The Sand Mines
Dust / the Sands
by Ed McGraff, prime planewalker
It was on the third month of Pintar by Eolian reckoning (that’s my prime world, don’t knock it unless you want a slug of lead from my sling embedded in your heart) when me and my band got lost in a sandstorm and got thrown off track. Weeks from our portal and low on supplies we decided to find a nice burg to get supplies and directions in.
I found a small boomtown and decided to mosey on down to the general store and ask for directions. Dust swirled by my face as I stepped into town. Women and children ran for cover and a bunch of redsuits (hard heads you call them) mostly hired thugs came out with crossbows loaded. “You’re not wanted in these here parts stranger,” sneered the Hardhead.
I tried explaining the situation to him real gentleman-like but he snorted and told me to leave this town by dawn. After getting a drink and some quick directions at the town centre I decided to go out and get my bearings. It was tough, everywhere I went there were guards at my back saying stuff like “There’s not enough room in this town for the two of us,” and other lame threats.
I did notice that the town was in a ring shaped air pocket. Curious I darted through alleys trying to shake off the guards, then cast a spell over me to let me slip through the dust like a cat slips through a gap in a picket fence. I was surprised to see the central pocket hollow, and a huge mineshaft. Silicate-rich sand was being smelted into glass. I looked at one of the crates of glass and it was marked Silicate Valley Trading Company. Now I may be clueless, but even I know that they are big in the glass game back in Sigil. This glass of theirs, it’s tough as nails, but doesn’t ring a bell on the magic detectors.
Then I was spotted, crossbows were raised and things got ugly. It was only my magic that allowed to escape by passing back into the wall. I gathered my band and high tailed it out of there, being chased down by a posse that was out for blood. Those redcoats were on a warpath and they had the bolts to prove it. If it wasn’t for me getting the portal location they would have killed me. Now I’m a wanted man in over a dozen planes (any with Harmonium) that’s why I rarely go to Sigil anymore, there’s just too much heat for this basher.
Adventure Hooks:
- Echoes of the Past: An ancient spirit haunts the Sand Mines, and the players are sent to banish it. They learn that the spirit is an echo of the land’s former beauty, devastated by the mining. The resolution requires the players to restore a piece of the natural beauty to the area, symbolising the importance of respecting and preserving nature.
- The Illusion of Freedom: The players are caught up in a rebellion by the miners against the Harmonium. However, they discover that the leader of the rebellion intends to seize control for their own gain, not to liberate the miners. This twist forces the players to confront the idea that freedom can be an illusion, and that liberation sometimes requires more than just overthrowing the oppressor.
- The Duality of Justice: The players are hired to bring a notorious criminal hiding in the Sand Mines to justice. However, upon capturing him, they discover he’s a Robin Hood-like figure, stealing from the Harmonium to help the oppressed miners. The resolution challenges the players’ understanding of justice and morality, questioning whether breaking the law is justified if it’s for a greater good.
Source: Joshua Jarvis and Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net
