A lone dwarven miner collapsed breathless at the feet of a wandering healer. On the dwarf's shoulder, the gash from the claw of a black dragon threatened to become a mortal wound. "Help"... the dwarf cried out weakly before passing out from blood-loss at the healer's feet.

The rich cave had been the dwarf's livelihood, it's depths full of rare ores, and precious gems. Yet something had been wrong for some time....a strange stone archway had been built at one end of the cave. The dwarf had witnessed over many days the comings and goings of odd folk and overheard murmurs in the darkness about someone called Darkseid, magic, and a ladylove. There were also Ophidians who camped in the caverns southern chambers; their slithering, skanky, scaly bodies hoarding the valuable ore and driving off honest miners.. The dwarf had known trouble was coming but now the cave was infested with vile demons and dragons.

The healer knelt down and bound the dwarf's wounds. Sometime later the dwarf awoke and made the long journey to Narrowhaven. The dwarf, was determined to put an end to this nonsense and to drive out the black dragon, and other despicable creatures. The dwarf red-faced and furious began ranting at anyone who would listen...."Help!!! mercenaries, priests! Sorcerors, I've got coin to be earned! Where be this Blackfoot Clan I heard of?"

The miner, finding no help in Narrowhaven or elsewhere, returned to Castle Stormpeak in despair. Among the folk of the castle, there was a Knight called Mythriel who listened to the dwarf miner's tale of woe. "I may not be of much use against a Black Dragon, but I will patrol the cavern and search for safe veins." Mythriel had promised.

The miner shrugged, and went to the castle's buttery hall for a towering tankard of frothy ale and the Castle's infamous meat pies. Days went by with no word from the dwarf knight or offers of help. Then Mythriel returned.

"I've good news and bad for ye." Mythriel said.

"I reckon' I'll hear the bad first..." Snorted the miner.

"The black dragon, demons, and ogre lords have claimed the Northwest Cavern and they cannot be purged by the sword or any other means, I fear." Mythriel displayed the head of a black dragon, an ogre lord, and the blackened hide of a wandering void demon. "Though slain, they return once again, as if conjured by some entity."

"The good?" The miner said with a drunken grunt.

"The Ophidian Tribes have abandoned the Southeast chamber and there are many rich veins of ore." Mythriel replied and opened a pouch and showed off, a few tiny samples of chipped off ores.

The miner's eyes lit up! It was time to revisit the caves and lay claim to the minerals locked within the cave's foreboding depths.