As you enter the mines, you see a trail of hooded lanterns and there are the sounds of digging and mining mixed with the grunts of the workers.

Lop begins to move down the tunnel following the trail of lanterns.

One of the miners jumped when he saw you.

"Whoa there, girl...what are you doing here?"

Lop spread her hands "I've just arrived in the town. I heard about the mine and wanted to see it" she said "I'll keep out of the way, promise" she said in a rush.

"Ah, sure," you heard the man say as he went back to work. No one else seemed to pay you any mind.

Lop smiled, nodded and began to turn "Before I go is there any bit of the mine I should avoid? I wouldn't want to get in trouble" she asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:52, Wed 13 Oct 2021.

"Lots," the man said. "Stay on the lighted path."

Lop smiled and nodded again "Will do thanks" and then moved deeper into the mine.

The mine went deeper and deeper and you start meeting less and less miners until you come to the edge of darkness.

Lop peered into the darkness for a moment and the pulled a torch from her pack and lit it before advancing into the dark "Here goes nothing" she muttered to herself.

You hear things fleeing from the light and the current tunnel seems to go on for a while.

"So there is something in here" Lop said as she continued to advance down the tunnel after the creatures.

As you chase them, you come to a corner and rounding it, a bunch of small humanoid-like creatures are there. They look very greasy and charge at you.

(OOC: Init time)

Lop readied herself as the creatures charged.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 15 using 1d20+4.  Init roll]]

(OOC: Go)

Lop dropped the torch by her feet and willed the sword back into existence, feeling reassured by its weight.

She eyes the creatures for a moment and then moves forward to atrack the nearest one sheathing her blade in thunderous energy as she strikes.

[[OOC: Attack using Booming Blade. Lop Vetinari rolled 10 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll.]]

The small humanoids came rushing towards you, and slipped and tripped over each other.

Lop tried again swinging a low cut as she adjusted for the weapons heft.

[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 11 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll]]

The creatures begin to attack you, Getting a couple of good kicks in.

(OOC: take 4 damage)

Lop plants her feet and swings again.

[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 12 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll.]]

The things swarm again, swinging wildly at you.

(OOC: 2 damage this time)

Lop attempts a clumsy fient before swinging the blade up.

[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 16 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll.
Lop Vetinari rolled 13 using 2d6+7.  Dmg Roll.]
This message was last edited by the player at 08:25, Fri 15 Oct 2021.

The humanoid is badly hurt, bleeding some sort of weird goo. They still tried to swarm you.

(OOC: Take 2 more damage.)

Lop felt something tugging at her mind sudden knowledge seeping into it, with a quick gesture she called on the power of the blade, then followed up with a quick slash.

[OOC: Cast Hex as bonus action, then attack. Lop Vetinari rolled 24 using 1d20+7.  Attack ROLL. Lop Vetinari rolled 18 using 3d6+7.  Dmg Roll.]

You slice the damaged thing in half, which then dissolves into goo and shocking the remaining ones, who attack in a fury, but manage to miss you.

Even as the creature died Lop wheeled towards the others the effects of the spell she realize the power had been still lingured so she focused the magic and inflicted it on another of the creatures as she struck out again.

[[OOC:Lop Vetinari rolled 16 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll,
Lop Vetinari rolled 16 using 3d6+7.  Dmg Roll.]]

You cut down another of the things, it also dissolved. The remaining things turned tail and ran.

Lop looked dubiously at the goo, grabbed her torch and leapt over the goo before running after the things.

No point stopping now she thought to herself as she gave chase.

You were gaining on the things, enough to get an attack.

Lop raised her blade and again still feeling the malevolent energy of her magic focus it on her next target. "No you don't" she calls out as she slashes.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 22 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll, Lop Vetinari rolled 16 using 3d6+7.  Dmg Roll.]]

The creature was cut in half, spilling more goop everywhere. There was still one fleeing.

Lop felt a Savage smile tugging at her lips, as once again the strange energy moved onto the creature like a hunting animal chasing prey.

Acting on instinct raised a hand and found it glowing with a strange purple energy she pointed it at the fleeing creature and focused.

She gasped as the energy coiled forward then flew down the tunnel after the creature.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 19 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll. Lop Vetinari rolled 10 using 1d0+1d6+4.  Dmg Roll.]]

The final thing fell, melting into more goo.

Lop sighed in relief as the final creature feel and dissolved into goo, she quickly lept over the patches of goo continuing down the tunnel.

