Chrysalis

The resources of the third stratum proved to be a boon to the Colony, but none more so than the Fire Iron, as we called it. Found in naturally replenishing reserves between layers, the precious metal had several properties that made it of enormous interest, especially to those like me.

Obviously, it was heat resistant, but to such an extreme degree that it was shocking to us. Our finest quality enchanted steel couldn’t compare to even the unprocessed ore.

The first challenge was trying to find a way to smelt it. The metal was usually found submerged in lava, or at the very least coated on one side with it. Producing a temperature hot enough to melt it was difficult, to say the least. It was Propellant who eventually solved the issue, creating a circular heating system that required five fire mages to keep it running.

The air within the furnace was so hot, we had to create a system to prevent the air from touching the walls to prevent those from melting too.

The first thing I did once we managed to smelt and shape the Fire Iron was make a new smelter out of it. From that point, basically all equipment in the Colony that needed to be fireproofed was formed of Fire Iron. I would be lost without my new tools, I barely have to cool them.

- Excerpt from “Antdustrial Revolution” by Smithant.

“What in the name of Eldest’s left foreleg is going on down there?” the scout leader, Amantsen, demanded.

“It’s the demons!” the poor, harried scout replied as the medic worked on her burns. “They’ve gone crazy. It’s all out war!”

“Between who and who? The demons are attacking someone? Is it the ka’armodo?”

A conflict between the lizards and the demons would suit the Colony down to the ground. While their most powerful fighter was asleep, the various spot-fires around the place cooling down would be ideal.

injured scout

on the plains, there’s fighting everywhere! The second those crazed creatures find something to fight,

her antennae irritably. The demons had gone crazy? Why? How? The whole situation only threw up more questions the more she looked into it. The poor scout lay on the ground before her as the medic continued her

to send further scouts down to look when the chances for deaths to occur were so high. If the demons were being as indiscriminately violent as advertised, it was dangerous for anyone to scout

teams were out. Which left only a large-scale investigation,

she muttered, “not

Eldest as they underwent evolution. Even so, this situation sounded serious

us word of

scout began

the shadows around them deepened, a cold wind

I can’t… wait that long… for torpor,”

Amantsen nodded.

have to, but a second

be in their presence longer than necessary, she turned and left the poor scout to the healer’s ministrations and began to spread the word. The machinery of the Colony was efficient and effective in almost all circumstances, and it wasn’t long until word had been passed

Pangera are those demons up to now?” Burke demanded of the air when the message had finally reached her. “We’ve got enough on our plates already. I swear the

invasion by Garralosh in order to fight the beast, which they had eventually done. Not to mention, the last evolution had

the word to the others, we need to assemble a task force to investigate, we can’t go flying into this

She similarly wasn’t impressed with the