Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 9 - The Decision - Updated 21.06.2026

   Hi everybody,

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 9

The Decision

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 and strap. Tinder and 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 around neck = 17), 1 sack.

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

Sword and Shield (Melek-Kesh Symbol).

It is still the afternoon of day four. Weather - Cool and Cloudy.

Everybody was keen to hear about the mine and the magical skeleton that guarded it.  "This is its armour, shield and sword. Does anyone recognise the House sign?" They all shook their heads.

 Deramisk said that the elders would want a proper report on the mine, not a half-completed one, which is all that could be given at the moment, since they did not know all of the details.

"Then split your forces, half takes the food back to the village, and the other half can explore the mine with us, or as much as we can in a few days, and then we will come back with you. As far as we know, there are only a few rooms left to explore, but there is at least one part not on the map, so there might be more. We will not be able to explore the lower level in any event. It is your choice as leader of the hunt."

Boki applied fresh salve to Yamil's leg while they ate and rested."Thank you." Boki nodded, "It is healing nicely."

After lunch, they packed their camping gear away.

Deramisk spoke, "I have thought on what you said, Boki, Shemba and Kudu will come with me to the mine, the rest will go to the village."

Farind asked, "What about me?"

"Not this time, but you will come with me on my next visit."

"Yes, Deramisk."

"Nandak, you will lead the hunters on the way home. No detours unless you have to, you have enough meat, and you must see it gets to the village."

"Yes, Deramisk."

"Garamu protect you."

"And you"

 With that farewell, they started back to their village, and the other group retraced their steps back to the mine.

Mel and Yamil chatted to everyone about the game in the area and assorted tracks when they came to them. The time passed quickly, but Yamil was annoyed that he was slowing the group down.

"We are not worried, the others have bundles of food and will be assured of a good welcome when they arrive back home. It is good not to have to worry about the hunt, but we do have to worry about things hunting us, so we still have the scouts checking the path ahead."

The trail through the forest was mostly uphill. The two scouts were returning at intervals to report and be replaced by the other two hunters.

Boki explained, "By swapping men scouting the front, you do not get very tired or slip in your concentration. You get a break from being on high alert, although you are never really safe in these woods. We do not normally hunt in this area, but we had to follow the beast where it led us. It must have hoped to put us off its trail. But the snow and rain helped to preserve its tracks, and we were able to get ahead of it and ambush it."

"You did well to bring down a beast of that size."

"Yes, we are a good team."

(? Q - Get lost? 3 No)

The trees are beginning to thin out, and the going gets easier as the slope begins to flatten.

(?Q - Mishap? 6 - Yes)

A stone gives way under Mal's foot, and he slips, "Ahhh." and rolls down the slope a few yards. His pack had spilt its contents on the ground. His Tarnak berries have been squashed in amongst his tinder bundle and ruined it. The bung had come out of his waterskin, and half of the remaining liquid had leaked out. He took a long drink and then stoppered the waterskin again.

He picks up the rest of his gear and the flint. "They will be fine once they are washed, but my tinder is just a sticky mess."

Yamil reminds him, "These things happen on the trail."

"So they do," agreed Boki.

"We must be getting closer now."

Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the larger of the two mine entrances.

Yamil cried, "At last, I was wondering if we had missed a turning and would be wandering all night."

He did not show it, but his leg was itching fiercely.

Mal asked, "Do you want to camp inside or outside?"

(? D6 1-3 Inside, 4-6 Outside. 6 Outside)

"We shall camp outside tonight, and treat the mine as a hostile lair for now. We will camp around the corner, so that if anything wants to go in or out of there, it can do so without us getting in its way. But no doubt, it would catch our scent."

Mal added, "We did not see any creature tracks inside or at the entrance last time we were here, but we should stand watch at camp during the night to be safe."

They found a suitable spot protected from the wind by a rock outcrop, cleared the ground of snow and soon had a fire going. Mal melted some snow and refilled his waterskin. He plans to search for tinder materials in the mine in the morning. They took turns on watch duty.

(?D Yamil's healing roll - 2 + 1   Failed)

(D: Night encounter = 03 Nothing.)

Day Five - Heavy rain began during the night.

"It's too damp to get a fire going out here; we can have a cold breakfast, pack up and get warm in the mine", suggested Mal.

Yamil stated, "You are just eager to see what else is in there."

Mal admitted, "That's  true enough" he grinned, "Anybody disagree with the idea?"

