Exploring Kal-Arath Episode 10 - Revelations

 

Hi everybody,

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 10 - Revelations

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1. Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. 

Personality: Friendly, Moody,  Hp = 7 out of 7. Xp=1.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1),  Staff, Dagger. Leather Armour

14 days' rations in a sack.Waterskin and strap. Flint.   

 Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak. Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving.

Burvin's Journal in a water-resistant pouch. Speckled Eggshell serving bowl. 

In pouch around neck - Gold Coins = 1. Silver Coins = 13.

Threads

 1) Scaleel or Goritan Village Member, 2) Wizard - Jis-Kel, 3)  Khainar Yak Folk, 

4) Ref Sodrav, Tan Muen and Cazen Goorte.5) Hermit,  6).Mad Folk, 

7) Melek-Kesh symbol 

                                 Yamil-Torl  - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1.Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall.

 Personality: Independent, Opinionated. 

Goal: Wants to visit the jungle. Hp. = 4 out of 6. Xp = 1

.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6 / disadvantage).Rough clothes. Bronze helmet. 

Hand Axe. Dagger. Silver Coins in pouch = 17! sack.

Rations = 7 in a sack, including Burvins supplies. Tarnak Berries/ 1 Ration.

Sword and Shield (Design of the Cultists).

         Deramask and the Hunters Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1.Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age = 18. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall.

 Personality: Independent, Willing to listen. 

Goal: Wants to keep his tribe safe. Hp. = 6 out of 6. Xp = 0

.

Equipment

Sling, Spear, Hand Axe, Dagger, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage).Rough clothes.

Tinder and flint in a pouch. Waterskin, clay bowl. 1 Food sack. Tribal necklace. Hammock and sheet.

 Bedroll, Rations = 7 in a sack.

The Morning of day five, in the Mine - Yamil peeked around the left corner into the latest chamber, "There's a central pillar, probably from the mining, and I can make out something else as well."

He shuddered.

"What is it? What can you see?" asked Mal.

"Glowing pikes are coming from the left wall, and there is a haunted altar."

He thrust the torch farther in to look for any imminent danger. "Wait, they are not spikes, they are crystals of some sort."

They checked the immediate area for traps.

(?Q Traps? d6 > 2 =no traps).

They stepped farther into the chamber and looked to the left at the crystals, which had formed in a hollow in the rock. There were three lead-lined boxes in there, each with carvings on it. One had a royal arm bracelet depiction, the other had the symbol for Mother Nature of Fertility, and the small one had the Spear of the Royal line upon it. Resting on each was a glowing blue crystal. The light was reflected off the faces of the other crystals, giving the chambers a faint ethereal blue radiance. This was reflecting off the altar, giving it a faint glow. Yamil made the sign of warding off evil spirits. "May Dorgan the Mighty protect us."

"Always," replied the others.

"The miners must have hit this growth of crystals as they were coming this way. The cultists have taken advantage of it to honour their royal family. Those blue crystal things may be protecting them in some fashion. I, for one, will not be disturbing their slumber. We have already found out what their powerful mage could do."

"Yes indeed, they were clearly worshipping them or were performing some sort of rituals here."

 The wooden altar was stained with a dark substance that was probably blood. The Melek-Kesh symbol was carved into the top of the altar. Above it, there were metal hooks hammered into the high roof, with the remains of rope dangling from them.

Looking farther behind the large columns of rock, we saw old remnants of two crossed, sloping banner poles with tattered banners dangling from them, along with swords and shields mounted on the walls, all bearing the same design as the shield Yamil was carrying now. 

There were crudely made benches in the central area facing the altar..

"I will change the design on here as soon as possible, even if it is the brown of plain dirt. They clearly had power at one time, and it seems they did not use it for good".

"That is the way of great power, it always seeks more."

(? D6 Loot?  6 Yes, And information).

Deramask looked at the ragged banners and stated, "We will repurpose them to the glory of our tribe."

Not wanting to argue with their new acquaintance and having no need of them, they both agreed. "Take the weapons too, but check for traps first," he advised.

They carefully examined them, or so they thought.

(? D6 Is there a trap?  5 Yes).

(? D6 Look for trap, 5 Yes, Locate Trap?  1 No.)

 TARGET = Deramask, Boki, Shemba and Kudu 1-4 = 4.

Kudu states, "This banner is fine." He picks it off the mounting hooks. There is a slight ping, and a sword mounted above it comes falling towards him.

(? d6 Do Mal or Yamil see the blade falling? Mal = 6+1=7. Y 3+1=4)

Mal shouts, "Above you!"

