SR48: The Cleansing of the Banshee Copper Mine

This session happened Friday, June 3, 2011, and was the only session I ran this past weekend.

Adventuring Group:
Su Bel (human cleric)
– Dame Yasha of Bereste (Su Bel’s human cavalier cohort)
Tycho von Helmont (elf alchemist)
Agnes Sunbeard (dwarf rogue)
Mog the Doomed (half-orc barbarian)
Sal Ty (elf wizard)
– Maenwen (Sal’s human wizard cohort)
Xin (human wizard)
Thorngrim (half-orc sorcerer)
– Kainen (Thorngrim’s human fighter cohort)
Alys Kaah (gnome summoner/cavalier) [via Skype]
– Mr. Boodles (Alys’s owlbear-looking eidolon and mount)

Note: the list of player characters is in player sitting order, from my left and then clockwise around the table and then on my laptop via Skype.

In-game Starting Date: February 15, 23rd Year of King Nikola V

After the cold, snow-heavy winter months, the adventurers decided it was time to free the copper mine of the banshee living in it. They took the 3 Peaks Road south and then followed the sporadic trail of arcane marks across the Great River, pushing on until dusk to reach the crooked tower Thorngrim erected there last year. The night passed mostly quietly, with those on guard duty allowing the wildlife seen to pass in peace.

The next day, the adventurers hiked into the foot hills of the mountains, heading towards the plateau where the mine entrance was located. As they reached the edge of the plateau and were looking for a good route to climb, Agnes noticed the remains of an old road leading up the side. There was not much left of the road, but it did mark an easier path up the side of the plateau. Once they reached the top of the plateau, they set up a covert camp. Sal cast [magic mansion - I need to look up the exact spell name] for a place to camp while Thorngrim cast illusionary terrain to hide the campsite, particularly from any dragons that might fly overhead.

During the second watch, Sal spotted a group of giants moving across the plateau. He flew after them to find out where they were going. The giants moved across the plateau and entered the higher mountains on the far (eastern) side of the plateau. Once the giants were out of sight in the mountains, Sal placed an invisible arcane mark on the spot so it could be found later. As it was getting towards dawn, Sal flew back and reported what he had learned. He had a tendency to yawn for the rest of the day and was down a few spells from lack of rest.

After a couple hours hike, the adventurers reached the entrance to the copper mine. They entered the mine and set up a camp in the first cavern so they would be at minimum encumbrance while exploring the mine and looking for the banshee. They set a rope and climbed down the main shaft to the next level of the mine. Down one passage they found the mine’s workshop, long abandoned. Agnes was able to determine the mine belonged to humans based on the materials and tools found here. This area was also the home for the elevator’s tread wheel and it was estimated that if the top pulleys were replaced and new ropes strung, the elevator would work again. This was filed away for later use.

The passage out the back of the workshop eventually dead-ended and the adventurers followed the next passage clock-wise off the main shaft. They could hear water moving behind the walls and shortly came to a cavern where the underground stream was exposed. They (carefully, one might say paranoidally) made their way across the bridge and deeper into the mine. At a Y-intersection, Agnes noticed the wooden braces holding the ceiling up were acid damaged and weak. Looking around for the cause of this damage, she located a huge black pudding as it roiled up for the attack. A couple of bombs and fireballs later, the pudding was destroyed, but the ceiling started to collapse. Thorngrim attempted to shore up the ceiling with a wall of stone, but the weight involved merely shattered his wall. The group ran for their lives, trying to stay ahead of the collapse. When they cleared the bridge over the stream, the collapse finished, blocking off any further passage in the direction they had been heading.

It also attracted the attention of the banshee.

The adventurers heard the wail of the banshee from deeper in the mine and cautiously made their way back to the main shaft. There they spotted the banshee as it flew out of a passage on a lower level. The main shaft was over forty feet across and over a hundred feet deep, which allowed Mr. Boodles to take flight as the other adventurers spread out along the ledge of the shaft. The banshee flew up towards Mr. Boodles, her face twisted with rage, and struck him, dark energies flowing through the contact. Alys was able to share the damage, keeping Mr. Boodles from being destroyed, but terror was now in his heart. Just as Mr. Boodles was bolting away from the banshee, Sal placed a horizontal force wall UNDER them and covering most of the shaft, providing a surface for Alys to quick dismount onto…and for Mog to charge across.

As the adventurers moved around her and struck at her with their magic weapons, the banshee wailed again. Agnes, Dame Yasha, and Xin all fell to the ground dead from the attack and the rest were sickened for a round [I rolled minimum on the die for how long the effect lasted]. With anger in their hearts, the remaining adventurers renewed their attacks and put down the banshee, Tycho dealing the final damage to her.

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Su Bel regretted letting vengeance guide her hand. She had breath of life ready and could have brought back one of the fallen, but now the time was past. The fallen were bound in their cloaks and set aside for later transport – first the banshee’s lair had to be found.

The living adventurers descended to the mines third level and entered the passage the banshee had appeared through. It led to a chamber full of bones, bones of Man and of Elf. All of the bones were collected and taken to the surface, where they were given burial and the ground consecrated. [This permanently banished the banshee, but the players might not have known that.]

After the burial, the fallen were gathered and Sal teleported all of the adventurers back to Drop-off Keep. The following day, Su Bel cast raise dead multiple times to bring the fallen back. She then started the long process of restoring them to their full capabilities.

While the copper mine was purged of the banshee, the cost had been high.

*End of session*

[We had a full group this session with all but one player physically present, a rare occurrence now-a-days.


A note about the in-game dates: the year changes on the King’s Ascension Day, which is July 10. So when that date comes around again, it will be July 10, 24th Year of King Nikola V. I bring this up now as the winter season has just passed and while that signals the new year in the Gregorian Calendar, it doesn’t in the in-game calendar. This is something I can play with when the current campaign ends and I re-boot several decades in the future. More on that later.]