"Geeeeet out," a voice from the darkness said.

Lop shook her head "Not till I find out what is happening here" she said back into the darkness "Show yourself and we can talk"

"You will find nothing here but death," the voice said.

Lop shrugged her ears bouncing at the movement "Seems to there is just fear and death to be found in the town as well. I'd prefer to face death head on, than cower in fear for the rest of my life"

"You will only die, like me," the voice said.

Lop shook her head "I'll take that chance. Now who are you?"

You see a translucent miner, floating above the ground.

"I am a dead miner, I forget my name."

Lop took a step back shocked by the appearance og the ghost but quickly rallied herself.

"I am Lop Vetinari" she said introducing herself and making an elegant bow "A recent arrival here, I saw a death in the town a young women killed by what they called 'The Kindly ones'. I want to stop it happening again, can you tell me how you died?"

"I went too far in, the mines belong to the fey," the ghost said.

"Like those strange little things" Lop asked thinking of the strange creatures she had fought.

"They are the lowest on the pecking order. Their leader wants blood, but is never happy with it," the ghost said.

"They would be further in?" Lop asked indicating further down the dark tunnel.

"Likely given the time, but he will want your blood," the ghost said. "He is not as weak."

Lop nodded showing her understanding "I figured as much" she said "You said he wants blood, but it's never happy. Do you know why?"

"I couldn't hear while I was dying," the ghost said.

"Oh right sorry" Lop said "You mentioned something about time, they hide deeper in during the day then?"

"They can only come at night," the ghost said.

Lop nodded to the ghost "Can I do anything to help you pass on?" she asked.

"No, but you should turn back," the ghost said.

Lop shook her head "I understand your warning. But if I turn back this will keep happening" she said slowly "I can't stand by and let more innocents be hurt when I think I can do something about it"

She offers the ghost a bow and then moves deeper into the tunnel.

"Then you are doomed," the ghost said and then you were deeper in.

Lop moved slowly keeping her senses open as moved alert for the first sign of danger.

As you move deeper and deeper, you hear scurrying outside of the light and some laughter.

Lop froze for a moment and listened carefully, expecting an Attack from the darkness, when nothing came she moved further down the tunnel.

You entered a large chamber and suddenly there was a crashing sound above you.

(OOC: You have enough time to jump forward.)

Lop throws herself forward using the power of her legs to make a large leap into the chamber.

A large rock has fallen, covering the way back. You can hear many voices inside.

Lop glanced backwards a hint of dismay creeping onto her face before steeling herself and advancing towards the voices, keeping the torch before her.

"D-do you have the right blood?" a harsh voice said in front of you, before stepping into the light. It was a humanoid being about four feet tall, with a ragged expression on it's face. It had strange metal footwear, a hat with a strange purple colour and was holding a sickle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:01, Mon 25 Oct 2021.

Lop looked the creature up and down warily keeping her blade ready. "I'm not sure what you mean" she said "Are you one of the Kindly ones?"

The humanoid thing laughed.

"They never have the right blood, but you might. Yes, your blood! Splash! Splash!"

The humanoid advanced on you as suddenly the "room" lit up, revealing the strange slime creatures. Dozens of them. Watching.

(OOC: Init time)

Lop took up a fighting stance blade extended level with her shoulder parallel with the ground "I'd have preferred if we could have been civil about this"

[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 16 using 1d20+6.  Init Roll.]

(OOC: Go)

Lop steps towards the creature making a quick gesture with her fingers and focusing the energy from the blade and flicked it towards the creature, the charged after it swinging her blade.

[[OOC: Cast Hex as bonus action, Lop Vetinari rolled 14 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll, if it hits Lop Vetinari rolled 19 using 3d6+7.  Dmg Roll.4 if which is necrotic]]

Your blade sinks into the thing's shoulder. It let out a pained shriek and swung it's sick at you, but you're able to dodge out of the way.

Lop jumps back and then twists slashing the blade low and then high.

"This would be much easier if you'd just talk" she said between strikes.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 15 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll, Lop Vetinari rolled 20 using 3d6+7.  Dmg Roll. Of whic 1 is necrotic]]

The thing screamed again.

"Get her! Get her! I need her blood!" the fey-thing screamed as his minions rushed in.

He also slashed at you, drawing blood.

(OOC: Take 10 of the damages.)

Lop yelled in pain as the blade struck her arm cutting deeply, she felt the magic she had been using flee her control as the pain flared through her mind.

