Fire Clay

Fireclay is a vivid red-orange material with the look and pliability of regular clay. However, its distinguishing feature is its reactivity to water, in which the clay instantly ignites and explodes upon contact. Fireclay's unique properties make it a useful tool in mining and demolition activities, allowing for precise, controlled explosions.
To make fireclay, two components of Alchemist's Fire are mixed with finely powdered minerals like gypsum or lime, resulting in a paste-like consistency. The pastes can then be combined to form fireclay. The chemical compounds from alchemical agents attach more easily to minerals than to one another, allowing for long-term preservation. When exposed to high temperatures or water, the alchemist's fire components emerge from the clay matrix and begin to react rapidly with one another. This chain reaction results in an explosion that produces a controlled explosion.
This novel material provides a flexible option for strategic mining and controlled demolition, allowing users to regulate the explosive potential to accomplish their intended goals.

Properties

Life & Expiration

The reactants in the fireclay gradually migrate out of the mineral matrix and start reactions with one another. These incremental reactions are insufficient to generate spontaneous combustion, but they help to gradually reduce the potency of the fireclay. As a general rule, the effectiveness of fireclay reduces by half with each year it is stored. This deterioration is visible through visual and tactile clues, as the clay changes in appearance and texture and dries over time.

History & Usage

History

For many years, dwarven alchemists have searched for a way to create controlled explosions without relying on mages. Alchemist's Fire, an age-old formula known for its combustible nature, was deemed a suitable starting point. Many attempts were made to tweak the formula to increase the rate of combustion, but also to make it safer to use, as it would immediately combust if exposed to air.
A breakthrough finally came when the focus shifted away from Alchemist's Fire itself, and instead attempts were made to alter the reagents used to create it. After some experimentation, it was discovered that each of these compounds would readily absorb into powdered limestone to form claylike materials. In this state, the compounds were quite stable and could even be mixed without causing a reaction. They now had a safe, stable form of alchemist's fire that they could work with; they called it "Fireclay". However, they still needed to find out what could ignite it now that it was stable in air.
Unfortunately, this discovery would come as part of a tragic accident. One of the alchemists responsible for creating the fireclay accidentally spilled his drink on a brick of it in a fit of frustration. The resulting explosion destroyed much of his laboratory and severely injured him. However, with his immense dedication to his work, he ignored his injuries and spent his last moments recording this discovery so that his people could finally use his creation.

Refinement

The two components of Alchemist's Fire are mixed with powdered minerals like gypsum or lime to create a paste-like consistency. These pastes can then be freely mixed to produce fire clay. Because alchemical chemicals attach more easily to these minerals than to one another, they can be kept in this condition for longer periods of time.

Type

Composite

Common State

amorphous soil