Episode 6: In a Mine

In episode six of Death Saving Bros., "In a Mine", you can guess where the party is going.

After defeating the fake orc raiders and having Wilhelmina's salt caravan go on their way, the players meander before deciding to enter the mines, finding more of Wilhelmina's workers collecting salt. Brixeus Hammerbottom tries to blend in while his brother Ambienitus looks for someone to say "hey" to. Searching for actual orcs in here, one of the workers points out that after the raiders attack, they usually flee. The players begin demanding the Dungeon Master to give them free foot trails to follow and rather than search for one, intimidates a worker who tells them to go look for some.

They step outside and *surprise surprise*, they find tracks to follow. Spending almost a day following this trail, they eventually find the supersonic horse tied to a tree outside a mine entrance. They sneak into the entrance to the mines, where they're hit with a foul stench. Dosh Johnson takes it in like a champ.

With Revan taking guard (As Eric is not in the episode) the group follows the abandoned mines inwards, and notice rusted rails and eventually a storage room where salt would have been stored. In boxes, they find rotten apples and old jerky, alongside abandoned piles of salt. Depending on darkvision, they delve deeper into the mines, where it opens into a huge cavern. A large rock juts from the wall, where Brixeus and Dosh give it a healthy inspection, finding a rope to lead into the depths below. Noticing a ladder as well, Dosh goes to kick it, only to notice a trip wire at the last second. Brixeus, on the other hand, walks right through it and triggers a crossbow trap, sending a bolt smacking into his shoulder.

A couple of Shrek jokes and Hammerbottom jabs later, the party attempts to climb below, with the ladder breaking from age. Another rope ladder later, the party admires each other's physical prowess, and continue down to the final level. Here the area is picked cleaned of salt, and a functional minecart full of salt and rocks remains functional. After some discretion from Dungeon Master Paul, the cart increases in size as the party tries to take off in it. After a slow start, the cart begins gaining speed and flies through the cavern before eventually crashing into a wooden barrier.

Gathering themselves together, they smell the stench of decayed meat and the growling snorts of a creature hidden in the shadows. Brixeus takes a step closer to inspect when the hulking creature emerges. Roll for initiative!

The creature, revealed to be an owlbear, charges at the party. Paul demonstrates what a owlbear sounds like, leading the players to request the sound again multiple times. Brixeus is taken down twice within the first round but is saved by Dosh, who gives bardic inspiration to his half-orc companion by rapping the chorus of Remember the Name. Discussing the flammability of creatures, Brixeus goes back on the offensive and firebolts the owlbear. Near the end of the fight, Brixeus gives a "sad critical hit" and finishes it off, taking the beak as the prize. He mocks his brother for the non-existent praise his parents would not as given him, while Dosh realizes there's no decent loot to have.

Continuing on, they find a wooden barricade that can be opened by a pulley system. Entering inside, they file a pile of loot and the party immediately grows suspicious. They notice bedding and signs that somebody may have left here in a hurry. Looting the pile, the gang finds 250 gold and a whole slew of weaponry. Dosh tries to lie about the money despite plundering it in front of the team.

Heading back towards the bedding, they find black arrows with red fletching once again. Backtracking through the wood barricade and climbing a nearby rock slope, they stealth into a room that is inhabited by orcs, only to be shouted out by a DM controlled Revan that "the guy is getting away!"