¶ Senior Miner
Difficulty: Hard
Duties: Leading a squad of miners
Restrictions: The role's faction falls into the category of Peaceful factions.
The Senior Miner is the one who will lead his brave miners into the depths of the earth.
¶ Extractor and Administrator
Even after mining every ore in this world, something must be done with it. The Senior Miner can order subordinates to smelt the ore or do it personally. Sometimes the ore is turned into ingots to be reforged into armor and weapons; at other times, it becomes jewelry that can be sold at a good price. Rumor has it that the wealthiest people wish to acquire legendary ebonite armor, whose material can be obtained only from rare falling stars.
¶ Chief Extractor
A squad cannot be left unattended. Sometimes it is necessary to accompany the miners into the depths personally. In such cases, remember torches and lightstones, because the glow of the blazing sun does not reach beneath the earth. The caves will not surrender their riches freely, however: every vein of ore must be wrested from the creatures of the deep.
If the squad cannot cope, help can always be requested from travelers. Naturally, no one will take such risks for nothing. Even without revents, miners can pay with their own craftsmanship: the extracted ore can be forged into equipment of a quality no merchant can offer.
¶ Chief Administrator
Although miners do not participate directly in the war between the Legion and the Rebels, they can enter into commercial agreements with faction leaders. Every side needs resources, and high-quality equipment can play a decisive role in achieving victory. Miners can create armor and weapons superior to standard gear. Leaders rarely refuse such offers.
Besides factions, ordinary travelers often turn to miners for services. The important thing is for the customers to have something valuable to exchange and for the miners to have the required materials.
¶ And Where Is the Falling Star?
From time to time, colorful flashes will appear in the sky... and a crash will resound as though someone struck the cliffs with a hammer. The Senior Miner should prepare a squad, because the time has come to hunt a falling star. It contains an extremely rare ore: ebonite. According to legend, this material can be forged into armor capable of withstanding any blade and deflecting any projectile, whether an arrow or a bolt of magic.
The star's location can be determined only approximately. Magical instruments can detect where it is and provide exact coordinates, but they cannot be used without a magic map . One must also remember that, besides rare ore, the star harbors various aggressive creatures.
¶ Miner's Code
This code contains useful advice and principles that will help you role-play the Senior Miner effectively and atmospherically.
¶ Organization
- Assign roles within the team. Delegate tasks: one person mines, another guards, and a third handles inventory and sorting.
- Assemble the squad wisely. A group composed entirely of warriors has a lower chance of survival than one that also includes mages and archers.
- Monitor processing. Do not leave ore sitting idle. Organize smelting and forge equipment.
- Purchase magic maps. A merchant always has a magic map for sale that will show the exact coordinates of falling stars.
- A falling star is an event. Do not go there alone. Organize star hunters: warriors, mages, and archers. Stone golems will spare no one.
- Maintain relations with factions. You have high-quality equipment, and they have revents. Why not trade?
¶ Roleplaying Tips
- Be a mentor. Show the young miners how to dig and what to do—you are a leader, not merely a silent figure with a pickaxe.
- Maintain a miner's charisma. Act like a rough but fair leader: use the terminology, call your subordinates "hammers," and call ore "black gold."
- Create small rituals. Opening the first star, burying a failure, or chanting before a descent will make you a true mining squad.
- Trade with travelers. With your own hands, you can forge armor unavailable in any shop. Trade wisely—for revents, resources, or services.
- Role-play fear of the depths. Emphasize the darkness, crushing pressure, and strange sounds in the mines; even without monsters, the depths can be frightening.
- Keep a mining journal. Record in a book or on paper where ebonite was found, where a cave-in occurred, who was a hero, and who was a deserter. This will give your character a history.
¶ Commandments of the Pickaxe
- Do not abandon your pickaxe—abandon the one who dropped it.
- Enter the darkness with a friend, and return to the light with ore.
- Let anyone who betrays the squad dig alone.
- Do not reforge armor before you have smelted your character.
- The rarest ore is granted by a star—but not to everyone.
¶ Conclusion
The Senior Miner is more than an experienced digger. He is a leader capable of uniting a squad, building a supply chain, establishing outside contacts, and transforming dirty ore into a masterpiece of smithing. He is equally at home in the pitch-black darkness of caves and at the negotiating table with faction leaders.
Finding the star, gathering the ore, protecting your people, and forging a legend all rest on his shoulders. If you are ready not only to dig but to lead, not merely to fight but to produce power, this role is for you.