Story
Introduction
After eight days of travel, your company has reached Baleborg, a hamlet nestled in a lush mountain valley in the legendary Keeldurn mountain range. You have been hired by a fellow named Phineus Phobos, a baker who has spent his life dreaming of riches and has now hatched a plan to bring that about. Phineus has bet the farm as it were. He sold everything he has worked for, his bakery, home, and land sold, his relationship with his wife and kids selfishly sacrificed in order to fund this expedition in hopes that the gamble will pay off and let him live out the rest of his life as a wealthy man. The idea was to hire a crack team of adventurers and mount an expedition into the Keeldurn mountains to extract some of the vast riches said to still be trapped in the tunnels below, the remnants of the cyclical rise and fall of centuries of dwarven occupation.
Phineus met a man in a tavern who told him of a back entrance of sorts into the mountain, one still unsealed and that avoids the more dangerous region of the mountain to the west. This entrance is in the small settlement of Baleborg, a tiny community on the eastern flank of the mountains. The mountain valley was once riddled with cracks and crevices that allowed monsters and villains to pass in and out of the mountainside with ease but as humanity began to stake their claim to fertile mountain valleys more and more of the passageways into the old tunnels and ruins were permanently sealed. The only remaining entrance to the mountains underbelly in that area is located in Baleborg. The steep shaft is plugged at the surface by a massive boulder, rolled into place by the early settlers. For a steep fee, the villagers will lever the boulder up to allow foolhardy adventurers access to the mountain.
You are a member of the expeditionary team the ex-baker has assembled. The team consists of two groups, the vanguard and base camp. The vanguard is made up of people like you, experienced explorers and dungeon delving adventurers. The base camp group consists of consultants and experts whose knowledge and expertise will be invaluable in navigating the mountain, some extra muscle for logistical support, and a few less experienced adventurers hired to protect them. Together these two groups will be lowered into the tunnels along with enough food, water, and other supplies to mount a sustained exploration of the mountains vast interior. Phineus has paid you a nominal fee up front to compensate you for your travels and preparation but the real payout here will come from the generous fractional shares of the total haul.
There are three people that will remain on the surface with Phineus, a guard and two thrill seeking laborers. In the base camp group, there are the five guards, Old man Lew the frail old historian, Chrissy the cartographer, Ovoustr a dwarf with good knowledge of dwarven culture and architecture, Emmett and Henry the porters, and Billy the torchbearer.
It is late afternoon as you enter the village and the townsfolk seem mildly annoyed at your presence. Your party is invited to dinner with the village leader, Jorave Paqueck, and his family. Phineus wastes no time setting about negotiating the terms for access to the mountain. For the large sum of money that Phineus pays, they will raise the boulder long enough for the party to be lowered down the shaft and if and when they are ready to ascend, will again raise the boulder long enough to be hoisted out. Phineus seems to have been under the impression that they would move the boulder aside for the duration but the Jorave staunchly dismisses the idea. “Too dangerous. It has been years since anything tried to escape but even now, we maintain strict vigilance. The men of the village take turns standing watches over the boulder, two at a time. One near the boulder and one from afar. Any time we move the boulder, we must assemble all the men of the village and arm ourselves in case anything besides adventurers try to leave.” Phineus relents and the negotiations end. The pit will be opened tomorrow at noon. You are all enjoying the last few hours of drinking and conversation outside the leaders home before turning in for the night at your camp.
The Opening Ceremony
With the sun high overhead, all the men of Baleborg have assembled. They are a ragtag bunch, wielding an assortment of farming implements, clubs, and spears. They arrange themselves in a circle centered on the boulder, with the company inside. Two great logs are brought forth that have been hewn into levers. Each is carried by five men, who insert them under the boulder and begin to pry the rock upward. As they do this, Jorave steps forward and says: “Now remember well, when you are ready to leave pull the rope attached to the bell on the surface. We maintain a constant watch over the boulder so the moment you ring the bell, we’ll begin to assemble the town to get you out.”
Presently the men handling the levers manage to raise the boulder enough that you can begin the descent. Who is brave enough to go first?
A rope is secured around your waist and Phineus and the companions designated to remain on the surface take hold of the rope. “Good luck! I can’t wait to see what you find down there!” says Phineus as he begins to lower you into the shaft.
To read about the goings on under the mountain, check the adventure log.
Conclusion
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