Planet Algol - Sunday Oct. 3rd

Sunday October 3rd

Corporal Breaker - Steel Soldier Android
Kalotar - Black-skinned Barshi Man Fighter
Medeez - Yellow-skinned Gresh Man Sorcerer and Teleporter
Robag Xul - Blue-green and purple striped Azgukh Man Thief
Rodan the Scrounger - Green-skinned Zermish Man Scavenger and Survivor

The party plots their next move in the aftermath of their previous, Nigel Nightbreaker-killing expedition through a teleporter gate to an asteroid. They resolve to return to Pit and seek working clearing out unexplored tunnels deep withing the eponymous massive, bottomless shaft for mining gangs.

Two oriniths are procured by Medeez and Rodan, as well as a pack scarab, and are loaded with food and water. The party next visits the local mercenaries guild and after paying a small fee a gang of fighting men (and women) gather to hear their pitch.

Rodan blusters with vague talk of easy work and quick riches. The apparent leader of the mercenaries, a tactless, brash Haasht Man with jade colored scales and a lizard-like crest of blue-green scales instead of hair, interrupts and requests specifics regarding their work.

Rodan attempts to browbeat the loudmouth with hot talk before Robag Xul interrupts with a comment about "You'll be getting paid to go underground and die!"

The mercenary replies "Ahah, so you are hiring us to go on adventures. We know your reputation Rodan, you've left a trail of dead companions on your expeditions!"

Rodan admits his motives and the two begin negotiations. Two months pay and shares in the treasure are offered and of the small crowd of twenty mercenaries, three accept the offer, including their leader. The mercenaries are outfitted and the party departs for Pit

and soon arrives at the rusty, smoky, dirty streets of the mining settlement. The tunnel-clearing work that Rodan was seeking is indeed available from the Black Pickax Mining Gang and the commission is accepted.

The next morning the party and the muttering mercenaries are lowered in an iron cage on a cable miles deep in the bottomless pit of Pit to scout out a tunnel entrance that their patrons have a claim upon.

A ruby is found in the winding labyrinth before Corporal Breaker is mauled by a massive iridescent green beetle with scything mandibles. The mega-arthropod is dispatched as it chews upon the combat robot, and its eggs are destroyed.

The party returns to the surface, taking in the head of the giant insect for a modest bounty, and proceeds to sell the ruby and split up the wealth. Some make incautious of their exploits in a seedy dive, the Brass Tines.

The next day the party returns to the tunnels. Waiting is a brash young bravo pointing a heavy dart rifle at the party. He brags of how his gang, the Red Chisels have jumped the Black Pickax's claim. Negotiations with the intoxicated young tough fail and the rifle is discharged before the Red Chisel shouts and alarm. Kalotar leaps upon the bravo and strangles him to death.

Further claim-jumpers are found, and in an ensuing ambush one of the party's hirelings, the loud mouthed Haasht Man, is shot dead. More rubies; the severed heads of five intoxicant-addled Red Chisel bravos; and a bound prisoner brought back to the surface, the latter two items exchanged for a more sizable sum of gold credits.