History Of Ferrocrown

A History of Ferrocrux By Prixton Smerrs

Ironcrux Historical Society 189 AT

Most histories try to make things sound fancier than they are. That's not the Ferrocrown way, and even though we're one nation now with our Pyrocrux kin, I'm still Ferrocrown through and through. So I'll tell this straight and simple.

How It Was Before

Used to be we could see their lights across the mists. Two miles isn't far to look, but might as well have been the other side of the world for all we could reach it. Our people spent generations watching their peak, wondering about those other folks living so close yet so far. We'd try sending things over now and then. Shot arrows with messages, tried rockets, even built some mighty impressive throwing machines. Most stuff just fell into the mists. Must be quite a collection of failed attempts down there by now.

The Bridge That Worked

In 512 BT, an old tinker, Harek Steelhand got this idea about magnetic hooks. See, we're good with metals, always have been. And Harek figured if we could get a strong enough magnet over there, it might catch on all their metal buildings. Took us three years to make the launcher.

Pyrocrux folks saw what we were up to and started building metal catch-points on their side. First few tries went wrong, course. Things usually do. But then one day - bang! - got it hooked. Both sides cheered so loud they say you could hear it over the mist-winds. That first rope led to bigger ones, then proper cables, then a real bridge. We still got that first magnetic hook in the museum.

Meeting Our Neighbors

Funny thing about Pyrocrux folks - they talk fast, move fast, do everything fast. First time they came over our way, they were like whirlwinds with legs. All energy and quick words. Made our heads spin a bit.

But here's the thing that made it work: they liked how we took our time with things, and we liked how they could get stuff moving when it needed to move. They'd come up with ten ideas in the time it took us to finish our morning tea, and we'd help them figure out which ones wouldn't fall apart.

How We Joined Up

Wasn't any big ceremony or formal thing. Just started making sense to work together more and more. They needed our metals, we needed their gases. Their kids would come study in our schools, our folks would go work in their markets. Pretty soon you had families with feet in both peaks. Some folks worried we'd lose our way of doing things, but that didn't happen.

Pyrocrux people still live like Pyrocrux people - all busy and bustling in their underground cities. We still live our way - steady and sure. Difference is now we each know there's another way to be, and that's just fine.

The Deep Works

Now, this part's important. See, both our peoples like to dig down, but for different reasons. We Ferrocrown folks go deep looking for metals, following the veins where they lead. Pyrocrux folks build downward, making these amazing underground cities with their volcanic power systems.

When we started working together, turned out these two kinds of deep-knowledge made for some mighty interesting discoveries. We knew how to shore up deep tunnels, they knew how to power deep machines. We knew metals, they knew gases. Put it all together and you get some pretty impressive works.

Finding Levium

Everyone knows now that levium comes from Pyrocrux vents. But here's what most folks don't know - we'd been working together on gas collection for centuries before anyone figured out what levium could do. Pyrocrux folks had the vents, we had the metal-working to make containers that could hold it. Took both of us working together to make air travel possible.

How We Live Now

These days, you can always tell where someone grew up by how they talk. Ferrocrown folks keep to our slow and steady way of speaking. Pyrocrux folks still talk like they're racing the wind. But we understand each other just fine. The Transit Span between our peaks isn't just a bridge anymore - it's like a whole city in itself. Got markets, homes, workshops, all sorts of things. Some folks live their whole lives on the span, never choosing one peak over the other.

People sometimes ask how two such different peoples can get along so well. Answer's simple: we learned early on that different isn't wrong, it's just different. Pyrocrux energy and Ferrocrown patience - turns out that's a mighty fine combination.

We got a system that works pretty well. When something needs doing quick, we let the Pyrocrux folks take the lead. When something needs thinking through careful, Ferrocrown folks handle it. Everyone knows which way works best for what.

Been nearly seven centuries since that first bridge, and I'd say we're stronger for coming together. Other nations talk about power and trade and all that, but we learned something better - learned how to be one nation that still lets people be themselves.

Some historians try to make our joining sound all complicated and political. Truth is, it was just people figuring out they could do better together than apart. Simple as that. Sometimes the plain truth is all you need.

Note: This account is based on historical records kept by both Ferrocrown and Pyrocrux archivists, family histories, and personal observations. Any mistakes are mine, though I've tried to tell it straight.