Copper-Vein Delve
The pickaxes have stopped, but the echoes remain.
An abandoned copper mine once prosperous, now choked by dust and low-level scavengers. Faded supports and rusted rails lead from a central hub into dangerous, unmapped territory.
The air is heavy with metallic dust and the smell of wet fur. Flickering oil lamps cast long, jagged shadows against the rough-hewn stone walls. The silence is frequently broken by the distant clink of stone on stone and the scratching of tiny claws.
☠ Threat
The kobold leader Singe-Scale governs the delve with a scorched iron fist. He has a penchant for crude explosives and an aggressive pack of trained giant rats that sniff out intruders. Singe-Scale hoards the last of the refined copper and any supplies stolen from passing merchants, hoping to build a dragon-blessed arsenal.
History
Dug by the Iron-Sigh Mining Co. fifty years ago, the mine was abandoned when the primary copper vein ran dry. It remained empty until a group of kobolds moved in to harvest the remaining scraps and use it as a base for nearby raids on merchant caravans. The locals fear the mine is slowly being converted into a crude fortress for a growing warband.
Encounter Table
CRA foot-long insectoid with dozens of wriggling legs and toxic mandibles.
Lesser kobolds looking to pick over the remains of fallen kin.
Rumours & Whispers
Old Man Jenkins swears the mine was abandoned because of a ghost, not lack of copper.
The kobolds in the Delve are looking for a key that opens a deeper vault.
A local merchant lost a crate of healing potions near the mine entrance.
There is a secret entrance behind a pile of rocks if you can find the right spot.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Grogory the Smith
A retired miner wants you to find his masterwork pickaxe left in the shaft.
A set of chain mail or 50 gp.
Quest giver: Mayor Vane
The local mayor wants the kobolds cleared before they start taxing the road.
Official Letter of Commendation and 75 gp.
Corridor Notes
A pile of discarded scrap metal and rusted tools that creates difficult terrain.
Jagged scratch markings on the walls indicating territorial boundaries.
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