NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 746861" data-attributes="member: 6783">A day and a half  tripThe community of Milbourne grew up to serve the needs of miner who dug for the semi-precious garlstone in the Blanryde Hills to the north.  Laying at a natural ford in the Churnett river, it was a natural stopping point for those traveling to or from the bigger mining city of Blasingdale.  Eventually the locals began logging the nearby woods, and harvesting the local apple trees for sale to the city.  Milbourne was now a well to do, if quiet little village.  Now days however the first mine, called appropriately Garlstone Mine, was closed after being played out.  The miners have moved on to a newer mine, closer to Milbourne and have been working it steadily for over two decades.The morning comes early with a slight overcast.  Knowing that there is no deadline for delivering Tauster’s package the group decides to find Jelenneth; each with their own reason. “If I was going to hide out as a kidnapper, it would be at the mines.”  Remarks Kestral.  The rest of her new companions agree, so putting deed to words, they take their horses and head northwards, veering a little eastwards of the hills until they find the right path that will taken them to these mines.  It’s an easy enough journey for the group and their horses and by noon they start their climb into the hills.  A mere two hours later they’re tying the horses to the nearest bit of scrub and looking at the forbidding entrance to the mine.The cave entrance is about fifteen feet across and almost as high.  Decades of tailings have rendered the area immediately adjacent to the mine devoid of all plant life – despite having almost twenty years to recover.  Only black and gray rock decorate the landscape.  Here and there bits of abandoned pieces of metal, rusted and useless, lay forlornly on the ground.  Only a few yards away the remains of building can be seen, though it looks like a fire has taken them all, leaving only blackened timbers and charcoal.  The only sound the companions hear is that of a slight breeze rustling their cloaks and clothes.“Think anyone is there?”  Asks Kestral.Kellron lets his pack down and pulls out a torch.  It takes him only a minute to get a flame going and soon the torch is blazing, dancing in the soft breeze.  “I’ll find out.”  He tells them as he heads towards the entrance, drawing his sword with his free hand.  The sun has moved into the western sky and now illuminates at least ten feet of the interior of the dark tunnel.  He’s checked at the entrance though with a bestial roar echoing from deep within the tunnel.  “AAARRRGG!! Take that light away!”  Comes a deep voice.  Kellron pauses momentarily.  The voice is too deep to be human and the imperial tongue is clumsy on it.  Perhaps it’s a really big orc; hopefully nothing bigger.  He steels himself as he tries to peer into the darkness.  Taking a step forward he speaks up.  “Excu…”“GO AWAY!!”  Roars the voice again.  Louder this time and perhaps only twenty feet away in the darkness.  Before Kellron can collect himself there’s a whuffing of displaced air and a rock about three hand-spans across comes flying out of the darkness.  It hits the paladin high in the chest as he tries to twist out of the way, knocking him and twisting the metal rings of his chain shirt.  He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard a bone crack.Gasping for breath Kellron steps back and to the side out of the way of any other boulders.  The other four companions did likewise.“What the hells is that?”  Asks Ashimar.“Ogre maybe.”  Says Kellron through clenched teeth.  With a whispered prayer he feels the grace of Sarath touch him.  “Thank you.”  He whispers.  He then looks over his companions.  “Do you want to chance it?”  He asks.  The paladin is willing if needs be, but the risk is great and the reward is uncertain.“I don’t think so.”  Says Kestral slowly with some thought.  “Not unless we can come back with something bigger.  Besides, we don’t know that anyone has come through here at all.”  She looks at the cave entrance again.  “How did an ogre get down here anyway?  I haven’t heard of any within the empire in over two centuries.”“Who knows?”  Replies Panther.  “Perhaps there’s some secret route from the mine that goes north under the mountains.”The five confer some more and decide to head to the active mine south of them.  The Carman Mine was started almost three decades ago by the same Carman family that watched over Milbourne.  Like the Garlstone Mine it produced the whorled and translucent blue garlstones that were used in decorating jewelry.The five companions made it to the Carman Mine as the sun was hanging low in the sky.  Unlike the last mine, the buildings are still standing and there was a lot of activity to be seen.  Unfortunately the companions learn nothing upon questioning the miners here, except that the miners are generally unfriendly and uncommunicative.  However Ashimar and Kellron are able to wrangle permission from the suspicious miners to spend the night as the sun was going down and they were unwilling to travel back to Milbourne in the dark.</blockquote>

Verification