Saltmills

**Saltmills** is a town in the Elder Mountains, in the southwest of the Kingdom of Badgeria. It's mostly populated by salt and coal miners, with the salt and coal mines being some of the most productive in Badgeria. Historically, Saltmills has been a salt mining and fishing town, with the recent population boom being a result of Badgerian industrialization and economic programs.

## History

### Early Settlement

In the early 1st century ARM, the native foxes and badgers of the Tidewater region began to migrate into the Elder Mountains as northern dogs began to migrate south from what is now Dawnland and Greater Pomerania. Saltmills was established as foxes and badgers began to move into the mountains, and established a fishing settlement on the banks of the Swilly River. This settlement was known as Tracloon when intially founded, but would go on to be renamed Saltmills later.

This early historical period is not well documented, with only vague legends of notable chiefs and town leaders. Such legends include that of Chieftess Faílenn Ó Maoilriain and the Petty King Connor Ó Floinn. These early figures of Tracloon supposedly defended the town in great times of mythological and political peril, with Chieftess Faílenn fighting against the tyrannical Petty King Cuimín Fitzgerald, and Petty King Connor defending the town from an invasion of hellbeasts.

### Discovery of Salt and Growth

Prior to the discovery of the salt mines in Tracloon, the town was fairly small and only a regional actor in politics and economics. However, great deposits of rock salt were discovered in the 3rd century ARM, and this rapidly changed the town. Nearly overnight, a small mining boom began as salt was highly valued for both its preservative and flavoring qualities. The name Tracloon began to fade as the new population began to call the town Saltmills, after the new salt mining facilities.

The salt trade fueled the growth of the town of Saltmills over the 3rd to 4th century, with the salt boom beginning to slow as the economic status of the town began to normalize. However, the new economic status gave the town a lot more power and influence in the region.

### Pre-Colonial Politics

With the transition from Tracloon to Saltmills, the town began to act as a semi-powerful actor in regional politics. During the 4th century ARM, Saltmills would become the capital of the Petty Kingdom of Lurgan for about four decades. The ever shifting political landscape of the Elder Mountains meant that Saltmills could hardly hold onto real power for long, but it would be a useful partner or member of nations in the region.

Especially notable is Saltmills membership in the Mountainlands Trading League throughout the 5th and early 6th centuries ARM. This League, spearheaded by Mullaghmore, Saltmills, Valleymount, and Bearton. This was a loose political-economic alliance that facilitated trade and economic cooperation between the cities and towns of the Elder Mountains. This League would begin to collapse in the mid 6th century ARM as outside pressures and internal tensions began to rise.

### Colonization by Orenia

Over the early 7th to mid 8th century, the powers surrounding the Elder Mountains began to push in, conquering and colonizing native lands. Saltmills was invaded by the Kingdom of Oreania in 746 ARM, with the town being violently sacked by the colonial armies. With Saltmills being reduced to about half of its former population, the Orenian government began its standard protocol of Elder Mountain integration by sending 100 Orenian nationals and an armed garrison to begin planning reconstruction of the city along Orenian lines. Native resistance was fierce over the first few years, but the gradual resettlement and reconstruction of the town would lessen such resistance as Orenians became a greater portion of the population.

### The Springtime of Nations

With the arrival of the Springtime of Nations, Saltmills was initially one of the three main headquarters of Orenian military organization and planning to attempt to maintain order in the Orenian Mountain colonies. This military campaign would be successful at maintaining order through the fall and winter of 868, but as native rebellions continued to gain ground the native populations in Orenian territory began to take up arms themselves.

Saltmills had several strikes and many acts of sabotage by local cells of the Free Mountaineers, with an open uprising beginning in the early spring of 868. The Saltmills and Tracloon Free Mountaineers (SaTFM) would come to liberate the town from the Orenian colonial government, with a Provisional Government of Free Saltmills being organized. This government was composed of a mix of Orenian colonialists with liberal sentiments and natives seeking independence from Orenia. The provisional government would lead the Free Mountaineers to liberate several nearby villages and settlements. However, the dual colonial and native nature of the Free Saltmills government led to it quickly bogging itself down with near constant infighting.

The Royal Government of Kingsguard would take advantage of the crippled state of the Saltmills government to invade the town and its associated villages from early to late 870.

### Modern Day

Under the rule of the Kingdom of Badgeria, reconstruction and industrialization programs have led to an influx of new people in the town as it rises again as a center of local trade and industry. While salt and coal mining have proven to be foundational to the reconstruction process of Saltmills, new factories have led to many new jobs in manufacturing and production. Primarily, Saltmills is a local center of industrial equipment, vehicle, and weapons production.

The SaTFM branch of the Free Mountaineers has begun to rebuild slowly, with native resistance groups beginning to agitate once again. The import of new laborers and factory workers has introduced a new population of once rural natives that now seek better working conditions, and this has allowed for the rise of non-SaTFM resistance groups to rise, such as the Socialist Workers Party and the Black Flag Society to name a few.

## Culture

### Colonial Mourlander Culture

The ruling class of Saltmills society is the new colonial Mourlander cat population.