Hacreshian Mineral Dominance

Hacresh, under the rule of Viscount Shen lacks monopoly laws, and the Viscount's morals are shifty at best. There are two notable holdouts remaining against their total monopoly. Ironfall, and Ironside. Despite the similar names, the two settlements are unrelated, with Ironside being a small mining village a week’s travel North of Dominus, and Ironfall being a city unto itself, built into and on top of a chasm, filled with iron ore. The end goal of the Viscount Shen is to gain enough influence and capital to contest Naschiem and its ruler, Duke Garrick Estholme. The Viscount covets the mining rights to magical minerals more than anything, it consumes his every waking moment. There are vanishingly few lengths he would not go to in the pursuit of this goal. Viscount Shen’s son, Barnelle Shen, and his recent failure to buy out Ironside has disappointed the Viscount immensely, and he plans on going through with his threat of disowning Barnelle once he returns to Hacresh. He is not entirely merciless though, and plans on allowing Barnelle to keep Knight Ranva in his service, even though she is, by technicality, a knight in service of Hacresh before she is Barnelle’s personal body guard. He will also provide Barnelle with 100 GP, and a letter of authority to one-month’s stay in a select few inns inside Azantium. Ironside was a bit of an after thought for the Viscount though, and now that Barnelle has failed, he plans on acquiring the town himself, after he has dealt with Ironfall, using any means necessary. Ironfall is much harder to acquire. They are a militaristic society despite being a relatively small population, and are both intensely proud, and not necessarily weak. The Viscount cannot be seen openly attacking, or using too much force during coercion, so Ironfall is his biggest roadblock yet.