Hellrush Lead

It’s early Reconstruction era; the Civil War has only recently ended. In the Utah Territory, by the Great Salt Lake, mysterious caverns have been discovered under the earth. Just outside of Salt Lake City, these twisting labyrinths of sandstone began to beckon the call of the curious.
Following some exploration and investigation, it became widely believed that these vast, seemingly-endless caverns were, in fact, entrances to Hell. Slowly, people began to explore deeper, wanting to know if there really was something otherworldly at the bottom. Many never returned from their journey. However, a few lucky individuals went into the so-called Hellmouth and returned months later, loaded with gold and precious gemstones.
This sparked a mass exodus to the Utah Territory, interrupting what would have been the California Gold Rush. Salt Lake City grew bustling with hopeful prospectors, eager to strike it rich below the ground despite the dangers that awaited them. The Hellmouth soon attracted the attention of groups with other motives. Fanatical sects of Christianity wanted nothing more than for the caves to be filled and left alone, describing them as unholy and satanic. Strange demonic cults have sprung up in the desert, worshipping these holes in the ground and what they provide, the members often recruiting any traveller they come across to venture into Hellmouth with them. Where there is money, the U.S. Government is not far behind, establishing a fort just outside the city to maintain control and protect their interests in the area.
As the Hellmouth is explored more, strange occurrences have begun in and around the Salt Lake. Cults feud in the desert, explorers and miners go missing, the Government tries to maintain their control over the region, and all are drawn ever closer by the allure of what Hellmouth has to offer.

GOVERNMENT - ECONOMY - SOCIAL - CULTURE