Dark Sun: Lack of Water not as important as Lack of Fuel?

[Moon_Goddess]

I'm a huge dark sun fan, it's easily my favorite setting, but I set it aside during the 3e days wishing for something more official than the athas.org conversion and not feeling 3e fit darksun.

Now I'm into 4e and really excited about 4e Dark Sun, so I'm rereading my old Darksun books getting prepare... I know I'm really early

Anyways, I hit upon a line about the Smelter at the Iron Mines of Tyr burning night and day and it struck me. Burning what?

Without a significant source of trees what are they using for fuel? Dung and plant waste from crops is fine for home heating but won't provide enough for smelting iron. I can't find any reference to coal.

So I'm wondering how Tyr is smelting all that iron at all.

 

[Wik]

Well, there are trees - I'm sure Tyr imports them from Nibenay (who clearcut). Plus, I'm sure there are flammable cacti... and I don't see why coal wouldn't exist (even if it isn't mentioned in the game books).

 

[Piratecat]

Do elementals exist on Athas? I imagine that captive fire elementals would be quite common.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I thought Dark Sun was a low-magic setting. I guess it depends on who is running the forge; templars could probably summon elementals and run the thing, getting a percentage of the profits. But I don't think elemental priests are common enough in cities for that to work well.

 

[Mercule]

Athas may be low-magic and low-tech, but that's why a 24/7 furnace is all the more impressive. If there's only one, it's pretty cool.

Disclaimer: It's been years since I've read anything Dark Sun, but I'm looking forward to picking up the 4e book.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

I guess i'll just chalk it up to explaining the high cost of iron even in Tyr where they are mining it. Gotta pay to import wood.

Man, if Athas didn't already have enough problems, when the trees run out...

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Just picture all those druids attacking the smelting plant. What kind of guards would you need?

 

[Klaus]

I'm a huge dark sun fan, it's easily my favorite setting, but I set it aside during the 3e days wishing for something more official than the athas.org conversion and not feeling 3e fit darksun.

Now I'm into 4e and really excited about 4e Dark Sun, so I'm rereading my old Darksun books getting prepare... I know I'm really early

Anyways, I hit upon a line about the Smelter at the Iron Mines of Tyr burning night and day and it struck me. Burning what?

Without a significant source of trees what are they using for fuel? Dung and plant waste from crops is fine for home heating but won't provide enough for smelting iron. I can't find any reference to coal.

So I'm wondering how Tyr is smelting all that iron at all.

Dude. It's Dark Sun!

They burn slaves!

 

[wherwrthal]

I hear that most forms of defecant are flammable.
Provides for sanitation, I guess.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Coal. It comes out of the ground and it has been used at least from the time of the Roman Empire.