Deep in the Salt Mine

DEEP IN
adventure By Nobboc
THE SALT
MINE
The basis of this adventure is inspired by a game I played in '85 or '86
(damn, I'm old...). It was a Runequest adventure, and I have fond, if foggy,
memories of it. I can't remember if it was a published adventure or if it was
created by the GM. Anyway, if the author of this RQ adventure reads these
lines: thank you! Ideally, this should be played immediately after character
creation. A short session should be enough to complete it. Note: the
adventure plunges the characters straight into a difficult situation and may
therefore not be suitable for all types of players.
YOU'VE BEEN CAPTURED
BY GORGOROS THE SLAVE-MAKER.
After a night of debauchery where you met your new companions, you
woke up in an iron wagon, hands and feet shackled and naked except for
a loincloth. After days of travel across swamps and barren hills, you've
arrived at the salt mine, infamously known as The Man-Eater.
While Gorgoros receives a purse of gold in exchange for your persons and
haggles over your equipment with Shaals, the owner, guards escort you
to the edge of a large excavation. A winched platform takes you down
to the bottom some fifty meters below, where you disembark under the
gloomy glares of your fellow slaves... A new life begins for you!
A MINER'S LIFE
Dangers abound under the earth, and
injuries, cave-ins, brawls, and murders
are commonplace. Life expectancy
is short. Every month, a batch of new
slaves is brought down to replace the
dead. Down below, the only law is the
law of the fittest. The weak don't eat,
sleep little, and die quickly.
In addition to the characters, there
are currently 20 slaves, at varying
stages of exhaustion and malnutri-
tion. Only three seem to be coping a
little better than the others: Kolös and
his two “lieutenants” Rufik and Dool.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Shaals deems the results sufficient,
the rope is returned down with a
bag of moldy bread or rotten apples,
an amphora of turnip soup or bone
broth, buckets of brackish water, or
when he's particularly satisfied, a
few skins of sour wine. The bargain
is clear for the miners: if they want
to eat, they have to work their fin-
gers to the bone! At night, everyone
sleeps where they can, away from
their enemies if possible. The lucky
ones still have a ragged, smelly blan-
ket to keep the chill away. In game
terms: short rests are impossible;
characters recover only half their
HP during long rest as long as Kolös
and his two acolytes keep the lion's
share of the food and water.
KOLÖS BONE-BREAKER [LVL 3]
A 2-meter tall mountain of muscles,
a proof that giants once roamed the
world. A sadistic brute and proud of
it, he is cleverer than he lets out. He
abuses the other slaves and gives
them what they need to stay useful
until the next arrival.
H Wrestling (STR or DEX): 6.
On a failed roll of 17+: broken limb
H Studded pickaxe handle (STR
or DEX): 6
RUFIK THE PLAGUE [LVL 2]
Looks like a skinny rat. Always
picking a fight.
H Feces-coated bone shiv (STR
or DEX): 5. Test CON or feverish
for the next 1d6 days: maximum
HP is halved.
H Sling (DEX): 5, ranged.
EVIL-EYE DOOL [LVL 2]
Mute albino with mysterious psy-
chic powers (her targets must be
IIIIIIIIIII
within sight, up to Nearby range).
Unscrupulous brutes who arrived a
H Choke (INT): Ud4 ongoing
few months ago, they reign
from an unseen hand on your
on this hellhole, deciding who eats
throat.
and who goes to work in the dange-
H Push (CON): 5, thrown to the
rous galleries, punishing those who
ground 5 meters away
don't meet their quotas, and kill at
H Self-punishment (CHA):
the slightest provocation.
Punch yourself for 1d4 rounds
The work is simple. The slaves have
(1d4 damage).
picks and shovels, torches, a few
OTHER SLAVES (17) [LVL 1]
carts, and large leather sacks at
Exhausted, most of them haggard.
their disposal. They dig haphazardly,
Only 2 or 3 HP. Prepared to die
following the seams of salt. At the
but determined to live as long
end of the sixteen-hour day, a lead bell
as possible. All fear Kolös and his
rings on the surface, and the slaves
