Grand Opening

 

Miners are a dirty lot. They dig in the dirt, chip away at rocks, and taste the land in search of minerals, metals and precious stones. And while that may seem like a beggar's choice for a career path, a respectable find can change a miner's social status quicker than a guillotine can end another's. Without them Epimetheus would never have seen weapons, armor, castles, or even silverware for that matter.

This profession is not for the faint of heart or the impatient. Locating a vein of ore, minerals or precious stones is difficult in of itself. Add to that the trouble of digging your way to those goodies. Often enough, getting to the ground's treasures requires structural efforts to keep the roof in place. One can never be too cautious when ensuring safe access to your hard-earned reward. Complex mining shafts, tunnels and rail systems require a ton of resources but can prove invaluable when harvesting copious amounts of rare minerals. 

There are three miner specialties. Each tackles a specific venue of profitable mining. There are the Excavators that build mining complexes, elevator shafts, reinforce dangerous tunnels, bridge underground rivers, build and install cart rails, craft mechanized sifts, develop collapse detecting systems and otherwise safeguard your workforce. This type of miner is all about keeping the productivity of a mine at peek performance. Increased output and improved quality are just some of the ways that having a Excavator on hand offers a benefit.

Locare's are like the hounds of gold. They will sniff out valuable veins and minerals like a fox hound finds a fur filled den. You can either dig around in the ground praying to the gods to find a worthy mineral or you can use the wisdom of generations of folk lore to discover where best to search for the desired element. Let them look at your vein and they can tell you how best to exploit its riches, these miners are your go to for finding ore. Don't know what this shiny stuff is that you just happened upon? Show it to a Locare and they will tell you what it is. Their knowledge is an invisible skill that sets them apart from other miners.

Finally you have the Mercatare miner who specializes in unloading your hard-earned booty. They have access to the real-time market prices of raw ore, minerals and rare stones. With direct, real-time information like this they have a keen sense of value and can even help drive your prices up when markets shift. No one wants to sell their Nickel for iron prices, or lose immense value on large orders. The Mercatare will ensure that the best prices are reached for both you and well, you. Only you really.

Most miners maintain some degree of any of these skills. But when a miner teams up with another miner or two and specializes in one specific profession, the rewards are always better. Just building and managing a mining complex alone is daunting. Add to that harvesting, sorting, transportation, protection from bandits, and sale and you have plenty to worry about. Join another player and reap more bounty than working alone.