The wild swing she made in retaliation bit only empty air.

[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 8 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll.
Lop Vetinari rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Concentration save]

The minions, the same weird, goopy creatures all began to attack you, but mostly failed and ran into each other. Their boss tried to get you with his wicked sickle, but the minions get in his way too.

Lop dances back from blows and lunges at the fey creature trying to drive her blade through its midsection, tnuerous energy ran down the blade into the creature as the blade struck.

[OOC: using Booming Blade. Lop Vetinari rolled 14 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll, Lop Vetinari rolled 13 using 2d6+7.]

The creature sputtered, looking down at the blade in his chest.

"Damn, but-but maybe my blood...," the figure takes off its hat and begins to run it in its wounds as it falls to the ground laughing and laughing, but it slowly began to fade and was gone.

The minions looked at their boss and began to flee.

Lop sags forward using the blade to prop herself up as she gasped for air. "That.. That wasn't so bad she said" after she caught her breath she stood up straighter and examined the spot where the creature had fallen and then the chamber.

You could see the creature's blood slowly going back inside the body.

"That can't be good" Lop said and "Maybe if I burn it" she reached into her backpack and pulled the oil flask out and poured it over the body before lighting the oil and body.

"A day...you have a day...," the sword said.

Lop looks at the blade for a moment and sighs "Wonderful" she grumbles and begins to examine the chamber.

There were tunnels deeper. Two in fact, that branched from the back of the room.

Lop approached the tunnels and inspected the mouths of them trying to gauge if one felt more likely to be heading to an exit.

Both, strangely, went at 90 degree angles from the cavern.

Lop looked back and forth considered the two tunnels for a long moment and then selected the left tunnel and began to head down it.

The tunnel was damp, you could hear water dripping...as well as something scurrying out there. maybe several things...

Lop hesitated feeling sore from the earlier fights, and tried to sneak forward.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 11 using 1d20+2.  Stealth]]
This message was last edited by the player at 10:48, Thu 28 Oct 2021.

"It killed the redcap," a weird voice said.

"You know it won't be dead long," said another.

"Yes, but the hare might be tasty," the first replied.

Lop considered that for a moment and then spoke her voice a deep growl "How about you don't try, and you don't join boss?"

The voices laughed.

"Fey not only thing that lives in here," the first voice said.

Lop sighed and tugged the end of her ear "So I'm am finding out. So the.. Redcap was it? Is not your boss, but that doesn't discount I'm good enough to put him down" she shrugged "I want to get out of here, and not be eaten if it's all the same to you. So can we come to a deal?"

"Perhaps...," the second voice said. "Have you got any food on you? We are quite...peckish."

Lop reached into her backpack and pulled out some dried meat "I've got some meat I can share"

"Do you have any of that goo?" one of the voices asked.

Lop shook her head "Didn't collect any, how about I go collect some to pay your toll?"

"That works," one of the voices said, both coming into the light to reveal that they are very large spiders easily the size of a horse drawn cart.

Lop takes a step back before collecting herself and bows "I shall return shortly" she said and headed back towards the chamber.

"I'll take a breather first" she muttered to her self as she ate a portion of her rations and tended to her wounds.

[OOC: spent 2HD got 12 HP back]
This message was last edited by the player at 09:42, Fri 29 Oct 2021.

You arrive back at the chambers without incident.

After her rest Lop headed down the other tunnel looking for one of the goo things.

You find four of the goo things carrying their boss deeper into the tunnels. They haven't notice you.

Lop leaps forward swinging her blade and yelling a warcry.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 23 using 1d20+6.  Init Roll.
       Lop Vetinari rolled 10 using 1d20+7.
       Lop Vetinari rolled 11 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll.
                                                        ]]
This message was last edited by the player at 10:33, Sat 30 Oct 2021.

The little things drop their boss, pull out daggers and charge!

(OOC: 5 total damage from 2 hits)

Lop moves through a disengage movement swinging her blade between herself in boggarts, then launches a new series of blows.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 25 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll.
       Lop Vetinari rolled 12 using 2d6+7.  Dmg Roll]]

One of the weird greyish humanoids was bleeding the black goo badly, but it and it's comrades pressed on.

(OOC: ! hit and 1 damage)

Lop grows in frustration strikes out again at the injured creature bringing the blade down in an overhand strike.