Yamil shouts slightly later, "The sword!"

(?D2 Dodge or Parry with banner? 2 + Dodge attempt. 6= fail). He slips on some gravel.

Daramask, who is next to Kudu, will burn his Fate Point and Strength to push Kudu out of the way, and he falls to the side, the banner still gripped in his hands.

  2d6+2 = 4,2+2 =8) Can Daramask twist out of the blade's path?  11 Yes, 

Using the skills honed in evading charging boars, he dodges the lethal blade as it clatters to the floor and collides with the benches, landing on top of them, his pack cushioning his fall.

Mal and Yamil are horrified at the sight, remembering what happened to Burvin.

Shemba asks, "Are you hurt, Kudu? Kudu?"

There was no reply.

Shemba rushes to his side. "Kudu!"

Kudu's eyes slowly blink open. "Are you hurt, Kudu?"

"No, but I would have been if it had not been for Daramask." He slowly climbs to his feet and claps Daramask's arm in appreciation.

They found a braided hair connecting the base of the banners to one of the sword hilts on the wall, balanced so it would fall if anyone lifted the banner base off the ground.

Daramask looks at the other banner, "I think just one banner will do. We can leave it here for the time being."

Shemba noticed that Kudu was hurt."Kembu, you are bleeding."

"It's only a scratch."

"Sit on the bench while I fix it."

Shemba bound some healing leaves around it.

(Not worth losing a HP over.)

Mal looked around at the exits, wondering which one to take next.  The left one began just beyond the crystal chamber. The central one was wider than the other two. The other exit was to the right of the banners.

(?d6 Left, Middle, Right  1 Left tunnel).

"Let's go down the left tunnel. The torch should be good for a while." 

He prods around the entrance with the staff to check if it is safe.

"All clear, I hope."

He asks Yamil, "Do you want me to go first?"

"No, I am fine."

The tunnel was mostly straight, and then it curved to the right after a stubby dead end. After about  60 feet, it opened into another roughly circular chamber 30 feet wide with an exit in the right wall.

There was a central table with a humanoid skeleton chained to the top, and a far table with a Ghoul's head hanging from a beam above it.

Mal adopted a defensive posture. He approached the table and flicked the skull off the body onto the floor. He looked around nervously.

Nothing happened.

He drew a sigh of relief.

The others came into the room.

Suddenly, the temperature got colder, and a smell of decay permeated the room. And a thin, wispy form appeared above the skeleton. It spoke like the wind through the trees.

"Who disturbs the rest of Aglar Krent. Speak!"

End of Episode 10.

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Presence = 1. Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. 

Personality: Friendly, Moody,  Hp = 7 out of 7. Xp=1.1.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1),  Staff, Dagger. Leather Armour

14 days' rations in a sack.Waterskin and strap. Flint.   

 Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak. Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving.

Burvin's Journal in a water-resistant pouch. Speckled Eggshell serving bowl. 

In pouch around neck - Gold Coins = 1. Silver Coins = 13.

Threads

 1) Scaleel or Goritan Village Member, 2) Wizard - Jis-Kel, 3)  Khainar Yak Folk, 

4) Ref Sodrav, Tan Muen and Cazen Goorte.5) Hermit,  6).Mad Folk, 

7) Melek-Kesh symbol 

                                 Yamil-Torl  - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1.Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall.

 Personality: Independent, Opinionated. 

Goal: Wants to visit the jungle. Hp. = 4 out of 6. Xp = 1.1.

.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6 / disadvantage).Rough clothes. Bronze helmet. 

Hand Axe. Dagger. Silver Coins in pouch = 17! sack.

Rations = 7 in a sack, including Burvin's supplies. Tarnak Berries/ 1 Ration.

Sword and Shield (Design of the Cultists).

   Deramask and the Hunters Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = 1, Int = 2, Presence = 1.Fate Point = Used.

Male Human. Age = 18. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall.

 Personality: Independent, Willing to listen. 

Goal: Wants to keep his tribe safe.

                        Hp. = 6 of 6.         Xp = 0.2.  

Scouts Boki      Hp = 3 of  3.         Xp = 0.1.   

             Kudu    Hp. = 1.of 1.         Xp = 0.2.   

          Shemba     Hp = 6 of 6.          Xp = 0.1.     

Equipment

Sling, Spear, Hand Axe, Dagger, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage).Rough clothes.

Tinder and flint in a pouch. Waterskin, clay bowl. 1 Food sack. Tribal necklace. Hammock 

and sheet. Bedroll, Rations = 7 in a sack. Banners Carriers x 2. Swords & shields X2

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2023 Castle Grief. Permission to copy for personal use.

