Iron Gods

The sky is a blaze of color as the eternal, purple flame atop Black Hill blends into the reds, oranges, and darkening blues of the sunset. The work day is coming to a close. Workers of all shapes and sizes roll their carts, portable forges and foundries, water tanks, and caches of precious sky metal down the steep and winding road that leads from the summit to the town of Torch below. One by one, lanterns in the houses light as lanterns in the shops are snuffed. Parents greet their families, weary from a hard of work and sit down for a well-earned dinner. Life in Torch is good.   Quiet, stable, prosperous, and safe, all in direct contrast to the harsh plains that surround the town. And all thanks to the flame at the top of the hill. A human man, his long, black hair streaked with grey, stands outside the entrance to the Foundry tavern, smiling warmly. He greets everyone who enters as a friend, clapping them on the shoulder, sharing hugs with those he hasn’t seen in a while, perhaps a kiss on the cheek with those he knows particularly well. The stream of citizens moves in and out – mostly in – as the sky steadily darkens overhead. When the flow of customers finally seems to end, and the tavern is quite lively indeed, the man turns towards the inside, content to leave his post, but he stops when the Torch catches his eye. He stares up at the flame high above the town, now the only light against a cloudy night’s sky.   The huge purple flame flickers, then suddenly erupts twice as tall as normal. The ground trembles, and the man reaches for the building to steady himself. Black Hill is bathed in violet light, the hill itself visibly trembles, dirt and rock breaking loose to fall. About the town, shouts and yells can be heard as the peace is shattered.   The flames die back over several seconds, flicker out, come back on again smaller than ever before. Reflexively, the man at the Foundry takes a single step towards Torch Hill. The flame sputters one last time before winking out entirely. The Black Hill looms, almost invisible against the starless sky. The Torch is out.   Welcome, to Iron Gods