You can never dig too deep :3

Stew is a small-statured black slime barely 1.30 meters tall when fully upright, though his form tends to wobble and slouch in a way that makes him seem even shorter. His body glistens like polished obsidian, shifting from tar-black to smoky gray depending on the lighting in the mines. Two faintly glowing pale eyes drift within his gelatinous mass, expressive despite their simplicity.

He works in the coal mines of the Extraction District of Rubicon, an unforgiving Arctic zone where the ground is eternally hard and the air smells of frost, iron, and dust. The district is known for its rich seams of rare minerals, though few inhabitants would call it hospitable. Stew ended up there after being thrown down a mineshaft. An event he remembers with surprising fondness. Something about the darkness, the echoes, and the smell of raw earth resonated with him. Ever since, he has happily mined coal, considering the mines less of a prison and more of a cozy, dimly lit home.

Stew is a simple-minded individual, but not in the sense of lacking intelligence. He can solve practical problems with surprising speed, sense the density of rocks by sound alone, and identify minerals by taste. He simply doesn’t place much value on dreams of grandeur. In his view, aspirations like “becoming important” or “seeing the world” seem unnecessary and overly complicated. The mines are his world warm, predictable, and filled with the comforting crunch of mineral-rich layers. He prefers to focus on small joys: the warmth of a lantern, the rhythm of pickaxes, and the satisfying snap of coal veins under pressure.

Despite his simplicity, Stew is quite passionate about minerals. He has studied them in his own way, learning their properties through touch, vibration, and taste. He can locate ore pockets by pressing himself against rock walls and listening for the faintest resonance. As a slime, he possesses a unique ability: he can swallow chunks of rock to separate the minerals from impurities. It’s not only efficient it’s enjoyable. His favorite mineral by far is charcoal, which he describes as “crispy, warm, and a little spicy.” Whenever he eats it, faint embers flicker inside him like tiny stars.

Stew has a quiet sort of charm. He hums softly as he works, producing a vibrating tune that reverberates down the tunnels. He greets every new rock formation like an old friend. He collects oddly shaped stones, storing them inside his body like keepsakes. He enjoys company but doesn’t require it, and he rarely complains.

If Stew had a motto, it would probably be something like: “A small sparkle in the dark is enough.”

And for him, it truly is.