=== Races | Technology | Buildings & Organizations ===

====== MISTSPRING WATER INC. ======

===== Overview =====

  * **Founded:** September 2626
  * **Founder & Water Master:** [[Chantal Berkenheim|Chantal Berkenheim]], former sous‑chef aboard the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]] Kitchen turned spring‑water entrepreneur
  * **Location:** Source springs in the northeastern foothills of the [[Atrana Mountains]], about 1.2 km upstream from the [[Arla River]] headwaters, near [[Morningstar]]
  * **Headquarters:** [[mistspring_water_inc.manufactory|Manufactory of Mistspring Waters Inc.]]
  * **License:** Exclusive [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]] charter for Arla River source extraction
  * **Purpose:** “Pure and fresh water — directly from the Source.”

Mistspring Water Inc. set out to bottle the crystal‑clear outflows of the Arla spring. Early on, thirsty pioneers shrugged — water was everywhere. But as industrial runoff and [[the_humans|exohuman]] settlements tainted local supplies, everyone scrambled for those sealed flasks. The vending machines of the [[frontier_quickdraw_network|Frontier Quickdraw Network]] stacked them at 6 K a pop, and bulk 5 L/10 L jerrycans at 7 K/14 K for homes and businesses — steep, but hey, frontier life is thirsty work.

===== History =====

==== Early Demand (2626 – 2630) ====

  * **September 2626:** Chantal taps the first springs and sets up gravity‑fed cisterns.
  * **Late 2626:** First 750 mL flasks hit Frontier Quickdraw shelves — locals scoff until summer drought hits.
  * **2627–2630:** Demand surges as mining runoff and booming settlements foul wells. Bulk orders roll in from taverns, trading posts, even small factories.

==== Federalisation & Closure (2631 onward) ====

  * **2631[[peace_treaty| Peace Treaty]]:** [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation]] nationalizes major water sources and closes Mistspring Water Inc..
  * **Post‑2631:** Water gets distributed through [[federal_allottment-center|Federal Allotment Centers]] in [[Firetown]] and public [[Federal Fountains]] in Morningstar, [[New Kourou|New Kourou]], and [[Hope|Hope]]. Environmental regs restore natural water quality; Mistspring bottling plant shutters, held in reserve for emergencies.

===== Distribution & Business Model =====

  * **Quickdraw Retail –** 750 mL sealed flasks (produced by [[Bermuda Inc.|Bermuda Inc.]]) stocked at Frontier Quickdraws for on‑the‑go refreshment.
  * **Bulk Supply Contracts –** 5 L and 10 L jerrycans (also produced by Bermuda Inc.,) sold wholesale to taverns, settlements, and small factories in the Free State.
  * **Courier Network –** Daily dispatch via [[new_kourou_courier_service_carts|New Kourou Courier Service carts]]
  * **Emergency Reserve –** Post‑2631, unopened crates stored in sealed vaults for federal emergency allocation.

===== Product Line — “Mistspring Waters” =====

| # | **Label**                   | **Format & Volume** | **Quick‑Play Table Quirk**                                                                                      | **Price** |
| 1 | **Mistspring Water Flask**  | 750 mL sealed flask | Removes one level of exhaustion; advantage on saves vs. dehydration for 2 h; regain 1d4 HP if below half max HP | 6 K   |
| 2 | **Bulk Water Container**    | 5 L jerrycan        | Provides up to 10 dehydration removals (one per drink); no additional HP benefit                                | 7 K |
| 3 | **Bulk Water Container XL** | 10 L jerrycan       | Provides up to 20 dehydration removals (one per drink); no additional HP benefit                                | 14 K  |

===== Competitors =====

  * [[Space Drinks Inc.|Space Drinks Inc.]]
  * **Founded:** December 2625 by Christos Demopoulos in New Kourou
  * **Signature Beverage:** [[space_beer|Space Beer]] (5 % lager) alongside a range of spirits
  * **Competition Angle:** Many settlers opted for a pint of Space Beer — cheaper than water flasks and with a guaranteed mood boost. As the saying went: //“Why pay for water when you can drink fun?”//

  * [[Pilswerke Inc.|Pilswerke Inc.]]
  * **Founded:** 2627 by Gerhard Lentz in the Morningstar lava‑tube brewery
  * **Signature Product:** [[lebensfreude_lager|Lebensfreude Lager]] (5.8 % ABV) brewed under an adapted Reinheitsgebot
  * **Distribution:** One quarterly batch; taverns draw kegs by lottery, black‑market pints fetch up to 30 K
  * **Competition Angle:** Settlers preferred a rare, crisp lager over expensive water — //“might as well spend on something that thrills, not just quenches.”//
===== Legacy & Impact =====

  * **Health & Sanitation –** Mistspring’s success spurred frontier-wide investments in water treatment and public sanitation.
  * **Economic Lifeline –** Bulk shipments sustained drought‑hit settlements, making the plant a cornerstone of regional resilience.

===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
  * [[atrana_mountains|Atrana Mountains]]
  * [[arla_river|Arla River]]
  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]]
  * [[Chantal Berkenheim|Chantal Berkenheim]]
  * [[mistspring_water_inc.manufactory|Manufactory of Mistspring Water Inc.]]
  * [[mistspring_water_flask|Mistspring Water Flask]]
  * [[Bermuda Inc.|Bermuda Inc.]]
  * [[frontier_quickdraw_network|Frontier Quickdraw Network]]
  * [[new_kourou_courier_service|New Kourou Courier Service]]
  * [[federal_allotment_agency|Federal Allotment Agency]] (successor, Gamma Age)
  * [[federal_allottment-center|Federal Allotment Centers]] (Gamma Age)
  * [[federal_fountains|Federal Fountains]] (Gamma Age)