Nobody did. They started with dried Terraton leg and nuts for breakfast, then broke camp.

Once they got to the mine entrance, Mal instructed, "Stick to the right wall, it's about 40 feet to where there is a left-hand bend, that is where we have left some torches. After that, there is a pool on the left and further up, there is a pit trap. Use the boards on the right edge."

"I will go first, Yamil will follow next. Oh, keep your spears up so you can find the low rocks in the roof. It will get easier when we can get the torches lit. Yamil, is your Tinder dry?"

"Yes, Mal"

"Right then, head down, spears up, right hand following the right wall. The scratching will be our helmets being bumped by the ceiling rocks. Let's go."

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

NOTE: Coming in from the East exit.

They entered in single file, getting used to the rock surface underfoot and overhead

Thunk, Mal's staff had hit wood.

"A crossbeam in the roof coming up. I think that was where the roof gets higher for a bit. Yes, it does."

A few paces forward.

Clunk.

"Ah, that must have been a bit further on."

A few more paces forward.

Mal announced, "I think we have come to the junction, wait there, and I will get a torch."

 He soon returned with a torch, which Yamil proceeded to light, "That's better. We would have been quicker with just the two of us. "

"Oh well, it's done now."

The others looked around at the different colours of the rock veins.

Mal pointed to the white rock overhead, "We think that is what they were digging out, but we do not know what they were after. It does look pretty with all of those different coloured specks in it."

They picked up a spare torch and continued at a better pace past the pool, over the pit trap and under the net trap into the communal room. Mal pointed to the other tunnel way out.

"It's left, straight on, right through the other chamber and out. You would have to curve left of the main path to get to your camp from the entrance."

"We have not done up this small passage, but it may lead to somewhere new. Be prepared."

Mal took the lead with his sword drawn, and Yamil came next with the torch and the staff prodding in front of Mal. After fifteen feet, they came to the chamber with the decapitated skeleton.

"That was our opponent, guarding the passageway; there may be more." 

Yamil pointed to the symbol carved on the wall, "This may be who they worship, Melek-Kesh."

They moved around the central pillar of rock and examined the entrance to the tunnel before entering, just in case more traps were waiting for them, but it looked clear. 

Mal was about to proceed, but Yamil stopped him. "My turn in front for a bit."

Mal shrugged and let him proceed first down the new passage.

After about five feet, the passage began to rise slowly, with occasional planks of wood on the floor.

Yamil paused, "That beam looks as it is at an odd angle, I don't like it. Back up a bit."

They did so while he picked up a small rock, which he threw at the plank.

Chunk, it bounced off the plank to the side.

Suddenly, a spear dropped down, splitting the plank where someone would have been standing on the plank.

"Another tripwire trap. They made a groove in the wall and covered it with mud, which pulled away the plug or whatever was holding the spear in place. It could have been nasty. The mud preserved it from rotting, and they put animal grease on it too."

"It's like hunting in reverse."

"Exactly, not something we are usually a part of, except when a terradon comes calling.at our home.or raiding our livestock."

"Let's keep going."

Ten feet along the passage,  they saw a torch propped up against the left-hand wall. Mal said, "That is not one of ours. If we did not get this far before, it is much more neatly made. Possibly another welcome gift for visitors."

Another rock flew straight, knocking the torch over, and another spear came out of the roof to the right of the torch and clattered on the stone floor. 

"They certainly had a liking for nasty stuff; this is no place for youngsters to go exploring just yet."

"No", Boki replied, "And I am not too keen either", he admitted.

Another ten feet and it opened up into a large chamber which had a faint blue light coming from within it. It contained three pillars, probably from the original excavation. They could see one normally sized exit before the light became too dim and a large carved out alcove instead of a left wall, with a glowing blue altar placed in front of it.

Yamil peeked around the left corner, "There's a central pillar, probably from the mining, and I can make out something else strange as well."

He shuddered.

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

End of Episode 9.

,

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 (After being cleaned in the stream.

         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.

Please leave any thoughts on the campaign or the game itself in the comments box. Do you intend to try it yourself? If so, you can get bound copies on https://www.lulu.com/ or digital PDF's at  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/

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. 

Call of Cthulu 1920's - A Stormy Nightmare Episode 4a - The nightmares of Hank

 Hi Everybody,

                      Here is a quick bit of extra supplementary material for you while we are waiting for the Call of Cthulu role-playing game to start up again. The circumstances have improved, I am very glad to say. Hopefully, it should be back in action within the next few months.