acolytes (see also New allies).
57
place the salt-filled bags at the end
H Pickaxe (DEX or STR): 2
H Hurled stone (DEX): 2 ranged.
of a rope pulled up by the guards. If
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
SO, WHAT NOW?
In Ud6 days (or whenever you decide), by
chance, the miners break through into an
ancient tomb (see 3 on the map below). In the
meantime, you can draw one event each day
from the list below.
1– CAVE-IN: Four slaves are trapped under
tons of rock. It takes a minimum of 3 turns, in
which at least 2 characters succeed at a STR
test, to get them out. Debris is still falling:
anyone who fails their DEX test takes 1d4
damage. After 6 turns, the trapped slaves are
dead. If they survive thanks to the characters,
they become their staunch allies.
2 – RAINSTORM : The whole mine is flooded,
and everyone is soaked. No rest possible
that night. Have every player character roll a
CON test: if more than half of them succeed,
assume the slaves managed to mine enough
salt to receive a half ration. Otherwise, all
tests are made with disadvantage until the
next meal.
3 – THE BEAST: A predator from the surroun-
ding hills manages to descend into the mine
in the middle of the night and starts wreaking
havoc.
The Beast [LVL 3]
A cross between a boar and a panther, as
black as night with four gleaming yellow
eyes.
H Charge (DEX): 6
H Fangs and claws (STR or DEX): 6
4 – THE FEAST: Shaals and his men are cele-
brating. A drunken contest commences: the
guards fire their crossbows, trying to shoot
a miner. Each player rolls 1d20. On 19 or 20,
they're targeted. Test DEX with advantage or
take 5 damage.
5 – EXTRA RATIONS: At mealtime, the charac-
ters walk in on a gruesome scene: two miners
are eating strips of flesh from their friend,
whose recent death wasn't reported. “She
wanted us to. We had a pact, I swear!” Bone-
breaker and his cronies are right bastards,
but this is at least one line they won't cross.
If they learn of this, they publicly execute the
cannibals in creatively painful ways. (If you
and your players all agree on introducing such a
dark theme, let characters who partake recover
all their hit points.)
6 – A FIGHT: Kolös really, really doesn't like the
look of one of the characters. (Choose ran-
domly if no one has been standing up to him.)
He corners them at the end of a gallery and
rushes towards them, while Rafik and Dool
stand by to prevent anyone from interfering.
The fight ends if Kolös is defeated or if the
character is at 0 HP (a 6 on the Helpless table
counts as a 1).
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
THE MINE
urn is knocked over or emptied,
or if the door to 8 is opened,
1 THE PIT. 30 meters wide and
4 rotten imps take shape and
50 meters deep. The walls are
attack, unless someone is
steep and smooth, impossible
carrying the King's scepter. The
to climb. At the bottom, niches
imps cannot leave the room
dug into the walls provide shel-
unless called by the King.
ter for the night. One or two
Rotten Imps: see p.13
guards are always watching
6 THE HERO'S CHAMBER.
from the top.
A luminescent reddish mist pro-
2 MINE CORRIDORS. Low-cei-
vides some light. A 2.5 meter
linged, badly ventilated and
tall, mummified hoplite stands
filled with dust. Could collapse
in the middle of the room.
at any moment.
Double stone doors (to 8) on
3 BREAKTHROUGH. As des-
the east wall, with engravings
cribed above, a few days after
depicting a group of hoplites
the characters' arrival, miners
routing a vast army at the foot
emerge into a speckled stone
of pyramids.
corridor. The way into...
The hoplite is armed with
a bronze spear and circular
shield, both engraved with
THE TOMB OF
ancient, forgotten runes.
THE LOST KING
If touched, or if the door is
opened, and unless someone
4 THE PATH OF THE BRAVES.
is carrying the King's scepter,
Corridor containing 22 niches,
he attacks immediately. The
each housing the remains of a
hoplite can't leave the room
warrior. A greenish light ema-
unless called by the King.
nates from the north end.
Mummified Hoplite [LVL 3]
If a character searches a niche,

