Some time later, Liam wakes up in a bed. He is stiff, sore, and heavily bandaged. From the candle light, he can see most of his clothing and other gear piled up on a chair opposite the bed. He can also hear chatter and movement coming from beyond the door, which hangs slightly ajar.
It takes him a few moments to realize that he's in the bunkhouse. And although he can't make out what's being said, he is able to pick out Bryn and Sketch's voices, along with several others he doesn't recognize.
Inspecting himself, he finds that he's suffered severe burns to his torso. The skin is raw, but looks new. His shoulder is also in some pain, but he can at least move it if he's careful.
Getting up, he makes his way to the door and opens it. On the other side, in the office, sit Bryn and Sketch on one side of the desk, a dwarf Liam's never seen before, and Ileosa stands in the corner, beside the ladder.
"Liam!" Sketch shouts, hopping to his hairy feet and rushing over to you. Bryn offers a curt nod, and you think you see a smile begin to form at the corners of Ileosa's mouth.

Liam puts on some clothes before going to meet the others.

As Sketch rushes him and the others stare, Liam can do nothing but blush and keep quiet.

After a moment, he asks Sketch, "So, did we save the miners?"

"Aye, we did," Liam answers after a long moment, his cherubic face beaming.
"No," the dwarf sitting behind the desk retorts rather gruffly, taking command of the room. He is old-looking, even for a dwarf, and wears an iron cap. His dark hair is long, and streaked with grey, and his beard is wide and crimped short. He has intense blue eyes and bushy eyebrows. "Ye didn't. He did," he continues, indicating Liam alone.
"Bullocks," Bryn shouts, pounding the desk with her fist.
"Here we go again," Sketch muses, shooting Liam a wink.
The dwarves debate back and forth, and Liam can gather that the miners credit Liam with saving them from the strange tentacle rock monster, while Bryn argues it was a team effort. The dwarf, whom Liam learns is named Duncan, agrees that the others fought bravely, but believes they all would have died if it weren't for Liam's quick thinking.
"The beast had us held up in the mine for a week," Duncan says. "It drug out and ate some of me best men, me best mates! The four o' you were nothin' but a snack--an appetizer to it. But your mate here," he says again indicating Liam, "he managed to light our barrel and kill it like that," he finishes, snapping his fingers.

The debate continues for a while, until someone asks about Mahlon. Duncan grits his teeth at the mention of the other's name, the reason you all came here.
"Lord Mahlon isssn't in any condition to meet with you right now," Duncan says at length.
"What in the hells does that mean?!" Sketch demands after whispering to Liam that he had nearly forgotten about the man.
Duncan explains that Mahlon was injured in the initial fight with the beast, and that he suffered a serious head wound. So grievous it is, that Mahlon's spent the last week roaming the lower levels of the mine, babbling nonsense to himself.
"So how do we contact Godfrey?" Bryn asks, looking from Duncan to her companions. "Godfrey said Mahlon knew how to contact him."
"You mean the mirror," Duncan replies. "Lord Mahlon used to contact his patron using mirror a polished silver. We were unable to activate it. Only Mahlon knows the command word."

"Well, I may be the best fighter and quickest thinker of the group, but the others have their talents as well." He turns to his companions. "Have any of you three examined this mirror? Are its enchantments familiar to any of you?"

He then addresses the iron-capped dwarf. "Is Lord Mahlon in need of help, or is he best left to himself for the moment?" He waits for the answer, then seeks out the mirror to have a look at it.

After examining it, he sits cross-legged before the mirror, placing on his lap the musty songbook he's been carrying. He doesn't know the meaning of the words, and he is 99% certain they won't activate the mirror. Nonetheless, he concentrates on the words in the book, flipping from page to page as though seeking a certain passage. Raising his hands above his head, he makes some gestures and half-whispers, half-shouts the words from the book. He might or might not be pronouncing anything correctly.

After a few moments, he gives up. "This magic is beyond me," he says.

Duncan reaches into a desk drawer and produces a thick rectangle of polished steel. The edge is rimmed with gilded brass emblazoned with dwarven runes. He places it on the desktop with a heavy clunk.
No one replies when Liam asks his companions if they're familiar with the mirror's enchantments. Sketch shrugs while Bryn shakes her head, a look of distain on her face. However, it is clear to Liam that the dwarven disgust isn't aimed at him, instead the idea of an enchanted mirror. Ileosa remains standing in the corner, giving no indication either way.

