Enderal:Myths and Legends: The Blind Miner
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Volume 1: The Blind Miner
The "Blind Miner" is probably one of the most well-known pieces of Endralean lore. This is likely in large part due to the fact that the events surrounding the myth took place right beneath the feet of Ark's citizens: deep down in the mine shafts of the Tar Pit, the country's second largest mine system.
The Blind Miner, whose actual name has been lost to time, is a dreadful Lost One that lurks in the tunnels of the Tar Pit. The sight of him would be able to spark fear in even the most hardened adventurer. His eyes are hidden behind bloody rags and where the rest of his face should be there is nothing but a grotesque, giant maw filled with rows of inhuman teeth, sharp and pointed like a wolf's; yellowed bone is visible through what is left of his rotting gray skin, which is covered in boils. Countless careless workers and Undercity dwellers are said to have lost their lives to this monstrosity.
The reason for his existence is, according to the legends, a disaster which took place 6342 n. St. deep down in the mines: a rockfall sealed a tunnel, along with the fifteen miners working in it at the time, trapping them with no way out. The pile of rubble was so high that even after three weeks of labor to clear it, the entrance remained closed off. After another three weeks had passed, the miners were assumed to be deceased and the rescue attempt was abandoned. The entrance was reburied and the path barricaded.
A cruel fallacy, for the miners were still alive. The first few weeks they sustained themselves on the small amount of provisions they had carried on them. Once those ran out, they started catching puss beetles and rats for consumption. The sheer will to survive and the sound of the pickaxes on the rocks which isolated them from the outside world, gave them hope.
As the sound made way for silence, however, they started to panic. They were trapped for all eternity, and they knew it. Little by little they lost their minds, everyone except he who is nowadays known as the Blind Miner. He was the foreman of the group, praised with popularity among his comrades, and reminded the others to remain calm. Unwilling to give up hope, he continued to search for an escape, hour after hour, day after day.
Yet the more days passed, the more dire their situation became. The Blind Miner was no longer able to soothe the panic among the rest of the miners, and the steadily worsening hunger did the rest. Unrest brewed, aggression and conflict simmering right beneath the surface at all times, one spark away from eruption. Still, eventually the Blind Miner clinging to his last sliver of hope paid off: he discovered an exit. With joy he returned to his comrades, only to encounter a cruel sight on his hurry back: the corpse of one of his men. He was terribly mutilated, his belly ripped open by an ax. Blood and intestines were scattered across the dusty ground.
Even before he had followed the voices coming from around a corner, he knew what had happened: his comrades had murdered one of their own and devoured him.
Raging anger consumed the man. They had been so close to rescue, so close! And still they had decided to engage in this inhumane, Pathless act, instead of believing in Malphas' light. Driven by the same determination with which he had continued to search for a way out, the Blind Miner freed the ax from the corpse's belly. The remaining miners were crouched together and looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes when he stormed around the corner. There was no hiding their bloodstained mouths and fingers. Before they realized what was happening, he had killed them all.
But instead of leaving the mine shaft, he stayed with them, filled with disgust because of what he had done. He tore out his own eyes to no longer have to bear the sight of his deed.
Author's note: To this day it is unclear if the "Blind Miner" truly exists, but arcane investigations suggest that this myth is in fact grounded in reality. Apparently the monster has a magick protection at his disposal, which makes it impossible to cause physical or magical harm to him. It is speculated that a Psionic totem may break the invulnerability, but it is unclear how one could be created, especially considering that practicing the School of Psionics is forbidden. Solely the Apothecarii could have access to this knowledge; but even if they do, they will probably keep it locked away securely.
