Valldel Amakiir - 1st Level Male Elven Rogue
Akadum Ironbeard - 1st Level Male Dwarf Fighter
Dolin Stoneflare - 1st Level Male Dwarf Light Cleric
Shiso Shinjitsu - 1st Level Male Human Fighter
Junior Lubbins - 1st Level Female Human Fighter
Kethery - 1st Level Female Human Wizard
Kethery - 1st Level Female Human Wizard
25 May 981, Wednesday
Fine spring weather, few clouds
Overnight Tony the Weasel, talking weasel from Nob's Spinney, has attached himself to Valldel. Tony is tired of "people" being up in his business and wants to see more of the world.
Junior is telling an exaggerated story of all that happened yesterday and the locals seem a bit skeptical. Bea will not accompany them on their journey to escort the new Miss, but Junior is excited to get out of this little town. Junior runs around town saying good-bye.
Dolin does a detect magic on some of the things they found. The crushed silver cage is not magical. The stick of charcoal is like a lighter. When fingers are snapped it glows red hot, and then dissipates. It can be used
to start fires or provide a small amount of light. The tuft of feathers, white to grey, are magical and Dolin has an impression that it is connected to Griya, the Bog Witch. After some discussion among the party they decide not to seek out Griya and ask her about it. They think she has already left after transforming herself into a bird.
They do visit the Shrine of Demeter where they left the Green Ball. They find lots of plant growth, but the path to the village and the hut remain clear and the growth is not out of control like they found in the forest. Dolin preys to the goddess and has the impression that she is a bit annoyed, but it not clear at whom. They decide it is OK to leave it here for now.
They make their way to Tealford. Godfred has given them money for a few nightsat Inns and for tickets on the Midland Coach. This runs along the Midland Ring Road and stops at various Inns, called Coach Inns along the route. The one in Tealford is called the West Coach Inn, and is on the north side of town where the Ring Road enters. They will go from there to Weston Netherly and stay at the Weston Netherly Coach Inn, which he expressed some trepidation about. Their destination is the Two Goblins Inn which is a day and a half. There they will find Zelda Spinewith, the new Miss of Drigbolton, and hopefully escort her back to Drigbolton.
The journey to the Tealford takes them through the Teal Hills. As they approach the town, about 10,000, from the west they see mine heads. This side of town looks a bit seedy with wooden dwellings, bars, brothels, and mines. There are a number of dwarves among the folk in the town. They see some of the biggest mines have tram ways to carry coal across the river to pottery and clay tile works on the other side. The center of town is a square split by the River Selene which runs north to south. On the west side of the square is the Praetorium, center of Imperial administration, a Colloseum, and mine head that has clearly
been re-purposed as The Miners Guild hall with big sign. Urchins are filling the square hawking the local newspapers, screaming out "Extra, extra! Illegal miners strike ends." and "Extra, extra! Mine menace defeated, safe for miners to return to work." They spend a few copper pieces to buy copies. Dolin, who is from just south of here, tells them not to encourage the urchins.
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Tealford Times Wednesday 25 May, Extra Edition
ILLEGAL MINERS STRIKE ENDS
Prompt action by Tealford Head Man, and Master of Masters of the Potters Guild and owner of the Redkilns, Thomas King has brought a swift end to the illegal strike by the Miners Guild. Yesterday Swing Shift was disrupted by an illegal work stoppage by the miners. Jugo Garbett, spokesman for the illegal organization known as the Miners Guild, claimed that the mines had become dangerous with numerous unconfirmed reports of below ground attacks on work parties. These followed the closure of the Crag Works mine on Tuesday morning when one work crew failed to return from Monday Swing Shift. Garbett claimed that the miners would not work Tuesday Swing Shift and beyond until their safety could be guaranteed.
Unconfirmed reports are that an emergency meeting of the Miners Guild, Potters Guild, and Imperial Authorities took place late Tuesday night leading to a joint expedition early this morning. The results of the joint expedition were announced by Imperial Prefect Oakwood mid-afternoon today. The expedition had encountered some Fell Creatures in the mines, defeated them, and enhanced the safety of the mines
for continued work. The Crag Works remains closed due to miners missing below ground. This newspaper has long decried this archaic and superstitious practice, but the Miners Guild insists upon this impediment to commerce. See elsewhere for a call for adventurers to explore the Crag Works in what is now being called a recovery rather than a rescue expedition. Donations for the family's of missing miners are gratefully accepted at the Temple of Hephaestus.
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Tealford Mirror Wednesday 25 May, Extra Edition
MINE MENACE DEFEATED
Prompt action by Head of the Miners Guild, Jugo Garbett, has brought a swift end to the menace that made the mines of Tealford unsafe. Yesterday Swing Shift was canceled by the declaration of a safety emergency by the Miners Guild. The mines had become dangerous with numerous attacks on miner work parties. These followed the closure of the Crag Works mine on Tuesday morning after one work crew failed to return from Monday Swing Shift. Jugo informed the mine magnates that the members of his guild would not return to work invoking the Unsafe Working Conditions clause of the most recent contract. Of course the magnates threatened lay offs and a violent response by the Town Guard, well known to be pawns of the magnates, but Jugo managed to convince them to send expeditions below guided by dedicated members of the Guild and including members of the Imperial garrison to eliminate the threats.
