In-game year: 487
Summary (1–2 paragraphs)
The conroi emerges from the underworld route and finds their squires and horses waiting near Caerleon—who insist only ~7–7.5 hours have passed since the party descended. This contradicts the party’s lived experience and reinforces the growing sense of distortion around the Exit. The squires further insist that Wells was burned in the war, a claim treated as unreliable testimony / glamour rather than confirmed fact.
With grievous wounds now pressing on the surface, Liam hires a chirurgeon at his own expense. The conroi then turns toward the next concrete lead: the copper mine near Caerwent, where Merlin was first found. There, the mine proves to be a place where blood and time do not behave naturally—and where Merlin waits again, now behind crystal, under a dragon’s vigil.
Scene/Beat Log
- Return near Caerleon: the party emerges to find squires/horses waiting; squires insist only ~7–7.5 hours elapsed.
- Unease: Assterius senses something wrong about the emergence point but cannot name it.
- Contradictory claim: squires insist Wells was burned/destroyed in the war (treated as distortion/unreliable testimony).
- Chirurgery: a chirurgeon is hired/retained immediately for the party’s grievous wounds (paid for by Liam).
- To Caerwent: the conroi travels to Caerwent, acquiring ropes and ladders.
- Into the copper mine: descending “Merlin’s hole,” the party is ambushed by small green sling-creatures on a ledge above.
- Fight escalator: spiked sling-shots that draw blood cause new creatures to spawn, rapidly multiplying threats mid-combat.
- Discovery — healing blood: contact with the creatures’ blood restores vitality; the party exploits this in the fight; some blood is collected for later.
- Merlin again: deeper in the mine, Merlin is found encased in crystal—preserved but unreachable.
- The Dragon’s Vigil: a dragon / fiery lizard guards the crystal prison; the conroi retreats without engaging, choosing to regroup rather than die in the depths.
Characters (appeared / impacted)
- Millicent — fights while injured; uses the healing-blood discovery pragmatically.
- Drustin — takes serious hits; a creature spawns from blood drawn on him.
- Assterius — registers the Exit unease; is also struck, spawning more creatures.
- Liam — pays for chirurgery; bears Excalibur and is first to balk at the dragon.
- Sir Geraint — pushes the ladder into place under fire; later loses himself to a rage-fueled massacre when surrounded.
- Merlin — located again, imprisoned in crystal.
Loot / Rewards / Glory / Notable Rolls
- Healing blood collected (quantity unclear; handled by the chirurgeon at Liam’s direction).
Consequences & New Facts
- Exit anomaly intensifies: emergence near Caerleon + only ~7–7.5 hours elapsed per the squires.
- Wells claim (unreliable): “Wells burned in the war” is now a major distortion signal.
- Mine ecology: green slingers whose attacks spawn new bodies when they draw blood.
- Healing property: the creatures’ blood restores vitality.
- Merlin’s status (present): Merlin is encased in crystal in the Caerwent copper mine.
- Dragon obstacle: a dragon guards Merlin; the party withdraws to plan.
Timeline entries to add
- (487) — The conroi emerges near Caerleon; squires insist only ~7–7.5 hours have passed since descent, suggesting time distortion. (Source: Session 022 - The Mine of Blood and the Dragon’s Vigil)
- (487) — In the Caerwent copper mine, the conroi fights green slingers whose spiked shots spawn more creatures when they draw blood; the creatures’ blood is discovered to heal and some is collected. (Source: Session 022 - The Mine of Blood and the Dragon’s Vigil)
- (487) — Merlin is found encased in crystal in the mine, guarded by a dragon; the conroi retreats without engaging. (Source: Session 022 - The Mine of Blood and the Dragon’s Vigil)