Helvarna Caverns Lore

===Pre-Fallout===
Prior to the Resource War and shortly following Nuclear Fallout, the caves were a notable mining site around the border. The general danger of the caves, and the value located at the time in other caves nearby left the cave relatively under-used. A crate site was built on top of the caves to function both as a hub of gathering the resources mined and for use of supplying Fort Poliax. The mines only ever saw greater use near the start of the Resource war after the nearby mines which were previously more rich in resources than Helvarna, dried up, leaving few valuable resources behind. However this wouldn’t last long as it would be cut short less than a few months later by the Resource War.
===Early Post-Fallout===
In the early months and years after the radiation settled in the wasteland, the mines quickly became a central hub for the early mining economy. Not only was it left as one of the very few locations with valuable minerals left in it, it was also very close to Jokeumbia, one of the earliest settlements in the Wasteland. Helvarna Caverns provided the backbone that would fuel and establish the mining economy in the wasteland even today.
===Early Mining Economy===
Helvarna Caverns was the first notable mining location for Wastelanders. In the early Wasteland economy, ores and minerals were in a close struggle with scraps for becoming the effective currency in the wasteland. Eventually, scraps gained dominance and became the de facto currency in the wasteland, which still remains true. As scraps began to become the effective currency, the mining economy declined, at least in Helvarna, as the need for rarer minerals was low. While there was a slight need for some more common resources such as Iron and other metals, most of these needs were replaced by salvaging old structures and large scraps.
===Early Use of the Caverns===
The Caverns, despite many considering them maze-like and dangerous, was home to many wastelanders, even some who didn’t make too much of a profit from mining. Many resided within the many caverns of Helvarna, only really leaving for trade, food, and resources. The caves were also initially used for salvage and scraps, with the crateyard above containing many valuable resources, including a large supply of weapons which were intended pre-war for Fort Poliax. This effectively allowed many of the miners to gain a significant profit as traders even as the need for ores and minerals declined. While a number of settlements have existed within the caverns, none of them reached significant size, usually only being a few small tents/houses, nor lasting very long.
===Modern Post-Fallout===
More recently, the need for weapons and weaponsmiths has risen along with the increased number of anti-AEGIS raiders and factions. This has once again increased the price of minerals and ores and increased the need for miners. While its scraps and supplies within the crateyard have mostly run dry, it still contains a notable number of battery parts which are often used by raiders to make batteries which they sell to ARD or use for their own purposes.
===Modern Mining Economy===
The modern mining economy within the wasteland is much more diverse than previously. It used to be primarily isolated to Helvarna and a small number of other locations, but now spreads across the wasteland and into areas such as Zone-14. The increased need for weaponsmiths and weapons has also increased the value of ores and minerals drastically. The increased value of ores and minerals has caused many to consider it may overtake scraps as the primary currency, especially as scrap printers and ARD traders continue to inflate the price of scraps dramatically.
===Current Use of the Caverns===
While the overall use of the caverns has largely decreased since the Early Post-Fallout Period, primarily because of the danger of the area over others, it still remains a valuable mining spot for those who have memorized and understand its maze-like structure. It is still home to a plethora of valuable ores, many of which are even used in weaponsmithing, including recreations of powerful DEWs. The cave’s isolated position has also made it a prime spot for scrap printing by some people more recently. While the mines are no longer at their former height in the Early-Fallout period, they still hold a significant spot in the current mining economy, especially as it continues to grow.