Well, the townsfolk are safe for now. The curse can't touch them where they are. We'll come back and check on them when we rid the world of that, that thing. I don't understand why I can't land any swings. The ax passes through it like it's not ever there. Yet it's touch is real enough. I've seen enough death and blood to last ten life times. None of that prepared me for the first time we battled with it. One touch from it and I was rooted on the spot, paralized with fear. I always thought I was fearless. You can't survive in the Pit if you are afraid. That thing terified me. It took a villager's dying scream to get me to move again.
Some kind of bird landed on Yr-in-sir's shoulder. They looked at each other for a while before she said she had to go somewhere and took off. She'd better come back, she's our only weapon against the ghost. The dwarf Norgrand has returned. The town's healer is amazing. YOu'd never guess he was thrown across the room after getting struck by lightning from a door. The elf assures me that's what happened. I"ve seen too much since earning my freedom to not believe her. The other elf, Ist something, decided to stay with us. His name doesn't matter. He's good with that bow, that's good enough for me. I'm glad the hunter Hugo decided to stick around, we'll need him as we go looking for these other mines.
Traveling through the woods was a good change. Or so I thought at first. It didn't take long to realize that all those trees and underbrush are great places to hide for an ambush. Sure enough, a band of goblins burst from the foilage and attacked us. They must have been desperate to attack an armed party of equal number. Maybe they were after the mule. Maybe they just can't count. You never know with goblins. The battle was short. By the time I dispatched the one that attacked me, the rest were dead and the dwarf was down. I rushed over to render aid only to find that his tankard saved his life. The goblin aimed a killing blow to the dwarf's groin only to strike the tankard. The strength of the blow must have incapacitated the dwarf. He wasn't wearing any armor so he took the full force of the strike. No wonder he has been walking funny the last few days. Or is that just how dwarves walk?
The first mine was in the middle of a small clearing. A large stone block covered what turned out to be a familiar spiral stairway leading down into the earth. With help from the mule we were able to move the stone and access the stairs. We found another room belonging to the mage we are chasing. After taking a scroll, a book and some vials full of liquids, we left and resealed the entrance to the room. We'll have Yr-Ra-Sir look those over when we see her again. We also kept the key to this chamber in case it opens up other rooms in the other mines. The remainder of the mine was two large rooms. ONe was empty, the other contained a giant spider. While we were exploring the room, I spotted it climbing down from its web on the ceiling. My cry of warning was not in time. It pounced on the dwarf and took him down. That dwarf is turning out to be lucky. He takes two vicious blows without armor and survives without a scratch. We need to get him some armor. I also need to teach him how to strike back. If he doesn't have a weapon beyond that staff, I'll give him my hand ax. Where was I, oh yes, the spider. That thing was fast. I ran over and took a swing only to find it gone before I was ready for another blow. The hunter's arrow must have struck true because the spider ran right for him. After wounding a few of us, the spider fell to the combined fury of the hunter, the elf and my ax.
Our next target was a mine located in the rolling hills to the north. After a half days walk we reached the hills. As we passed through the hills we came upon a caravan going east. My first thought was a trade caravan that we could resuply from. It turned out to be a prisoner convey heading towards the prison mine to the east. Those poor souls. They will go in there and never come back out. At least the men I was imprisoned with had the honor of dying with a sword in their hands. Those prisoners will be worked to death in brutal conditions. That is no way for a man to die.
The cover stone for this mine was located in a dead swamp. All the trees, underbrush, everything in the area was dead. The hunter also found large foot prints in the area. I did not want to stay in this area long. THis whole area felt...wrong. I did not win my freedom by ignoring my instincts. Even ignoring my instincts, the smell that erupted when the stone was removed was the worst odor I have ever smelled. I was violently sick, the contents of my stomach finding the light of day again. I have been in small rooms crammed with unwashed men, some still bleeding, some who soiled themselves. That was plesant compared to the smell coming from the mine. The dwarf tried going down the stairs only to find it totally flooded. We then attempted to dig down into one of the tunnels. After punching through from two different holes and finding those also flooded we decided to move on. I believe at this point we found out who those foot prints belonged to. A large swamp troll carrying a tree for a club came over a hill. The hunter advised us to depart quickly and quietly.
Smart man that hunter. I have seen one of these things tear apart everything in its way. Men I might have called friends out here in the world died trying to take one down. I saw deaths every day, it's part of being in the pit. Kill or be killed. Those deaths from fighting a troll were senseless. It was the jailors way of culling the prison population. Whenever they felt there were too many of us, a troll was brought in for one of the fights. They normally picked the wounded and weak, easy kills for the troll. I had to fight a few in my time, not the most enjoyable fights.
We attempted to withdraw over the next hill. A great plan but it was too late. The mule was braying like mad and the troll must have either heard or smelled it. The troll began heading in our direction. There was only two choices then. Either try to out run it (I have never seen this done) or attack. We chose attack and began running towards it. I did not like our chances. That tree it carried could crush us in one blow. The thing could probably bite one of us in half, could probably eat the dwarf whole. As I charged the anger of watching good men die needlessly to one of these trolls mounted. With a frenzied roar, I used the dwarf to lauch myself into the air. An arrow went wide, missing the troll. Either the hunter or elf had joined the fight. In one swing of my might ax, I avenged my comrades. In one swing of the ax, I cut the thing in half.
I think this might actually where a pipe was uncovered by the troll's demise. So we dug the second and third holes at this point before cleaning up and heading out. While they were digging, I took the two halves of the troll's skull, cleaned them up and added them to my armor as shoulder protection.
As we traveled through the hills towards our next mine we ran into another convoy heading to the prison. Hugo noticed that something was not right with the group. He was proven correct when an escaping prisoner was shot by the gentleman on the cart. He very calmly took out a long gun, aimed it at the running prisoner and dropped him in one shot. Hugo went to take a look a the dead man while the rest of us shadowed the convoy. The prisoner was clean shaven and dressed in a military uniform of the Empire. As an ex prisoner myself, I was curious as to why a caravan of escaped prisoners was heading towards the prison. We continued to shadow the convoy until it reached the road. To our surprise, it turned onto the road. The hunter too became curious at this point. Norgrand and I continued to follow the caravan. The hunter took to the woods on the right while the elf went to the left. We slowly began closing the distance. They sped up, we increased our speed to continue closing the distance. The dwarf began falling behind. Those stunty legs can't keep up. I guess they really do walk like that. I never noticed that before. Anyway, where was I? Oh right, the caravan. They stopped, a gentleman on the cart took a looking glass out to see who we were. After a short talk, the other gentleman took aim with his long gun. I froze in place with the head of my ax on the ground. My intention was to talk not get killed. A couple of guards were dispatched to talk to us. NOrgrand noticed they had prison tatoos on their arms. I had a way in. Showing them my tatoo, I said that I had no love for the Empire and I found it interesting a caravan of ex convicts was escorting guards as prisoners. Believeing they were out to cause some havoc for the Empire, I volenteered to join them. The guards returned to the cart and brought back the gentleman with the long gun and a few more guards. We discovered they were headed to the capital to ransom back the soldiers with a stop over at the inn where the villagers are. The gentleman provided me with contact information of an innkeeper in the capital if I ever wanted to join them. We went our seperate ways, them towards the inn, us to the next mine. The hunter and dwarf were concerned the convicts might kill all the villagers at the inn. I don't believe they would. However, if they do, none of them are safe. I will hunt them all down and dispose of them starting with the gentlemen on the cart. I don't care how many guns you have, an ax blow to the head will ruin you day. Just ask the troll.
