The Mill That Would Not Stop
From a tavern tip
A tip bought in a tavern for 22 silver.
“A bolt-maker says the water-powered bolt mill on the Sour Beck is still running behind its nailed shutters, three years after the Collector seized and sealed it.”
Possible rewards: Tinker Crab Endless Quiver Quick-loaders
5 scenes. Choices with a requirement only appear when you meet it.
The Bolt Mill
Sail to The Bolt Mill (2–5 passages away)1 Investigate the seized bolt mill on the Sour Beck.
The mill straddles a murky stream with its waterwheel churning and its shutters nailed tight. A three-year-old Collector's seizure notice is pasted over the door. Inside, metal lathes are spinning non-stop, and something heavy is feeding iron stock into them.
- Break the Collector's seal and storm straight inside.Landfall: The Bolt Mill
- Jam the waterwheel from outside first so the machinery winds down.
- [Lutrine] Send crewmate underwater to jam the wheel's main drive gear.Crew: Lutrinecrewmate dives into the millrace and jams an iron bar straight into the pit gear. With a single loud clank, the waterwheel locks solid.+1 Repair skill XP
- Leave it for now.You leave the mill behind, its waterwheel still churning steadily over the stream.
The Recycling Hopper
Right away2 Inspect what the automated bolt mill has been manufacturing.
The machine that kept feeding the lathes for three years was the mill's automated loader construct. Bolted to the main lathe is the bolt-maker's prized invention: a brass recycling hopper that catches scrap shafts and feeds them back into the cutter. The floor is ankle-deep in freshly turned ballista bolts.
- Unbolt the brass recycling hopper to mount on your ship.You loosen two of the four mounting bolts before someone coughs politely in the broken doorway behind you.
- Shovel up 6 crates of finished bolts first.Your crew packs six crates of freshly turned bolts into sacks just as someone coughs politely in the doorway behind you.+6 bolts
- Inspect the fallen iron loader construct first.You kneel beside the four-legged iron loader construct, whose scoop-arm is still twitching faintly by the main lathe.
The Wheel Stops
Right away3Inside the mill, one lathe after another winds down and falls silent. Then something heavy and metallic begins clanking across the floor behind the shutters, searching for whatever stopped its power. It rattles the bolted door from the inside.
- Break the door seal and fight the rogue construct.Deprived of waterwheel power, the four-legged iron loader construct is sluggish, though its heavy scoop-arm batters one of your crew before three hands tackle and overturn it.15 damage to a random crewmate
- [Marine] Send crewmate in first to disable the construct with a boarding axe.Crew: Marinecrewmate ducks under the swinging iron scoop and drives a boarding axe straight through the construct's main spring housing, dropping it in a shower of gears.+1 Melee skill XP
- [Gnome] Have crewmate ring the mill's shutdown bell code by the door.Crew: Gnomecrewmate spots the bell-pull beside the doorframe and rings three-and-one—the standard gnomish stand-down chime. The construct freezes mid-step and powers down harmlessly.+1 Repair skill XP
The Bolt-Maker at the Door
Right away4Pell Marsh—the bolt-maker who sold you the tip—stands in the broken doorway holding his cap. "This was my mill before the Collector seized it," he admits. "A Lowborn debtor with a record like me would be jailed for life for breaking a Collector's seal, so I needed a ship captain to crack it open. Take all the bolts on the floor, captain—just leave me the brass hopper so I can run the mill in secret and pay you a share. Or take the hopper too; I can't stop you."
- Unbolt the brass recycling hopper for your Battery Deck.Installed beneath your gun deck, the brass hopper recycles spent shots during battle—though breaking the Collector's seal brings enforcement heat.Relic: Endless Quiver+1 heatThe questline ends here.
- Leave him the hopper, pack 12 bolts into your hold, and sell the surplus for 60 silver.You pack twelve bolts into your ammo lockers and sell the rest downriver for sixty silver, leaving Pell his hopper.+12 bolts+60 silverThe questline ends here.
- [Gnome] Have crewmate remove the hopper, take 8 bolts, and reseal the mill so nobody notices.Crew: Gnomecrewmate unbolts the brass hopper for your gun deck, packs eight bolts, and carefully shuts down the lathes and re-pastes the Collector's seal so the break-in goes unnoticed.Relic: Endless Quiver+8 boltsThe questline ends here.
- Leave Pell his hopper in exchange for quick-loader fittings and 8 bolts.Grateful, Pell machines a set of rapid-fire Quick-Loaders for your guns that very night and loads eight bolts into your hold.Fitting: Quick-loaders+8 boltsThe questline ends here.
- Leave Pell the repaired construct and hopper so the mill can run itself unseen.With the repaired construct tending the lathes automatically in the dark, Pell can run the mill without a single lamp lit to betray him. Overjoyed, he outfits your guns with Quick-Loaders, loads eight bolts aboard, and pays you forty silver in advance!The questline ends here.
The Loader Construct
Right away5The four-legged iron construct lies on its side by the main lathe, its scoop-arm still trying to shovel air after three years of unattended work. Its main spring is intact and bears a Gnomish Compact maker's plate—you can shut it down to harvest its crystal, repair its governor, or haul it aboard.
- Extract its 3 power crystals and turn your attention to the brass hopper.You pull the three sky-crystals from its core, and the construct folds up like a sleeping dog. Just then, someone coughs in the doorway.+3 crystal
- [Gnome] Have crewmate reset its overwound governor spring so it works properly.Crew: Gnomecrewmate unwinds the jammed governor spring three turns back to its proper stop. The construct stands up smoothly, loads a single lathe, and waits calmly for orders—just as someone coughs in the doorway.+1 Repair skill XP
- [Construct Bay] Haul the construct aboard as a hull-repair crab and grab 6 bolts.Room: Construct BayInstalled in your Construct Bay, the tireless machine switches from shoveling iron to patching hull seams. You also grab six bolts from the floor, though breaking a Collector's seal draws unwanted heat.The questline ends here.
- Strip the construct for 5 crystal and 35 silver in scrap brass, then leave.You prize five clear crystals from its core and strip thirty-five silver worth of brass gearing before departing—though breaking a Collector's seal draws enforcement heat.+5 crystal+35 silver+1 heatThe questline ends here.
Data from Magehold Fairwinds v1.9.26. Spotted something out of date? Discord