Gold discoveries in Golrapp, a less developed island province of the Eastern Empire, have led to a chain of unexplained deaths. While some greed and profiteering of the prospectors may be responsible, others blame the “Save Rubidium” militant order of druids for more than 50 of the dead prospectors.
About three months ago reports of gold nuggets from Greater Taubeneye in the rivers of northeastern Golrapp had triggered a huge influx of people. Adventurers and prospectors from all over the world, including many from the Southern Island Kingdom, headed for peaceful and undeveloped Golrapp and disappeared into the rainforests of the Northeast.
Within weeks the prospectors’ port town of Aurium with its own slave market was built. To gain easier access to the streams and rivers, many jungle homes were deliberately burned. The initial protests from a few druids of Golrapp were ignored.
Finally Shaomil. a spokesperson for the Golrapp druids, turned to the top druid of the Eastern Empire for assistance. They protested at the provincial level and finally at the court of Queen Latifa, but were ignored.
Now in the wake of more than 50 dead, the provincial government of Golrapp has requested a special investigator from the Mages Guild police to look into the deaths. The continuance of the gold rush is in the best interests of the local authorities. Slaves, tools such as sieves and knives, medical supplies, food and alcohol have been selling like hotcakes since the gold rush.
Yüanli-Asadon, the governor of Golrapp, is pleased by the gushing tax revenues from the new city of Aurium.
Should there be any proven involvement of the “Save Rubidium” druid group, it could lead to far-reaching consequences for druids in the Eastern Empire.
The druids declined to comment on the allegations and pointed out that nature was defending herself and the intervention of the druids was not needed.