The Mystery of the Shifting Mines
03-20-2024, 01:30 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-12-2024, 11:07 PM by Frothier76.)
Off, far in the deserted plains of Xuantong lies a mine that stretches deep into the ground.
Local folk lore states that the mines were where criminals were disposed of for centuries, leaving their corpses piled up beneath the deserted plains, far away from any civilization- to be forgotten forever.
Those same legends have it that these mines reached the core of the planet, or so those that had ventured down have claimed to see. The claims vary from seeing the old General from the War of a Million continue to stave off the spirits who creep up from below; seeing relatives, long deceased, walk about the mines; and the claims that one may even find the center of the world at the bottom.
One thing is certain about this mine, nobody ever saw the exact same thing, leaving many to speculate if the mines are a mere mirage
brought on by the unforgiving nature and condition of the deserted lands from long ago, or if there is something more going on below...
The only remaining record of this mine was a Shengese archaeological report from about 1833AC, detailing an attempted mining operation in the area.
The report states that, in the mine, they found rare minerals for trade, but they also found cryptic script etched in the walls denoting something called:
--The Mirage Diamond--
The report ends with the note, translated from old Shengese (Xuantong dialect):
"We shall investigate the (?)* soon, we think it is in there that lies 'The Mirage Diamond'."
(*Outdated colloquialism, no available translation)
A recent request sent from a mining company in Xuantong asks to hire capable, steel-minded individuals to their ranks to clear out the mines for
excavation and, later, mining expeditions; if they can verify the legends and, if true, stop the cause of the mirages.
Whatever may be causing it.
Character: Oliphr Ishiko
Attendees: Basil Mooney, Nera, Sayenia M. Ishiko, + one more
Risk: HCoI
Reward: Consult DM/Illusion-focused Materials
Themes: Mines, Ancient Civilization, Ruins, Illusion, Mirages, Undead
DM: Looking for a new DM - Penguin!
