Sorrowful Tunnels

Overview

The Sorrowful Tunnels are located in Gildermark in the Imperial Orc territory of Skarsind. Custodianship of the Sorrowful Tunnels grants an Imperial title; a seat on the Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable mithril.

The Resource

During Spring 386YE, the Golden Pyramid Conclave order worked with the Imperial Orcs to explore opportunities to increase the prosperity of Skarsind. In the process they rediscovered the Sorrowful Tunnels. A group of prospectors, guided by Golden Pyramid dowsers found a network of unusually large tunnels and caves in the mountains of Gildermark. The "Sorrowful Tunnels" already had a poor reputation due to the dolorous aura that plagued anyone who tried to explore them. Causing powerful feelings of melancholy and sadness to descend on any who spent time in them, one that quickly becoming overpowering, meant that sensible people (both Winterfolk and Imperial Orcs) avoided the tunnels. A group of Varushkan miners from Volodmartz theorised that the aura might be an omen of something valuable hidden in the depths of the mountains, and were prepared to take the risk of delving deep into the darkness under Gildermark. Their tenacity was ultimately rewarded by the discovery that the old passages contained not one but two treasures.

The first was the discovery of runes carved into the walls of the tunnels, suggesting that someone, or something, once dwelt here. All the signs pointed to a troll, or perhaps more than one, once having been in residence - perhaps even the creature that oversaw the Gildenheim runeforge. In addition to the archaeological significance of the Tunnels, however, the Varushkan miners quickly located rich seams of glistering mithril. More than enough to create a lucrative seat on the Bourse, once the immiserating aura that suffused the tunnels was dealt with.

During the Equinox, the Minister of Historical Research Vaclav Mladenovich Kosti, asked Snowstorm Henk of the Department of Historical Research to investigate the newly uncovered Tunnels. They eventually compiled and delivered a report, which was eventually published as Snowstorm Henk and the Sorrowful Tunnels.

The Senate voted to establish mining tunnels in the upper levels during the Autumn Equinox 387YE. During the Winter Solstice 387YE, the Senate voted to allocate the Sorrowful Tunnels as an Imperial Orc national position.

The Bourse Seat

Responsibilities

The Seat has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of mithril which is theirs to do with as they will. If the Sorrowful Tunnels were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Seat to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the mines, the Seat would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.

Powers

Seat on the Bourse

Custodianship of the Sorrowful Tunnels comes with a seat on the Imperial Bourse. For the most part, this Seat comes with no additional responsibilities. It is an Imperial title that grants the right to participate on the rare occasion when the Imperial Bourse as a body is required to make a decision.

Bounty of Mithril

The Seat has control of a source of mithril and receives Bourse certificates to represent that control. They can dispense this resource as they choose. Production is 18 Imperial wains of mithril every season.

Attract Mine Workers

Additional Production
36 crowns	3 wains of mithril
84 crowns	6 wains of mithril
144 crowns	9 wains of mithril

The Custodian of the Sorrowful Tunnels has access to a ministry that allows them to fund mine workers to acquire quantities of mithril at a set price. The Custodian of the Sorrowful Tunnels spends their money and makes their choices during downtime from their character page. Money is removed from, and resources are placed into, the character's inventory when the downtime is processed.

The ministry is supplemented by the Legion's Rookery, significantly reducing the cost to hire workers. If anything were to happen to the Legion's Rookery, then the cost to purchase additional wains of mithril would double.

Appointment

As with all mithril Bourse seats, the holder of the title is determined during the Autumn Equinox. Control of the Sorrowful Tunnels is assigned to whichever Imperial Orc candidate receives the most support from Imperial Orc owners of military units that have earned votes over the past year by supporting Imperial armies via the Tally of the Votes. The voting is handled by the civil servants of the Bourse.

Custodianship of the Sorrowful Tunnels is retained for a year, or until the citizen holding the seat dies, or steps down. An Imperial Bourse seat cannot be revoked by the Synod.

Recent Elections

The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.