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Dungeons
Mine · Small · Level 5 · Medium

Emberdeep Mine

The abandoned mine glows with fire, old oaths, and the light of a waking iron throne.
Rooms
6
Foes
14, CR 1/4 to 5
Traps
7
Treasure
1,605 gp
123Entrance
Select a room on the plan to open it.

The party is in

1. The Ashen Mouth

Seen

Something wanders by

At a glance

The threat

Overlord Hadrik Ironvein survives as a rune-bound dwarf revenant fused to an armored command throne.

Wandering monsters (1d4)

  1. 1

    2-4× Fire BeetlesCR 1/4

    When: The party carries an open flame, disturbs beetle eggs, or makes loud noise near a sulfur vent.A small hunting group of fire beetles follows warm air currents through the outer passages.
  2. 2

    2-3× Deep DwellersCR 1/2

    When: The party crosses exposed rails, leaves blood in the corridors, or remains in darkness for more than ten minutes.Pale deep dwellers crawl along the ceiling and communicate with clicks too low for ordinary conversation.
  3. 3

    Rogue Mining AutomatonCR 1

    When: The party opens a locked door, activates the blasting control, or removes treasure from .A damaged automaton patrols the mine while repeating fragments of old evacuation orders.
  4. 4

    Rune-Haunted Deep DwellerCR 2

    When: The shrine in is disturbed or the party destroys a control core in .A scorched deep dweller carrying a stolen rune plate searches for the shrine and attacks anyone who blocks its path.

Rooms

6
1

The Ashen Mouth

2 foes1 traptreasuresecret

What they see

Read aloud

A broad mine entrance opens into a worked stone staging chamber. Rusted rails run beneath a layer of ash, and the northern archway stands open, revealing the faint red glow of fire beetles deeper inside.

Features

  • Collapsed mining scaffold along the eastern wall
  • Three rusted mine carts, one containing a sealed lantern
  • A weathered Varnak clan crest above the northern archway
  • Ashy footprints leading toward

What the GM knows

Monsters

2× Fire BeetleCR 1/4

Two fire beetles nest beneath the overturned mine carts, their glowing glands illuminating the entrance.Tactics. They rush the nearest creature, bite once, then retreat beneath the carts while using their glowing glands to make hiding places difficult to spot. They fight until one is badly wounded, then flee northward toward .

Traps

Scalding Lantern CacheDC 13 fire damage

The old lantern cache is rigged with a pressure needle. Opening it without first turning the brass base causes a burst of alchemical flame.Disarm. A character can disable the needle with thieves' tools or by rotating the brass base clockwise while holding the latch down.

Treasure

Prospector's Cache125 gp

A Varnak mine token, three silver trade bars, and a rough fire opal worth 75 gp are hidden inside the lantern compartment.
Room secrets · GM only

Notes

The party can find signs that recent travelers entered but did not leave. If the beetles are killed noisily, creatures in become alert and prepare an ambush.

1 door: W (locked)

The place

What it is

The Emberdeep Mine descends beneath a ruined dwarven settlement, where abandoned workings conceal a sealed overlord's fortress.

Atmosphere

Heat clings to the mine in damp waves, carrying the scents of sulfur, wet stone, and old iron.

The threat

Overlord Hadrik Ironvein survives as a rune-bound dwarf revenant fused to an armored command throne.

History

The Emberdeep Mine was founded by Clan Varnak to extract fire opals and forge heat-resistant alloys.

Rumors

1d5
Roll a rumor

  1. 1The old mine still shines at night because something below is burning without fuel.
  2. 2A dwarven lord vanished here with an army of iron soldiers, and his throne is said to command every pick and hammer in the mountain.
  3. 3The miners who sealed Emberdeep swore that the dead were still working behind the walls.
  4. 4A shrine inside the mine can supposedly make metal obey its bearer.
  5. 5Fire beetles are not native to the mine. They were drawn there by a furnace that never cools.

Plot hooks

4
RescueThe Missing ShiftMiners from a nearby village vanished while reopening an old shaft, and their foreman was last seen carrying a clan seal bearing the Emberdeep mark.From: Mara Stonehand, a desperate mining captainReward: 150 gp, a share of recovered ore, and a dwarven mining permit
Sacred RelicThe Broken OathA local priest believes the abandoned Varnak shrine still holds a consecrated oath-stone capable of stopping a spreading curse in the village cemetery.From: Brother Caldus, an anxious shrine keeperReward: A blessed weapon or one-use protection from undead, plus church favor
Treasure HuntBlood in the OreA merchant offers a large payment for a fire opal from the mine, unaware that the richest seam lies beneath the overlord's command hall.From: Vessa Quill, a risk-taking gem merchantReward: 300 gp and a flawless fire opal worth 500 gp
InvestigationThe Throne WakesSeveral damaged constructs have appeared near the settlement and repeat the same phrase: 'The throne is awake.' Their maker's mark points directly to Emberdeep.From: Tovin Gearwright, a traveling artificerReward: A clockwork companion, repair materials, and the artificer's services

Corridors

4

  • The passage between and

    Iron rails emerge from the rock and vanish beneath rubble, with mine carts positioned as if abandoned during a sudden evacuation.

  • The junction outside

    Small patches of crimson fungus grow around warm cracks in the floor. Disturbing them releases a cloud of harmless but brightly glowing spores.

  • The passage between and

    The walls bear fresh gouges made by enormous metal claws, leading toward the locked western door of and the shrine beyond it.

  • The corridor between and

    A steady vibration travels through the floor from , accompanied by faint hammering and the rhythmic clank of machinery being prepared for war.

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