For a Few Coppers More

There was magic in this world once, but they stole it all away.
 
Tetrons beautiful lakes offered a bounty of seafood, which the Bandolier Brethren partook of once they arrived in the town. They found some lodging in the shoreside establishment: The Rusty Hook. Thy’lek made sure to stock up on vital supplies like Mustache Wax, and Dart tips for his premier league darts. The captain saw about replacing the lost crew, and supply gathering for the next leg of the trip.
 
A carrier owl was sent in order to inform the Bandolier Brethren of the current location of the group, and to forward any information or queries through the trading hub of Tetron. The captain indicated they would be ready to depart after a brief one-day rest, and so they got some much deserved rest. Setting out the next morning with new crew and supplies, they moved on closer to the alleged location of the Electrum Mine.
 
The trip to the mine was uneventful, and the captain left the camels and supplies at the closest point to the location of the mine his landship could arrive. With that, the Sandy Fist bid farewell and the Bandolier Bros were left to their own devices. The entrance to the mine was covered in a layer of loose rubble, and was guarded by a lone outhouse. Also, a group of unfriendly dwarves. K’oric insisted they needed an escort of Orcs to be free of the Under-mountain areas, but as was indicated the Giovan Dunes held no such law in effect.
 
A very short stand-off between the two dwarven families ensued, Ilnig proclaiming his clans proper claim to the mine, and the other group insisting the very same thing. Apparently they’d only just arrived, and there were signs of a goblin infestation. A sign declaring ‘Keep Out’ was plastered to the outhouse, and K’oric immediately opened it. Thy’lek and K’oric both investigated the chamber below. During their investigations, they detected a rumbling.
 
Unsurprisingly, a purple worm appeared! The two orc brethren escaped unscathed, and the party rushed into the mines. John Jean-Jon picked up Ilnig and rushed into the mines, urging the others to follow. The camels which were secured on the ground would hopefully distract the worm long enough for them to escape, with or without the Stoneshield Clan in tow.
 
The mine had seen better days, and the supports were of questionable quality at best. A group of dead goblins lay in the entryway, their killer unapparent. A brief 50 foot tunnel came to a quick intersection, and Ilnig indicated that of the usual dwarven quality. Dug quite sporadically, in fact. The StoneShields went left, and the Bandolier Bros went right. When next they met, it would be as foes.
 
The next cavern they found themselves in contained a variety of supplies and a trio of goblin statues, and four oversized chickens. . . Cockatrices! Dangerous indeed. . . A series of expertly placed alchemical devices and salvos of ranged attacks quickly put down the absurd birds. A lone goblin was huddled under the intact mine cart, and had a fair amount of information for a goblin. In fact, he seemed so competent he was given a temporary Bandolier, and potentially offered a place in the Bandolier Brethren: As an equal opportunity employer. ‘Hug-Hug’ would simply need to survive the expedition.
 
The next alcove was marked with a marking indicating ‘Realm of Browmurdo’, a strange habit of the dwarves to name shafts after Long-Dead kings. Deciding not to risk their lives on ancient machinery, they simply went down the next tunnel. They found a strange looking secret door, that turned out to be a mimic! Quickly the ‘secret door’ was removed, and they pressed through the newly opened tunnel.
 
They passed Mine Shaft ‘Valnorn’ and ‘Torcha’. Koric decided to rappel down into Torcha, with Jean holding the ropes in case of pulley failure. A pair of rust monsters dwelled below, and John quickly retrieved K’oric. Suddenly, the the Stoneshield clan was heard below, investigating the very same room! What a misfortune, for them. They took care of the rust monsters, and we promptly took care of them.
 
We moved forward into some further tunnels and found some non-magical non-potions and a list of what they once were. Amusing stuff! We moved down a large staircase surrounding a statue of a singing, grinning dwarf. The orc immediately touched it. A shower of gems popped out of its mouth. Several times. Then it warned of a green dragon. Then it warned against ‘Facing the golem without the hammer or the pick’. ‘The Gargoyle knows the command word’. Finally, the lizard man got a fistfull of gold. They pressed on and found the nest of the Cockatrices! They managed to collect seven (7) cockatrice eggs for use or sale later.
 
Scouring the last of the floor before heading down, they found a mass of dwarven skeletons still working after all these years, and an overseer wielding a Diamond Tipped Pick. Shortly after, they were crushed and the pick (diamond warpick [value 7,500 gp]), and the parchment in his hand was the deed to the mine. Afte r a rest, they would scour the second floor, and secure it for their operation.