Exploring Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

Map 1a and Mine Maps 1 and 2 Artwork (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

I am using "Wilderness Encounters" from drivethruRPG.com. No copyright visible.

100 Items Found In An Abandoned Mine From (C) Copyright: the GM Mastery list.

P.S. If you have problems with my choice of colours, email me at ivorcogdell52 "at" gmail.com, and I will send you a plain text version. 

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 8 - Finding Risks and Rewards - Updated 27 May 2026

  Hi everybody,

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 8

Finding Risks and Rewards

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1. Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. 

Personality: Friendly, Moody,  Hp = 7 out of 7. Xp=1.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1),  Staff, Dagger. Leather Armour, after being cleaned and adjusted.

15 days' rations in a sack.Tarnak Berries R=1 (Sc=3), Waterskin. Tinder and flint.   

 Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak. Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving.

Burvin's Journal. Eggshell cooking bowl. 2 Torches unlit, 1 just lit.

In pouch - Gold Coins = 1. Silver Coins = 13.

Threads

 1) Scaleel or Goritan Village Member, 2) Wizard - Jis-Kel, 3)  Khainar Yak Folk, 

4) Ref Sodrav, Tan Muen and Cazen Goorte.5) Hermit,  6).Mad Folk, 

7) Melek-Kesh, 

                                 Yamil-Torl  - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1.Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall.

 Personality: Independent, Opinionated. 

Goal: Wants to visit the jungle. Hp. = 4 out of 6. Xp = 1

.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage).Rough clothes. Bronze helmet. 

Hand Axe. Dagger. Silver Coins in pouch = 17! sack.

Rations = 7 in a sack, including Burvins supplies. Tarnak Berries/ 1 Ration.

Sword and Shield (After being cleaned in the stream.

Still Day Four - Weather - Heavy rain.

Mal carefully moved his hands and feet to the next grip or outcrop along the wall, testing each one before he put his full weight on it.

(Left Handhold 1 and Foothold 1 were tested ok before his weight was applied.)

(Right Handhold  and foothold, 4 and 9, Grip failed, foot solid = ok)

(Left Handhold  and foothold  5 and 10, Grip failed, foot solid = ok)

(Right Handhold and foothold, 10 and 13, Both ok).

(Left Handhold  and foothold, 10 and 7, foot slip ok.)

(Right Handhold and foothold, 3 and 9, Grip failed, foot ok).

(Left Handhold and foothold, 12 and 8, Both ok. Able to step onto firm ground again.) 

"Well done". said Yamil, as he strode across the boards covering the pit in three paces. 

(11, 9 and 16. (Added misc bonus of 4, previously tested ok)

Mal's jaw dropped at the sight."Wha.."

Yamil smirked, "If only I could capture the look on your face right now. I told you I had tested them, but did you notice that I kept my feet over different boards, so that if it did start to break,  I could get a springing leap from the other board. Apart from that, these two boards on the left and right would have had the least foot-traffic wear, however long they were in use. I was pretty well in no danger at all. Let's see what's next."

He picked up the torch and began checking for other sneakiness the Cultists may have left behind for interlopers.

Mal brushed the dust from his fingers and followed Yamil along the passageway as it bent slightly downward. "I hope you are not going to take those risks too often, as sooner or later you will figure wrongly and I will have to drag you out of a hole by your hair."

They continued onwards, finding hollows in the roof and walls where they had followed an ore junction, only for it to shrink and vanish among the other rocks. Other hollows were blocked up with waste rock that had none of the white ore in it. "They were keen on following every chance that the veins presented. That hole in the other room must have been very rich in what they were looking for. I just hope they got home to spend it."

The sound of running water and splashing came from not too far ahead. They kept to a steady pace, watching out for anything unusual. Soon, they found it, an upturned barrel and in the middle of it had been placed a small animal skull, with a necklace of beads surrounding it.

Mal said, "Well, at least one of the cultists had a sense of humour. An offering to the Gods?"

"If it were, I would think the Gods would be offended at such a small gift. In that case, do you want the beads, or the skull, for that matter?"

"I think it can lie there undisturbed for a little bit longer. I do not want to offend the Gods so early in my journey to The Pit Arena by claiming something that could be theirs. I will surely need their aid and intervention later on."

Yamil laughed, "Of that there is little doubt, as shall I. Onward, mighty warrior, the honour of the next discovery shall be yours."

He offered him the lead with a wave, and Mal went forward, liking Yamil's sense of humour, so similar to his own.

(No trap check needed as they did not touch it.)

