Liquid Fire

Among the raw materials most prized by the alchemists of Tyrnabay, and particularly by those of Amethyst Cove and Delveshadow, is the substance known as Firesap, harvested from Firesap Trees deep in the jungles to the south of Tyrnabay. This highly volatile material can be used as a potent weapon as is, but doing so is dangerous not only for targets, but for users as well. Alchemists have devised methods of converting this material into a substance that is even more powerful, and somewhat safer to handle - a substance known as Liquid Fire.

Common Usage

Liquid Fire, or Refined Treesap as the alchemists choose to refer to it as, has only one practical use: as a material for the construction of Alchemists' Firebombs used as catapult ammunition on warships, pirate raiders, and land-based defense ports. The material is encased in a fragile container and propelled toward a target; when it strikes and the container breaks, the material splatters and spontaneously ignites, erupting into flames.

The highly sticky nature of the material allows it to cling to wooden, cloth, or other flammable structures long enough to ensure the underlying structure itself is burning vigorously. It is said that a single well-placed Alchemists' Firebomb can burn away the rigging and sails of a three-masted warship in minutes.

Liquid Fire

Alternative Names

Refined Firesap, Alchemists' Fire

Appearance

clear fluid with stickly gel-like texture

Odor

strong odor of volatile oil, with pleasant aloe undertones

Taste

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Ships equipped with catapults firing Liquid Fire bombs are the most feared on all the seas of Cartyrion. Most known for the usage of these weapons is the fleet known as the Scourge of the Waves which operates out of the port city of Amethyst Cove in southern Tyrnabay. Rumors suggest that HIgh Captain Garnat Windjammer, the head of this fleet, is consistently attempting to corner the market on the raw tree sap to ensure his fleet's superiority on the waves.

Production

The actual production formulas and methods are closely guarded secrets by the practitioners of the alchemical arts. What is known is that the process involves heating raw firesap in a special vessel that captures the volatile off-gases. These gases are then condensed and combined with other materials. One can surmise that one additive ensures the spark for spontaneous combustion; another changes the watery texture of the original sap to the thick, sticky consistency of the final product.
The container used for the final product varies. Glass is often used, but specially cured bladders from small rodents have also been employed. Rumors of a manufactured material created from the sap of yet another tree native to the jungles south of Tyrnabay can also be fashioned into flexible, safe-to-handle containers that are less likely to explode if simply dropped.

Other Uses

Only one other potential use for refined Firesap has been reported, and this only as rumors surrounding the work of Teedleblip Kalimbrat, a Gnomish engineer/alchemist working in the town of Delveshadow in Tyrnabay. These rumors suggest that a modified refinement process is being used to create fuel for some sort of engine which the Gnome is allegedly testing for propulsion of vessels at sea. The claims are that, once perfected, ships will no longer be at the mercy of the winds. Only time will tell.

Credits

Page Banner Orc Warrior Image by Yuri_B from Pixabay
Page Banner Sailing Ship Image by GLady from Pixabay