"Just die already you bastards" she curses as she attacks.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 19 using 1d20+7.  Dmg Roll. (Should have been attack)
       Lop Vetinari rolled 11 using 2d6+7.  Dmg Roll. ]]

You managed to cut one of them down, the others stepped into slash at you, but managed to bonk heads together.

Lop smiled grimly and raised her blade and attacked again, making a series of steady workman like slices.

[[OOC:  Lop Vetinari rolled 24 using 1d20+7.  Attack Roll
        Lop Vetinari rolled 13 using 2d6+7.  Dmg Roll    ]]

Another was cut in half and dissolved. The other two dropped their knives, fled to the redcap's body and began to try pulling it away.

Lop briefly considers killing the creatures to prevent them taking the body. But the words of the spiders came back to her. "Can you talk" she calls over to them as she considers how to collect the goo.

The two things started letting out weird noises that didn't sound like speech to you.

"A day.. how can something return to life and just in a day?" Lop muttered wondering how she ended up in this cursed place "One thing at a time I think" she said to herself as she began to collect the goo for the spiders.

You have gathered the goo!

Lop headed back in the direction of the spiders with her prize "Here Goo, as you asked"

"Good, good. You may pass," one of the spiders said as the two descended and hurried over to take it off your hands.

Lop gives the spiders the goo and bows "My thanks" she said politely as she begins to head down the tunnel, but stops and turns "A question if I may. But what do you know about the Redcap? If it is such a danger why haven't you or another killed it?"

"Could never kill it," A spider said. "It's powerful."

Lop grimaced wondering if when it came back would it remember she had killed it "Well thanks" and she headed up the tunnel hopefully towards an exit.

It's about fifteen minutes of walking before you come to the entrance of the mine. There are several boards blocking the front of it, clearly the villagers know about the spiders.

Lop sighs its just one thing after another at the moment, she checks to see if she can pry some of the boards free with the crowbar in her pack.

[[OOC: Lop Vetinari rolled 13 using 1d20.  Str Check.]]
This message was last edited by the player at 11:22, Sun 31 Oct 2021.

You manage to pry off enough boards to be able to get out. The sun has set and it is rather dark out.

Lop decided that she'd best get back to the town and shelter as quickly as possible and headed straight back down the trail.

"South, head south," the sword said.

Lop hesitated for a long moment glancing towards the known safety of the town, but then turned south "I really hope you know where we are going.." she muttered to the blade.

"You will be safe after about four hours of travel. You can rest then," the sword said.

"4 hours? Got it" Lop replied and kept up her pace.

It is a long trek, but you made it. The sword signals you can stop until you're nearly dropping out of exhaustion.

Breathing heavily Lop looked around for shelter from the elements before she took her rest "That... was... an...experince" she managed between gulps of air.

"Watch," the sword said as there was a loud wooshing sound and suddenly the way you had come is cut off by a massive wall of violet coloured blood.

"What in the Gods names.." Lop watched in fascinated horror at the strange and unnatural sight.

"The redcap can make sure nothing escapes its domain," the sword said.

Lop shakes her head "That thing has that much power? I wonder how lucky I was" she sighs and continues to watch the strange phenomena.

"Once it ends, we'll go back in" Lop said "There has to be a way to permanently end that thing and free the people from it"

"No," the sword said.

"No?" Lop repeated the word unsure of what the blade meant "You don't mean it can't be defeated surely? The Gods wouldn't allow such a thing"

"Gods do not factor into here," the sword said. "You must be careful, this is an evil place. But you have fought a lord and lived. They will likely not be this weak again, but you may not meant one again."

"That was weak?" Lop shook her head in amazement "Are you suggesting we move on and leave those people to their fate?"

"And what would you do?" the sword asked. "There are rules to keep them safe."

Lop felt her hands tighten into fists "I don't know, something. You gave me power to fight the darkness, didn't you? It feels wrong to turn my back on some know I've found it" she stared at the wall of blood "Not that it matters, while that is going on"

She slumped to the ground and sighed "For now we rest, then we can work out where to go next after"

"As you wish," the sword said.

Time passes, you do eventually find the exhaustion overwhelm you and you fall asleep. A dark, dreamless sleep. Then you awaken.

Lop awakens feeling stiff from the uncomfortable nights sleep she eventually struggles to her feet and looks about, trying to decide on what way to head next.

The wall of blood was still there. In the better light, the dirt roads you had been on, have become paved with cobblestones.

Lop gave the wall of blood one last glower and then turns to follow the cobblestone path.