Late this afternoon these expeditions have successfully returned. Prefect Oakwood announced that an out break of Fell Creatures had been found in three of the mines and had been eliminated by the combined actions of the Miners Guild, Town Guard, and the Imperial Army. Guild Head Jugo declared that the Miners Guild would return to work this Swing Shift. He thanked the Imperial Prefect for convincing the Potters Guild to behave with reason and for the help the Prefect's troops provided to the Miners Guild expeditions in making the mines safe again for labor.
The foul creature known as Thomas King, canceled planned lay offs and, as usual, said there had been no issues of mine safety. He vowed to seek legal action to avoid meeting contractual obligated payments to miners for shifts missed due to a declared safety emergency. He was reportedly overheard telling his entourage of toadies that such pay for miners would be have to be pried from his cold, dead fingers. We encourage any one who would like to make such a happening come to pass. To be clear, we mean both the cold, dead part and miner safety pay part. Truthfully we would prefer the cold, dead part, but would welcome the miner safety pay.
The Crag Works remains closed due to miners missing below ground. See elsewhere for a call for adventurers to explore the Crag Works in what is now unfortunately being called a recovery rather than a rescue expedition. Donations for the family's of missing miners are being accepted at the Guild Hall.
Adventurers Needed
Suspected Fell Creature out break in the Crag Works Mine, Tealford. Brave adventurers needed to explore mine and recover miners missing since Monday 23 May, 981, evening. Please report to the Crag Works Office before Day Shift, Thursday 26 May 981.
News From the Northern Front
Proconsol Bralton denied that the Imperial Army had encountered a dragon in the Nor Delta north of Marnor. "The Nor Delta is a trackless swamp full of Fell Creatures. The legions are clearing this before we renew our drive to the north." He had no explanation for how Fell Creatures had destroyed a number of steam barges heading up the Nor to support an attack on Venga. "Soon, was his response to a timetable for resuming the drive north. A casualty list appears on page 7.
Proconsol Spaggins said that the attack on Venga would be renewed after taking advantage of local support from Duke Phelgo to manufacture our own magomechanical devices to challenge those used in the defense of Venga. "Soon," was all he would say about the time scale for a renewed attack on Venga.
Proconsol Tumil said that the siege of Canvil would come to a swift end. "Once our fleet is able to cut Canvil's sea route, they will surrender." He denied rumors that the Third Legion had been devastated by Swamp Plague. "Soon," was his predicted time scale for the fall of Canvil and a renewed drive north.
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A carter is calling for helpers. He needs some help to load a cart with coal to get it across the river to one of the kilns. Valdell and Junior take up the job and shovel coal for a few silvers. He urges them to hurry, but they do not want to continue to unloading.
On the other side of the river the square has a city hall, a Temple of Hephaestus, and an ornate building decorated with porcelain and clay figures and masks and labeled The Potters Guild. They turn left and note that this side of the town is much nicer with stone houses, shops, and restaurants. On the edge of the town they find the West Coach Inn. They book rooms at the Inn, buy tickets for the Midland Ring Coach to the Two Goblins Inn, and have some dinner.
Reading the newspapers they note the troubles in the Tealford mines started at the same time that something landed on Drigbolton, and they decide to answer the plea for adventurers to explore the Crag Works mine.
They head back across town, find this mine is one of the furthest from the center of the town, and does not have a tram way. Within the mine office they find Willis, who seems to be the mine owner, and a Town Guardsman called Edgar. Also there is an adventurer magic user called Kethery. She is dressed in purple robes, and looks a bit young. She has a Rook sitting on her shoulder. Willis tells them that on Monday's Swing Shift two miners did not return, and the Night Shift miners refused to work with people missing in the mine, some tales of something menacing in the mine, and many other mines, much larger ones, were also disrupted and shut down. Tuesday, yesterday morning, they sent in a small party of two town guards guided by a miner to search. They too never returned. This mine got forgotten about as all hell broke loose in the other mines and the Imperial Army was called in to help out. Earlier today the other mines were declared cleaned out, but this small one is still unworkable with miners missing below. The missing miners are Jago, Ed, and Dulin. The missing guards are Chauncey and Billips.
Willis offers the adventures 10 GP each to go into the mine and recover the missing. He draws them a sketch map of the mine, and tells them the two missing were are the deepest part of mine and the search party was headed that way. He also gives them miners lamps which are effective, but only give light 10 feet or so to the front. Kethery joins them as they head into the mine.
The mine has tracks and mine carts. They take one with them, which makes it hard for them to sneak up on anything. They quickly discover the sketch is not terribly accurate and head off into a side room not on it. There they encounter a shovel and pick wielding zombie miners which they are easily able to dispatch. They dump the bodies into the mine cart and go on. They find a side passage that is clearly the storage/maintenance area for the mine, with piles of supplies, disassembled mine carts, etc. Amid the stuff are three zombies, two in leather armor and with swords and one miner. These are tougher; one does serious damage to Junior before they manage to kill them. Kethery's Rook familiar is helpful scouting ahead and distracting opponents in combat. Tony is not much help. He does not like exploring ahead in the darkness of the mine. Looking at the bodies they note slashes delivered by something claw like. Exploring the room they find a beer keg, glasses, etc. This was clearly an illicit relaxation area for the miners. They throw the bodies in the mine cart and continue on.
They come to a large room, too large for their light to illuminate the whole thing...
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