Saltmarsh Mine
The Saltmarsh Mine is a silver mine north of Saltmarsh, about 16 hours by ship or a day and a half over land. The mine is currently being worked by the Mountain Gem Mining Company, based out of Neverwinter.
Only recently discovered was that the mine is formed around an ancient elemental temple to Kossuth and contains a large brass door portal into the Elemental Plane of Fire. That portal is currently being guarded by the efreeta Tajir Samiya Ikraam Samina Karim. The old temple currently serves as the home for a tribe of firenewts, led by one named Thask.
Purpose / Function
The Saltmarsh Mine is a silver mine, owned and operated by the Mountain Gem Mining Company. Ore from the mine is collected and then shipped to Neverwinter, where it can then be sold or utilized as needed.
History
Centuries upon centuries ago, the area that would become the Saltmarsh mine was once an elemental temple to Kossuth. Elemental temples of this nature were common across Faerun, guarded by elemental myrmidons and hosting portals to the planes they venerated. This temple contained a great brass door, through which one could enter into the Elemental Plane of Fire. At some point, the temple fell into disuse, the brass door was shut, and the myrmidon that guarded the temple went dormant.
Over the next few centuries, the caverns that made up the temple become home to a tribe of fire lizards, who were drawn and protected by the heat generated from the dormant brass door. The extreme heat of the temple also spurred the creation of silver deposits.
In 1493, while waging their campaign against the Sea Princes, a group of Neveren guardsmen identified the caverns as a source of silver. That same year, Lord Protector Dagult Neverember chartered the Mountain Gem Mining Company to establish a presence in Saltmarsh and establish a mine, which quickly proved profitable.
Over the next several years, a makeshift settlement sprung up around the mine. The settlement was not self-sufficient, but provided the miners a place to sleep, eat, and rest while not on duty, due to the mine's distance from Saltmarsh.
In Eleasis of 1496, the lowest levels of the mines were attacked by a group of firenewts, led by their chief Thask, which had been driven from their homes deep in the mines after one of them had opened the brass door, allowing a throng of creatures from the Elemental Plane of Fire to come swarming through. The miners were also put on alert, as Saltmarsh had recently been warned about the threat of marauding Sahuagin.
Desiring to ensure the safety of the miners, and hoping to utilize the dwarves and their ingenuity in the upcoming Battle of the Spire, the Heroes of Saltmarsh arrived at the end of Flamerule to drive back the fire lizards. Instead, the adventures discovered the existence of the brass door, protected by the efreeta Tajir Samiya Ikraam Samina Karim and her warrior salamander slave. The Heroes defeated her slave and negotiated with the Tajir, convincing her to keep the brass door closed in exchange for 15% of the mine's silver haul.
Following this event, the mine resumed normal operation.
Founding Date
1493
Type
Mine
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments