Whisper Brook Mine
Whisper Brook Mine sits below Throk'gar Outpost on the western edge of the eastern Greenwood region. Few details of the mine have been officially confirmed as the cave system has been under Orcish control since it's discovery. As a result, most of what is known about the mine is based on late First Era and Second Era trading interactions with the Throk'gar orcs, as well as a small number of unauthorized excursions into the cave system.
Geography
Whisper Brook Mine is a cave system sitting within the plateau in the eastern Greenwood which is home to Throk'gar Outpost. The Whisper Brook is sourced within the cave system and tickles out around the western side of the plateau, joining the Everflow River south of the plateau. The cave system itself winds up both upwards and downwards through the plateau, with a central vertical cavern that features a helical path along the walls that reaches up to the top of the cavern. It is believed that there is an entrance to the cavern from the top of the plateau at this location.
Localized Phenomena
The name Whisper Brook comes from a mid-Second Era excursion along the brook to the mouth of the cave system. As one travels upstream towards the cave's entrance, a soft whispering sound can be heard coming from the brook if one holds their breath. The later excursions to the inside of the cave have corroborated this phenomenon, stating that within the cave an unintelligible whisper seems to permeate the space, particularly within the central cavern. Despite being heard all throughout the cave system, the whisper has not been attached to any discernable language.
Climate
Like most cave systems, the cave system is cool and damp year-round, with little airflow beyond the entrance. Despite this relative stillness, the cave seems to lack the expected mustiness, which particularly stands out when considering the source of water present within the cave. Any sort of seasonal changes to this climate currently remain unknown.
Fauna & Flora
Excursions into the cave have not reported any sign of flora or fauna existing within the cave itself. Reports have stated that minimal dirt exists in the cave beyond the entrance, resulting in a rocky surface across the entire cavern, leaving virtually no soil for flora to take hold. It is believed that the millennia of mining activity within the caves has led to the prevention of any fauna using the cave system as a home.
Natural Resources
Whisper Brook Mine originally featured an extreme amount of Orangechalcum - A Material that is resistant to decay ore veins, at a density believed to be higher than any other ore or mineral veins on the Dendralin continent. The cave system was mined heavily for this rusty-orange metallic ore for centuries, leaving an unknown number of ore veins remaining within the mine today. Excursions into the caves have reported these ore veins being fairly sparse, though a thorough discovery is near impossible to complete with Throk'gar still surviving atop the plateau above.
History
Much like the plateau upon which Throk'gar Outpost lies, the cave system within the plateau is assumed to have formed as a direct result of The Separation. First discovered by the orcish raiding parties in the early First Era, the cave system was found to be ripe with ore veins containing a rare form of orichalcum, colloquially referred to as 'orangechalcum' for its rusty orange hue, similar to copper. The orcs realized this metal was incredibly strong compared to its weight, and began mining the ore veins within the cave system heavily. Throk'gar Outpost was founded as a base from which to process this ore and ship it out in its various stages to other orc raiders throughout the region.
Though the people of the Greenwood were able to evict the orcish invaders, the orcs were able to maintain control of the outpost, and with it, the mines below. The orangechalcum allowed the outpost to survive for thousands of years after becoming isolated from their people. Survival, however did not come without sacrifice. With the loss of large swathes of hunting land among other things, the Orcs of Throk'gar were forced to interact with the Greenwood Culture in far more diplomatic fashion than previously seen. This shift led to the trading of orangechalcum away from Throk'gar, keeping Whisper Brook Mine active for hundreds of years beyond the end of the raiding parties.
The availability of orangechalcum seemed to drop drastically in the early Third Era, steeply dropping the volume of trade between the plateau and the surrounding forest. By the 3rd and 4th centuries, those of the Greenwood were able to fill their need for metal via trade with those settling Emerald Shores, which in turn all but eliminated the sway held by Throk'gar. As this power shift occurred, the orcs retained a hold only over the plateau, along with their hunting grounds, locally known as the Killing Fields. In the ensuing centuries, mining activities within Whisper Brook have dropped to a near standstill, which has provided the first opportunities for explorers to make their way into the mine, though under high threat the entire time. To date, only five non-orcish parties have been known to make it inside the cave, within two of those parties perishing at the hands of the orcs. The three surviving parties have provided everything known about the inside of the cave system to date, though nothing can be easily corroborated beyond cross referencing the accounts of the party members. Today, it is believed that mining operations are sparse, leaving the cave system empty the vast majority of the time.
Though the people of the Greenwood were able to evict the orcish invaders, the orcs were able to maintain control of the outpost, and with it, the mines below. The orangechalcum allowed the outpost to survive for thousands of years after becoming isolated from their people. Survival, however did not come without sacrifice. With the loss of large swathes of hunting land among other things, the Orcs of Throk'gar were forced to interact with the Greenwood Culture in far more diplomatic fashion than previously seen. This shift led to the trading of orangechalcum away from Throk'gar, keeping Whisper Brook Mine active for hundreds of years beyond the end of the raiding parties.
The availability of orangechalcum seemed to drop drastically in the early Third Era, steeply dropping the volume of trade between the plateau and the surrounding forest. By the 3rd and 4th centuries, those of the Greenwood were able to fill their need for metal via trade with those settling Emerald Shores, which in turn all but eliminated the sway held by Throk'gar. As this power shift occurred, the orcs retained a hold only over the plateau, along with their hunting grounds, locally known as the Killing Fields. In the ensuing centuries, mining activities within Whisper Brook have dropped to a near standstill, which has provided the first opportunities for explorers to make their way into the mine, though under high threat the entire time. To date, only five non-orcish parties have been known to make it inside the cave, within two of those parties perishing at the hands of the orcs. The three surviving parties have provided everything known about the inside of the cave system to date, though nothing can be easily corroborated beyond cross referencing the accounts of the party members. Today, it is believed that mining operations are sparse, leaving the cave system empty the vast majority of the time.
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