Mountain Gem Mining Company
Mountain Gem Mining Company, formally Mountain Gem Construction, is a mining corporation owned by Manistrad Copperlocks. The company was chartered out of Neverwinter and was staffed almost entirely by dwarves, particularly dwarves from Clan Velgrund. The company was named after Dumathoin, the dwarven god of mining.
Structure
Mountain Gem Mining Company is entirely the creation of Manistrad Copperlocks, who remains the company's head.
Currently, operation of the company is divided between Saltmarsh, where the silver ore is mined, and Neverwinter, where the ore is shipped and distributed. Manistrad Copperlocks currently oversees the company's management in Neverwinter, while Saltmarsh's operation is handled by Lessni Deephatcher, who also represents the company's interests on the Saltmarsh Town Council.
In addition, due to the Saltmarsh Mine's distance from the town proper, the majority of the mine's operation is handled on-site, where a small working village been created. However, this settlement is not self-sufficient and merely gives the miners a place to stay while on duty. When off-duty, the miners returns to Saltmarsh until they are needed again.
Following the Banesmark Crisis, Mogran Oredelver became a majority stakeholder in Mountain Gem, though he kept out of day-to-day operations. This provided the company with the capital and reputation to start pursuing projects without needing Neveren support.
History
In 1469, Dagult Neverember launched the New Neverwinter movement, to rebuild Neverwinter following the destruction brought on the city by the eruption of Mt. Hotenow, the invasion of the Kingdom of Many-Arrows, and the subsequent time of Chaos.
In 1471, Manistrad Copperlocks, recently exiled from her clan, arrived in Neverwinter with the express purpose of making her fortune. Knowing that the rebuilding efforts would be time consuming and lucrative, Manistrad formed Mountain Gem Construction. Though she arrived in the city with few of her own workers, the entrepreneurial dwarf managed to quickly form a working relationship with Clan Velgrund, a dwarven clan that had been in Neverwinter since the loss of their stronghold. Two of the workers hired from the clan were Mogran and Ardek Oredelver. Manistrad's new company helped rebuild much of Neverwinter and earned her personal favor with Dagult Neverember.
By the 1490's, Neverwinter had nearly returned to past glory, and the new city government began dropping contractors, either legitimizing them into newly-founded guilds or revoking their building permits. Manistrad had no inclination to turn her company into a guild and instead negotiated with Neverember, earning herself a new charter as the Mountain Gem Mining Company. Their first contract was for a mine outside of Saltmarsh, a small coastal town that was falling into Neverwinter's sphere of influence.
In 1494, Manistrad Copperlocks, by virtue of her position as head of Mountain Gem and representing the new Neveren interests in Saltmarsh was elected to the town council.
In Eleasis of 1496, the Saltmarsh Mine temporarily had to cease operation, when a group of fire lizards accidentally opened a long dormant door to the Elemental Plane of Fire, revealing the mine to have once been an ancient temple to Kossuth. The fire lizards were driven up the mine and into conflict with the company's workers. However, the Heroes of Saltmarsh, looking to ensure the dwarves assistance in the upcoming Battle of the Spire, managed to return the mine to normal operation. They did so by negotiating with Tajir Samiya Ikraam Samina Karim, an efreeta who had discovered the open portal and agreed to keep it closed in exchange for 15% of the mine's profits. This action forced Manistrad to officially fire Mogran Oredelver.
Employees of Mountain Gem fought against the sahuagin in the Battle of the Spire, ensuring Saltmarsh's safety. During this time Manistrad Copperlocks was covertly given the Banesmark, putting her under the control of the aboleth S'gothgah. This mark was discovered by the Heroes of Saltmarsh, who managed to quarantine all infected townsfolk by saying the Banesmark was a Shadowfell-based disease.
In 1497, Manistrad was cured of the Banesmark by members of Waterdeep's Blackstaves. Mountain Gem remained in Saltmarsh, but Manistrad returned to Neverwinter. Mountain Gem was then represented on the town council by Lessni Deephatcher. That same year, Mogran Oredelver became a majority stakeholder in the company.
Founding Date
1471
Type
Corporation, Mining/Resources
Leader
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments