Skittering in the Dark

Yule 2025 Edition

You, a student of Stateri Mundi University, find yourself at the edge of a quarry where a large dwarven compound stands surrounded by pine and towering rock walls. From within, you hear yelling, the frantic scratching of dozens of little claws against stone floors, and then… silence.

When you and your fellow students finally approach, a massacre has already befallen the dwarven compound. What the hell happened here? The dwarrow welcome you despite everything, a walking pine tree speaks of strange visions, and deep within the compound a forge burns bright and warm.

It turns out that some of the dwarves have disappeared, the royal prince has arrived to see how he can help, and the mine itself has been partly destroyed. Something went terribly wrong beneath the earth, and now it is up to the students to help these poor dwarves recover what was lost.

Giants rats infest the tunnels, poisonous gasses fill the air, and unstable mining rocks threaten to collapse what remains of the mine. Lost miners must be found, the wounded must be patched up, and dangers must be faced at every turn. Somewhere below, two living legends await rescue.

The students must venture into the ruined mine, saving who they can and bringing the missing dwarves home. Whether or not one of their fellow students nearly became a petrified statue along the way can be set aside for now.

In the end, the mine is clear, the missing miners have returned, and the dwarves can get back to work. The forge burns brightly once more, the compound begins to recover, and for now, all is well.