D20 SYSTEM✦ Normal

The Pulverized Mine and the Slag-Jammed Ventilation Fan

# Magitech# Wilderness# Intrigue# Dungeon

The air in the Shattered Picks district tastes of coal dust and desperation. For generations, the Pulverized Mine has fed the forges of Ironhaven, its labyrinthine tunnels coughing up priceless ore and, lately, a creeping, silicate plague. Now, the slag-jammed ventilation fan in the lowest level has brought all work to a choking halt. The Dust-Lungs—miners afflicted with crystallized lungs—grow with each shift. Two factions see a solution in the crisis, but their methods are as opposed as fire and ice. The Combine, the mine's owners, demand the fan cleared at any cost to restore profit and 'save' jobs, while the Breathers' Communion, a cult of the afflicted, believes the fan's jam is a sacred sign; they seek to collapse the mine entirely, sealing the dust and the cursed wealth forever. You are trapped between the grinding gears of industry and the desperate prayers of the dying. The Combustible Dust Hazard is not just in the tunnels; it is in the choices you will make.

Chronicle Prelude

The Miners' Rookery, a crowded, smoke-stained tavern and makeshift infirmary at the mine's entrance. It is a neutral ground where Combine overseers, Communion zealots, and exhausted workers share stale ale and whispered fears. The constant, low rumble of the stalled ventilation fan can be felt through the floorboards.

Environmental Traits

The Pulverized Mine is a vertical, industrial hellhole choked with fine, combustible rock dust. The primary crisis is the failure of the main ventilation fan, located in the deepest 'Heart of the Mountain' chamber. Its failure has caused dust levels to spike to explosive concentrations, made air unbreathable, and trapped several mining crews in sealed-off sections. The ultimate goal is to either restore airflow and resume extraction or deliberately trigger a controlled collapse to seal the hazard forever, each path demanding a sacrifice.

Legendary Archetypes

Rayan

HP:45

STR:16

WIS: 12

CHA:11

Key Factions & Autonomous Nodes (8)

Overseer Krag
A broad-shouldered human male in a stained but sturdy leather apron over mining clothes. His face is gaunt, with deep-set eyes shadowed by fatigue, and his hands are calloused and scarred. He wears an Iron Combine foreman's badge prominently on his chest.
Sister Ash
A gaunt human female with ashen-grey skin and a persistent, rattling cough. Her eyes have a fervent, feverish gleam. She wears tattered miner's clothes adorned with bone charms and pouches of dust. Her breathing is labored, and fine dust puffs from her lips with each word.
Gaffer Tinn
An elderly, wiry human male with soot-stained grey hair and thick-lensed spectacles perched on a crooked nose. He wears patched overalls and moves with a slight limp. His gaze is sharp and distrustful, constantly scanning his surroundings.
Dust Phantom
A swirling, vaguely humanoid shape coalesced from agitated, luminous dust motes. It crackles with faint arcs of static electricity and emits a low, humming buzz. It has no discernible features, just a shifting silhouette that mimics the movement of living creatures.
Slag Guardian
A colossal automaton standing over ten feet tall, assembled from riveted iron plates caked with slag and dust. It moves with a ponderous, grinding gait, powered by internal pistons and bellows. Its head is a featureless dome with a single, glowing red optical sensor. It bears the faded insignia of the Iron Combine on its shoulder plate.
Mira Orethorn
A young human woman in a torn geologist's duster, covered in grime and rock dust. Her arm is in a crude splint, and she has a desperate, determined look in her eyes. She clutches a leather satchel to her chest.
Combustion Kobold
A small, reptilian humanoid adapted to the dusty environment. Its scales are dull grey-brown, and it wears a crude mask woven from wet fibers over its snout. It carries a jagged mining pick and a pouch that clinks with volatile dust-crystals.
Ventilation Archivist
A middle-aged human male in a soot-stained but neatly pressed Combine technician's uniform. He wears leather gloves and carries a clipboard. His expression is one of nervous dedication.

Chronicle Prelude

Environmental Traits

Legendary Archetypes

✦ Related Cases ✦

The Lost Workshop: Heart of a Raging Core

The Crystalline Scorpion Frenzy