Aspermont

Coordinates
 Region
 Occupied by

**Aspermont**, also known as the ***Merchant's City*** is the symbolic, economic and physical capital of the **UNKNOWN [?] Trading Company**. Situated near the White Sea, in the west coast of the Westerlands, its distance and location has made it relatively isolated in **MineZ** before the arrival of the UNKNOWN [?] Trading Company in the area, which turned it into a booming town of industry and trade throughout the Company's early days. Aspermont was submitted on the 9th September, 2012. The earliest mention of the town reported of being in the game was on September 22nd of the same year.

Banjo Company and the future Directory had arrived in the area at around October 2012 to loot before moving on to Crowmure, but some members began to log out there frequently until eventually they settled down and brought their alts with them. Aspermont competed with Cole Castle for the title of UTC Headquarters in 2012 - but practicality and security had won that title over to Aspermont and operations began to center around Aspermont, alongside Crowmure.

The city of Aspermont is home to large population of iron healers and neutral trading players that also frequented the place.Though noted for its peacefulness, fights and battles also happened in and just outside of the city, but the UTC had, for the most part - been generally successful in repelling other clans and players from establishing control. Because of this, control of Aspermont and its security has always been a key discussion in UTC defense policies and strategies up till today.

The city of Aspermont hosts various anniversaries and festivals year-round, usually player-run with no admin input or intervention, though the city was one of the locations of a Halloween Pumpkin in 2014, which was recovered by Crackerjack7209. It is claimed by the Company and other observers, as the only other place in the apocalypse that has been successfully resettled by a group that has society, economy and a form of(though very laissez-faire) government.

Today, the in-game place contains five graves honoring three Company members: Irishkaiser, Lieutenant\_Joe and boogaert(with three of the graves belonging to Irishkaiser) and a special build dedicated to the Company.

## History

### ***Etymology***

***Aspermont*** (pronounced [ˈæspəɹˌmɔ̃nt]) was named by its builder: Smacky. According to him, he only chose the name because it sounded "catchy", but if taken from Indo-European Languages of Romance origin, two words can be derived from the name: **asper** and **mont** or *rough* and *mountain* respectively. Therefore, the place may be called "*Rough Mountain*".

**Asper** may have a different meaning of the word *rough* further down the Romance languages, specifically Roman Latin, as to mean a "newly-made" form of rough. This term is usually applied to newly minted currency in the Roman Empire. The term survived as *Aspron* for silver coins used by the late Byzantines. There is currently a town in Texas called Aspermont and also a mining company called Aspermont Ltd.

The city and build itself also has gained many nicknames over the years with the most popular nickname being "*The Merchant's City*", other names include "*Casterly Rock*" after alluding the wealth of the Company and the city to *A Song of Ice and Fire's* Casterly Rock. Some have called it for practicality as "*HQ*", "*Headquarters*", or "*Homebase"*, while some simply called it "*Home*". Another nickname came about by omitting "*asper*" from the name and calling it "*The Mont*".

### ***Origins***

According to the builder, Smacky, Aspermont was built in a matter of 2 days and was the third build he submitted to MineZ after Carmi and Jacsebalon Mansion. The build was placed in-game on the Northwest coast sometime between 9th-22nd September as part of a regular update.

### ***Banjo Company Arrives***

The future UTC first arrived in Aspermont somewhere during October 2012 as part of a rest stop on their journey to Crowmure, which was a very popular town at the time. The group found the city to be constantly empty but filled with plenty of military gear and food. killahamsta commented about his first time in Aspermont soon after arriving, expressing his admiration saying:

> "*... It was love at first sight...*"
>
>

> ―**killahamsta**
>
>

At this time, the UNKNOWN [?] Trading Company was just beginning to be formed and the group was still travelling all over the map. Two propositions for a base was proposed, both in opposite directions of the map: Aspermont, which was in the West, or Cole Castle, which was in the East.

Banjo Company weighed the pros and cons for each city, but found Aspermont to be more convenient and conducive to their needs. The city could sustain a medium sized population while Cole Castle could sustain fewer players(though at the time, it had better military gear). The city's relative isolation also made it excellent for relatively new players to operate and learn the game.

The decision for Aspermont to be the base was cemented when the first alts from Irishkaiser, ElectroCake and Avver were placed in the city.

### ***Establishing Control(Early Conflicts, Raids and Invasions)***

Aspermont's seclusion afforded it the much needed security from outside groups. However, the place was not without visitors or undocumented passerby's from time to time. Around this time, UTC members began introducing other trusted, peaceful players to Aspermont, but other foreign elements began entering as well. Some of them were peacefully integrated and became friends of the Company and Aspermont, others had to be fought off. Enemies varied from TLB(The Last Bandits), Cassmich's friends, random bandits, or even fights spilling over from other bigger clans for whatever reason.

Early defense was sufficient when the Company's membership was only filled with friends who played at about the same time and even included naming all the buildings to give the Company an advantage in knowledge of the terrain to help them with directions. As membership expanded across three continents however, members were subject to vulnerability as only the Asian members were the most PvP capable and only one US member was good in PvP. This inflicted many needless casualties on the UTC, but the Company was able to hold the city with little consequence.

