TEXT: Digging Deeper
  Digging Deeper
  T
  he party has been hired by a group of miners in the small, 
  unincorporated community of Mining Town, located in the 
  mountains west of Melanoc. Three workers have disappeared in the 
  mines in the past month, and they believe that a snake-like beast 
  called the Grootslang is to blame. 
  Since the Bronzebeard clan, who own the mines, has refused to do 
  anything about it, the workers have pooled their money and hired the 
  party to hunt down and slay this creature. Alternatively, if the heroes 
  have completed the adventure in the Age of Ambition: Quick-Start, 
  they might be assigned this task by the Legion.
  The Real Story
  The truth is that there is no Grootslang. 
  As an unincorporated community, Mining Town has no mayor, no 
  municipal council and no mining laws. The workers want to change 
  this. Led by a miner named Golsa, they’ve started organizing a petition 
  that they plan to send to the ruling council in Melanoc, demanding 
  that the council issue Mining Town a writ of incorporation.
  The Bronzebeard clan opposes incorporation. Without a municipal 
  authority, their word is de facto law, and they can operate the mines 
  however they please. Since this means generally unsafe working condi-
  tions, they have no desire to have an outside authority get involved.
  The Golem
  The lowest levels of the local mine have a problem with flooding. 
  Water slowly seeps in through cracks in the rock, rendering them 
  unworkable. This has a become a bigger issue recently, as the upper 
  levels of the mine are increasingly tapped out.
  To combat the flooding, a pump has been installed in the mines, 
  allowing the water to be removed. Unfortunately, the pump must be 
  worked almost around the clock for the lowest levels to be accessible.
  A month ago, the Bronzebeards purchased a discount golem from 
  a shady merchant named Ye. They had this golem work the pumps, 
  and at first it was an astounding success! The miners were able to delve 
  deeper than ever before. But that’s when the disappearances began.
  The Overseer
  The man who oversees the mines is an ill-tempered fellow named 
  Turan Azaldi. While not truly part of the Bronzebeard clan, he never-
  theless represents their interests in the mine’s day-to-day operations. 
  These days he also spends a lot of time standing next to the golem 
  complaining. No one else has the patience to hear him out. 
  The primary subject of Turan’s complaints is his disapproval of the 
  workers’ attempt to petition for the town’s incorporation. Although 
  he didn’t know it at first, the golem was listening.
  The Disappearances
  The first miner to disappear was an older worker named Sam. 
  He had been attempting to collect signatures (or marks, for the illit-
  erate) supporting incorporation during the day’s short lunch break. 
  Turan caught him doing this and sent him back into the mines early 
  as punishment. The overseer ranted and raved to the golem before he 
  left the mines to take his own lunch break. No one ever saw Sam again.
  A week later the second miner disappeared after Turan assigned 
  her the night shift for making a speech in favor of incorporation. 
  By the time the third miner disappeared a few days after that, Turan 
  had started to realize what was going on. Every time he’d rant to the 
  golem about a miner, the worker would never be seen again. 
  Quietly, he approached the Bronzebeards with this information. 
  They assured him that he shouldn’t worry too much about it. They 
  would get an expert kalid mage to come fix the golem... eventually. 
  In the meantime, all he had to do was to cover up the disappearances.
  To cover it all up, Turan started the rumors about the Grootslang. 
  He expected it to only be half taken seriously. Instead, the workers 
  became terrified. His plan backfired when they pooled their money 
  and hired an outside party to hunt the creature down.
  Enter the Party
  When they first arrive in Mining Town, the party will be greeted 
  by Golsa. She’s a short but burly miner who spends much of her day 
  hauling ore. Golsa will introduce herself, greet the party warmly and 
  give the heroes a tour while explaining the situation. Make sure to 
  mention the following:
   
  Ώ Three miners have disappeared in the part month. All three were 
  last seen in the mines. 
   
  Ώ Turan Azaldi, the mine overseer, tried to suggest that the missing 
  miners simply quit their jobs and left Mining Town without 
  telling anyone, but she knew all three; they wouldn’t do that.
   
  Ώ Rumors about a a snake-like beast called the Grootslang have started 
  circulating and the miners are terrified. Neither the Bronzebeard 
  clan, nor the overseer, are willing to do anything about it. 
   
  Ώ The workers have pooled their money and can offer the party 
  15 bp, which is bit below the usual rate for such work. A successful 
  Chr/persuade vs. Det/persuade flip, however, can talk Golsa up 
  to 20 bp, provided the party is willing to put in a good word 
  about Mining Town’s incorporation
   
  Ώ While giving the party the tour, she’ll make sure to point out 
  some of the unsafe working conditions, explain the petition to 
  incorporate and also note the new golem who stands just inside 
  the mines, silently working the pump. The rhythmic sound of its 
  pumping echos throughout the tunnels.
  Written and Edited by Thorin Tabor
  Written and Edited by Thorin Tabor
  
  Speaking With the Overseer
  If the party loiters in Mining Town, they will be approached by 
  Turan Azaldi. He will ask about their business and say that the workers 
  are “prone to flights of fancy.” He’s sure the missing workers simply quit.
  Regardless, he will offer the party 20 bp if come to him first with 
  whatever they find and then keep any dangers secret. He will explain 
  that the Bronzebeards want to maintain the mine’s good reputation. 
  If the party turns down Turan’s offer, they will have made an enemy.
   
