Dragonsgall

Dragonsgall, despite the name, has little to do with dragons, dragonkin, or bile, for that matter. The term is a colloquialism used to pertain to a substance used primarily as a fuel for cooking and metallurgy in the Ekhenda. Confusingly, the term is used for two entirely unrelated substances with similar properties under combustion but vastly different points of origin.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Resinous dragonsgall is a translucent, amber-colored, free-flowing liquid with a viscosity comparable to treacle. Hardened dragonsgall often comes in the form of small, translucent crystals of amber color with a strong red tinge.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Dragonsgall of both varieties is largely inert unless exposed to high temperatures. Resinous dragonsgall catches fire the moment it is exposed to an open flame but hardened dragonsgall needs at least a few minutes of exposure. Hardened dragonsgall can only burn if melted and can only sustain combustion when sufficient amounts have melted. Both varieties naturally burn with a colorless, odorless flame if pure. As this is rather dangerous, commercially available dragonsgall is typically mixed with straw, sawdust, or charcoal dust so that carbon from the additives can produce a yellowish flame.

Origin & Source

There are two kinds of dragonsgall: resinous and hardened. It is a common misconception that one turns into the other when, in reality, they are two distinct substances with no relation to one another.
Both varieties of dragonsgall can be found and harvested from the same areas: parts of the realm of the Ekhenda where it directly intersects with Signr's Sprawl, or where fire elemental energy bleeds into the realm in sufficient quantities to affect the local ecosystem.
Resinous dragonsgall is harvested from old burstingwood trees, which propagate by literally exploding during forest fires. The trees' resin is tapped in the days and weeks following heavy rainfall, boiled to remove most of the water content, and then left to air dry until it has reached the desired consistency.
Hardened dragonsgall, as the name suggests, is the crystallized form of the mucous secretions of a surface-dwelling species of giant salamander. These creatures use their secretions as a defense mechanism, a nest-building material, and as a way to incubate eggs without requiring the constant presence of the female at the nest. As the liquid form of this substance is highly flammable, it is typically cooled and crystallized before being sold to the public.

Type

Biomaterial

Odor

Resinous dragonsgall has a faint smell of honey and turpentine but is odorless when burnt. Hardened dragonsgall is odorless even when burnt.

Taste

Primarily bitter with a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Color

Resinous dragonsgall is amber in color. Hardened dragonsgall is amber colored but with a strong tinge of red.