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Alta Tonaro

A brief description of the province of Alta Tonaro, produced by an assistant in the Imperial Office of Cartography

Alta Tonaro occupies the northern foothills of the Chataan Mountains, centered around the mining town of Argento and the riparian valleys of the Silverflood. Until the recent conquests in Illoria, this was the southernmost province of the Empire.

It is a land of rolling arid hills, dissected plateaus, and wind scoured box canyons, with hardy juniper and cedar clinging to the slopes and brittle grasses that spring to life after the winter rains or the rare summer thunderstorm. Few people would bother to live here if it were not for the mineral wealth of the Chataans.

In DR 1689, reports reached Chardon that traces of chalyte had been found in dry creekbeds along the Silverflood. People soon rushed to make their fortune, and the Imperial legions followed, to enforce claims and guard the rights of the citizens of Chardon settling in the area. By DR 1695, the provinces of Alta Tonaro and Bassa Tonaro were proclaimed, the roads improved and fortified, and legionary forts established to control and protect the booming chalyte trade. By DR 1702, Alta Tonaro was producing more chalyte per year than Greater Voltara, and the city of Argento grew rapidly on Cedar Brook, a tributary of the Silverflood.

But it was not to last. By DR 1704 chalyte production had peaked, and in DR 1706 it was obvious that the boom was not to last. The last surface mine ceased production in DR 1712, and by DR 1720, as Magistros Seva Auratan came to power, the Chataan Mountains were fortified and declared unsafe for travel.

Since then, silver production has continued around Argento, but, though valuable, silver has only a tiny fraction of the value of chalyte, and Alta Tonaro is now considered a poor backwater by most.