Miner

"You know, kid, maybe this isn't the life for me. But that isn't going to stop it from being in my blood, in my veins. And it shouldn't stop you, either."

- Nomrik of Hyke and Berli, famous mining accident survivor, circa 5107 Miners are a vital part of Unos's industry. They find, collect, trade, and sometimes refine the raw materials that go into the tools and structures found all over the known world. Often operating in the erg with specially-equipped sand trucks, the life of a miner is often a dangerous yet rewarding one. Many die before seeing even their first payday, however many others find a lot more success than that.

Career

Qualifications

Miners are merely individuals that crew trucks, and the qualifications can vary depending on the role you're gunning for. Driver - You must have all legal and technical qualifications for being able to drive a truck, such as skill and knowledge of the machine itself, a license for doing so, the physical ability to command such a vehicle, etc. Operator - An operator must be capable of and comfortable with heavy, complicated machinery, to the point of nearly integrating it with their own motions. They must also be licensed to handle things of this nature, and a specific machine itself (such as a {field refinery}) may need its own licenses. Prospector - To be a prospector, you need a keen eye, a working knowledge of the various different materials you're gathering, and a good sense of general navigation. Often a consort more than an active member of a crew, but an important cog in the machine nonetheless. Guard - Not always will you find a guard on a mining truck, but successful and well-known crews in popular mining sectors will never want to find themselves without a fighter. They must be able to handle themselves in combat, as well as operate deadly machinery (that may or may not be on the truck).

Career Progression

Most crew of a mining truck hope to someday command their own vehicle, or at the very least run their own operation. Many achieve this, and many die trying. The erg is a harsh and unfriendly place, after all.

Payment & Reimbursement

The promise of high {leaf} count is the first reason anyone will crew a mining truck. Payment is HIGHLY dependant on the truck's owner, but is often the spoils of selling raw or refined materials. It can be a comfortable living, assuming you're able to survive it.

Other Benefits

The chance to explore the erg and stretch one's technical abilities are definitely plusses as a miner, though you could say that of many other roles you could take.

Perception

Purpose

Miners collect the various materials and resources found across the erg, and sell them to the highest bidder. Their role is a vital one. Without miners, industry wouldn't get its resources, and therefore wouldn't happen.

Social Status

A miner is common, but not so highly valued. Because the barrier for entry is so low, with a rate of success to match, many people associate miners with pipe-dreams and over-eagerness. Loved ones of miners aren't unknown to be excessively worried, for obvious reasons.

Demographics

Primarily humans are found to be miners, though yellow agamians aren't an uncommon sight on a mining truck. You're slightly less likely to find redfolk, while you're very hard-pressed to find greenfolk.

Operations

Tools

A sand truck equipped with a scoop, a snapper, and/or a thump is vital to the occupation. Scoops can gather big chunks of surface {nemalnium}, while snappers grab cacti and chop them near the root for processing. Thumps are used to create vibrations in the sand that a prospector can use to track deposits of precious materials. More advanced trucks tend to have delvers, that reach into the sand and don't stop until they hit something.

Workplace

The most common form of mining, erg sifting, takes place on a truck. These trucks must be specially equipped for the purposes of finding required materials, collecting them, properly storing them, and oftentimes using and refining them.

Dangers & Hazards

If the erg itself isn't enough of a life-threatening danger for you, the creatures and sometimes malicious partner trucks that inhabit it may be. {detail bestairy first!}

Alternative Names

Sifters

Type

Industrial

Demand

Miners aren't exactly in demand, but the draw of the occupation (mostly from a financial standpoint) leads to a high rate of new hires. Meanwhile, the danger of the job leads to a lot of "retirees". It's a high-turnaround position.

Legality

Mining itself isn't a regulated occupation, however there are "taboos" among miners to abide by (such as never chopping a cactus at a root, or never completely stripping a zone of its nemalnium). The acts within mining are also restricted in Union law by a license system. Drivers must be licensed to drive, guards must be licensed to carry lethal weaponry, operators must be licensed with the specific machinery they're to use, etc.

Famous in the Field