For many centuries, Vale Sangora was considered to be a place of no importance to the outside world. No major trade routes crossed these lands and natural barriers that secluded the valley kept most people at bay.
And then the silver was discovered. As it turned out, the mountains were chock-full of the precious metal. Those who mined for it first tried to keep this knowledge to themselves, but it didn’t remain a secret for long. When word reached the Boarescus, the minor noble family that ruled over the valley, everything changed. They sent many messengers out into the world to spread the message: "There is silver in Vale Sangora."
It was a smart ploy on their part – soon, a great wave of settlers from Bohemia, Silesia, and Germany came to the valley to dig for the precious metal. The Boarescus welcomed them with open arms… and a set of laws they needed to obey on pain of death. Thus, the common folk toiled in the dark shafts, and the nobles grew rich beyond imagination.
Soon, silver turned Svartrau from a small hamlet into a busy metropolis. It was used to pay for the grand cathedral in the middle of the city. And, of course, it funded a standing army which guarded the valley’s borders… and secured the ruling family’s interests.