Valeria Salt Mines

The Valeria Salt Mines are an expansive series of tunnels and manmade cavities made for the purpose of extracting salt and other precious materials. It is frequently mined by prisoners or other criminals sentenced to work (and sometimes die) there. It is currently owned and operated by the Alfheim Mining Corporation, a state corporation of the Republic of Alfheim. As of 3 April 2022, the current series of tunnels extend all throughout Chervonstad and still remain incompletely mapped.

History
Archaeological evidence suggests that the Valeria Salt Mines have existed since at least the time of the mythical Ljósálfar; first excavated in Cherva (what is now Chervonstad) deep beneath the earth. Evidence of mining from this period is scarce, although the evidence of Talawan mining operations much later is present. From the time of the current Republic of Alfheim onwards, the tunnels have been increasingly excavated by private and government entities due to the abnormal purity of the salt there as well as an abundance of precious minerals and metals.

Geology
The salt in the Valeria Salt Mines is highly sought after due to its purity. It is generally agreed amongst variants of Talawan folklore that the salt was deposited there due to the Ljósálfar's eccentric tendency to cry on league 24/7 after getting their asses kicked by toxic 12-year-olds. Unfortunately for the elves, this lead to them becoming toxic themselves. Salt was subsequently discovered shortly after in the basements of those affected by the 'copium' virus borne of this behavior.

It is now known that the area contained many aquifers flooded with brine, depositing salt into the porous stone present underneath Chervonstad.

The First DeltaImpact Administration
Southern Chervonstad by the first DeltaImpact administration was still mostly devoid of development. Then Minister of Defense, TheAsianAimbot, constructed Fort Valeria Victrix over top of a large cavity left behind from salt mining activities. This allowed engineers to use firm bedrock as a foundation, as well as dig out a massive defensive trench around the fort.

The Uldarashi Schism
During the Uldarash Civil War, large portions of the Valeria Salt Mines were excavated to create room for secretive military facilities; especially in sections close to Fort Valeria Victrix.

Legend of the "Peepee Poopoo Man"
Many popular urban legends have emerged regarding the presence of a malicious being that dwells within the mines. Talawan folklore states that Æsċlēah the Traitor had an illegitimate child with a Dökkálfar chieftain. Æsċlēah the Traitor, fearing retribution from her community, hid and gave birth in the tunnels of the mines. There, she nurtured the child in secret until her demise at the hands of Queen Mildrania. The child is said to have become a malevolent spirit upon its demise, becoming what the Talawan locals call the Peepee Poopoo Man (Alfheimi: Stuolhlandnest).

Popular folk tale states that the being stalks anyone who has ever set foot in the mines, often being seen from afar. It is said that it will randomly choose one of its victims and appear in their bedroom at night, at which point it attempts to sell $5 Steam cards. If the victim hesitates or refuses to purchase, a mixture of urine and feces will materialize within the lungs of the victim; leading to the victim's immediate asphyxiation and death. In some instances, the materialization of the 'shit slurry' (Old Alfheimi: Stuolsou - as it is referred to in ancient texts) within the victim's lungs causes violent explosive pneumothorax, causing instant death in 100% of cases. Should the victim choose to purchase the Steam card and the transaction is successful, the peepee poopoo man will disappear and cease interactions with the victim unless they return to the mines. Horrifyingly, some variants of the tale state that the Stuolhlandnest does not attempt to wake its victim should they be asleep, killing them when they fail to reply.

Although the existence of the Stuolhlandnest is vehemently denied by the government of Alfheim, reports concerning unusual deaths of workers who have worked in the mines frequently make headlines. Skeptics frequently refer to the abhorrent air quality present in the mines as an explanation for the deaths of workers in their sleep. Health advisory warnings put out by the government of Alfheim and many University of Alfheim studies reference the chronic and acute dangers of working around asbestos, and the number of deaths attributed to the Stuolhlandnest have decreased in correlation with growing mandates for worker PPE in the mines.

Working conditions
The Valeria Salt Mines have rightfully earned its reputation as a forsaken and hellish pit for anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves inside it. Salt mining is notorious for the inherent dangers associated with it, but due to the unusually pure halite inside of it, mine collapses are frequent due to salt's brittle nature. Furthermore, an extremely fine particulate of salt and asbestos floods the air in the mines, causing the workers inside to experience severe chronic health effects, significantly reduced life expectancy, or more often than not, instantly die from their lungs and alveoli being shredded into meat paste. Working in the mines have been described in one ancient account as "the true personification of the endless struggle of Sisyphus; an endless and maddening toil devoid of meaning or value. ...Any [men] who find themselves inside pray, plea, futilely to their gods for liberation; only to find themselves abandoning not just their faith; but their very humanity on account of their ineffable suffering."