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Dungeons
Cave · Large · Level 3 · Medium

Meral's Cut

The stone beneath your boots gives a slow, steady thrum, and the lantern flame leans toward the dark.
Rooms
22
Foes
28, CR 1/8 to 2
Traps
3
Treasure
239 gp
12345678910111213141516171819202122Entrance
Select a room on the plan to open it.

The party is in

1. Meral's Entry Shelf

Seen

Something wanders by

At a glance

The threat

A cave-touched ogre called the Deep Warden has made its lair in room 20.

Wandering monsters (1d3)

  1. 1

    2× Glow batsCR 1/4

    When: A bright light or loud noise in a narrow passage draws them from overhead cracks.A pair of cave bats with pale wings and mineral dust on their faces.
  2. 2

    Water-run ratCR 1/4

    When: It appears when food is exposed near the stream or storage passages.A giant rat with wet fur, a torn ear, and a strip of old leather caught around its tail.
  3. 3

    Wall crawlerCR 1/2

    When: It drops onto the last creature in the marching order after a minute of loud travel.A mineral-crusted giant lizard that clings to the cave walls and freezes when observed.

Rooms

22
1

Meral's Entry Shelf

2 foestreasuresecret

What they see

Read aloud

A broad shelf of stone opens into four worked passages. Scraped boot marks converge on the dusty floor, while a faint draft from the south reveals a concealed seam in the wall.

Features

  • Four visible doorways lead to rooms 1 through 3; a secret door leads to room 4.
  • A cracked iron lantern hangs above a faded mine tally.

What the GM knows

Monsters

2× Kobold lookoutsCR 1/8

Two cave-dwelling kobolds in scavenged work aprons, alert but eager to flee if surprised.Tactics. One hurls stones from behind the lantern while the other retreats toward room 2 to raise the alarm.

Treasure

Lookout's pay18 gp

A pouch of mixed copper and silver coins dropped beneath the lantern.
Room secrets · GM only

Notes

The kobolds know the secret door but do not know how to open it. Their alarm may draw guards from room 2 if they escape.

3 doors: S (secret), W (archway), S (normal)

The place

What it is

Meral's Cut is a sprawling cave worked into a network of natural chambers, with crude barracks and prison cells built around its mineral veins.

Atmosphere

Cold mineral damp beads on the stone.

The threat

A cave-touched ogre called the Deep Warden has made its lair in room 20.

History

Meral's Cut began as a small mine dug by a crew seeking iron and clear spring water.

Rumors

1d4
Roll a rumor

  1. 1A prospector swears the old mine breathes through cracks in the hillside, though no wind ever comes out.
  2. 2People who sleep near the abandoned cut hear their names spoken from beneath the floor.
  3. 3The miners left a silver token for every worker who went below. The last tally was never finished.
  4. 4A faint blue light can be seen at the old entrance after heavy rain.

Plot hooks

3
RescueThe Missing TallyA relative of a missing prospector asks the party to search the lower prison rooms and bring back a stamped brass tally token as proof.From: A worried relative carrying the prospector's last pay chitReward: A modest purse and the prospector's uncommon miner's charm, recovered from a cell or storage chest.
InvestigationThe Humming SpringA village well has begun to hum at night. The party is hired to find whether the abandoned mine's mineral seam is responsible and stop the vibration before the spring fails.From: The village well-keeperReward: A healing draught for each adventurer and a share of the mine's recoverable valuables.
RetrievalA Sample from BelowA buyer wants a fist-sized sample of the luminous mineral, but the only known vein lies beneath the Deep Warden's shrine.From: A discreet mineral brokerReward: A fair payment for the sample, plus an uncommon weapon or shield recovered from the old cache.

Corridors

3

  • Between rooms 1, 5, and 7

    A waist-high seam of pale roots threads through the rock. Cutting it releases a sharp, onion-like odor and can be heard in the nearby cells.

  • Prison passages around rooms 5 through 8

    Old iron rings are fixed into the walls at uneven intervals, several still holding snapped chains.

  • Passage near rooms 10, 11, and 19

    A narrow stream vanishes into a crack beneath the floor. Loose coins and bone chips collect along its edge.

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