Mine Guard Balfar
Greeting
"No entry to the deep mines without Foreman Grom's say-so. Too dangerous down there."
Dialogue Topics
Town
A dwarven mining town built around rich iron veins. The Forge of Binding was found in the deepest excavations -- an ancient artifact of power, now corrupted by dark magic.
Threat
The Forge of Binding has been corrupted. The Earth Elemental Lord stirs in the deepest excavation, and if it awakens fully, the entire town could collapse into the earth.
Government
A guild council led by Foreman Grom. The mining guilds hold the real power -- he who controls the forge controls the town.
Trade
The finest steel on the continent. Dwarven weapons, dwarven armor, dwarven tools. Ore Merchant Bjorn can get you anything -- for a price. The forge never sleeps, and neither do we.
Corruption
The corrupted artifacts from our mines are being trafficked to Saltport's pirate syndicate. Someone in the guild is involved. The forge itself pulses with dark energy at night -- the Earth Elemental Lord is feeding on it.
Faction
The Crown -- we supply the steel that arms the kingdom's soldiers. The Syndicate buys our ore with stolen gold, but we forge weapons for the Crown, not for smugglers.
The Cursed Mine Shaft
There's a shaft in the deep mines that we sealed ten years ago. The miners who went down... they didn't come back the same. Their eyes were wrong. They kept whispering about something below -- something that spoke to them in the dark. The seal is cracking. I can hear them whispering again. Someone needs to go down there. Someone with a sword.
Underground Worms
The deepest mines have always had worms -- small ones, nuisance really. But the corruption has changed them. The new ones are massive, with acid that melts through iron picks. Foreman Grom lost three miners to a worm last week. The guild is offering double wages for the deep shifts. Nobody's volunteering.
The Mire Golems
When the corruption seeped into the lower excavations, the mud itself started moving. Mire golems -- constructs of earth and dark energy. They're slow, but they hit like cave-ins. The Earth Elemental Lord's influence, the dwarves say. He's shaping the earth to his will.
Corrupted Knights Below
The Forge of Binding was used to create weapons and armor of great power. When it was corrupted, the gear it produced was... changed. Guardians who wore the corrupted armor were twisted -- body and soul. They wander the deep mines now, attacking any who approach the forge. They were our brothers once.
Spectral Watchers in the Mines
Miners who die in the deep excavations don't always rest. The spectral watchers -- ghosts of fallen miners, their faces still twisted in their final terror. They guard the deepest shafts. The guild says they're protecting the remaining ore. I think they're warning us to stay away.
The Corrupted Behemoth
Something enormous has been seen in the deepest level -- a corrupted behemoth, the survivors call it. Bigger than anything that should fit in the tunnels. The earth shakes when it walks. Foreman Grom says it's the Earth Elemental Lord's lieutenant. I say it's a good reason to stay in the upper mines.