"We don't know," Duncan replies to Liam's question regarding Mahlon's condition, slumping a little in his chair. "He's been like this for a week, ever since the beast attacked us. Our chaplain's been killed—eaten by the monster. As of now our only other option is to give him time. We dwarves are resilient, and enduring. I've no doubt our Lord will make a full recovery, if given enough time. In fact, I wanted to talk to your group about exactly that.
"You see, although I'm the foreman of the mine here, Lord Mahlon ran everything else. And in his current state, our operation is… in trouble to say the least. We need additional supplies and replacement workers. We also need to fulfill our commitments, or risk losing our land rights and contract.
"I guess what I'm saying is—what I'm asking is—would you four step in and serve as Mahlon's replacement? At least until he recovers, or until you can contact his patron?"

Later—
Everyone leaves the office, giving Liam a moment to inspect the mirror. He leaves through his songbook, mutters a few phrases, and makes his gesticulations. Ultimately, he determines he has no idea how to activate the device.
"That was entertaining," Ileosa says dryly. After he's made his inspection. Liam has no idea when or how she entered the room so quietly. "You must be a hit at parties."
As she draws closer to him, she explains that she's heard of objects with this kind of enchantment before. Her people once used them to communicate over vast distances, even farther then the Great Forest itself. Rumor had it that particularly powerful versions could even connect with others across the Open Sea.
"However," she says at length, running her finger along the mirror's gilded frame, "what Godfrey and Maholn are doing with a device purportedly as powerful as this, I cannot begin to imagine."

"Well, it can't be any more powerful or dangerous than whatever brought that thing here in the first place, can it? Obviously we're dealing with movers and shakers of the magical world here. Whether that's our clients, or someone pulling their strings..." he lets the thought trail off.

"Obviously we've got to accept their offer to manage this place. No one else even seems capable."

Seeing the way Ileosa treats the mirror with such reverence, Liam exits the room before her, giving her a chance to be alone with the artifact.

After some discussion, your companions agree to help run the mine, at least until Mahlon's mind returns. During those conversations, they each voice their own opinions and reasons for their decisions, some of them noble, while others aren't so much. However, before too long, you've accepted Duncan's offer and are in turn given command of the outpost.
Duncan leaves you to resume his role as foreman (Councilor) within the mine.

At the end of every month, you will have to preform three phases: Upkeep, Improvement, and Income. When the month ends is entirely up to you. However, you may miss important events that could help you build your holdings and elevate them into a proper kingdom. Further, you'll need to continually talk with the NPCs around you, as they may hold important information, or be otherwise willing to help (or hurt) your interests.
Each month I will present you with a few side-quest adventure opportunities. Some will remain until completed, while others are time-specific. Choose your path and spend your time wisely, as not every course is attainable, nor is everything what it seems.

Good luck.

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Later that evening, after the well-wishers have retired to their bunks for the night, and the late shift has begun, you find yourself sitting among your companions once more: Bryn, an honorable and somewhat uptight dwarven warrior; Sketch, a morally ambiguous yet fun-loving halfling; and Ileosa, an aloof elven druid with a pessimistic outlook on current events.
As the conversations start around the dinner table, you get a gauge as to what it is they believe you should be doing...

Bryn

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Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
"We need to reestablish a defensive perimeter. I can organize the repairs to the palisade and train some of the miners in basic defense maneuvering. But we don't know what's out there, and if what we walked into here is any indication, we're wholly unprepared for another attack."

Follow this course if Liam is interested in Military

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Sketch

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Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
"Bah! I'm not afraid of any monster attack. And I'm definitely not in any hurry to get back home! Hey, why not talk to Duncan and organize something fun, eh? Let the miners cut loose a little after the ordeal they've been through. Let's make it interesting—a Three Dragon Ante tournament, yes?"

Follow this course if Liam is interested in Economy

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Ileosa

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Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
"I agree with Bryn. Gathering more information about the surrounding area will not only better prepare us in the event of another attack, but will grant us better perspective from which we can use to get home. We don't know where we are, but once we can discover a reference point, we should be able to plot an overland course back to Corimir."

Follow this course if Liam is interested in Expansion

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