this faction believed and often vocally promoted their belief , hoping to stifle the iniquity of seer-worship that the pale , weak , naked men and women were in fact common mortals , most likely miners ( for the cave was situated near the border of the minelands ) , who had spent so many years underground , burrowed in the bottom of dark shafts , that they had gradually lost their humanity the color of their skin and hair , their sight and speech and reverted to animals , living in caves and feeding on the scraps the foolish pilgrims left .