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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1179279" data-attributes="member: 6783">Garlstone MineThe Garlstone mine had been played out for over six decades.  A few diehard men and dwarves had kept at picking at its depths even after the owners had pulled out, but it was barely enough to keep them fed and clothed.  Old miners are forever filled with optimism about the next big strike though, especially when they pass rumors amongst themselves that so-and-so (like Old Grizzler) had struck it rich.It wasn’t until about thirty years ago that the Carman family founded their mine much closer to Milbourne that the work for miners started to pick up again.  Eventually time passed and most people forgot about the mines.  Except Old Grizzler, the old dwarf’s memory was long and in the interest of more ale and a small fee of 5gp he had drawn a map of the mines for Panther almost two months ago when they had first inquired about it.The two-page map was a rough affair.  It had no scale on it and each of the many chambers of the mine was given some name or another.  (“The first page,” explained Old Grizzler, “is where ye’ll be entering.  The second is where the profit use to be.  Don’t be mixing it up.  And you won’t be finding any riches.  There’s a reason why it’s abandoned after all.”)The Flitch of Bacon, so called because of the ruddy bands in the walls that reminded the miners of their favorite breakfast food.The Dream Cave where it was said that miners who slept there would dream of the woman they would marry (“Utter nonsense.”  Muttered the old dwarf.  “Old Grizzler took a nap there once, cause I was tired you know, and I never had no dreams.”).Just beyond the Dream Cave was the Queen of Souls Pillar.  The pillar looked like a collection of pipes for some majestic organ.  Trickling down the multi-colored mineral column was a slow, steady drip of water.  Niela, Lady of Healing, was said to watch over miners here, and if a miner spent a night praying here he would be cure of whatever ailment he had.The Cat was so named for  for a rock formation that looked like the head of a cat.  (“Although in my day we called it Pargenter’s Cat.  She was an outlaw that use to hide in the mines before Milbourne was properly built up.”)The Poached Egg Chamber was just a wide spot in the tunnel with many stalactites that had formations at their tips that looked for all the world like eggs broken open.And the Grand Cascade was a massive chamber whose north wall looked like a giant waterfall frozen in time.  (“It’s from here ye’ll find a shaft that goes to the mines below.  That’s where we really started to mine the good stuff.”)-------------------------Ashimar crept silently through the entrance tunnel that led to the Flitch of Bacon on the map. This was his second trip through and he was well warded with spells cast by Jallarzi.  Invisibility was his first defense as well as a spell that granted him the vision of a dwarf. His first foray in had shown him where the ogre was half-napping and he had found the camping gear of what at first had seemed like two small children – or halflings.  He had quickly looked in on the Dream Cave and had found it empty.  Wisely he had gone out to inform his friends of what he had seen and then had volunteered to come back in first again.  The others would wait a slow count of thirty and then follow.Once Ashimar was in the main cavern proper he stopped and listened.  There was a snort and he heard the massive ogre move and yawn from where Ashimar had left him.  The street-rogue grimaced and padded silently towards the noise.  He soon saw the ogre who was lazily scratching himself.  The ogre was a massive creature standing almost nine feet tall and had to have weighed almost a half a ton.  Ashimar eyed the club next to the creature warily.  <Nothing ventured…>  He thought to himself as he waved his invisible hand in front of his face.  It was a quick fight.  More of a slaughter really.  Ashimar may have started out as a street rogue but for the last two months he had been training along side Kellron, an Imperial trained soldier from the Old School of training – where soldiers learned or they died.  Ashimar was a much better fighter now.  The ogre, Fulnak, on the other hand was big and he was strong and that’s all he was.  Ashimar’s first attack under invisibility had wounded the creature sorely in spite of its thick hide, but it wasn’t enough to kill it.  More blows were traded after that.  It wasn’t a fair trade.  Ashimar still took one of the club hits in the chest but his armor absorbed some of it and he rolled away from the rest.  Ashimar was still able to hit the creature two more times however and eventually felled it after he took a second glancing blow.Kellron and the others came up as Ashimar rummaged through his pack and was pulling out a flask marked with Niela’s healing symbol.  “We heard a shout.”  Said Kestral.Ashimar raised a finger as he downed the potion.  “Those things have really thick hides.”  He explained as he felt the rush of healing while skin and bone knit themselves together.  “I couldn’t quite get it with one hit.”Kellron hefted his sword.  “We better go see who was alerted then.”</blockquote>

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