Session 3
Fire and Brimstone
Fire and Brimstone
General Summary
The players awake the following morning and conclude any last minute shopping in Brimstone before departing south toward the train station in Quarry Junction. They arrive on time and board the train due west to Brimstone Hollow, their newly assigned work location given to them the day previous at the Imperial Labor Office. During the train ride there, Alucard overhears a conversation amongst some seasoned indents; he learns of Overseer Gorem Handrik, a ruthless figure who secured his position as Overseer of the mine by betraying a past uprising of indents. Meanwhile, the rest of the party conserves their energy for what lies in wait.
Eventually the train screeches to a halt, a crumbling train station marks the edge of the worksite, its rusted rails disappearing into the darkness of the tunnels ahead. A few decrepit administrative buildings squat near the entrance, their walls stained with soot and sulfur burns. Nearby, sulfur refineries belch columns of noxious fumes into the air, their iron chimneys rattling with each explosion of pressurized gas from deep below. Beyond the refineries, a makeshift indent camp sprawls across the rocky terrain—rows of sagging tents and patchwork shanties lashed together with scavenged materials. Fires flicker in metal drums, casting eerie shadows over hollow-eyed workers huddled together, whispering of lost hope or stolen rations.
Among the bustle of indents reporting for work, the party reports to an administrative building at the mouth of the mine, where they meet Overseer Gorem Handrik. The Overseer gives them little regard and warns them to stay in line, or else they will be sent to "the Pit". Once processed, the party is assigned to the same squad, and instructed to enter the mine. At the entrance, each player is provided with a Sulfur Pick; a long metal rod used to harvest the sulfur crystals (has quarterstaff stats). Once within the mine, it is quickly apparent that these indents are worked tirelessly in conditions that are extremely hazardous to their health; the deeper in you go, the hotter and more hazardous the toxic fumes are. Meanwhile, Handrik's chosen enforcers work security and promote "productivity" among the suffering workers.
Heading deeper into the mine, the party begins harvesting the hazardous sulfur crystals in order to avoid attention from the guards. Frostwarden manages to steal 5 sticks of dynamite from an unattended crate, as well as overhear some of Handrik's enforcer's discuss overthrowing him. Meanwhile, Thane Boykos encounters the same human couple that the party had met previously on the train to Brimstone (Session 1). Upset to find them in such hazardous conditions considering the woman is with child, Thane learns of their harsh treatment and the physical violence enacted by Handrik's men - before he leaves, the woman pleads with him to help them find a way out of there, for their child's sake. Thane and xgBoost Protocol v28.7.2 head further down a guarded tunnel, gaining clearance with his sharp tongue, Thane waits in the shadows for his opportunity to strike - he draws his knife ...