Economy of the Hellrush

Including the wealth distribution, trade, and economic strength of Salt Lake City

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Salt Lake City appears to have become an economic powerhouse in terms of wealth. The hellish caverns beneath the lake are rife with gold and treasures, meaning it only takes one successful venture to have enough wealth to last a person the rest of their life. Of course, trouble arises when you realize how rare a successful venture truly is. As much as people laud the commercial potential of traveling into the Hellmouth, most travelers never make it out again, let alone make it out with riches.

While the Hellmouth may produce a lot of gold, the average person living near it hasn’t seen a single gram of the stuff. The lucky few who strike it big and make it out alive may talk big about their findings, but they aren’t likely to share those treasures. They’re not even likely to pour some of that wealth back into the city’s economy. Most successful miners will take their riches back to the east coast, fueling the industrialization of the east and boosting interest in the Hellmouth. All the while, none of their wealth remains in the city that permitted it. The few wealthy folks who remain in the Salt Lake City area are expected to enjoy their new position at the top of the food chain rather than perform any acts of philanthropy. An insatiable desire for more riches might inspire one to create a lucrative mining company of their own. Alternatively, if the successful adventurer is a member of one of the secretive cults that dwell in the desert, their money may be used as a display to recruit more members before being returned to whatever mysterious hoard the cult deems appropriate.

Any riches that don’t go into the pockets of lucky adventurers are going into the pockets of mining company presidents or the U.S. government. Many miners can’t afford to live independently in these parts, let alone buy equipment, leading to sponsorships by the local government presence as well as predatory companies. These organizations which already have considerable wealth will offer food, housing, and supplies to hapless laborers in return for their service. Should one of them return from the Hellmouth with pockets full of gold, they’ll share their wealth with whatever faction sponsored them. If they don’t return, well, that’s one less expense for their patron. Overall, these operations are incredibly lucrative. They offer housing and sponsor the miners who end up risking their lives in the caverns. Whatever gold they come up with is then hoarded by their employers, keeping wealth and power concentrated in the hands of the few. As much as the lower classes resent it, most people without a faction to support them will be dirt poor.

Class tensions are high as wealth distribution has much to be desired. The city itself is largely poor. Being hurriedly formed almost entirely around the gamble of dangerous exploration, it doesn’t yet have the important infrastructure to support the large amount of people who ended up gathering there. Housing is always in high demand, but people frequently end up living in tents or slums due to an inability to afford what housing there is. Salt Lake City is largely populated by people who traveled west with nothing to lose and everything to gain- meaning they’re very poor consumers. There are always more laborers than there is a demand for labor. Living conditions are tough for the average citizen, which is why it’s so appealing to partner up with the government or a company or a religious group that has the resources to provide basic needs. This system of patronage makes it difficult for local businesses such as saloons, general stores, and inns to compete. Jobs like these are short term and unstable and ownership frequently changes. The most stable independent income comes from housing or luxury goods which can be offered to the few at the top of the economic ladder. Skilled laborers such as doctors or engineers are far more likely to work with the government or a wealthy company, as otherwise, they’ll have trouble finding decent pay from the poor citizens. With merchants under this kind of pressure, there is almost no middle class in Salt Lake City; You either have everything or you have nothing.

The city survives on external trade made possible by the railway leading to the east. The area is being drained of its resources, so there isn’t much to go around in the city itself. Outside of the capriciously lucrative Hellmouth caverns, the area also has rich deposits of coal, copper, silver, and salts for the local mining companies to extract. These resources are exported to the industrial east coast. In return, the east sends food and basic supplies. The area around the Hellmouth relies heavily on this trade due to the poor conditions for agriculture. The salt flats of the local environment make farming a serious task even for feeding a small community. Moreover, some of those who had been attempting farming ended up selling off their ranches in favor of mining when it became clear how lucrative the Hellmouth could be.

All of this leads to a stark disconnect in the state of Salt Lake City’s economy versus how outsiders perceive it. Folks living in the east will hear plenty of stories of poor men risking their lives but becoming fabulously wealthy after traveling to Utah. Companies praise the sheer amount of resources coming from the area and paint the picture of a bustling, booming mining town full of gold and silver. The U.S. government describes an environment with plenty of labor opportunities for a brave, hard-working man to make big money. This reputation of economic power ends up drawing in people from all over the states, whether they are hungry for money or adrenaline.

In reality, the salt flats of Utah are full of desperate, impoverished men throwing themselves into the unknown for the mere chance of wealth. Workers become dependent on larger groups to survive in an environment where competition is high and resources are under strict control. The unstable economy revolves around an obsession with the otherworldly forces hiding underground.