The Mission

The villagers climb out, carrying their small bucket of blue rocks. When they get close to the top, and you help them climb out the last bit, you see that the blue rocks are crystals. Something tweaks in your minds about those. They're sweating, smelly, and exhausted, worn down mentally and physically, but the fact that you're not Nazis fills their eyes with the idea of hope.

One speaks German, and asks, "Who are you to relieve us? Are the Germans gone?"

A D2 Academia - Occultism test will identify the significance of the blue rocks.

<"We have not seen them,"> Sabine says back in German, greeting the enslaved villagers as warmly as she can as they come up. She's worked out a kind of sling for her arm by now, and continues as they all climb up and out. <"The zeppelin is still nearby, and the camp is still active. You will need to be careful to remain undetected. Travel under the cover of trees, or in the dark. Soon enough we will have them distracted.">

Looking at one of the blue rocks, she asks, <"What can you tell us about what they have you mining here?">

The German speaker translates it for the others, and the miner with the bucket holds up the bucket. <"Blue crystals. Don't know why.">

They agree to follow you out.

It's at the shaft back to the surface that you face your next challenge. You can hear movement up top, and the rope is gone. Carefully so as not to expose yourself, you see some German faces looking down into the hole, rifles at the ready. But looking from light into dark is never easy, so they don't see the quick look.

Dan motions for the team to back away from the hole. If they can retreat unobserved they could buy some time to make a new plan.

There are shouts down the hole in German. "Achtung! <We heard the gunfire. Now we want everyone to lie face down below the hole, or you will die down there. We have the only way out.>

Sabine, who lacks grenades, translates quietly for her fellows.

The miners confirm that going up is the only exit they are aware of.

"No sense in all of us going up there." Irish whispers. "Shite…" he says, thinking frantically of a way out. He pulls off his pack.

"My climbing gear is in there. I’ll go up, and tell them it’s just me. What are they going to do, climb down and check? You lot climb up later and break me out. If they don’t shoot me dead, that is."

"They do not know we are down ‘ere," Sabine says quietly to her compatriots, but especially to Irish. "Could we simply lie low, and climb out once they are gone? We do ‘ave this rope ladder as well. If one of you able bodied men could climb up and anchor the ladder…"

Looking at the Irishman, she adds, "Same idea, but perhaps we won’t need to rescue you, or leave it to you to rescue yourself."

"If we stay put, they have to come down here. There's now way to force us out and they want the crystals."

"We'd be at an advantage if we stayed down here. They'd be very vulnerable if they climbed down. And I think they could force us out with a few grenades or starve us if they did notice us. They are bound to find out we are here. One of the miners may spill the beans. I say we lie low and hope they don't discover us. Our options seem few."

"Right! Let’s pretend we’re not in. Should we havethem lot tell the Germans that there’s no one here? Or just…"

Do nothing…

Fight, surrender, or hide?