Incident in Redspeckle Mine, The (3.5e Quest)

The Incident in Redspeckle Mine is a short adventure for a Level::4th level party. Except for a short introductory sequence, the entire adventure happens within the dungeon of Redspeckle Mine, and it involves a balance of negotiation, combat, and exploration. It is intended to be played over Length::2 sessions.

Summary
The Incident in Redspeckle Mine is a negotiation-based dungeon adventure. Summary::Azers have come from a mysterious dungeon complex recently unearthed by a mine, and this has spooked the miners, with some calling them omens of an imminent volcanic eruption. Can the mine be saved?

DM Background
Redspeckle Mine has been operating for just over two years, and is turning into full swing producing iron ore from the black, red, and golden rocks (actually pyrite) in the area. Recently, while tunneling in a particularly rich deposit, they broke through into another, larger tunnel complex. Since they broke through, Azers have been coming up out of the caves.

Some of the more superstitious townsfolk, both miners and not, worry that this is a sign of a displeased spirit within the mountain and an impending volcanic eruption. A few have already left in a panic, bringing production from the mine and the nearby farms and orchards to a sharp drop, and more leave every day.

The Azers themselves have been living in their fortress of (name here) for several decades, mining and establishing themselves. However, they are not the oldest habitation here by far. (Name here) was built in the upper reaches of Kuo-Toan scouting tunnels from the age when their worshipped evils swam in the depths. Cave-ins and avalanches had sealed the entrances to the surface, giving the Azers a relatively safe lair, until the complex was breached by the miners.

Important NPCs
The Redspeckle Mine has a number of important personages, both among the miners and among the Azers below.
 * Mine Owner
 * Mine Foreman
 * Notable Miner
 * Tavernkeeper
 * Azer Ruler
 * Azer Vizier
 * Azer Foreman

Hook
The PCs could be brought to Redspeckle Mine for any number of reasons. They might simply be travelling in the area and hear about it at a nearby village or inn, or they might enter the town itself. They could also be hired by someone with an interest in the production of the mine, perhaps a king or duke who needs the iron for military purposes, the master of a smiths' guild, or a powerful merchant.

Redspeckle Town
Redspeckle Town (pop 643) is a small mining boomtown on the side of a mountain recently cleared from the hunting range of a manticore. The oldest building in town is a simple farmhouse, one of several, built soon after the manticore was slain. That farmhouse and four others like it are the only buildings in town older than some of their occupants, like Young Grethar (age 8), the son of Old Grethar (1 hit die Human), the head of the second farm family to come to the area.

While the "old" village is clustered on a flattened field, and mostly inhabited by farmers, the newer town is on a significantly higher terrace, just below the mine entrance. Most of the town buildings are here, including the town hall (a temporary structure that has been in use for two years now), inn, smithy, and the miners' homes.

The Mine
The mine walls and floors are hewn stone, shored up with wooden frames along the walls and over the ceiling. The mine is dark; miners carry their own lanterns, although the wall supports have hooks to hang lanterns every 10'. Many of the mine tunnels have cart tracks.

The Caverns
The caverns breached by the Redspeckle Mine are natural caverns, with unworked stone walls and floors. In a few areas, the miners have installed wooden platforms, lantern brackets, and similar to speed exploration. Except for those platforms, where they have not been destroyed by the Azers, the entire cavern is difficult terrain, slowing movement speed to half.

The Azer Fortress
The Kuo-Toan ruins that the Azers have built their fortress in are not completely settled, or even regularly patrolled, by the Azers. The walls are hewn stone and floors are flagstone, which is usually broken in areas the Azers don't use regularly enough to clear. The fortress is dark except for the light of the Azers themselves.