Originally posted by Sgt Sticks:

Automation in a game about vikings where the best technology is a lightning rod to make offerings to Thor....
would it not be easier to just hire a troll to do your mining? :)

That is why I suggested taming or training NPCs to do it for us. The game has magic and so I think having a magical miner isn't too far outside the realm of lore. I mean the game has a walking tree.