While the very depths of the Mort Myre Ridge mine maybe closed off due to horrible haunted creatures and demonic abominations shambling about down there, the Mort Myre Ridge mine itself is still VERY useful to the Myreque. As long as somebody with enough enough knowledge of mining and construction were to take to the mines (or, since it's tiring work, several people), then it would be easy to start a whole host of NEW mineshafts. In doing so, many, many valuable resources could be found and acquired for the cause.
Mining is normally intended for a minimum of 2 roleplayers at one time (One person acts as a GM, one person does the construction work and the other does the mining work). Please not that this system is somewhat simplified for the purposes of roleplay, and doesn't adequately reflect how easy or hard it is to dig tunnels in the real world.
Mining in a tunnel's all well-and-fine, but sooner or later, gravity's going to take it's toll. That's why the miners of Gilenor invented beams. Before mining a certain depth, a set of structural supports must be erected first. To do this, you will be required to pass a DC13 check against Construction. If this is passed, then the area is reinforced and you may freely mine onwards. However, the structural supports require at least four planks and 12 nails to create.
This is where the actual mining process occurs. This is where, over the course of half an hour (less with more people), stone is removed, forming a tunnel, stone is deposited into a minecart and taken back up and out of the mine for other purposes, etc.
To keep the system simple for the time being it will not be calculated exactly how much ground is cleared, as this would be overall more accurate, but MUCH more complex. Instead, it shall simply be said that a tunnel will be "One unit" longer every time it's dug out.
The base mining check for mining through at this stage is DC15. Remember that bonuses from pickaxe makes apply here. If the check is passed, then you may carry on.
Also bear in mind that for a single person to mine "One unit" of tunnel would take 1 hour. With Two people who have successfully passed the mining check, it would take half an hour, so-on-and-so-forth. Due to the nature of the work, anybody actively mining for more than four hours will suffer from PERMANENT debuff "feats", which can only be cured for very, very large amounts of money by professional doctors and herbalists across the salve.
Working without a gas mask, dust mask, bandanna or other type of facial protection (No, helmets don't count) drags the safe exposure time to a measly two hours. Specialist faceware can be used, such as respiratory masks and full-on diving suits, however such things are unusual to find in the Myre.
Additionally, a material make check of DC6 must be passed for every pickaxe used per unit. (NOT a mining check)
Eg. Steel=2, D20+2
If this check fails, the pickaxe breaks, and a new one must be acquired. If the myreque are out of pickaxes, tough luck.
Sometimes, you have to give in and let lady luck decide. When choosing a path, you will be required to roll a single "D2000" die. Your mining skill does not affect this in and way, shape, or form. This is simply the choosing of the "encounter". Be as skilled as you may, fate has in store what fate has in store for you, be it runite ore infront of your face or a pocket of toxic (or explosive) gas...or just stone. Most of the time it's just stone.
Once everything else is done, all that remains is for the tracks to be laid down so the minecart can continue further down the tunnel, and then you go back to Step 1.
The tracks themselves can be made in advance. Minecart tracks enough for a single unit of tunnel require two ingots of well-smithed bronze, regular steel, or higher-quality metals as well as two planks. These can be made with a smithing check of DC12.
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