They rounded a slow curve to the left to find a chamber dug three feet into the right wall, going upward following the vein and halfway across the floor, into which a small but steady flow of water, coming from a crack in the rock face. There were fire stones to the right of it.

"The miners had hit a spring when they tried to follow the vein upwards and decided to make the best of it by turning it into their own personal spa. You can see where they first carved a groove to direct it away from where they would be digging, then they excavated the pool down four feet, then carved the diagonal channel to catch the overflow from the pool and direct it to the gutter on the right wall so that the rest of the stone floor would remain dry and not become slippery."

"It is wide enough for three of them to relax at a time, and they have lined it with sacks to prevent scratches from the rocks. They added a torch slot in the left wall and two on the right wall. The air is much better here; there must be another vent nearby."

"Is that a clay bowl in the water? It must have got knocked off the shelf that they hollowed out above the water line."

"It's a pity that it was not a hot spring."

"They had that thought too. I bet that burn patch there was not just to cook on; they could have heated water and tossed in warm rocks to generate heat. We must try that at least once before we go."

"Only after your leg has healed properly. It has scabbed over nicely; you don't want to have a setback, do you?. Speaking of legs, let's move on from here."

They skirted around the edge of the makeshift pool into a wider section of tunnel, which began to gradually shrink and widen at odd intervals. At one point, timbers had been erected to make a platform, and the ceiling they had carved out of the living rock by standing on it was twenty feet above their normal height. Then it gradually sloped downwards again to a height of 12 feet and then back to its usual height of six feet. 

The pair rounded a corner to see a silhouette framed in the entrance light of the mine tunnel. It was a small humanoid of some sort. It started yelling as they came into view and ran out of the entrance. They chased after it, which was a foolish thing to do in that place, but they got out without mishap.

Once their eyes had adjusted to the glare of daylight again, they saw a young child running away from them into the steady rain, holding a spear. "Hello there. We are not going to hurt you."

(Roll for Encounter D6 = YES, Disposition 6+3+Pre=10 Friendly)  15 = Lost child.

At hearing this, the child stopped and looked back at them. Seeing them as humans, they smiled. He slowly approached them, "I was checking my traps", he patted the rabbit hanging at his belt, "And I came in here to get out of the storm and fell asleep. I woke up to tapping noises and thought you were demons from the underworld. "

Mal smiled at this, "No demons are we, just travellers like yourself. What's your name, lad? This is Yamil, and I am Mal."

"I am Farind, of the Onjos tribe. Some of our warriors are hunting below, and I sought shelter from the storm."

"Well, you are a brave warrior indeed to be hunting alone here; there are dangerous monsters about. We will see you safely back to your people."

Yamil asks the boy, "You wait here while we fetch the rest of our travel gear. It will be a while as these tunnels go quite a way into the mountain, so don't go wandering off. There are dangerous monsters out in the woods; we were not telling tales about that part."

"Can I come with you?"

"It is dangerous in the mine; we have not explored it all ourselves yet. We have already found a bottomless pit, and there is a water trap and a spike trap just around the corner. It is not safe for you to go in there alone, understand?"

"Yes."

"That's good. What you can do for us is to keep a lookout for any monsters on the prowl or your friends in case they come this way looking for you."

Mal adds, "We will be as quick as we can."

He gives him some dried meat from his pouch.

"Have this while we are gone."

"Thank you."

The pair swiftly retreat up the tunnel, the torch bobbing in Yamil's hand. The light soon vanished as they rounded the first corner.

As they swiftly moved along the passage, Mal remarked, "It was well done that you gave him something to do to occupy his mind so that he would not come in after us."

"That was my hope; we shall see if it works or not, you know what kids are like."

Soon, they had returned carrying their gear. They had left their last torch around the bend and out of sight, so that there was no recent sign of occupation at the entrance.

Mine map 3 - Entrance South, Vent NW, Exit East, Down Tunnel Central.

(? Did he run off?  1= No, and he saved the jerky for later too.)

They were glad to find Farind where they had left him. They looked out into the gloom."The rain will wash off the mine dust as we go. Point the way, Farind and then we will see if it is clear of anything dangerous."

They went downhill into the thicker part of the forest, and Farand made a shrill bird call, receiving one in reply. At track junctions, Yamil carves a notch into a tree, so that they can find their way back. After a few more calls to adjust their direction, they reach the hunter's camp and are met by two scouts on watch.

(?D: Encounter 6+3+1+10 Friendly) (I would have added +4 for child return, if needed.)

"May we approach the camp?"

"You may approach in welcome, since you return one of our own safely back to us."

