Read Aloud / Intro
Bram Plaintree leaves an urgent note for the party to meet him, “follow the river north and you’ll find me”. If the party arrives, they’ll find him standing knee-deep in cold river water at the Ironstream Claim, boots soaked, and his jaw tight. A collapsed tunnel yawns behind him like a broken tooth.
“Stone doesn’t move overnight. But our markings did. Vein was here yesterday — white as moonlight. This morning? Gone. And my best man’s missing.”
He points upriver toward a narrow cut in the embankment where fresh mud and broken stakes show signs of disturbance.
“Something’s working our claim from underneath. And I want it handled quietly.”
Bram offers coin in exchange for ‘discretion’. If asked directly: one miner, Jorin Fell, hasn’t come back from checking a side shaft near the river’s bend where he claimed to see a seam of darksilver. Go find him and if there’s any trouble, take care of it.
Description (Leading to the Encounter)
The disturbed shaft lies 200 yards upriver, partially concealed behind willow scrub.
Signs for observant PCs:
- Small three-toed tracks (Survival DC 10)
- Broken survey stakes repositioned
- Fresh tool marks not matching Redvale iron
The tunnel slopes downward into a tight side-burrow system.
Area 1 – Collapsed Survey Passage
- Narrow 5-ft tunnel.
- Loose gravel hazard: DC 11 Dexterity save or take 1d4 bludgeoning and fall prone.
Area 2 – Forked Burrow
Left tunnel: false passage with hanging bucket trap (1d4 damage).
Right tunnel: faint glimmer of white platinum seam.
Area 3 – The Vein Chamber
Low 8-ft ceiling. Platinum seam exposed in wall. Crude kobold lanterns burn with animal fat.
Jorin Fell is tied and gagged near the back wall — alive, bruised, frightened.
Encounter / Occupants / Roleplay
A band of kobolds has tunneled sideways into the same platinum deposit.
They are not zealots — they are opportunists.
If combat breaks out immediately:
| Name | CR / XP | AC | HP | MV | Attacks & Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobold | 1/8 (25) | 12 | 5 | 30 ft | Dagger +4 (1d4+2), Pack Tactics |
| Kobold Leader* | 1/4 (50) | 13 | 16 | 30 ft | Spear +4 (1d6+2), Pack Tactics |
If the party pauses or speaks Draconic:
The kobold leader (slightly older, scarred snout) emerges.
“Shiny rock belong to scale-kin now. Bigfolk dig too loud.”
The kobolds are trying to relocate wealth to a deeper nest farther east.
Possible Resolutions
- Combat — drive them off.
- Negotiation — share claim boundaries, requires a DC 18 on Persuasion as the Kobolds are fairly convinced this is their find.
- Trade — tools or food in exchange for abandoning this seam. The party would need to provide at least 1,000 GP in coin or gems to convince the Kobolds to pass up a seam like this. While the seam may yield more, it’s work and risk vs coin in hand.
If negotiation succeeds, kobolds warn of “big shadow in fog north” (hook toward WH1.5).
Treasure
Inside crude wooden chest:
- 40 gp worth of platinum flecks
- Miner’s iron hammer (10 gp)
- Jorin’s personal pouch (12 sp, copper charm of Beory)
If leader survives negotiation:
He offers a rough-cut agate (10 gp value) as goodwill.
Reward
If Jorin is rescued alive:
Bram Plaintree pays:
- 20 gp per character
OR - 10 gp + lifetime free lodging at Red Clay Pot
If kobolds are killed:
Bram respects strength and discretion — gives bonus 5 gp per PC.
If negotiated:
Bram is uneasy — saying, “they’ll just dig somewhere else…” but is glad if Jorin is returned safe. If Jorin is dead, Bram will be more stern and add, “…and when they do, they’ll regret it.”
Consequences
If kobolds survive peacefully:
They may appear later as informants or cause more trouble if miners or Brann decide not to respect their claim.
If miner dies:
Morale in Redvale drops — Bram grows harsher in future dealings.
Chain / Leads
- Kobolds may mention “big folk in fog north” → WH1.5 – Giants in the Fog
- Jorin reports hearing strange humming from the earth → ties back to WH1.1 – The Song Beneath the Barrow
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