The party travels to the Starridge mountain range in the south, seeking the valley in Yldris' vision. It turns out to be a tiny mining hamlet! The place seems abandoned at first, without a soul in sight, and all doors and windows shuttered. As they make their way carefully down the only street, they are startled by a sudden bang! as a shutter flies open. "Beware the Old Kin!" a crone calls out. "Ye'd best come in before ye become lizard food!"
A warm tea and short chat later, the party learns that a raiding patrol of Old Kin has taken up residence in the mines adjacent to the town, which is called Saltshell. The mayor of the town hired a small group of adventurers to clear out the mine, but they haven't been heard from in some time, and subsequent attempts to approach the minehead were driven away by armed lizardmen.
The adventurers look at each other. "Two birds, one stone," Bashir says, and shrugs with a rueful grin.
With that they gear up and head to the occupied mine.
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| The party makes its way into the mines |
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| Diane moves deeper into the cavern |
At first, all is quiet. Yldris stumbles into a toxic pool, whose caustic fumes trace angry burns on his legs. The elf winces but manages to stay quiet.
Their way blocked, the party doubles back and tries a different passage. The alchemical light of magical runes glow at the end of the tunnel marks a chamber with exits in all directions, and perhaps contains the information they are seeking. As they approach, they hear the telltale sounds of a fighting patrol nearby. Brandishing swords and bows, Alcuin leads Yldris and Diane around the corner to confront their foe...
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| The party confronts a lizard patrol |
Diane downs the large lizard leader with a perfectly placed shot through the eye, but as they move in to fight the other lizardmen, she sees a glint out of the corner of her eye, and spies a slumping suit of metal armor behind them - guarded by three more old kin! The battle becomes desperate, its clashing din distracting Cordelia, who is unable to decipher the runes.
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| Another patrol is sighted behind the party! |
Surrounded, the party fights back to back. Ocirne's incantation frighten away some of the foe, despite their implacable reputation, and swords and arrowshafts finish off the rest, but not before Jhonny Trinity is wounded by a vicious slash from one of their foes' curved daggers.
Hearing yet another patrol coming their way, the party retreats deeper into the mines and sets up an ambush.
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| The party prepares to ambush the remaining patrol. |
These last are caught unawares, and are cut down almost before they can respond.
Moving carefully through the mines, they ensure that it is now clear of adversaries. Along the way, they find the bodies of the adventurers as well as the mayor who hired them, still wearing his heavy (and valuable) chain of office. As they are preparing to leave, Alcuin spies a short copper shaft among some debris; picking it up, he sees that it is a dart, whose fletches, shaft and head are all rune-inscribed copper. Admiring its beauty, he lets out a low whistle, and is astonished as the dart trembles and levitates, like a bird in his hands!
Jhonny Trinity‘s gut wound looked fatal at first, but miraculously he is nearly unscathed! (-1 Luck)
2xp to all participants except Jhonny Trinity (1) and Alcuin (3). Alcuin and Ocirne gain a level!
Much loot is obtained:
2x Partial Armor
2x Helmet
Fine Light Armor
Strange Map (add an Unexplored Location)
Penetrating Dart (R24, kill target to hit another within 4”)
Jewelry worth 9 (!) gold
Unusual Find: 2 Marks under a body
The Runes give the party the location of the Quest Finale! Also some extra stuff:
-Evasive Silver (W) Enemy ranged attacks against the wearer will Hit only on the roll of a natural 6, however the effect ends for the rest of the battle if the wearer makes a ranged attack themselves
-A bag of coins containing 2 Marks
The party returns to Saltshell to great praise and admiration. They are feted until the wee hours, and finally crawl into their cots, and a satisfied slumber.
