I had been in the planning stages of a similar game with my 14 year old twin boys.
On Eska, the Vril were the unknown, ancient people that made all the wonders.
In a rocky northern coastline, caches of Vril (magic) items have been found.
This has caused a bit of a "gold rush". Instead of mining, the Vril caches will be five room dungeons.
Very much an unknown frontier.
Slow natural healing, gritty realism, lingering injuries.
Using
slot based inventory so the players don't have to count every pound. Still, it's about what you brought with you, and what treasure you can take back!
Since I only have two players, I'm taking the sidekick rules for a spin.
You've piqued my interest, and downloaded Into the Unknown, Running the Game.