The mining colony of Holmgard

Holmgard is one of the many civilian mining colonies who are scattered across the red planet. The colony is inhabited by miners and their families from across the galaxy but many of them are originated from Halvmörk and Izm. These planets once the main suppliers of ore and other precious metals were mined until the entire planets resources were exhausted. Because of this reason many of the experienced miners and their families left their home planets in search of new resources and work. Plenty of work can be found on the relative unknown and desolate Red Planet however the life is hard and dangerous.

The mining colony of Holmgard is part of a mining union who controls large parts of the galaxy’s mining industries. The union called “FOMAM” Federation of Miners and metalworkers represents thousands of miners and metalworkers all over the galaxy.

FOMAM’s task is to control production and take care of the miners and their family. Taking care for the families on the red planet isn’t cheap, hundreds of mercenaries are hired to protect vital parts of the industry and the mining colonies. But money isn’t a problem as the ore and metal the miners mine are valuable and scarce. Especially the sort of metals found on the red planet are worth the pain, the recently discovered “Globan” is worth Ω 150 000/ kg! A ordinary miner on the red planet gains Ω 23 a day!

The colony of Holmgard was founded by Pjotr Dbrunovik, a well-known engineer from the outer rims of Izm in 2216. He and his family were chosen to found a new mining settlement on the red planet together with a dozen of other families. The beginning was hard: scavengers, mutants and other creatures of the depths were plaguing the harmless miners. In the first month 5 miners and 12 other colonists were killed or wounded but each month new colonists were arriving in search of wealth and a better future.

7 years after the foundation, Globan was found on a depth of 621 meters below the red planet’s surface. The total number of colonists at that moment was only 150 but with the news of large amounts of Globan spread across the galaxy, colonists arrived with hundreds. The once most desolate mining colony of the FOMAM was booming but the luck was not long lived. Gangs and mutants also heard the news and were gathering to loot and sack the entire region of Holmgard, life for the settlers was becoming harder and harder. Many of them left Holmgard and founded other colonies across the red planet.

The few hundred miners left protected by a small army of mercenaries and militiamen, mined deeper and deeper in search of more scarce Globan. The price of the metal rose to Ω 350 000/ kg and FOMAM decided that all the Globan left on the planet was property of the union. Every gram of Globan leaving the planets was marked and controlled by the union.

New and bigger mining colonies were built and were heavily protected and named “X-001” and following. The resources in the mines near Holmgard were decreasing and the FOMAM decided to retreat their mercenary guards. After being the leader in Globan production, Holmgard became an ordinary small mining colony left for death by the capitalistic FOMAM. The now harmful colony was declared an easy target by the mutants and other creatures from the wastelands.

Total population left: 42