Britannian Mining Company
The Britannian Mining Company (BMC) is an agency operating in Britannia in the time of Ultima VII which oversees the excavation of industrial ores from various sites throughout the kingdom.
Description[edit]
At the time of the Avatar's adventures in the early Age of Armageddon, the BMC had two active mines within the kingdom. One, operating out of Minoc under the supervision of Gregor, was processing ores found within the corridors of the Dungeon Covetous – which included the covert extraction of the magic-nullifying blackrock, a mineral being used by BMC-affiliated Fellowship members to build various devices for the Guardian. In this key mining site, fast and inexpensive labor was crucial to maintaining the illicit blackrock production, and to this end gargish workers were routinely drugged with silver serpent venom, that they might work for longer hours. The haste of the enterprises also resulted in a great deal of waste runoff into the local river, which contributed significantly to the pollution of Cove's Lock Lake in the years before the passage of prohibitive legislation regarding such dumping.
The second mine, operating near the newly resettled town of Vesper under Cador, appeared more modest in the scope of its endeavors, and seemingly had fewer unsavory labor practices, despite the rampant racial tensions of the nearby settlement. Curiously, Batlin would describe this site in his Book of Fellowship, as being the head branch of the BMC – an odd statement given its comparative size and remoteness to the Minoxian branch. It may be that such a claim was made by the Fellowship leader as a means of misdirection, given that the bulk of blackrock extraction appeared to be taking place in Covetous.[1]
Eventually, the years of the Reformation turned the public gaze onto all BMC operations, as the adventures of the Avatar regarding the Black Gate had done much to expose the exploitative practices of the company. In the year following the dismantling of the Fellowship, much was reportedly done to adjust the labor laws as regarded mining, with mayor Burnside taking a lead role in the reforms.[2]
In the years that followed, however, the ravages of the Imbalance and the Great Cataclysm dramatically changed the landscape of the world, causing the land which once held Vesper to sink into the ocean and destroying the original City of Sacrifice in the upheavals of the earth. Decades later, during the Avatar's return in Ultima IX no record or trace of the Britannian Mining Company could be found, although abandoned blackrock mines (which had apparently operated publicly for some time) were still present within Covetous' depths.
Lore[edit]
| “ | Located on the edge of the desert in northeast Britannia, Vesper is an industrial town. Here the main branch of the Britannian Mining Company is located. Vesper is one of the few places in Britannia where humans and gargoyles live together in an approximately equal number. – from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII)
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| “ | Vesper is one of Britannia's newer towns. 'Twas originally a small community of miners employed by the Britannian Mining Company. Slowly more people migrated here to offer services to the mining residents. Throughout its growth, Vesper has remained a good, stable home for hardworking miners and merchant suppliers to live. That was, until they started moving here.
The mining company began to hire Gargoyles because they lack intelligence and work cheaply. Being so far away, they have no idea how poorly the pitiful beasts work. I am surprised Cador and Mara are willing to continue working with the one that is still there. What is his name... Lap-Lem, I believe. At least Cador had the good sense to get rid of the other one after a few months. – from Key to the Black Gate (Ultima VII)
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| “ | Minoc, the town of artisans, is now flourishing, thanks to a rebalance of trade practices in that town. Mayor Burnside reports that work is also in progress to reform labor policy in the nearby mines. |
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Employees[edit]
Minoc Branch[edit]
- Fodus: gargoyles miner
- Gregor: branch director
- Malloy and Owings: these barely qualify as employees
- Mikos: foreman
Vesper Branch[edit]
Former employees:
Gallery[edit]
Entrance of the Covetous BMC mine
Mining equipment of the BMC
One of the secret blackrock veins
The weekly BMC ore report
References[edit]
- ↑ Herman, Jack et al. "i.The Cities and Towns of Britannia". The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Page 22.
- ↑ Grossman, Austin. A Safe Passage Through Britannia (Ultima Underworld II). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Page 9.