Perdition

This is the one known active silver mine in the Bluff Hills, save for a tiny handful of pitiful gnomish endeavors on the brink of extinction. Perdition has a formidable guard of over two hundred ogres who will fight to the death (Morale of 20) against any seeking to take possession of it. The history of Perdition is a strange one indeed.

Bandits fleeing from the advance of Iuz began to infiltrate the hills two years ago. Among them, a rare mage located the silver vein by divination. The valley also had the advantages of pure water from a spring, fair grass for grazing, and a plentiful supply of small animals which could be trapped. However, the area was swarming with ogres and this seemed an insurmountable problem until the mage hit on a bright idea. He polymorphed himself into ogre form and announced himself as a priest of Grolantor, the patron Power of hill giants and many ogres. Emphasizing this with some showy magic, the mage also cast a charm spell on the ogre leader. Since that time, the ogres have followed the mage/ogre with the zeal of the truly faithful.

The mage/ogre has told his new-found followers that Perdition is a sacred site to Grolantor and the ogres must protect it. Buried in the mines, the shafts of which are too small for ogres to enter comfortably or safely, there is a sacred club which, if retrieved, will lead the ogres to great battle victories. The humans, the mage/ogre declaims, are his slaves and they can find the club which will remain untouched until the ogre's chieftain takes it into his own hands. At times, the ogres appear somewhat unhappy that the club has taken so long to find, but on the other hand, their new "priest" has used magic to great effect. At least half a dozen of them owe their lives to his holding a rogue fomorian attacking them. The ogres are deeply superstitious and reverential of this Power given magic. The mage/ogre skillfully manipulates their gullible natures, while his bandit colleagues manage to retrieve some silver from the mines. They use some for trade in Tenh, purchasing weapons and supplies there, and hope to be able to excavate enough from the mine to leave as wealthy men in a year or two.