A Stormy Nightmare Episode 4a - The Nightmares of Hank.

While Ferb is cutting Billy's hair, with a regular, snip, snip, pause, snip, pause, snip. Hank sits in one of the stalls, adjusts his soaked leather hat to block off as much light as possible from the candles, folds his arms out in front of him, puts his head down and drifts off to sleep.

Unfortunately for Hank, it is not a restful sleep, but a reliving of the last few days and nights of terror the pair have been through together. It begins as the hatch in the Hotel floor opens to see Ned climbing up to get them. Ferb shoosts him in the chest.

Ned said, "I only wanted to ask if your room was comfortable?" and dies in a pool of blood. They rush out of the hotel room and run along the path. The door to the number 4 apartment opens, and a fish man appears at the door. "Hello, blubalub, do you want to be my friend?"

Hank shoots him in the chest with his pistol.

He staggers back and takes off the fish head mask, asking, "Didn't you like my costume? I thought it fit me very well. You will pay, you will become one of us!"

He is grabbed by the arms by two other fish men and dragged off to the lake, where they tie him to a half-submerged stake, "Help me, Ferb, help me!"

Ferb replied, "No! You just shot my brother, Gary! It was a prank! You are going to pay for his death. I hope you get along with piranas, we use them to get rid of the waste scraps and bones from the hotel. They are only young piranha, so they have only got small teeth, so your death will take longer than usual."

"I can see some ripples in the water. They are coming for you, murderer. Who needs an electric chair? This is much more fun, neater too. Do you fish? because now you will know what it is like to be the bait!"

"Nooo..."

He feels a tugging as the fish start to tear at his clothes. One leaps out of the water to take a bite out of his cheek. "Aaah".

Then a sharp pain in his leg, a finger tip, his waist. More and more, they are all over him. He thrashes in the water,  but they only bite faster, and the water is getting redder and redder.

"Please, Ferb, help me"

"No. You should have done less of the driving and let me do some. You know I am better than you, you, you..."

A mist descends and then clears to reveal Hank and Ferb in the car, Hank is driving."This Roadster is great, it handles like a dream."

Ferb replies, "Calm down, calm down, I only said you could try it out, I did not expect you to see what its maximum speed would be, now slow down."

"But, I'm enjoying myself, it's not as if I am going to be able to drive one of these again for ages, now, is it?"

"That's true, but it's not a toy."

"You're just jealous because you did not have the idea first. You can try some spins once we have left this ghost town." He looked at Firb, "I bet nobody has lived here for years."

"Watch out!" Yelled Ferb and tried to grab the wheel.

"Wha." cried Hank, stamping on the accelerator instead of the brake, as he saw a little old lady holding a baby in her arms right in front of them. There was a soft crump as she was knocked to the side and a double jolt as the roadster went over them both.

"Where did they come from? "shouts Hank.

"It does not matter now, does it? You were going too fast."

"I thought the place was deserted. What are we going to do with them? "

"Throw them in the river that we just passed a mile back and hope they get too battered to notice we hit them." 

They tossed them into the fast-flowing river and then drove back through town. All that they heard was "Granny, granny, have you got junior? It's time for his bed."

The roadster backfired with a jolt.

Herb awoke with a start. "Huu. Granny." Ferb had just clanked a mug of coffee in front of him.

"There, mate. That will warm you up a bit," said Ferb, totally oblivious to the fact that Herb was sleeping.

"Th..thanks." 

Glad to be out of the nightmare, he gulps it down, only realising that it was hotter than he expected,

He splutters it all over his hat.

"It's a bit warm," explains Ferb, a bit too late.

End of Episode 4a.

There you go, Herb's little bedtime story. I am going to pass this on to the cast and GM.

Regards all,

Ivor Cogdell

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. 

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 7 - Seeking answers in the darkness

 Hi everybody,

Exploring Kal-Arath - Episode 7

Seeking Answers In The Darkness

c 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.

Day Four - Weather - Heavy rain.

Mal and Yamil both slept in the entrance passage to the mine, as it had been raining all night and seemed likely to continue for most of the day, on and off. They cooked breakfast in the vent room so that the smoke would be sucked away easily.

Mal asked Yamil, "Are you ready to see what other dangers lurk in here?"

"Now that I have eaten, yes," he replied.

