The Mining Camp

This is an optional subplot that can be introduced in Scene 6. If the GM uses this subplot, the players may find out that inhabitants of this camp were responsible for the attack on the pre-Fysc colony.

The camp is located at the fork of a river. It is populated by about fifty people: mostly scruffy men and women, although there are a few nonhumans (GM can specify). All of these have hand weapons. There are a few riding animals for the hunters, and many small watercraft that double as pirate vessels. Two towers at the edge of the camp are used as lookouts.

The mine is located about thirty minutes' walk from the camp. The substance mined is in the form of small, roughly round nodules. They are a dull metallic gray-brown (type and value can be decided by the GM). There are three types of mining workers:

1. Miners--mine and push carts to the mine entrance
2. Cart pushers(5)--push carts to camp refinery (a rock chipper operation)
3. Refinery workers--break up larger pieces of stone to reveal nodules

The entrance has two guards and one foreman.

The workers are paid in nodules.

The Tavern

The tavern is the biggest and best building in the camp. In addition to a bar, it contains a 10 by 10 m pit area used for fighting. (The players may discover that captured members of the pre-Fysc colony were killed here.) The star attraction is Neesa, a human. She is a district ranger from Ahr-Pinya and a member of the Weaponcrafters Guild. She was captured while investigating pirate attacks and is now kept prisoner. Because of her excellent combat skills, the tavern owners entertain their customers by using her as a gladiator. Normally, these fights involve starved wildlife, but occasionally, young camp upstarts challenge her. When this happens, she makes a bloody example out of them.

The tavern is adjoining Fair Deal Gunderson's Clothing and Trade Goods store. Gunderson is well-connected (for a fat, greasy weasel human): he has good relations with the Stagewell Boys. These are a family/gang of eight who are in charge of the camp, and are always seeking new allies. Tucker Stagewell is their leader.