The Mines of the Zayirin

The mines at the Oasis of the Zayirin, while not as important as the water supply found there, are the real reason for the wealth and power of the ruling Zultana. The mines were discovered after the community had started being built as the most valuable commodity in the Zayira Desert was the water found here, but with that water, came the need to defend it and thus control it. The mines were started to provide stone for building materials for the walls and towers that guard the Oasis, and for the larger stone structures that make up the palace, temples and homes of the wealthy. But it was not just the stone, for the side effect of mining the stone led to the brick industry taking the dirt, clay and stone dust residue from the mines, and the plentiful water to make bricks that make up most of the structures of the settlement.
However, the wealth comes not from stones or bricks, but from the gold and silver that were found once the mines went deep enough. What was once a resource to protect the city, now became one of the reasons the city needs protection. The gold and silver that the mines produce allow for the Zultana to trade for steel and iron to equip her troops, and for the city to support the college of mages that also increase the security of the Oasis.
Most of the gold and silver mined is processed within the city into trade bars. The gold trade bars are valued at 100 gold each, and the silver bars at 100 silver each. Most of those bars are then sent, in trade, to other locations, while some stay in reserve in the Oasis. The bars are transported under heavy guard, north to their destinations along the Altontave River, or south to Ekrilz and then further on to their final destination.

Type

Ore/Mineral