Home Office: Prince’s Prospect Mine

[Mirtok 2853]

*Fliers are handed out all throughout the capital city of Providence as well on stuffed into mailboxes across the Empire. A charcoal illustration of proud imperial miners hard at work catches your eye  at the top. Further down, a finely detailed but poorly reproduced map depicts a long winding path towards an obviously marked X over a red dot. You take a moment to admire the sigil of the Imperial Home Office stamped into the bottom right corner of the advert before reading the following . . .

 

A pair of Rhenyari twins work in unison deep inside the Prince’s Prospect Mine, 1808

 

The Home Office is happy to report that surveyors assigned to the Southern wilderness of the Empire send word back with exciting news! After an innumerable amount of time spent trudging across treacherous terrain, over seas of thorny brambles, valleys of jagged rocks, and up sheer cliff faces, another pocket of harvestable resources has been discovered. What started as a simple hunt for a quiet place to take a nap turned into a cacophony of belated screeching by the dauntless explorers. The following is a statement by the man who first discovered the mineral rich vein:

 

Journeyman Surveyor Rikard de Soto
"I dun went down a steep little slope lookin’ fer a place to set camp when allovasudden I dun tumbled off the way. Whooo weee, it hurt like all hell as I rolled on down like a wheel without a wagon befer’ I wound up face first in sum mud- err I think it was mud. When I opened ma eyes I dun seent a glint ov sumfin shiny like. I had thought them just stars on account ov the tumble I jus took but after I blinked an all, the shiny stuck ‘round. Well I crawled ma way on over and sure enough, it wasn’t jack **** but a dang ol’ button that flew off my vest! That’s when I really sawrze it, COAL! Thick’n lumpy crumblin’ from out the rock wall. I turned back and hooted at the top ov ma lung to tha boyz ‘Back’n Black baby, there be ore in these hills!"

 

Well done Rickard, your Empire salutes you! And so does Prince Joseph Leopold who promptly purchased a 100% stake in your astute discovery.

 

Introducing
Prince’s Prospect Mine

Pick up your pick today and grab a chunk of the coveted black gold. Fuel for the fires of industry is in high demand and great fortune will meet those who rise to the occasion. The good Prince offers free access for all for the time being, so get going while the going is good. Remember fellas, the Surgeon-General says to drink plenty of water and wear your mask while toiling away in the sooty underground!

 

To reach the mine, head west from the peaceful enclave of Redenford and up into the imposing Western Mountain Range that so kindly cradles this great Empire. After a bit of a hike atop a dirt road, just before reaching the Countly estate of Aldersberg you’ll spot the mine on your left. The caves call your name, begging to have their halls stripped barren by your pick- dare you to disappoint?

 

 

*At the bottom of the page in barely legible font and ink that is nearly the same color as the advertisement parchment is the following message:

 

Disclaimer: Prince’s Prospect Mine is property of the Imperial Home Office of the Holy Orenian Empire, with exclusivity rights granted to the Count of Aldersberg. The Home Office is not liable for any injury, sickness, or deaths incurred in, at, or near the Prince’s Prospect Mine as a result of workplace hazards to include but not limited to; falls, crushings, cave-ins, vicious bear attacks, black lung, mountain madness, or demonic summonings. Prospectors are responsible for providing for their own provisions and protection. Please contact a Chaplain if you start seeing the ghostly visage of St Danial after entering the mine. Please do not disturb the hibernating flesh eating beetles . . . it’s not worth it. Good luck!
 

[MunaZaldrizoti 8037]

Charlotte Augusta wonders if her father will ever stop bringing nothing but financial benefit to the Holy Orenian Empire, and carrying that weight on his shoulders. How proud she was, the eldest of the imperial Count's brood.