Gloom Wind Mine, Ep 1

The Belowdowners opted to investigate the Gloomwind Mines over a forgotten temple, seeking the legendary Eye of Orr on behalf of an old knight. Their descent began almost immediately with a treacherous, mist-filled pit. Thinking on their feet, the party’s strongest members managed to hurl Zarf across the chasm, securing a rope for the others to follow.

Their caution was warranted, as Zarf soon tripped a wire, engulfing the party in a sleeping gas. They awoke disarmed in a crude chamber, surrounded by six kobolds. Elm’s attempt at diplomacy quickly soured, leading to a chaotic battle. Though the kobolds proved surprisingly nimble, the adventurers fought their way to victory, with only one of the small creatures escaping into the depths.

Pressing onward, they navigated a corridor coated in corrosive slime—a lesson Bogmire learned the hard way—by cleverly using a fire-enchanted weapon to burn a safe path. Their path then led to a room bisected by a curtain of impenetrable, magical darkness. This strange barrier filtered the party by their alignments, teleporting the lawful Elm to the entrance, blocking the chaotic Zarf and Minothor, and allowing the neutral Fat Slasher and Bogmire to pass.

On the other side, Fat Slasher met Daera, the spectral knight of a neutral order, who has been trapped for centuries. To free her, the Eye of Orr must be recovered by a member of her order. Inspired, Fat Slasher swore an oath to join her cause. After reuniting, the party continued exploring, fighting off flying squids and a giant centipede, and ultimately discovering a valuable cockatrice egg before deciding to return to town to rest and resupply.

OUTLINE:

Into the Gloomwind Mines

The party decided to explore the abandoned Gloomwind Mines.
An old knight hired them to find the magical relic known as the Eye of Orr.
They encountered a pit filled with a damaging mist.
The party worked together to throw Zarf across the pit to secure a rope for crossing.

The Kobold Ambush

Zarf triggered a tripwire, and the party was knocked out by sleeping gas.
They awoke as prisoners of six kobolds in a guardroom.
Elm’s attempts at diplomacy failed, escalating into combat.
The party defeated five kobolds, while one escaped deeper into the caves.

Puzzles of Slime and Shadow

The party found a corridor covered in a dangerous acidic slime.
After some experimentation, Zarf used a fire-based ability to create a safe path.
They discovered a curtain of magical darkness that separated the party by alignment.
Neutral characters passed through, Chaotic characters were blocked, and the Lawful character was teleported to the entrance.

The Trapped Knight

Fat Slasher met Daera, a spirit knight of the Order of Gehemna, trapped behind the darkness.
Daera explained she can only be freed if the Eye of Orr is recovered by a member of her order.
Fat Slasher agreed to join the order to help her.
The party learned the darkness also blocked sound and was impassable for certain creatures.

Monsters and Treasures

The party explored more of the mine, fighting two flying octopus creatures.
In a room filled with old mining gear, they battled two dire rats and a giant centipede.
Their search of the room uncovered a valuable cockatrice egg and an emerald chip.
The party decided to leave the mines and return to town to rest and sell their loot.

NPCs:

Daera: A spectral knight of the Order of Gehemna. She has been trapped by a curse within the Gloomwind Mines for 200 years and can only be freed when the Eye of Orr is recovered by a member of her order.
Dire Rats: Two child-sized, vicious rats found sleeping in a pile of old mining gear. They became hostile after being disturbed.
Flying Octopuses: Two vampiric squid-like creatures found lurking on the ceiling of a damp cave, which attacked the party on sight.
Giant Centipede: A human-arm-sized, blood-red centipede that emerged from a pile of rubble to attack the party.
Kobolds: A group of six small, reptilian humanoids who set a trap for the party. They were guarding a section of the mine before being defeated in combat.
Sir Delbridge: An old knight living in town who tasked the party with retrieving the Eye of Orr from the Gloomwind Mines.
Tony the Warpony: Minothor’s loyal war pony, waiting for the party outside the mine.

ITEMS:

Cockatrice Egg: A rare and valuable egg found in a pile of debris, worth approximately 100 gold.
Cracked Hand Mirror: An old, cracked mirror found in the kobold guardroom, worth about 8 gold.
Emerald Chip: A small chip of an emerald, found among the belongings of a fallen miner. Worth 10 gold.
Eye of Orr: A powerful magic relic and the object of the party’s main quest in the Gloomwind Mines.
Raw Diamond: A large, uncut diamond found embedded in the wall of the acid slime corridor, worth about 190 gold.
Silver Daggers: A pair of daggers with silver blades, recovered from a desiccated corpse. Each is worth 10 gold.

LOCATIONS:

Acid Slime Corridor: A 30-foot section of the mine where the walls, floor, and ceiling are coated in a dark, glossy, and corrosive slime.
Gloomwind Mines: An old, abandoned dwarven mine shaft cutting into a cliffside, said to hold the legendary Eye of Orr and other dangers.
Room of Magical Darkness: A chamber bisected by a curtain of supernatural darkness that absorbs all light and sound and filters passage based on alignment.

FACTIONS:

Order of Gehemna: An ancient, neutral order of knights committed to doing good deeds and helping people. Daera is a member, and now so is Fat Slasher.

QUESTS:

Recover the Eye of Orr: The old knight Sir Delbridge and the spirit knight Daera have tasked the party with finding the Eye of Orr within the Gloomwind Mines to claim glory and free Daera from her curse.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Bogmire: Bogmire is a hardy crocodilian with an adventurous and dangerously curious palate. He is never afraid to get his hands, or tongue, dirty, and often approaches new discoveries by attempting to lick or eat them, for better or worse.
Elm Brook: Elm is an aggressively androgynous Samsarin cleric who acts as a reluctant healer for the group. With a lawful alignment and a sharp tongue, Elm often tries to be the voice of reason, though their attempts at diplomacy can sometimes backfire spectacularly.
Fat Slasher: A fetchling kinetist and a gourmet chef, Fat Slasher views the world through the lens of cuisine. He is hospitable and good-natured, and his decision to join the Order of Gehemna was driven by a desire to help Daera eat a proper meal after 200 years.
Minothor Orcpunter: Minothor is a powerful bullman blood rager and a devout worshipper of Thor. Accompanied by his trusty war pony, Tony, Minothor is a force of nature in combat, ready to bring thunder down upon his enemies with his warhammer.
Zarf: Zarf is a city dwarf and a war blood rager. As the newest member of the party, he is eager to prove his worth, though his eagerness sometimes gets him into trouble, like tripping the very first trap.