Mining in Genertela

[Garry]

How much of a mining tradition do we find in Genertela (and in the larger Glorantha)?  specifically how would these communities be supported and where might they be found?
We do know that Bronze can be mined directly, and the various metals can be found in the 'bones of the gods'.  We also know of the Salt mines in the rubble, as are quarries,  these seem to be open cast operations, but are there any examples of pit mining?  Looking at Great Orme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Orme#Copper_mining) both seemed to be practiced in the bronze age.
What cults/traditions/guilds do we know of or envisage?
Would these be made up of free peoples/thralls/slaves/indentured servants.

Had an idea where by the players may want to recruit some miners as guides through some of the krashti tunnels, but became aware that unlike hunting/agriculture/livestock there doesn't seem to be much support for them.  We do know about the smiths (Gustbran) and masons (Flintnail) that consume the resources that miners/quarrymen produce.

Also I've been playing Jon Shafer's At the Gates recently so it may have played into my subconcious

 

[Jeff]

8 minutes ago, Garry said:

How much of a mining tradition do we find in Genertela (and in the larger Glorantha)?  specifically how would these communities be supported and where might they be found?
We do know that Bronze can be mined directly, and the various metals can be found in the 'bones of the gods'.  We also know of the Salt mines in the rubble, as are quarries,  these seem to be open cast operations, but are there any examples of pit mining?  Looking at Great Orme (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Orme#Copper_mining) both seemed to be practiced in the bronze age.
What cults/traditions/guilds do we know of or envisage?
Would these be made up of free peoples/thralls/slaves/indentured servants.

Had an idea where by the players may want to recruit some miners as guides through some of the krashti tunnels, but became aware that unlike hunting/agriculture/livestock there doesn't seem to be much support for them.  We do know about the smiths (Gustbran) and masons (Flintnail) that consume the resources that miners/quarrymen produce.

Also I've been playing Jon Shafer's At the Gates recently so it may have played into my subconcious

 

The patron goddess of mining, at least among the Theyalan peoples, is Asrelia. Lodril is also worshiped by many miners. And it is always wise to appease Maran Gor!

[MOB]

This description of Sun County's salt mines might be of interest:

http://rpgreview.net/mob/pentridge.html

"Beg the Count to pluck out your eyes rather than send you to Pent Ridge." 
- Sun Domer adage

[Jeff]

2 hours ago, Jeff said:

The patron goddess of mining, at least among the Theyalan peoples, is Asrelia. Lodril is also worshiped by many miners. And it is always wise to appease Maran Gor!

As an aside, in most lands slave miners tend to worship their own personal patron deities (to the extent they still can) and rarely worship some Slave Worker cult.

Fonrit, is an exception of course.

[Joerg]

Since the metals can be found as metals, a good portion of metal mining may be by washing river sand deposits downward of Godtime battles where shattered bones may have left nuggets. Seametal nuggets would be found analogous to amber - in coastal sand deposits.

If you are going for the motherlodes inside the rocky remains of deities (some of them possibly alive), you could do worse than hire batches of trollkin for the initial access tunnels. Depending on the type of rock, certain tunneling maggot breeds might be applicable, too (my Blue Moon winged troll tribe in the game improvised by Greg used such for tunneling), worming their way in.

Ores and pigments (often the same thing, really) might be associated with other body structures than bones. A mining survey of the Thogsarm Hills could be interesting.

[JonL]

I like to imagine an Asrelia sub-cult for prospectors and gamblers, approaching their Kindly Grandmother through the Luck rune, hoping she feels like spoiling them with treats that day, rather than making them do chores.

[Sir_Godspeed]

24 minutes ago, JonL said:

I like to imagine an Asrelia sub-cult for prospectors and gamblers, approaching their Kindly Grandmother through the Luck rune, hoping she feels like spoiling them with treats that day, rather than making them do chores.

Reminds of the Green Lady from Discworld.

[soltakss]

8 hours ago, Jeff said:

The patron goddess of mining, at least among the Theyalan peoples, is Asrelia. Lodril is also worshiped by many miners. And it is always wise to appease Maran Gor!

I am sure that Krarsht could be used for mining, as her tunnels are really good.

[Ali the Helering]

10 hours ago, soltakss said:

I am sure that Krarsht could be used for mining, as her tunnels are really good.

Similarly many of the Uz deities/spirits have a burrowing aspect.  If the scorpion folk create nests similar to RW scorpions then there could be possibilities there as well.