garson to present their crafted narrative to Andre Salmonsen; his endorsement is crucial for their plan to be plausible.
To buy time and ensure Garson is cooperative, they spend a few hours at The Rabid Wolf, keeping him well lubricated and more amenable to persuasion.
Garson; the Mine Thug.
When the moment feels right, the party approaches the mine office to convince the operator of their carefully constructed story:
They encountered creatures threatening the mine's safety—truth involving Earth Elementals.
They communicated with the elementals using Primordial—truth.
Garson helped confirm the elementals' knowledge of a significant magical artifact—partial truth.
To ensure an exchange of information and the location of this "magical circlet," the elementals negotiated peace and the permanent sealing of the passage—partial truth.
Following the ritual to close the passage, the Elemental "Rolling Stone" supposedly revealed the location of the sought-after item—lie.
They informed Andre that this location is near Westkeep (Subhex 07),—lie.
Tessellation Hex; Mine office is at 12, session location 1, Rabid Wolf 10.
See HEX - 0415 for details.
Garson, fully backing the party's story under the influence of his fears, confirms these details as truthful.
Satisfied with the outcome and perhaps overly trusting, the mine operator compensates the party generously, hoping to secure their services in the future.
Andre's primary concern now is the supposed proximity of the magical site to Westkeep and Endra the Watcher. He plans to address this issue later, currently preoccupied with minor worker complaints about low pay.
Carousing Results
The Party is Over...
{Game Time: Yne 26, 47 20:10}
Carousing Results
D8 Result: 4
Bonus: 3
Total: 7
Table: Marketplace Madness
Outcome: You acquire a rare, exotic pet being sold by a traveling merchant. Gain 4 XP and a unique pet companion.
Caracal Cat from the Southern Sands
The Party is Over...
{Game Time: Yne 26, 47 20:14}
Carousing Results
D8 Result: 3
Bonus: 3
Total: 6
Table: Brawl At The Inn
Outcome: You knock out a prominent local bruiser, who now wants revenge. Gain 4 XP but gain a persistent enemy.
A run-in with Kullen a bruiser and pit fighter at The Rabid Wolf.
The Party is Over...
{Game Time: Yne 26, 47 20:17}
Carousing Results
D8 Result: 2
Bonus: 3
Total: 7
Table: Bane Table Generic
Outcome: You wake up with a mysterious brand on your arm and can't remember how it got there. Gain 3 XP but are marked with a mysterious symbol.
An obsidian runic keystone fused itself into Druld's palm during a drunken stupor. It used to be a piece of bone from an earth elemental named Rolling Stone, who was part of an earth elemental collective whose Nexus of Consciousness is referred to as Substratalus. The keystone was bestowed to Druld as a token of alliance.
He can see invisible and "incorporeal" elemental spirits of the earth and stone.
He knows casts tier 2 spell Speak with Stone through this runic power.
He has a disadvantage on one-handed Dexterity checks with this hand.
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