Iron Spires

Once they were the Sunscrapers; luxurious arcologies that symbolized the wealth and prosperity of Mercury. Today the Iron Spires stand like jagged memorials of all that was lost.

The Iron Spires are sky-high lumps of metal and glass, warped beyond recognition by the extreme heat of Mercury. They barely resemble the proud Sunscrapers they once were. The Sunscrapers were tall highrises, a far cry from the stereotypically flat Mercurian architecture.
The Sunscrapers were not just a symbol of prosperity, but of the united Solar System at large. The housing provided personalized biospheres that could be tailored to any resident, the materials were imported, and the finest plants from all across the solar system decorated the botanical gardens and greenspaces between the Sunscrapers.

Iron Spires by Annie Stein

Defying Nature

Even before the Scorching of Mercury, the planet dealt with volatile temperatures. To combat this traditional Mercurian architecture would be either sunken into the ground, which maintained a more stable temperature, or built with inner gardens to promote a healthy draft. Atmodomes were a crucial part of the construction of the Sunscrapers. These pressurized domes allowed for the creation of easily habitable paradises, and allowed the developers to eschew tradition.
The atmodomes were created with cutting edge atmospheric and terraforming technology. As the Scorching of Mercury began, the atmodomes fell to the Scourge.
Without the protection of the atmodomes, the cities fell too. The extreme heat of the day was exacerbated by the density of the cities and the Sunscrapers became shining death traps. Over time, tossed between the scorching heat of the day and the extreme cold of the night, the Sunscrapers melted and collapsed into the Iron Spires.

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Related Articles

☿ Mercury

History Scorching of Mercury Locations Caduceus · Penumbra · Biomes ( Sunbleached Wastelands ) · Iron Spires ( Hokusai · Hun Kal ) · Enheduanna Characters Blue NM-2 · Eun · Sciah · Roseah · Tray Species Keras ( Mot · Walker ) Politics Ruling ( Mercurian Triumvirate · Interplanetary Solar Defence Council ) · Keystone of Mercury Society Ethnicities ( Refugees of Mercury · Nomads of Mercury ) · Borealis Ice Mining

Alternative Names

Sunscraper

Parent Location

Mercury

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