“So this new factory, it’s driven by the new machines. What does that mean for the workers?” asked the Regional Supervisor (RS) Dabaku.

“Well not that much actually. The empire is already so scarcely populated that the workers would know little difference to this mechanisation other than the need to become educated, which is good” Ejiro stroked his beard looking out his very new glass windows.

“That doesn’t answer my question…” RS Dabaku irritatingly tapping his fingers on the table.

“The workers will be as happy and employed as before… Even more happy so because of the larger amount of goods available for them, see my factory makes planks. You can build housed OR have the planks sent to my other factory which remains traditional where furniture is produced. And you know with a quicker rate of producing planks the only thing we need improve is drying them and we can lower the price of furniture as a whole”

“Well I have been able to purchase a new arrangement at home for a much lower price… never have I seen the same items so cheap…” RS Dabaku leaned back reflecting, “But that might as well be a post-war feeling, with the scarcity and all. Just look at them northerners bragging of all their goods being smug to our situation”

“Yes but see, they have grown fat and lazy. They have only traditional factories whilst our production increases which I assure you will become the new way for us to wage war as they become more populous.” Ejiro poured a glass of wine gesturing if his guest wanted a glass too, this was denied as Dabaku raised his hand. Ejiro continued, “Their people are numerous and we must remind them of the Tinkonian greatness! The heritage they so hunger for. See we have fewer inhabitants in our vast lands with resources unimaginable with the empire growing bigger every day through the league. We can employ everyone and with these machines become the intellectual and industrial centre in all of Tinko! Let me prese…”

Before he could finish Dabaku arose almost screaming “THERE’S A FIRE IN YOUR FACTORY! ARE YOU USING COAL!?”

Ejiro who almost spilled his wine brushed away his surprise standing up showcasing his near golden grand boubou, “Relax my friend, this is no fire but industry breathing life into the corpse of the Tinkonian Empire.”

This was the first mechanical factory constructed in Tinko-Tinko. It was a sawmill driven by two steam engines and lots of imported coal. But when Ejiro was informed of the discovery of charcoal he was quick to buy them out soon becoming a giant producer of both furniture and charcoal. His family company earned a fortune on their monopoly which would last until mid-1400s AU when the machinery became cheaper and this more available to his competitors. Ejiros family was pushed aside and forced to try and withhold their monopoly on charcoal production.

Short history of the industrialization of Tinko-Tinko

It had been commonplace to see factories in Tinko-Tinko since the beginning of the 1300s, but these were more often large locations for artisans and skilled workers to assemble and use manual machineries to produce textiles or spin yarn. Some if lucky had water powered sawmills or even water powered smiths with jack hammers, but it was still pretty low output an much left to manual labour. However after the great unification war which resulted in much devastation and almost removing Tinkonian influence over other nearby nations there was a great influx of ingenuity and will to rebuild.

Quickly came the steam engine which had been invented about 20 years before the war to be used for more than pumping water out of the many mines, it became a sideshow as it could propel carts along a rail. However would this be disregarded as a mere attraction to the public. But for the industrialists they saw a replacement which allowed for a greater foresting industry to arise, no longer restricting it to painstakingly moving the logs down the rivers or by cart to the few water bound mills. Nay, they introduced the sawmill which could be placed almost anywhere reviving much of the economy the Tinkoninan Empire relied on. Innovation continued as similar factories were constructed closer to the mines where output slightly increased but was still low. Something was missing, the few modern factories lacked the spark needed for them to actually pay off. And that was when gold was struck after a trade deal was enforced by the Romans, allowing goods to flow in from the north. In came coal from Imazighen which could fuel the machines much more efficiently. Shortly thereafter a new industry arose to produce charcoal which the south with a great sigh of relief leaned upon as coal slowly became the way not only propel ones industry but too used in cookhouses for long term heating. It was however outlawed as a source of heat for the private households after a large fire nearly engulfed all of Agadir resulting in thousands of lost lives.