  Ώ Turan Azaldi uses the Engineer stats found on page 289 of the 
  Age of Ambition core rulebook.
  Exploring the Mines
  The heroes can explore the mines at their leisure. Some sections are 
  still active and filled with workers going about their daily tasks. Other 
  parts have been mined out and now sit largely abandoned. No one is 
  willing to enter the lowest level, where they believe the Grootslang lives. 
  The GM is free to turn the mines into a mini-dungeon, but the 
  story only progresses when they explore the lowest level. 
  Some challenges they may face include:
   
  Ώ Some tunnels may be filled with poison gas (see the Age of Ambition 
  core rulebook, page 275).
   
  Ώ If the party made an enemy of Turan, he may try to collapse a tunnel 
  behind them (see the Age of Ambition core rulebook, page 270).
  The Lowest Level
  The lowest level of the mines is filled with about 2 in. (5 cm) of 
  water. At the end of an abandoned tunnel, the bodies of all three 
  missing miners stick up above the water’s surface.
   
  Ώ Heroes investigating the bodies may make either a Per/medicine-10 
  or Per/investigate-10 flip. Regardless of success or failure, they will 
  note that the miners died from repeated blunt trauma. The wounds 
  are not consistent with the bite of a snake or giant beetle. Heroes 
  who fail, will be distracted when the giant beetles attack (see below).
   
  Ώ Several giant subterranean beetles lurk in the tunnels nearby, 
  attracted by the scent of the decomposing bodies. They will attack 
  while the heroes investigate. There are a number of beetles equal 
  to the number of PCs. They use the stats below.
  Giant Beetle
  Str
  Dex
  Spd
  End
  Int
  Per
  Chr
  Det
  5
  6
  5
  6
  1
  6
  5
  5
  Atk
  Def
  Will
  Arm
  HP
  Move
  Size
  Luck
  7
  6
  5
  4/2
  10
  8
  -1
  5
  Mandibles: +7 vs. Defense (7/6/5/4/3 pi).
  ♥♦: The target takes an extra 3 corrosive damage.
  Bestial: See the core rulebook, page 284.
  Burrow: See the core rulebook, page 285.
  Tracking Down the Culprit
  Other clues as to the fate of the three miners are waiting to be 
  found. Eventually they should lead the party back to the overseer and 
  the golem. Some potential clues are noted below:
   
  Ώ Several large footprints can be found on the lowest level of the 
  mine, where the ground rises about the water level. These prints are 
  too large to belong to any of they miners; they match the golem.
   
  Ώ Questioning the miners will revel that just before each disappear-
  ance, the mine went totally silent. Observant characters will note 
  that this means the golem stopped pumping water.
   
  Ώ If all else fails, on the second day, Golsa will be sent into the 
  mine early as punishment for organizing the miners. This gives 
  the heroes a chance to catch the golem red-handed!
  Confronting the Overseer
  If the team reveals to Turan that they know the golem is responsible, 
  he will want the party silenced. This means commanding the golem to 
  attack, but persuasive heroes might be able to talk their way out of a fight.
   
  Ώ Convincing Turan that they will remain silent calls for a social 
  challenge (see the Age of Ambition core rulebook, page 190).
   
  Ώ Turan Azaldi uses the Engineer stats found on page 289 of the 
  Age of Ambition core rulebook. The golem uses the stats below.
  Defective Stone Golem
  Str
  Dex
  Spd
  End
  Int
  Per
  Chr
  Det
  13
  4
  5
  9
  3
  5
  5
  8
  Atk
  Def
  Will
  Arm
  HP
  Move
  Size
  Luck
  3
  5
  6
  5/5
  22
  6
  0
  5
  Slam: +3  vs. Defense (12/11/10/9/8 sm).
  ♥♦: The target gains a Dazed consequence.
  Construct: See the Age of Ambition core rulebook, page 285.
  Word of Animation: A golem is animated by a mystic word written on a slip 
  of paper and wrapped around a kalid part. This is strapped to its forehead 
  and can be targeted with a Called Shot (see the core rulebook, page 162). 
  On a critical hit, the word is removed and the golem ceases to be animated.
  Loose Ends
  If word gets out that the Bronzebeards were covering up for a 
  murderous golem, this would be a significant blow to their influence. 
   
  Ώ Players who want make a change in the world can leverage the 
  complicitness of the overseer and the Bronzebeards to place a 
  “Support for Mining Town Incorporation” consequence. Once 
  three of these are placed, the council will issue a writ.
   
  Ώ Characters looking for money or favors, on the other hand, can 
  hush up the whole incident to gain a Favor from the Bronzebeards.
   
  Ώ Engineer characters may want invent a mechanical steam pump 
  to replace the golem and ensure that this never happens again.
  Tab Creations, Saga Machine and Age of Ambition are trademarks owned by Thorin Tabor and Tab Creations LLC. All rights reserved. All other content is 
  ©2020 Thorin Tabor & Tab Creations LLC. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright 
  concerned. This document is a work of fiction.
  
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