Diary of the Investigation of Bullford Quarry Near Pineswallow
Sir Philip sent me in response to a request from Rotbrueck. The Baron was concerned about events occurring near Bullford. Swarms of animals were attacking miners at a quarry near Pineswallow, putting a halt to mining there. This particular quarry supplies over half the fortification material in the Barony. Notably, Bullford itself is in the process of constructing a wall around the city, which is now considerably slowed.
Upon meeting with Sir Tom and the Baron, Sir Barnum Rochester directed me to ride immediately to Bullford and deliver the Warrant ascribed by the Baron. Once the Warrant was delivered, our party spent the night at the courtesy of Sir Michael of Bullford.
Day One
Early the next morning we set out for the quarry, which was about two hours ride north of Bullford by rough and winding trail. The men assembled under the watch of Kol Blackstone and Sergeant Leroi Jenkins proved hardy and steadfast in their march, arriving not long after Sir Rochester and myself, along with his lad, on horseback.
The quarry master Charles seemed the usual fellow. Sir Rochester questioned him thoroughly. We also met with a young lad named Arthur, whose name was passed to us by Kol, who had heard stories of the boy from a local. The boy shyly admitted to having some keen insight into the local geology, knowing just where to put his chisel to cut stone and where to find deposits of sought-after minerals.
The quarry master and others scoffed at the lad’s claims, but I noted to Sir Rochester that the boy did prove to be correct about the stone. All those we had questioned admitted the boy had warned them and they paid him no mind. When calamity occurred as a result of their tampering with the rock, whatever you may think of his claimed ability, the boy was proved correct in his warnings.
During the course of their necessary work, the miners had unearthed a large blood-red stone. It was unlike any material they had ever encountered. However, being practical men with a duty to their trade, they were uninterested in the rock, being there to mine limestone and not such queer elements.
The young lad Arthur warned them away from the stone, but they paid him no heed. In a moment of likely drunken revelry, one of the miners struck the stone with his pickaxe. They were quickly set upon by insects, which alarmed them but they soon put out of their minds. They returned to mine and were then attacked again, this time by a flock of wild birds. Later attempts to mine the location were met with attacks by squirrels, wolves, and a minotaur.
The miners fought off these attacks, but soon ceased attempting to work at their usual rate. They were able to mine for a few hours or even days after the attacks, but the escalation of the ferocity of the attacks unnerved them. The assault by the minotaur nearly caused a complete cessation in operations.
Sir Michael, the lord of Bullford who bears responsibility for these mining operations, continues to pay the miners in order to exploit the remaining opportunity to mine, and to ensure immediate return to full operation once the problem is solved.
After interviewing the principles, we began our investigation of the crimson rock unearthed by the miners. With two soldiers to guard me, I mounted a ladder to the ruins atop the mines in hopes that a less direct approach might not trigger an attack. As I drew near the stone, I felt a compulsion to touch it. Sir Rochester ordered me to cease. I felt it difficult to obey, but managed to do so. However, I felt a strange presence in my mind, as if being warned away from the stone. Sir Rochester ordered us back down the ladder.
Before we could descend, we were attacked by a wyvern. The creature’s first pass took one of the king’s men assigned to guard me. I grabbed the other soldier and pulled him to the ground with me. As the wyvern returned on its pass it struck the soldier, who careened to the pit below, nearly taking me with him.
Below the soldiers, led by Kol and Jenkins, assembled atop a pile of cut limestone and rubble. The slung their maces skyward at the wyvern, who shrugged off their warhammers. The wyvern swooped at Jenkins and then Kol, who stabbed the beast deep with his sword. Enraged, the wyvern leapt atop Kol and began to savage the warrior with its talons.
Sir Rochester boldly moved into the fray, brandishing his broadsword as he approached the massive wyrm. Jenkins and the other soldiers laid steel upon the beast, who thrashed at them with his tail as he tore at Kol with his claws. Underneath the beast, Kol drove his broadsword ever deeper, until the steel tip shone through the beast’s ribs. I leapt from the scaffolding and made my way to my fellows.
Suddenly Sir Rochester cast a spell and the limestone beneath began to take shape and rise upward toward the beast. The slab moved too slowly to penetrate the wyvern, but it shoved him to one side. Using this moment, Kol gained leverage and plowed his sword upward into the chest of the wyvern. I ascended the pile and slashed at the beast. The soldiers attacked with vigor.
Finally Kol delivered the killing blow. He rose to his feet and staggered from the pile to a shady spot below. I ran to his side and cast a minor healing spell on him, then attended the fallen soldier. I then mounted by steed and rode swiftly to the nearby church, where I beseeched Mother Sarah to return to the quarry with me and heal the valiant men.
We loaded our wounded into carts and they rode slowly back to the hamlet of Pineswallow. I remained behind with Sir Rochester at his request. Suspecting several hours at least of calm, the miners were returning to extract limestone. Sir Rochester and I would take this moment to investigate the rock further. I met alone with Arthur and discussed his apparent ability in more detail. Later I confided to Sir Rochester that I believed the young lad Arthur had talents which could prove useful in our investigation.
To be continued...