Mal had cleaned the armour from the skeleton and adjusted the straps to provide proper protection, and Yamil had cleaned the shield to try to remove old bloodstains, but they would not wash off. It was relatively new; it did not bear the sigil of its former owner, but it did have a brand inside. The circle-and-dying-bird motif again.

 They walked to the second junction, and instead of turning left towards where the skeleton had been killed, Mal turned right towards the other tunnel entrance.

"I have been wondering what was down the first opening on the right. I don't want any nasty surprises coming up behind us, so we can check them as we go. I know it is not always unavoidable, but I want to be as safe as we can be, now that we know that there are dangers in here for sure."

"I, too, have had uneasy dreams about what this old mine contains," Yamil confirmed.

They came back to the first junction and turned sharply left around the corner, heading roughly east.

The rough passage continued forward for about fifteen feet and then turned to the right by 45 degrees, went forward six feet and then expanded into a roughly square room 15 feet across. 

                               Mine Map2 - Entrance South, Air Vent - NW, Drop Tunnel - Centre right.

One glance revealed it to be a tool storage area for the miners; they had made wooden shelves and racks for wooden beams. A hammer for crushing the rock and a crude cart for moving the rock to the outside. Three picks were in the corner, with the staves upright, off the damp floor.

 Foot-long metal chiseels were laid on a shelf, their tips were blunted and worn. Beside them lay homemade torches of better quality than their own. In a box, there was a patch of mould and some pips, along with a few white and orange chips of rock with yellow specks glinting in them. A wide circular pan was next to two helmets with scratches on the top.

Mal tried them on, but found them all too loose again. 

"I could put one of those sacks in for padding, now that we have washed them."

"Try it."

With a bit of prodding, Mal got the helmet to fit snugly on his head. He tested it with a few shakes, and it remained firm.

"That will do for now. I can trim the bits at the back later."

"No, leave them in place, they are a bit more protection for you. You could actually add another sack in there with wet sand as extra protection for your neck. It may only last for one blow, but that might save you."

"I like the way you think."

There was another exit at the far corner of the room, going in roughly the same direction, following an ore vein in the roof. It carried on for about four feet and then vanished into a hole. Suspended above the hole was a stout log with a rope dangling from it. There was no tension on the rope, so they pulled it up. It had been cut or snapped by something at about the fifteen-foot length."Well, we are not getting down there in a hurry."

They toss a lit torch stub down into the darkness. It flared for about 65 feet and illuminated parts of the shaft until it hit the floor with a shower of sparks and then died. 

"No, good or bad, whatever is down there is going to be staying down there for a bit longer yet. Let's wedge a few beams in front of it so we don't accidentally join it."

"Good idea".

Once that was done, they turned their attention to a blank area of the wall, where a wooden frame mounted a goatskin with a drawn picture of the mine tunnels. "That will come in handy." Yamil smiled. "Look, there is a second entrance and more chambers deeper in."

"We thought there might be one around here somewhere, but if we are here, that shaft behind us is not on the chart."

"It might have been the last thing they dug."

"Or there is another map that covers that bit, and they took it with them."

"And they never made it back."

"For whatever reason. They could have just left it there, or taken it with them when they went."

"The refugee cultists might have taken it, or someone else entirely. Another mystery, if it exists at all."

"Mal suggested, "Let's concentrate on what we can discover on this level. We have been through the back door oval storage room, the first junction, with a dead end to the left and this tool room on the right."

He continued, "The second junction with the stone in has the vent shaft to the left and is connected to another junction room on the right, with a connection to the skeleton room north and the main entrance going east and joining another room and then the entrance."

"With just one more room above the skeleton room and whatever it was it was protecting."

"Which seemed very important to them that it stays that way and be left undisturbed. Let's do the easy bits first."

"Yes, I am getting quite used to this quiet life, now that I don't have to boss everyone all day and night, and I want to get some more of it while I can," confirmed Yamil.

They grabbed a couple of spare torches from the ones the miners had made and made their way to the second junction, and turned right for about 20 feet and then a man-made space opened up again into a larger oval with two fat pillars of rock holding up the mountain. Scattered against the walls were 11 human-sized beds, and two tables to serve their meals on.

(? Anything nesting here? D6 5 Yes).

Just then, a small colony of bats descended from the ceiling, startling them. The smoke from the torch must have disturbed them. They flew at waist height around them for a few seconds and then silently headed into the gloom, towards the exit and out along the passage.

