With the Promethean Empire in ruins, the Scalethein Empire stood victorious and stronger than ever. Denied a mutually competitive neighbour, the stage was set for a surge in social, technological and territorial expansion.
Uthein had benefited from the war, her cavernous bosom blazed with the fires of a thousand forges; Smith Guilds formed to maximise Dwarven superiority over the metal market, and the industrial infrastructure of the city saw heavy investment and speedy progression. The city was the heart of Scalethein's commercial might, and the seat of its bronze production; tonnes of goods left her walls every month, and coin flowed inward.
By 310, Uthein had a fully fledged elite - most mine and Smith Guild owners were themselves senators - and their power was blossoming on the wave of their rising wealth. Naturally, the common man - Dwarf and Kobold alike - suffered from this crude industrial explosion. Poverty and squalor was widespread, even as wealthy employers dined in immaculate subterranean gardens and held extravagant social functions to celebrate their success.
With wealth and market dominance, came competition from within. Iron ore had forever been an expensive adventure; difficult to extract from the ground, and costly to shape into items of purpose. It had been used sporadically in Uthein since the first century, but now, with such investment in the city's infrastructure, there was now the means to harness this power. Smith Guilds invested vast fortunes in assembling expeditions, that pushed the Empire's borders into the dense mountains, and located vast ore stock piles. Mines were erected, caravans were established and for the first time iron ore flowed in abundance.
In a few short years, Uthein's booming bronze market crashed as iron came to the fore, and much suffering was inflicted upon the common man as bronze smiths closed their doors. The unemployed roamed the streets, angry, drunk and seeking vengence... all the while, their employers continued to reach new heights of wealth and power.
By 320 Uthein was in the full swing of an Iron Age, and her wares were spreading to all corners of the Empire. Further expeditions had established iron mines near the Kobold heartlands, and smithing ventures were popping up across the northern reaches. Every tool and weapon that had been formerly bronze, was fast becoming iron. The Smith Guilds in this time, had become political titans, and their wealth twisted the ears of both the Senate and the First Ministers.
However, by 330, the common folk could sustain their treatment no longer. A people's revolt broke out in Uthein, and for three days and three nights, the city burned as mobs of disgruntled miners and smiths put the torch to the homes and premises of their employers. The First Minister deployed the Imperial Army, and the revolt was violently suppressed. Thousands were killed in the fighting, and as the smoke cleared, Uthein was yet again a ruined hulk of stone and scorched wood.
A second revolt occured in 331, and a third in 332. Each year brought more death, and more disruption to Uthein - Scale Home tempoarily became the Empire's iron shipping capital as a result of the destruction. The First Minister, a one Godon Felmane, was himself a former Smith Guild Chairman, and a friend of the Elite. However, the Senate had recently seen its ranks infilitrated by groups of educated Dwarves and Kobolds from less illustrous backgrounds, and they clamoured for reform.
The Senate tabled a motion for the introduction of a "Minimal Wage", and the First Minister vetoed it on the spot. However, the People's Revolt of '34 caused him to reconsider his decision. In a bid to end the constant upheaval, he signed off on the law, and the "Minimal Wage" came in force across the Empire.
This sparked discontent amongst the elite, who in response to the law, withheld taxes. The First Minister resigned, and his successor, Kark Marlax, assumed the ministerial throne. Marlax was a young Dwarf and a talented political navigator; he responded to the elites' rebellion by slashing taxes on their businesses. This cut the Empire's income from tax revenue by 25%, but appeased the Smith Guilds and the Mine Owners Union, thus ending the civil turmoil that had strangled Uthein for years.
335 onwards saw Uthein go into industrial overdrive, where money was in abundance, and opportunity was available to all those who would seize it. Iron once again flourished into the Empire, and for a time, Scalethein could count on its Dwarven industrial heartland to provide the means to power its war machine in future conflicts.
The next twenty five years were those of prosperity and consistent advancement; Uthein underwent a population boom, and the Empire's borders expanded further into the mountains. By now, two dozen sizeable mining towns were on the map, and they were connected by a complex web of snaking roads.
In 350, the Imperial Queen departed on her spiritual voyage, leaving the First Minister and the Senate to tend to the Empire's affairs. Little innovation took place, and little change, for Marlax was a conservative Dwarf who believed in isolationism - and he made no effort to reach further into the world.
368 brought troubling news; the Queen had vanished after being ambushed by foriengers - the Zaqir. First Minister Marlax, now an old Dwarf, resigned his position and the Senate elected Jokrun Keldar as his successor.
Jokrun was a former general, and this showed in his style of leadership. His first intentions were to launch a large scale military assault against the Zaqiri in retaliation, but he quickly came to the conclusion that Scalethein's legions were in no position for a protracted conflict with foreigners that they knew little about.
Instead, he unleashed a wide array of military reforms that saw the state paying for the army's weapons and armour, and soon every soldier's equipment became standardised. This gave Scalethein's army a more coherent and reliable structure, but it did little to really innovate the way in which a war may be conducted. In any case, a booming industry soon established itself around the logistics of supplying the vast masses of Scalethein's legions.
387 A.E saw the Queen's miraculous return which rescued the Empire from an impending government crisis. First Minister Keldar resigned due to health reasons, and Rokdar Greymane (great grandson of the original Rokdar) took the position in a white-wash vote.
Whilst the Queen lavished the north with her Arena, Rokdar sought to compete against her cultural influence, and ordered the construction of the Uthein Academy of Warfare - the first state funded institution designed to train officers in theoretical and advanced unit tactics. The Academy took on the form of a large fortress on the mountain's surface, with towering walls and impressive turrets, though it would not see completion until 406 A.E.
The century ended with Uthein remaining the nation's - perhaps the world's - greatest industrial centre.
Points of Note
Technology: Iron enters widespread use in Uthein.
Political: A primitive "industrial revolution" took place, leading to a popular revolt and the introduction of a "minimal wage". Taxes were slashed on smith and mine related businesses, cutting away 25% of the Empire's income via tax revenue.
Military: The Keldar Reforms led to the Empire paying for its soldiers own equipment, so that their weapons and armour could be standardised across the legions.
Territorial Summary: 
