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[dwarfed one]

It seems my soldier hurt one imp who crawled out magma smelter, and he died as soon as dived back in lava. I'm not sure how it happened, but I have annoying effect of imp decaying in lava, spreading miasma all about forges. It's not so important, but it would be better to disallow decay in lava, because bacterias couldn't bear such temperatures, and produce smoke instead.

[ May 13, 2008: Message edited by: dwarfed one ]

[ May 13, 2008: Message edited by: dwarfed one ]

[BahamutZERO]

I'd guess the imp died of blood loss or something from the injuries the soldier inflicted. It does seem odd that things in magma would decay, though. The imps' bodies (as well as their bones and leather made from their skin, so it's not just while they are alive) are immune to temperatures of up to 13000, which I assume is higher than the temperature of magma since they live in it. So the magma can't simply incinerate their corpse like it would most creatures... but since the critters which rot corpses shouldn't be able to survive in magma, would the corpse just sink to the bottom and remain there forever?

[ May 13, 2008: Message edited by: BahamutZERO ]

[GreyMario]

But shouldn't miasma be unable to travel through 7/7 magma? I mean, air THAT hot would be pure, one would think.

[Derakon]

The existence of large-scale creatures that can survive in magma, like imps and fire men, implies the existence of small-scale creatures that can survive in magma, like fire bacteria. So the bodies should rot. Whether fireproof bacteria make fireproof magma is an entirely different question.

EDIT: that should be "fireproof miasma". Whoops.

[ May 13, 2008: Message edited by: Derakon ]

[Areyar]

Even if there are no free living magmaphilic microorganisms, the ones carried in  the gut of the imp should decay it from within.
Else natural decay due to loss of regenerative life processes (whatever they may be for demonic magmacreatures) should render the imps fire resistance less effective over time.
superheated air should be pure, yet air near a magmavent is not generally breathable either.

[Cthulhu]

Yeah, but that's from heat and sulphur and stuff, I imagine putrescene would break down in that kind of heat.

But of course, this is Dwarf Fortress, no one cares about how real life works.

[Areyar]

Just yesterday had to deal with some putrid crud <shivers>
some temp had parked a dumpster overfilled with food debis in a corner some time ago. It had gone unseen by all, when discovered the barrel was topped of with rainwater... and we've had two weeks of sunshine minimum.
Not really dead meat smell yet, due to the anaerobic conditions from the water, but sour and foul none the less.

You a biologist Chtulu, or just a fascination with the macabre?

sorry spam. I'll try to rectify it with some relevant biotech babble.

Anyhow You are right to point out the rotting imp in magma, it should by logic just decay without smell or melt. ...on the other hand, if it floats, convection would enable smoke etc to dissipate from the corpse...smell of burning chitin..hmmm. noxic smoke: fumes from some smoldering fire retardant materials can actually be quite toxic. unsure if carbon monoxide and similarly reducing anoxic fumes are an issue with magma...in open air oxygen supply is no problem, but in a cave?

[Derakon]

Oh, yeah - if imps float, then no problem. And pretty much any creature should float on magma, since it's molten rock, and rock is dense stuff. But then again, imps swim through it, which they wouldn't be able to do if the density disparity was significant.

Man, fire imp physiology must be pretty interesting!

[dwarfed one]

Oops, found older post about it. Situation is even more interesting  

[Areyar]

O_o

seems vermin are fireproof and corpses not always burn in magma.
Is that guy right about the !!Flies!! ?
They are troubling.
not that burning vermin should survive for long, but those things can teleport.

another reason to not build food stockpiles near magma.