SMOKER TOWERS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL ENGINEERING
Smoker towers have dominated the landscape of Pyrrhus for as long as men have dwelt here, but their origins lie deep beneath the ocean.
Millennia ago, seismic activity caused hydrothermal vents to appear on the sea bed. The escaping gases deposited minerals around the vents, slowly creating rocky formations. Cracks appeared from which smoke and gases seeped out, and more mineral sedimentation occurred.
Tectonic shifts elevated the volcano-like structures still further, projecting them above the surface of the ocean and exposing them to the harsh Helghan atmosphere. Acidic rain ate away at the stone, forming fissures and caves where pockets of gas and mineral deposits collected.
Over time, rain and other corrosive gases continued to eat away at the structures, creating a complex pattern of spires and bridges around a dominant central 'chimney': the smoker tower.
It was recognized early on that smoker towers were a rich source of minerals, but the hazards associated with extracting them limited efforts at harvesting. However, when it was discovered that the smoke they emitted was a rich source of the element Petrusite, the towers became crucial to the drive for energy to fuel the rapid industrialization ordered by Autarch Visari.
Scientists developed a method of using electrically charged plates to extract the Petrusite from the smoke. Modified drones [provided by Stahl Arms] convey the plates to the refinery for processing.
Given the high yields compared with conventional mining and the fact that several smoker towers have been exhausted and are now considered 'extinct', there is impetus to discover fresh smoker fields. Scientists are also considering the long-term potential for artificially seeding and propagating towers (terraforming).
Exhausted towers continue to play a role, attracting settlement by former workers and others displaced by the growing population. While these are tolerated, shanty areas have given rise to illicit trading and scavenging that are actively discouraged.
Dept. of Natural Engineering, Institute of Science and Technology