Forgath suppressed a wince at the thought.  In an effort to once more forget about them he turned his attention to the plaza ahead.  The heat of the pillar was notable as the pair entered the carved circular area, and its pull on Forgath's magic lingered on the edge of perception.  It was another reminder that he really should move making it self-sustaining up on his list of projects.  Around the edge of the ring rested a series of shops, workplaces, and even an eatery grown out of one of the earlier mess halls.  Crystal ponies milled about the plaza uncloaked; the magic of the pillar made all but the very middle comfortably warm, and left only the faintest signs of ice creeping over the near faces of the surrounding buildings, tucked into cracks and out of the direct heat. The snow didn't linger in the plaza; the constant melt ran through carved channels into a series of drains, which in turn led to a reservoir beneath the surface, which in turn filled a pillar-powered distillation apparatus, which in turn provided fresh water for mushrooms and ponies alike.