The Hollow Vein
The pickaxes stopped swinging, but the echoes never left.
A once-thriving iron mine now choked by a lethal, necrotic fog and the restless dead. The descent is steep, and the air carries the heavy scent of ancient sulfur and damp decay.
Heavy, cold air smelling of wet slate and old copper. The sound of rhythmic tapping on stone echoes from distant shafts, and the light is limited to dim, flickering phosphor-fungus.
☠ Threat
The Foreman, Horgus Stonebrow, was transformed into a vengeful Wight by the necrotic surge. He commands a legion of skeletal miners and remains obsessed with meeting impossible quotas, viewing all intruders as potential new laborers for his eternal shift.
History
Deep-core miners of the Iron-Fist clan breached a sealed tomb during a frantic search for silver. A surge of cursed energy instantly withered the miners, trapping their souls in the very stone they sought to conquer. Now, the mine serves as a lightless tomb for those who dared to dig too deep into the mountain's root.
Encounter Table
CRRestless spirits of miners still carrying heavy bags of useless stone.
An insectoid creature that hungrily sniffs the air for iron.
Rumours & Whispers
The miners didn't die of a cave-in; they died standing up, as if their souls were sucked out.
Horgus Stonebrow was always a cruel man, but death has made him much worse.
There is a vein of 'Living Silver' in the deep that can heal wounds, but it requires a blood sacrifice.
A secret passage near the winch leads to the miners' holy site.
Quest Hooks
Quest giver: Lord Kaelen Iron-Fist
A local noble wants the signet ring of his grandfather who disappeared in the mine.
500 gold and a favor from the Iron-Fist house.
Quest giver: Mayor Hilda
The nearby village can no longer sleep because of the rhythmic tapping heard from the mountain at night.
A plot of land and a chest of masterwork tools.
Corridor Notes
A trail of dried blood leading toward the barracks, disappearing under a door.
A cluster of glowing violet mushrooms that hiss softly when approached.
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