The Sullen Mines Disaster

Disaster / Destruction

The Sullen Mines are discovered, but operation of the mines prove short lasting.

In 1760 the di Lori brothers ventured across the golden sea lured by prospects of vast silver mines in the Sullen Mountains. They had bought a deed which granted them exclusive rights to all minerals in the area. This, along with the cost of hiring a work-crew and passage to Haru from Apex had nearly bankrupted the brothers.   However, when they arrived in the Sullen Mountains they immediately begun prospecting. By 1761 they had found little but a few poor veins of silver. It would be too costly for the brothers to exploit these at a profit. Desperate they came up with a plan. They begun to spread rumours to the work crew that adamantium had been discovered, along with promising silver deposits. As expected these rumours reached Shiver Town, and then Apex. The brothers received offers to buy the rights to exploit the area from the government in Apex. They accepted the offer, became filthy rich, and quickly moved north to live out their lives in luxury.   Apex moved in by 1763, but soon found that there was no adamantium there. The silver deposits were richer than the di Lori brothers had thought though. The attraction of riches in Haru brought colonists flocking from Apex. The town of Shiver Town boomed, and Apex established itself there. From 1765 to 1781 the output and export of silver doubled the silver stock of Apex, and caused dangerous levels of inflation. Expecting further profit Apex invested in expansion of the mine in 1781. The expansion work proved disastrous. During the digging of a new shaft the structural integrity of the entire tunnel system was compromised, and the mine collapsed with the loss of hundreds of workers. Production ended and was not resumed. Apex' economy was approaching crisis and new investment in the Sullen Mine was ruled out.