The Scorch Seekers

A salvage crew camped two seasons in the fumarole fields, mapping the deadly approach to the Cindervault for the haul they mean to carry out — the old temple-bronze and relics down there fetch a fortune to the right buyer.

Five hard hands and a leader with burned palms who knows exactly what the trip is worth. Seeker Veth has charted the fumarole approach but won't go in shorthanded; the gas pockets and scalding vents have already cost them, and a dead crew hauls nothing. They are the boots-on-ground arm of a larger outfit, but down here it's plain work: chart the route, survive the heat, dig out what sells, and get it to market before the next season's competition catches up.