(?D Farinds reception, were they mad at him? 6+3=9 Friendly) .

"Shemba, Boki, I found some new friends."

"So you have. Welcome." They pat him on the shoulder, wave at the two strangers and then slip back into their hidden positions.

When they arrive at the camp, which consists of small tents with hammocks underneath them, surrounding a central fire pit. They can see and smell that the hunters have killed a juvenile Tyrant lizard, and are cooking both of its arms over a fire, while the others are dismembering the other parts for easy transport back to their village.

"I am Deramisk. Please come and eat with us, and tell us what this small destroyer of villages has been up to now?"

"I did catch our lunch. It's a start."

One of the others pokes a stick through a thigh joint on a stick, then jams the other end into the dirt, so that it hangs above the fire, cooking slowly, with the juices sizzling as they drop into the flames. 

"You find us on a very good day. We have been hunting this one for a week now; it has been attacking our herd of cattle, and we were finally able to corner it and bring it down."

"Will not the smell of a kill and the fire attract other beasts?" asked Mal.

"It is a risk. Normally, we would butcher the beast, eat the heart and be on our way, but our newest hunter here had strayed from the camp, so we had to wait for his return or go and find him. We decided on a meal while we waited and set sentries out to watch for anything coming our way."

"Did you meet a small party yesterday?"

"No, but we did come across some obvious tracks leading down to the plain." 

"That would have been our new acquaintances, Ref and his friends. They had ha run into a Ghoul higher up the mountain the previous night, and it killed three of their number."

"That is sad to hear."

"There is an old hermit who lives up in the heights, too, but he seems harmless. He came upon us while we were burying a travelling historian. He had been killed by an undead Skeleton that we had found.in an abandoned mine, the one that young Farind would just love to explore. But to be fair, he had the good sense to stop at the entrance and not go in any further. With your permission, once it has been explored by us, we will give him the grand tour."

"I would like to see this too."

"Then so you shall."

"But first, you must meet the Elders of our village. They must learn of this."

(? Do they go with them? Find out next time.)

Map 3 - The mine entrances and exits are fairly close together.

The path down the forest track goes roughly East, but they have not exited the Hex yet.

End of Episode 8

Mal-Shui (PC) - Str = 1, Tou = 2, Agi = 1, Int = -1, Pre = 1. Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age = 24. Brown eyes and hair, 6'1" tall. 

Personality: Friendly, Moody, Hp = 7 out of 7. Xp=1.

Equipment

Longsword, (Att +1, Dam +1),  Staff, Dagger. Leather Armour, after being cleaned and adjusted.

15 days' rations in a sack.Tarnak Berries R=1 (Sc=3), Waterskin. Tinder and flint.   

 Rough blue tunic, an animal fur cloak. Terradon Tooth necklace with Tribal Totem carving.

Burvin's Journal. Eggshell cooking bowl. 2 Torches unlit, 1 just lit.

In pouch - Gold Coins = 1. Silver Coins = 13.

Threads

 1) Scaleel or Goritan Village Member, 2) Wizard - Jis-Kel, 3)  Khainar Yak Folk, 

4) Ref Sodrav, Tan Muen and Cazen Goorte.5) Hermit,  6).Mad Folk, 

7) Melek-Kesh, 8) The Onjos tribe hunters.

                                 Yamil-Torl  - Str = 1, Tou = 1, Agi = -1, Int = 2, Presence = 1.Fate Point =1.

Male Human. Age =34. Green eyes, Black hair.  5'11" tall.

 Personality: Independent, Opinionated. 

Goal: Wants to visit the jungle. Hp. = 4 out of 6. Xp = 1

.

Equipment

Sling, Staff, Club, (Att+0, Damage d6/disadvantage).Rough clothes. Bronze helmet. 

Hand Axe. Dagger. Silver Coins in pouch = 17! sack.

Rations = 7 in a sack, including Burvins supplies. Tarnak Berries/ 1 Ration.

Sword and Shield (After being cleaned in the stream

27th May 2026 Update - It was way too hot to go out, so I made the most of being at home and did some more on episode 9. It is now completed.. Thanks for your patience.

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2023 Castle Grief. Permission to copy for personal use.

Exploring Kal-Arath (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

Map 1a and Mine Maps 1 and 2 Artwork (C) Copyright 2026 Ivor Cogdell.

I am using "Wilderness Encounters" from drivethruRPG.com. No copyright visible.

100 Items Found In An Abandoned Mine From (C) Copyright: the GM Mastery list.

P.S. If you have problems with my choice of colours, email me at ivorcogdell52 "at" gmail.com, and I will send you a plain text version.