The Sunheart Depths

Deep beneath the Imperial capital of Solinthar, hidden beneath the gilded streets and towering cathedrals of the Solari Empire, lie the Sunheart Depths—a vast and ancient labyrinth of molten forges, sacred foundries, and subterranean halls carved from the very bones of the world.

It is said that the first Solari emperors struck a bargain with Solenara’s flame itself, binding the heart of the mountain beneath their capital to their service. The depths burn with a fire that has never been extinguished, a divine furnace where the greatest weapons of the Empire are forged and where secrets are buried beneath layers of iron and ash.

“The light of Solenara shines brightest in steel. And the finest steel is forged where fire meets the bones of the world.”

— Lord Tharic Solthar, The Iron Hand

The Sunheart Depths are not merely tunnels in the stone—they are an underground stronghold, designed to mine, process, and transport Solsteel while ensuring it never falls into the wrong hands.

I. The Crucible Gates (The Entrance to the Depths)

• The outermost layer of the mines is a fortress unto itself, a massive stone-and-iron gate carved directly into the mountainside.
• Colossal statues of armoured figures stand guard at the entrance—depictions of legendary Solthar warriors who wielded the metal in battle.
• Templars and Solthar elite soldiers patrol the gates, ensuring that no unworthy hands lay claim to the Empire’s most valuable resource.
• A ring of massive braziers, constantly fed with sacred oil, burns around the entrance, a perpetual flame symbolizing the unyielding power of Solenara.

II. The Veins of Solsteel (The Core Mining Operations)

• Within the depths of the mine, massive veins of Solsteel run through the rock like frozen lightning, glowing faintly with a golden-white shimmer.
• Mining Solsteel is not like mining ordinary iron—it is interwoven with veins of raw magic, requiring specialized Sunfire Picks, forged by the priests of Solenara.
• The miners are not common laborers—they are chosen, indoctrinated, and sworn to secrecy, for only the most devout and trusted are allowed to work within the depths.
• Extraction is dangerous, for too much disturbance of the rock can cause violent magical eruptions, sending lances of divine fire through the tunnels.
• Some veins are deliberately left untouched, their power too unstable, too sacred, or too dangerous to be disturbed.

III. The Smelting Forges (The Refinery of the Sunstone Metal)

• Once mined, raw Solsteel is transported to massive underground forges, where it is melted down in furnaces powered by volcanic heat and consecrated flames.
• The Forge-Priests of Solthar oversee the purification process, ensuring that no impurity remains in the metal before it is shaped into weapons, armour, or relics.
• The deepest forges are said to be lit by a flame that has burned for a thousand years, never once allowed to go out.
• Not all Solsteel is destined for war. Some is shaped into holy artifacts, used to reinforce the Sunforged Depths, the temples of Solenara, and even the Emperor’s own armour.
• Weapons made from Solsteel do not dull, do not shatter, and are resistant to corruption—which is why the Inquisition and Templars value them above all else.

IV. The Vaults of the Iron Sun (The Secure Storage Halls)

• Not all Solsteel is used immediately. The deepest chambers of the Sunheart Depths house massive vaults, lined with golden runes, where ingots of refined Solsteel are stored until they are deemed worthy for forging.
• Some of the greatest weapons of past ages rest within these vaults, sealed away until the next great war.
• Relics of fallen Solthar warriors are entombed here, their blades and armour preserved in sanctified iron coffins, their spirits bound to the steel they wielded in life.
• The vaults are guarded by elite warriors known as the Ironbound, sworn to protect the metal until their dying breath.