Salt Mines of Zarim Duuromor

The Founding of The Salt Mines
The Salt Mines of Zarim Duuromor was a Penal Colony established by the Empire of Romikka in 824 B.F by Tyber Aruolious. Tyber Aruolious was an Imperial Administrator assigned with managing Imperial Penal Colonies. With his free time and vast wealth he would venture out on expensive expeditions. While on one of his Expeditions he in the Southern Orbisian Mountains he discovered the Abandoned Duvanian Fortress called Zarim Duuromor. The Fortress was a Duvan Hold resting on the edge of a mountain with a dried lake of salt in a valley in the mountains. Eventually Tyber learned that the Duvan Hold was known to trade salt with its neighboring Duvan holds. However the Fortress was abandoned during The Duvanian Civil War. Tyber found the location to suit well for an Imperial Colony one he could administrate personally from the Fortress. Not to mention salt was a valued commodity in the Three Empires. In 824 B.F Tyber began to ship in the first colonist into the Region. These colonists were debtors, deserters, runaway slaves, horse thief's, bandits, and even a few conquered tribes. In total an estimated 3,000 Convicts were forcefully transported and settled outside the Walls of Zarim Duuromor. Tyber also requested that a Cohort be sent to help administrate the region. Which his request was granted in 825 B.F (In which at that time he hired mercenaries to watch over the prisoners). A Cohort of 1,000 imperial Legionaries (Including an additional 500+ camp followers) settled inside of the walls of Zarim Duuromor. By 829 B.F the Penal Colony had become the most wealthy colony in the southern Region of Orbis exporting vast amounts of salt all across the Three Empires and even to distant lands. Tyber's wealth grew so immense that by 833 B.F he had personally equipped and paid for a personally Legion of soldiers to keep order over the penal colony. By 835 B.F Tyber had over 70,000 Convicts under his rule and the Aruolious Family would continue to rule The Salt Mines until the fall of the Romikkan Empire.
Life In the Colony
The Salt Mines became known as "A Convicts Death Sentence" or simply known as "Convicts Barren Hell". The Convicts were forced to dig deep into the flat lakes ground oftentimes running into stones on the way or running into hostile wildlife such as The Crimson Scorpion, Flats Snake, and The Salt Dragon. Along with the hostile wild life the workers had to deal with the Salt Storms where loose particles of Salt would blow in the wind causing a white hazy storm much like a desert storm. Many Convicts would die from the extreme heat, wildlife and, salt storms, The Penal Colony would bring in Thousands of New Convicts to replace the Hundreds of Convicts that would die each day. The Colony had such a bad reputation that some men charged with crimes would rather rot in a prison cell or even preferred the death sentence than having to go stay in the Colony. Life in the Colony was hard Prisoners were expected to work 12 hours a day. Digging out massive holes and setting up camps deep underground extracting salt. Unlike slaves The Convicts were allowed free days for excellent service in which in the Free days they were allowed to visit the underground taverns. Convicts often times were forgotten about even when their sentence was up and many established their own houses under the ground creating entire mini towns under the lake. The food the convicts ate was Imperial Rationed Bread and Goulash. While water was also transported in as well. Convicts spent most of their free time sleeping, hanging out around the under ground taverns, building relationships with fellow convicts, playing card games, or haggling with passing by traders with stolen salt rocks. The convicts even formed gangs who would fight over the most well stocked salt rocks in the tunnels in underground gang wars.
Fall of the Colony
The Colony eventually met its end towards the Fall of The Empire of Romikka when the Colonist Rebelled and overthrew the Aruolious Family. After the Rebellion the Remaining Colonist Abandoned the Zarim and for several centuries only traveled merchants, scavengers, and explorers passed by the old fortress.