Motherlode
Motherlode is a co-op mining expedition into a quarry with a crystal heart. Everyone in the round works toward the same goals: break through the chambers, survive whatever the mountain throws at you, and crack the crystal core together. Playing alone is fine. If nobody else joins, the house crew comes along.
When and how to join
Section titled “When and how to join”- Every day at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM Chicago time (CT).
- About 15 minutes before, chat and Discord give a heads-up. When it opens, click [CLICK TO JOIN] in chat or type
/motherlode(also/quarry). - Registration stays open for 5 minutes. Mining starts after a 2 minute lobby, and you can still jump in during the first 3 minutes of mining (the goals grow a little for each late miner).
- A round lasts up to 20 minutes. Up to 20 players can join.
How a round plays
Section titled “How a round plays”- Copper first. Mine the ore outcrops to fill the shared goal. Each player adds to it.
- The deep chambers. Push through richer veins toward the core. Your rank shows on the action bar.
- The crystal core. Hit the gold weak point (worth triple) before it moves. It hops every 9 seconds or after 10 hits. The shell cracks at 33%, 66% and 90%, and crawlers spill out each time. The final push counts double.
Along the way:
- Rich veins: a random vein glints through the walls. For 15 seconds it pays triple.
- Tremors: three veins glint at once for 12 seconds.
- The ore cart: a cart rolls through the quarry. Swing at it first for a bonus.
- The Deepmaw: it surfaces to swallow the ore chunks you knocked loose. Land enough hits as a crew (10 per miner in 30 seconds) and you keep your progress plus a bonus. Fail and it dives with some of it.
- Quarry Mites and Crystal Crawlers: small critters that shove and stagger you. Each kill is worth a few bonus points.
Wear the Mining Helmet wrap and you get a working headlamp underground.
The house crew
Section titled “The house crew”If you are the only miner, one or two house crew members join after 45 seconds. They mine for real, chat as they go, and can beat you, but they never take tokens, cache rolls or the Foreman title.
| Crew | Style |
|---|---|
| Barnacle | The grinder. Steady, sticks to copper. |
| Drift | The roamer. Fast, chases every rich vein. |
| Marina | The collector. Slow start, saves herself for the deep stuff. |
Rewards
Section titled “Rewards”Money and the Cache roll are paid once per player per Chicago day. Quarry Tokens are paid every round.
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Milestone 1 | $100,000 |
| Milestone 2 | $200,000 |
| Milestone 3 | $300,000 |
| Core cracked (completion) | $200,000 |
| Daily total | up to $800,000 |
Motherlode Cache
Section titled “Motherlode Cache”Each completed day also rolls the Cache once:
| Cache prize | Chance |
|---|---|
| Bonus pay ($100,000 to $300,000) | 54% |
| Tide Crate key | 25% |
| Reef Crate key | 10% |
| Harvestwake key (until Nov 30) | 4% |
| Trench I book | 3% |
| Trench II book | 2% |
| Trench III book | 1% |
| Abyssal Crate key | 1% |
Foreman
Section titled “Foreman”The top miner of the last finished expedition holds the [Foreman] tag until the next round settles.
Barnacle’s Quarry Exchange
Section titled “Barnacle’s Quarry Exchange”Spend Quarry Tokens at Barnacle’s Quarry Exchange, or from the /motherlode menu. You also earn tokens from weekly tournaments.
| Item | Tokens |
|---|---|
| Tide Crate key | 10 |
| Quarry Hand title | 20 |
| Reef Crate key | 25 |
| Harvestwake key (until Nov 30) | 40 |
| Motherlode trophy | 40 |
| Abyssal Crate key | 60 |
| Mining Helmet wrap (keeps your helmet’s armor, adds a headlamp) | 60 |
| Motherlode Crystal pickaxe wrap | 80 |
Quarry Tokens, the tags and the wraps are earned only. They are never sold.