Pillar Mine Safehouse

The Pillar Mine is a former mining outpost located off from the Orc Highway in the Desecrated Hills. After the mining operation ended and the mine was left empty, it became a secret safehouse for the Rabble, but was eventualy abandoned.

Description

The Pillar Mine is an underground mine shaft located off from the Orc Highway in teh Desecrated Hills region of central Tarteria. It was an attempt to find more of the rare ore, orichalcum, but was unsuccessful.

Exterior and Roadway

There is an old roadway for transporting goods when the mine was active, which leads from the mine's entrance, through the hills and ridges for a few short miles, out to the Orc Highway south of the New Keeleon. After the mine closed, the roadway was left to weather away.
At the intersection with the highway, there is a small clearing where two ridges connect together, forming the pass the road follows. At some point, the Rabble blocked the roadway with a covered wagon made to appear derelict and was left to degrade; the wheels were broken off, the axels were snapped, and the canvas covering was ragged and sunbleached. Beneath the wagon was old Thieves Cant messaging pointing down the road which reads, "Thieves cache, good hiding place".

Mine Entrance

The mining entrance is a carved hole at the base of a rocky ridge of reddish rocks flecked with darker stones. The entrance is constructed of large wooden support beams. By 5A 352, any identifying signage had been removed or degraded away. Outside the entrance were many broken carts and carriages that had been gathered. Some were from the mining equipment left behind and others appeared to have been brought here much later.
There is more Thieves Cant messaging etched into the beams, which identifies the mine as the Pillar Mine Safehouse. There are warnings, indicating the mine is trapped and there are monsters inside. These were later maliciously modified by Rudok, which made the messages indicate an incorrect safe path through the traps.

Interior

The mine is dug through the reddish rocks of the hills, sprawling deeper underground. The walls were unevenly cut by the orc miners, with many support beam arches to hold the tunnel structure. The layout of the tunnels is sprawling, with offshoots and empty areas.
After the mine reached its maximum depth, any precious ores were then strip mined before the mine was abandoned. Old and broken mining equipment gear could be found in the tunnels.
The mine was dug deep, with a main descending shaft and exploratory offshoots. These carved tunnels connect to natural caverns beneath the hills. These caverns have many stalagmites and stalactites, many of which connect to form rock pillars, giving the mine its name.
Partway down the primary shaft, there was a natural cavern with three tunnels proceeding ahead. The leftmost and central tunnels were both trapped, while the rightmost was safe to traverse.

Base Cavern

At the base of the mine tunnels, there is an expansive natural chamber. Several pillars of stone connect the floor and ceiling, and all over were thick webs coming down from the chamber’s ceiling. Above the central, large pillar were the burrow holes of two huge angler worms. The side walls have burrow entrances for juvenile rock roaches.
The floor, pillars, and walls are pockmarked from the roaches' acid. Abandoned mining equipment was left in the chamber, which was severely damaged by the acid and covered in dusty webs.
On the far side, behind the rocks and pillars, there was a constructed wall of magically formed stone. There was a wooden door designed to appear the same as the stone wall. This doorway was later kicked and broken in.

Secret Safehouse

Behind the stone wall was a small safehouse used by the Rabble. Inside were two degraded metal cages which connect to pitfall traps in the tunels above. The room was dusty and quickly abandoned, with some leftover items and coins.

History

The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow

After the Great War and the sinking of the Western Valley, orichalcum ore became incredibly rare.
As an attempt to find more, mines were constructed by the Kingdom of Keeleon to find more of the valuable ore. The Pillar Mine was likely constructed during this time, but it was unsuccessful in finding more orichalcum.
After any valuable materials were stripped from the mine, it was left abandoned.

The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings

After the mine was abandoned, it eventually became a secret safehouse for the Rabble. A carriage was placed to block the roadway entrance, the tunnels were trapped, and Thieves Cant messaging was added.
At some point, at least several months before Adroth 5A 352, the members of the Rabble stationed here recieved a message reading, "Crown hunting Rabble’s birds, scatter to homebase and tozak." The safehouse and mine were again left abandoned.
5A 352
Several days before 22 Adroth 5A 352, Rudok left a footprint trail leading from the Orc Highway to the entrance of the mine. He maliciously modified several of the Thieves Cant messages to alter their meaning, seemingly as an attempt to trick anyone following him.
On 22 Adroth 5A 352, the Lightbringers found the blocked ridge and Rudok's trail, and they followed it to the mine's entrance. Inside the mine, they reached the bottom and fought many rock roaches and two angler worms.
After the battle, they discovered the secret Rabble safehouse, harvested materials, and scavenged several supplies and abandoned magic items before leaving.

Type

Mine

Parent Location

Desecrated Hills

Related Report (Primary Locations)

• Azimuth 2 - Session 44 - Bugs, Fire, and Dust

Related Report (Secondary Locations)

• Azimuth 2 - Session 43 - On Rudok’s Trail

Region
Desecrated Hills
Continent
Tarteria
Plane
Material Plane