Bulette Powder
Powder formed from terrifying beasts to power terrifying machines.
It was the strangest thing. I was sitting on the walls of Kanak and I saw some of those awful bullettes jumping out of the rock towards the city. Of course, I freaked out, if they attacked the city as well... Then, a goblin ran out in front of them trailing little tubes of metal behind them before they exploded with small pops that must have been deafening up close! They stopped dead in their tracks, the bulettes I mean. They spun on their heels and fled. I must find out what this miracle substance is!When Rexa Thedas witnessed the use of Bulette Capsules as a deterrent against the hulking Bulettes of the Mesa, she was determined to find the secrets of Kannak. She spent a number of months in the city procuring the priceless resource from local traders who saw it as the tool of fools that wandered into the Mesa unprepared. After smelling, mixing, tasting and otherwise tinkering with the powder; Rexa found that the concoction was a potent force when ignited. Namely that it was strong enough, when mixed with a number of other Local Ingredients, to force gears and pistons into motion. Assuming a consistent supply and a safe material to shape the powerful blasts, there was little that this material couldn't do. In fact, after a near-deadly catastrophe in her laboratory, Rexa found that a by-product of the powder's ignition was actually a form of "Lighter Than Air" gas that could potentially fuel other interesting technologies. Only a handful of years following the dissemination of her findings did those same dismissive traders figure out how to form fit the blast to work as the tools of the newly sprung Gunslingers.
Physical Characteristics
Bulette Powder is found in two nominal forms, Powder and Brick. In it's powder form, it stains both skin and other materials with ease, before it was found to have such potent use as a fuel, it was often used as a type of chalk for marking materials. In it's brick form, it is completely inert and often compacted for storage and long distance transport.Properties
As a powder, the dust is relatively inert. However, it stores energy like no other material. Static Charges from cloth have been found to activate it to the point of the powder crackling with lightning. However, to discharge the powder into something that equivocates into a fuel source requires a special touch that has remained a trade secret of Kannak for many years.History & Usage
Cultural Significance and Usage
The “Day of Gratuitous Explosions” is celebrated in Kannak, celebrating Rexa Thedas's discovery of it's use and the economic freedom that brought about for the citystate.
As well, it is known as the cause of Bulette Fever.
Byproducts & Sideproducts
When Bullette Powder is burned or ignited in a controlled manner, it also produces "Lighter than Air" gasses which are essential to the functioning of Airships.
BP
Related Locations
Related Technologies
Related Professions
Ah, yes. The infamous "notGunpowder". I have this kind of material in my world, as well! My true question on it would be if players can use it as a weapon? Do you have stats for the damage a barrel of it can do? This is likely on the boring, number-crunchy side of things but the article itself is informative enough I don't have other questions to ask. Maybe an article on what a bullette is for the unknowing.
Thanks for the feedback, I wanted to help provide a difference between the world before that had used gunpowder based tech and the re-invention of this world that uses bulette powder based tech, which is cruder and far less stable. It's also sourced from a disturbingly deadly creature which I've recently worked on writing about. Bulettes :D