Players came and went, but could not keep Aspermont for lack of interest in holding it or the dangers of zombies(specifically *pigmen*) and the Company's better knowledge of terrain and parkour of the area. Overtime, the Company maintained dominance and control of Aspermont, in spite of some successful attacks.

Though at first considered a nuisance or a threat, especially by newer company members, for their part in maintaining the defense of the city against unwanted elements, pigmen have been given a sort of special citizenship and association with the city that it was and is considered impolite to kill pigmen in the city unless they are blocking the way or are an immediate threat. This may have given the UTC the claim as the first clan to have given NPCs a place in their society, unlike other clans who either ignore or scorn the zombies.

### ***Aspermont's*** ***Industrial and Economic Expansion***

By mid-2013, Aspermont was firmly in the Company's hands and attacks were being successfully repelled and or stopped, through a combination of better PvP skills, more active members and skillful diplomacy turning powerful enemies into friends. Aspermont began leading in production of iron armor, chain sets, iron swords and power bows that were sold in trade runs in the South and traded for with potions to be used by the citizens.

The meta-game control of Aspermont was not just recognized by the UTC or its local citizenry, but by the admins as well with the inclusion of two graves for Irishkaiser, the defacto leader of the Company

Though controversial and far-reaching, the June Reforms did nothing to retard Aspermont's economy and industry as the main occupants of the city were white regulars, making the population of the city firmly supportive and benefiting from the June Reforms in the long-run. For awhile, it did affect or threaten security as many of the Company's PvPers were premium and were kicked, but the following renaissance of UTC ethics and virtues gave way to a cadre and a nucleus that would eventually become the basis for the Company's military culture.

Overtime, other Company territories waned in importance, with the exception of Aspermont. As Crowmure, Stillwater Motte and Yawpton became increasingly abandoned, its former occupants immigrated to Aspermont and sought out work there, thus increasing the city's population and expanded its industry. By 2014, Aspermont was a model city that was the dream of so many other clans who wanted to make a base out of towns in-game.

### ***Aspermont Under the Empire(the Era of Good Feelings)***

2014 was considered the *Era of Good Feelings* for the UTC. Though initially in the year, they were still fighting a bitter conflict with the premiums in the Southern War, the tide had turned after the premiums' loss of horizontal grapples in April and there was an increasingly strong sense of unity, community identity and a national purpose as the defenders of the MineZ public. Aspermont naturally became the center of this movement and symbolized the ideal society that the UTC came to embody.

Many updates and nerfs intent on "balancing" the game however, went increasingly wrong and the administration at the time was more concerned with League of Legends than patrolling the server. Aspermont was only somewhat affected but it did not diminish its importance or economy. At this point however, the UTC did began to diversify its loot areas as they realized that a bad nerf might hit Aspermont. UTC Members began gathering from all over MineZ, some as far as Agni Ignis. These imports however, did not decrease Aspermont's importance, as it had also become a cultural, political and logistical center for the Company.

At the end of 2014 and the opening of 2015, the Company's policies began to be concentrated more on exploits abroad, but they did not neglect Aspermont in its grand scheme of things. Aspermont began to celebrate festivals such as the June Reforms, Banjo Week and even hosted birthdays and new year parties, noted for its extravagant gifts, fireworks displays and ceremonies.

During Boogaert's Revenge, an administrator decided to compensate for "boogaert's loss" after commenting that it was an overreaction on their part by giving the new company member boogaert a grave in the city, alongside with Lieutenant\_Joe(though for different reasons). After the MineZ Secret Project Update, the city was given a secret build by Majicou and Robertthegoat to honor the UTC that had stayed there for so long, further cementing the legacy the Company had in its occupation of Aspermont.

## Economy & Industry

The primary industry of the city has always been military gear. Iron Armor, Chain Sets, Iron Swords and Power Bows have always been produced in Aspermont. Recently, with the MineZ secret project update, the city still maintains itself as a primary military industry, containing 10 rare chests and 3 epic chests, but now also produces 1 tools chest.

 It should also be noted that much of the clan's production enters the city of Aspermont to be redistributed across accounts and players, making it a logistical center and viable market for meetup and supplying.

Aspermont's food supplies have always been sufficient enough to sustain a small-to medium sized population of players as well. Its major imports have always been, gunpowder, health potions, bandages, legendaries and diamond swords. Tourism, mostly targeted towards new company members is a burgeoning industry as well.

## Aspermont Rebuild in the Drill Server

Such is the cultural significance of Aspermont, that Directory members Irishkaiser and Avver have rebuilt it within in their own homeserver, paying huge homage to the city by rebuilding it with a grand vision in mind.

Most of the area has been rebuilt and new areas were added, such as the University of Hitler Did Nothing Wrong and a proper placement of a UTC Headquarters. The city was also given access to the coast with a dock and lighthouse.

## references

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspermont,\_Texas
2. ↑ http://www.aspermont.com/
3. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/UnknownTradeCo/comments/1d7pk7/looks\_like\_they\_wanna\_bury\_me/
4. ↑ http://minezwiki.net/wiki/Aspermont