Fire Powder

Fire powder is a mineral discovered in Zhen Gho about two hundred years ago. It has only been recently that it's power is being unlocked. It is a soft mineral that when it is ground to a powder casues an explosion depending on the amount used. In it's early development it was mainly used in fireworks. They mixed it with differnet colors and designs of rockets. This would cause differnt explosions in different shapes for people's enjoymen. They were primarily seen during Founders Day throughout the nation. It has been in the last one hundred years that a new practice has been discovered. An articifer named Bel Tian discovered she could use the powder combined with magic to great effect. From there more and more inventions were made with this powder. The most prominent are the Spitting Dragons. These are cannons in the shape of the ancient dragons. Combined with arcane magic and fire powder they are able to spit great streams of destructive fire out. These have been proved effective against fortifications and soliders alike. Upon this realization they were produced in mass quantity and deployed to all major Republican Army posts throughout Zhen Gho.

The minning and refining processes are closely guarded secrets in Zhen Gho. Most of the process is done at Ryma, the capital, becuase it resides nearest the greatest deposit in Zhen Gho. There are a few other smaller scattered deposits throughout the nation. All of them are mined, refined, and used by the Artificer's Guild. They recieve money from the Council of Governors in order to process fire powder and research future uses of the mineral. Many feel this is unfair and a monopoly on a potential resource to help others. However the usual argument is that this mineral needs to be closely guarded as it could be very destruttive and damaging in the wrong hands. Therefore the government continues to have control over it. This doesn't mean that it isn't available to the general public. There are places that work with articifers and others interested in items and weapons that use fire powder. A very new invention gaining popularity for adventures, and some military, is a fire rod. It is a mainly metal device with some wooden components on it. One loads the powder into the rod along with a solid iron projectile. Then with a spark the powder propels the projetile to great effect. There are rumors there are plans to equip parts of the Army with regiments armed with these fire rods.

Properties

Material Characteristics

While in it's mined form the rock crumbles very easily. It is a very soft material which makes grinding it up into powder not too difficult, apart from doing it in a way that will not cause it to combust on the spot. A very slow magical process is used in order to grind it into a usuable form.

Physical & Chemical Properties

It is very combustable Soft and crumbly to the touch After being ignited completely destroyed

Geology & Geography

Fire powder can only be find in a few places throughout Zhen Gho. The largest deposit is right outside of Ryma. There are about 6-10 other susbtantial mines that produce enough fire powder to be used. It seems to be nearby iron sources. No connection has been made about this quite yet, but people are speculating.

Life & Expiration

The fire powder will keep it's powder form or rock form indefinitely it seems. Although if the powder form is quite old the explosion seems to be less potent. There is not enough evidence yet to suggest that it could potentinally lose it's potencey.

by MidJourney

A minecart full of fire powder in it's original mined form

Type

Ore/Mineral

Odor

When it is ignited there is a smell of rotten eggs

Taste

It has a bitter lemony taste to it

Color

The powder itself is a grey and black spotted color when ground up

Common State

It is mined as whole rocks and then ground up from there

by MidJourney

An example of a fire rod being produced by Ryma artificers