Talus Mining, Caving, Harvesting & Fishing

Talus is the greatest trade port in The Multitude. However, due to trade restrictions from the Black Ships, there are some resources which must be acquired on the Island or in the surrounding ocean.

Stone, Metals, & Minerals

The Island of Talus is the very tip of a sixty mile tall submerged mountain.  Within this mountain are the raw building materials, minerals, and metals used in the city.  Dozens of mining operations have been started throughout the history of the city, digging down into the island and the much larger base beneath.  These mines produced the following a an outcome of their delving

• Metals: Iron, Copper, Aluminum, Nickle, Gold, Silver, Lead, Platinum, Cobolt
• Stone: Granite, Basalt, Sandstone, Bluestone, Limestone, Travertine, Onyx, Marble, Quartz, Slate
• Precious Stones: Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, Lapis, Topaz, Moonstone, Turquoise, Sapphire, Amethyst
• Minerals: Salt 

Sale of Precious Metals and Stones

As the Island of Talus is a closed economy controlled tightly by the Traskins, the mining of precious metals and stones is permitted through license and taxation.  Spoils of these mines must be sold to the empire for controlled redistribution through the economy.  Miners who fail to do so face deportation on discovery.   Doers (adventurers) who discover precious metals or stones are faced with either selling them legally to the government for half their value or attempting to find a black market and risk the same rules.

Caves & Caverns

The first miners discovered veins of limestone and gypsum which had weathered away by the freshwater sea seeping in over eons.  These veins dissolved into thousands of miles of caves and caverns, starting hundreds of feet beneath the island surface and traveling 60 miles to the bedrock.  The Demro empire was especially fond of using these caves and caverns for underground structures and even cities. 
Within these caves are a teaming ecology of underground fish, mushrooms, insects, and mammals that make it their home.

Fishing and Harvesting 

Directly surrounding the island is a band of ocean floor that is close enough to the surface to promote sea plants and coral.  This one mile wide ring around the island is a boon for fishing and kelp farming which provides 90% of the calories and protein to the island residents.