Earthen Fire Refinery

"fire"

- People from all over the world come here because the Earthen Fire Refinery represents the future.

The Earthen Fire Refinery is a production facility founded by Loban and Lao Beifong, and the Avatar World's first joint business venture. Situated over the largest crystal depository outside of Ba Sing Se, the company primarily focuses on mineral extraction and employs workers from all over the world. It is located near the city of Yu Dao, and on land previously held sacred by the Air Nomads.

History
During the final stages of the Hundred Year War, Loban discovered a meadow in the Earth Kingdom rich with natural resources. As he was from the Fire Nation, Loban sought a business partner from the Earth Kingdom in order to begin development on the land. After the end of the war, he found Lao Beifong, and the two established the Earthen Fire Refinery. The refinery attracted labor from all nations, including Niyok and Nutha, who worked on a production line concentrated in mineral extraction.



In 102 AG, Team Avatar visited the refinery along with several Air Acolytes on the day of Yangchen's Festival. Shortly after their arrival, the group was attacked by a unit of earthbending guards, whom Avatar Aang easily defeated, until Satoru's intervention. The engineer proceeded to give a tour of the refinery, taking the group to both of the establishment's production lines.

After witnessing Toph Beifong's use of metalbending to repair a forklift engine, Satoru suggested establishing a partnership between the Beifong Metalbending Academy and the Earthen Fire Refinery, in which Toph's students would periodically visit to aid in machine repair in exchange for the refinery's sponsorship of a new building to serve as an extension of the school grounds.

Following the tour, Avatar Aang attempted to reason with Satoru, stating that the refinery was located on land that was once sacred to the Air Nomads. He expressed qualms about having a refinery built on sacred grounds, using Avatar Yangchen's forewarning and the apparent pollution caused by the refinery on the river to justify his reluctance. Toph disagreed, prompting instead to support the notion that the refinery was the future, and that jeopardizing its development for a "stupid backwards holiday" was an unnecessary sacrifice. In the ensuing argument, an earthquake erupted, causing one of the machines to malfunction. Loban and Lao Beifong returned from their business trip shortly after, accompanied by the Rough Rhinos who served as their personal security detail.

Description
The refinery is located on top of the largest mineral depository outside of Ba Sing Se, in a town near the city of Yu Dao. It is protected by a large metal fence, as well as a unit of earthbending guards who patrol the grounds for trespassers. The exterior of the refinery is primarily gray in coloration, with red metal detailing on the doors and windows. Large smokestacks protrude from several points, some of which bear the company's insignia.

Production


The facility's interior is consisted of two large production lines, both of which are multi-level systems consisted of large furnaces and conveyor belts. The older production line employs benders, who undergo an extensive training program outlining proper extraction methods, to refine crystals from raw earth. Earthbenders crush the ores and extract the mineral-rich compounds, which waterbenders treat in solution to purify. Firebenders finish the process through smelting, which further refines the crystals. The concentrated products are collected in several bins, which are separated and processed by forklifts for subsequent shipment. A newer production line uses the same purification method, but exclusively through the use of machines. Nonbenders are also employed in this line, as the oversight of processing requires no bending ability and very little training.

Trivia

 * The refinery's guards wear uniforms similar to those worn by the Metalbending Police Force of Republic City.