Ghyll:Azura Mines

The Azura Mines are a series of interconnected mines located about 1 lele southwest of Iganefta, the primary product of which is oooite.

The mines were discovered in -45 EC by a young couple (whose names have been eradicated from the history books by concerned parental units) who attempted to elope to Folktown Unfortunately, they were more than mildly directionly challenged, and somehow managed to become very lost. In the midst of their haphazard stumbling about the wilderness, they happened across a nice, dry cave in which to spend the night and hoped that they'd be better oriented in the morning light. Unfortunately, morning not only brought light, but also two rather irate parents who had easily tracked the couple through the underbrush. However, upon sight of the interior of the cave, glistening with oooite, both parents forgot about their unruly offspring, who then slipped quietly out. Later reports indicate that they reside happily in Egron.

The parents, on the other hand, quickly recovered from their jaw-gaping shock and, after cursing themselves for the escape of their children, took several samples of the ore back to Iganefta. There, discrete testing showed that the samples contained the purest oooite ever found. A mining company was quickly set up for exploration, but once the parents discovered just how much hassle there was in running a company, they quickly sold out to DasMineGold.

Currently, the Azura Mines provide 71% of Ghyll's supply of Oooite. It has three open pit mining areas, along with an astonishing 213 lele of tunneling. The mines, still under the control of DasMineGold and Baron James Horkmanifester, currently employ about 6 ghyllians and 3017 EctoMechanauts in the extraction of 400000 lugyup of oooite ore daily. One of Ghyll's more prestigious research stations, the DasMineGold Center for Azurian Inquiry, which claims to be an outpost of the Aminfarances Institute of Science and Technomancy, operates in association with the mines in investigating the economic and sculptural possiblities of the ore. Current projects include various types of dwellings, an economical aelfant shoe, and the NeoPostAncientism mobiles, now on display at the Zaprosingfrink Gallery.

Citations: Iganefta, DasMineGold, NeoPostAncientism

--Lady Aleksandra Quininery 12:05, 20 May 2005 (EDT)