Something down there is howling, and the mining has stopped because of it.
Small quakes have been rattling Malachite and Chrysalis City alike, and the dwarven miners swear they’ve heard howls echoing up from far below. Work in the tunnels has ground to a halt as a precaution, and the Dwarven Union wants to know exactly what’s down there before anyone goes back to the pickaxe.
Where to start
Dwarven Union office, Old District, Malachite. You’ll be assigned to exploration group 710 and given a sector of the eastern tunnels to investigate.
Hooks
- The tunnels run deep — expect mushroom forests, crystal caverns thick with originium, and the ruins of something far older than Malachite itself
- Strange creatures linger in the dark: oozes, shadows, dormant elementals, and remnants of constructs nobody built recently
- The howls and tremors trace back toward something still active far below — whatever it is, it isn’t natural
- A good map of the tunnels might be worth more to certain interested parties than the Union’s reward alone
Rewards
500gp upfront, 500gp on completion — substantial pay for a substantial risk.
Some details are left for the table to discover.