"They gave me a bit of a shock. Now we know where the exit is," stated Mal. "Are we going coin hunting again?", looking at the row of beds along both sides of the walls.

"Yes, but not just yet. Let's confirm what we think we know first, and then check if anything was left by the cultists afterwards. Look out for any tripwires or more dancing bones. The skeleton does prove that they had at least one wizard amongst their number, possibly more. Wizards and shamans give me the shudders; you never know what they are thinking or planning from one day to the next," he grumbled.

"You cannot leave the camp because of an omen, or the signs in the sky mean this or that. The goat's liver is too red, so we need to kill an enemy."

Yamil shook his head, 

"It was so annoying, because they were usually right. Even when they got something wrong, they explained it as evil spirits in the area causing trouble for us."

They followed the bats' direction, seeing the expected opening in the north wall between the two crudely carved pillars, as the chamber bends to the right again before narrowing to the other exit.

(D6? Check for traps = 5 Yes)

 As they got closer, they could see above the exit, a hollow had been carved into the roof with a net of rocks suspended in it, with a braided rope coming down the side of the opening and across to a stone, with a covering of dust and pebbles to conceal it.

"It's a pressure stone to trigger a net of rocks to fall. simple, but effective. If we had been coming the other way, it could have been deadly, "explained Mal, as he looked closer, "Those two small stones would be wedged underneath the stone to render it harmless in everyday use. It would deter most other folk from coming in any further. There may be something in the next room, too."

Yamil looked over the deadly trap that had been made by the refugees with a nasty outlook, "These cultists seem to be very possessive of what they did or left in this place; Either it met their needs, or they were forced into using what they found up here, they certainly like their privacy."

"They are prepared to kill to keep it secret, as we know to our cost. They must have left something of interest to them in here."

"Yes, but it might be down that deep, dark hole which we found, so don't get thinking of vast riches just yet. It might be somewhere to carve statues to their deity from, to them, this sacred mountain, which would have absolutely no worth to anyone else."

There were thick planks inside the entrance area that were worn and scratched at the top and bottom, for about nine inches, that were bound together.

"That's odd", mentioned Yamil.

They examined the entrance passageway carefully. It was wider than the others, roughly seven feet wide. It might have been the original width, or enlarged by the cultists' efforts. The torch fluttered more in the breeze coming down the tunnel.

 Not wanting to risk that his safety pebbles would stay intact, Mal jumped over the pressure trap and into the tunnel. He checked the walls and floor to check for tampering, 

(D6? Check for traps = 4 Yes, but "There might be others.)

He noticed that one part of the tunnel seemed rather flatter and even compared to the other sections that they had passed through. He lightly brushed away the gravel to reveal matting of some kind.

 "Yamil, I think I have found a pit trap here. That could be what the boards are for."

He started checking how wide the matting went. "It goes almost to the edge and six feet forward. If you were coming the other way, you would have to get someone to cross just using rock foot and handholds, then put the boards in place. Would the boards take someone's weight, or have they been weakened too?"

"I will try them between two cots."

"Be careful in case the cots have tripwires too."

(D6? Check for traps =1 No, And - "Nothing else is trapped".)

The boards held.

Yamil announced, They are strong enough to hold me without bending, so you should be fine."

"Are you saying I am skinny?" challenged Mal.

"No, that I am plumper than I should be."

"Rubbish, thats muscles you have under there, not fat."

"No, I was keen, lean and mean in my youth, but those days are long gone. Too many gazelle around the fire recently."

(D6? Check for traps = 2 No)

He passed the boards to Mal, who realised when he had placed them on the edge of the pit, that was a loose end of a rope tied to the bottom. He flipped the boards cumsily the right way up, slotted them into the notch that had been carved on the lip and then lowered them into place with the rope. He realised now that one of the stones jutting out of the wall could have toe rope looped over it to give better leverage when lifting it back up again.

"I am going to go across using the rock wall and just use the boards as a safety device." announced Mel.

"Is that wise?"

"It should be safe enough, so long as I test the holds before I use them."

He puts the half-burned torch carefully on the ground, lights another and tosses it over to the other side of the pit on the left side of the tunnel, so he wouldn't land on it if he had to make a leap for the edge. Testing each grip, he starts across the rockface.

(?D Do all of the holds stay stable   D6 ?????? Find out next time !)

End of Episode 7

No change in stats from the top.

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.