Salt Extraction

Levels at a glance

	Level	Cost	Build time	Minimum settlement	Upgrades to		Level	Cost	Build time	Minimum settlement	Upgrades to
	Saltworks (Industry)	1,600	3	town	Salt Refiner (Industry)		Salt Refiner (Industry)	4,000	5	large town	Salt Exports (Industry)
	Salt Exports (Industry)	14,400	8	city	—

Costs in denarii, build time in turns.

Saltworks (Industry)

A modest salt extraction site has begun operations, keeping life a little less tasteless.

Without salt, by Jupiter, one cannot have a civilized life - Well, Pliny the Elder wasn’t wrong about that...

A dedicated saltwork exploitation industry has been established here, providing the region with this precious minerale, which some call "white gold".

Well, it may not be gold, but its value is in every kitchen and at every table. The workers here sweat and toil, gathering the mineral by allowing solar evaporation in coastal salt pans (salinae). To achieve this, seawater is channeled into shallow clay basins, where the sun evaporates the water, leaving behind crystallized sea salt. In salt marshes, this delicate, meticulous process relies on the natural evaporation of saltwater from the Ocean in successive basins. The ocean water is conveyed to large basins where it is clarified. This salt water is then directed into several smaller settling basins, where it concentrates its salt content under the effect of the sun and wind. Finally, the high salt concentration allows crystallization and the birth of salt.

Gold may shine, but salt preserves food and life.

Requirements: all of these must hold before this level can be built.

• The region has Salt
• Only one heavy industry building allowed
• Government Building (Dependency, Indirect Rule, Direct Rule or Homeland)

What it does

• +1 trade income

Salt Refiner (Industry)

A significant salt extraction center has been established, supplying the region and beyond.

As increasingly amounts of salt are extracted, more profits reach the treasury in Rome! Truth be said, much of the prosperity in this region now depends on these precious crystals.

Salt production has expanded, and the once-small site has grown, attracting traders and workers from afar.

Salt is no longer just a local commodity; it’s an exportable treasure, as prized for preserving food as for ensuring the soldiers’ loyalty.

The salt from here pays the armies marching and promotes trade in the entire region, its white shine in the sunlight is almost as brilliant as gold.

Salt might not build temples, but it’s what keeps the granaries filled and the legions fed, and for every shipment sent, a small fortune comes home.

Requirements: all of these must hold before this level can be built.

• Local Barter or a higher level is built here
• The region has Salt
• Government Building (Dependency, Indirect Rule, Direct Rule or Homeland)

What it does

• +2 trade income
• +1 population growth
• -1 public order (happiness)

Salt Exports (Industry)

Salt is now being exported on a large scale, enriching the region and beyond.

Gold may shine, but salt preserves.

The salt industry in this region has become a massive operation, exporting vast quantities of this highly valued resource.

Fields of salt shine under the sun, like white gold, filling amphorae destined for distant markets and ensuring that this mineral reaches every corner of the empire. The salt extracted from here is prosperity itself. Whether it’s seasoning a feast or preserving food for winter, salt from this region fortifies both the body and our treasury, proving that the smallest mineral can be the pillar on which a powerful and wealthy nation can stand.

Requirements: all of these must hold before this level can be built.

• Forum or a higher level is built here
• The region has Salt
• No Salt Exports (Industry) is built anywhere in your empire
• Any Government except Dependency (Indirect Rule, Direct Rule or Homeland)

What it does

• +3 trade income
• +1 population growth
• -2 public order (happiness)
• (Faction) Husbandry farms (tier 2-5) gain +10% trade bonus (does not stack with local salt)
• (Faction) Fish salting industries gain +10% trade bonus (does not stack with local salt)

Traits and retinue

Traits

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