The Moonsilver Mines of Dormundir

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TheGlitteringMine Map.webp


Much of the environment was originally a small cave system, but has since been expanded to a network of tunnels and shafts, as the kingdom of Alzhak Reger mines beneath the surface of The Continent of Siacros. Its biggest resource of importance, is the presence of a rare and popular commodity, Moonsilver. As usual, iron is also present, but the secondary resources of note are granite and quartzite. Desert lands especially desire exports of the quartzite, for production of Sun Blessed Quartzite, a highly valuable non-metal adamantine alternative. Production of the equivalent of mithral as granite, still is done in Alzhak Reger instead. This is one of the most prominent mines for such trade, but is also a target for those who both love and hate the power of the Moon. For the sake of the people, it is understandably kept under heavy guard, to prevent infestation by those who would use it for ill.

For those who do not care as much for its strategic importance, it also has a section roped off for tourism, where the lunar moss is specially cultivated for appropriate ambiance. It is said to be a splendorous sight, yet simultaneously calming for those who may be under great stresses normally. Making it quite nice to visit, even if only for short periods, given the events in the world.

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Flora

  • Lichen: in large spotty colonies, this is the main bulk of the diet of insects that dwell within the mines environment. No particular uses or importance, they just happen to be a very good source of nutrition. To an extent, people can eat it too, but there is not much need to do so.
  • Lunar Moss: also another, albeit less abundant, form of life in the mines... it has a very useful property. It appears, to some extent, absorb power from the moonsilver deposits within the ground, causing the moss to glow, making for a natural method of lighting up the mines, without having to spend time and effort setting up a manufactured method of lighting. At the same time, it has a very nice and soothing effect upon those that rest within its light... unless you don't like silver, then best you not spend time in there. Someone weak to silver staying in a moonsilver mine has a death-wish.


Fauna

  • Mostly non-existent, beyond what is brought in, for whatever reason one might have to do so.
  • Mundane insect life, feeding upon the lichen throughout the area, before being hunted by creatures outside of the mines, and thus not really relevant when cataloguing the fauna within.


Resources

  • Granite: Quite a bit of the nearby underground is made of this material. It is a type of igneous rock, with immense mundane strength and a rough, grainy surface. Thankfully, given the natural properties of this material, it is very easy to quarry out, to obtain the rarer materials deeper within veins.
  • Moonsilver: Rather rare in most places, but it is much more common in this area, given it is a mine dedicated to this resource. It is a special magical ore version of silver, taking a more crystalline-like deposit form. Its specialty is being extraordinarily more effective against those who are vulnerable to silver, or are normally empowered by the moon. Distilling the essence of the moon itself, it can be considered an amplifier to those creatures... albeit a double-edged sword if they are also vulnerable to silver.

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  • Copper: In mainly heavily oxidized, exposed outcroppings, this common ore is spread throughout the original cave system, with further deposits of the less oxidized variety in the later tunnels.
  • Iron: Fairly standard, the land is near mountains, and periodically veins of iron can be seen threaded throughout the rock. Parts often appear a bit rusted on the surface, due to air exposure, but still make decent purity iron.
  • Quartzite: Originally having been some kind of sandstone, this rock with heavy quartz deposits, is transformed into quartzite after lots of heat and pressure. This recrystallizes the originally sedimentary rock into a high-strength rock of incredible durability, the material itself breaking before the bonds holding it together do. Generally, it is located away from the moonsilver deposits.


Uses by Alzhak Reger

  • Granite, for the most part, is used for construction materials. It is very useful in making of roads, bridge foundations, and especially for containing chill and heat around refrigerator units, forges, ovens, etc. This is added onto by the various useful enchantments that can protect the structures themselves, but natural protection from cold and heat can allow the populace to not face the environmental effects too. Due to its proximity to the large veins of moonsilver, this particular strain of granite resources require much less effort in being used by dwarven druids to create Moon Blessed Granite. (this does not make it cheaper for players, it simply gives reason for why npcs may profit from it)
  • Moonsilver is one of the many metals that are exported and used by Alzhak Reger. Understandably, much of this comes in the form of equipment, be it combat-oriented, or otherwise, which has either pure moonsilver (for niche applications), or more realistically, trimmed (for show), or mixed in as an alloy with other, more abundant, metals. Obviously, still to a great enough degree that its usefulness is not lost, but more affordable for mass production. Some much rarer uses are to make amplification devices, be it for their own use, or smuggling to more... lycanthropic... communities.

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  • Copper, although at first glance, is a lot less useful than even iron, for weapons of war, thankfully we know better uses for it. Making use of its conductivity. In the form of hollow pipes filled with water, it makes a very energy efficient method of heating for those who cannot or refuse to make use of various enchanted equivalents of weathering the elements. They also are made by the dwarves into large spools of wire, for passage of electricity, inclusion in various cooking applications, and also alloying with metals for various reasons.
  • Iron is fairly straight forward, lots of forging, turning into steel, nails, metal goods, or so on.
  • Quartzite, due to its physical properties, is simultaneously great and terrible for construction and manufacture use, good due to its superior quality, bad because that quality wreaks havoc on the durability of whatever is used on it. However, due to magical breakthroughs in the processing industries, through cooperation among Delvar, Naramoore Steelworks, and expertise borrowed from their origin of Dun Holvar, the kingdom was able to refine a streamlined process of breaking the material down magically in record speeds, and reshaping it in addition to instantaneously increasing its already high quality physical properties, before shipping it out for use. In addition, much of its structure is suited for melting down into glass and other silicate materials.