• Shield expert: A successful

they hear a languid sigh over
attack roll of 6 or more does
their shoulder. They must
only 1 damage.
test their highest attribute or

• Spear expert: On a success-

permanently lose 1 point in this
ful parry or dodge, take 1
attribute, as a satisfied chuckle
damage.
echoes behind them.
H Spear(STR or DEX): 6
Each grave contains a bronze
H Shield bash (STR or DEX):
weapon or antique-style suit of
Thrown to the ground, lose
armor in good condition.
next action
(Let the player choose on the
H Fetid breath (CON): 3, all
equipment page, BSH p. 29,
Close targets
in the Weapons and Medium
• Hoplite spear: Two-handed,
armour lists.)
ignores armour. Critical success
on 1 to 3
5 THE ADVISOR'S CHAMBER.
•Hoplite shield: Never breaks.
Filled with luminescent
Critical success: opponent falls
greenish mist. A half-rotten
to the ground
sarcophagus of varnished
wood in the center of the room.
7 THE STEED'S CHAMBER.
A green bronze urn in each
Lit by a bluish mist. A horse ske-
corner. Double stone doors (to
leton, its bones held together
8) on the north wall, covered
by vermeil thread, stands in the
in bas-relief depicting a mage
middle of the room. Double
controlling two blazing suns.
stone doors (to 8) to the west,
Inside the sarcophagus: a
sculpted with a horse leaping
skeleton dressed in robes em-
over mountains, seas, and
broidered with arcane symbols.
forests.
The skull rests between the
The skeleton wears a black
corpse's feet.
leather saddle and harness
Each of the urns contains an
inlaid with ivory and silver. If
ink-black molasses-like subs-
the horse is disturbed, or if the
tance with a fetid smell. If an
door is opened, it comes to life
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
and fights immediately, unless someone
is carrying the King's scepter. The horse
won't leave the room unless called by
the King.
Horse skeleton: use the stats for the
animal statue LVL 3 (BSH p.54)
• Saddle and harness: Double a horse's
speed.
8 THE LOST KING'S CHAMBER.
Golden mist. A desiccated body dressed
in gold brocade and fur, seated on a
stone throne, holding a bone scepter
engraved with mystical motifs and
wearing a gold crown encrusted with
emeralds. His head resting on his chest,
he breathes slowly and deeply. He
murmurs incomprehensible words in a
long-forgotten language, like a sleeper
troubled by bad dreams. The Lost King
is dozing.
If touched without care, greenish sparks
light up its empty eye sockets, while
a shockwave travels across the room
(CON test or be thrown against a wall,
1d6 damage). The King then stands
up and utters a strident polyphonic
call (WIS test or roll Doom). Doors still
closed open immediately, and the
occupants of adjacent rooms rush in.
(If the intruders retreat, they stay in 8
and guard the king.)
To seize the crown and sscepter without
waking the King, make a DEX test
for each. Once stripped of these two
objects, the King crumbles to dust with
a deep sigh.
• Crown: Worth a small fortune to a
collector.
• Bone scepter: An erudite scholar can
decipher the inscriptions: One hundred
and eleven hoplites, buried deep within
the Black Pyramid of Kseletothep, await
my bearer to obey their orders.
9 STAIRCASE. Carved into the rock, des-
cends for one hundred meters. Threate-
ning murmurs and irritated sighs.
10. THE HALL OF OFFERINGS.
A small room supported by carved
columns. Offerings are deposited in
chests, baskets, and amphorae. Jewelry
and trinkets can be collected, worth
a small fortune. A heavy stone slab
blocks the exit. It takes several hours of
pickaxe work to create a passageway to
the outside.
11 FREEDOM! . A forgotten trail on the
mountainside. To the west: it winds its
way towards a valley and civilization. To
the east: it reaches a small summit, from
which the mine and its barracks can be
seen a little further down.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
1. THE PIT
6
8
2. MINE CORRIDORS
3. BREAKTHROUGH
4. THE PATH OF THE BRAVES
7
5. THE ADVISOR'S CHAMBER
5
6. THE HERO'S CHAMBER
7. THE STEED'S CHAMBER
8. THE LOST KING'S CHAMBER
9. STAIRCASE
10. THE HALL OF OFFERINGS
4
11. FREEDOM!
2
3
9
1
2
2
10
11
A PUNITIVE EXPEDITION BACK TO THE MINE?
Shaals and his men don't understand where their workers have gone.
They don't dare go down into the mine for fear of falling into an am-
bush, so they wait for the new slaves to be brought in.
In the meantime, they drink, doze, or stand guard distractedly.
Shaals' cabin contains the adventurers' equipment and a small part of
his wealth.
SHAALS [LVL 4]
GUARDS (4) [LVL 2]
A large, barrel-shaped man with muscles
All are Shaals' relatives.
covered in a thick layer of fat. Bald, porcine
Look like him, but smal-
eyes, booming voice. Wears a black fur kilt, and
ler and red-bearded.
a leather harness from which hang a
H Mace (STR or DEX): 5
whip, mace, and keyrings. Spends his spare
H Crossbow (DEX): 5,
time counting coins.
ranged.
H Bullying and insults (WIS): Lose next action
H Mace (STR or DEX): 7
H Whip (DEX): 7 or drop weapon (player's
choice). Reaches up to Nearby range
NEW ALLIES AND COMPANIONS?
If any surviving slaves escaped with the heroes, their friendship and
loyalty are now acquired. One of them could be the child of an influen-
tial local baron, the shaman of a Pict tribe, a prominent member of a
secret organization, or the heir to the neighboring kingdom…
59