Flamepowder

Only scant records speak of the first use of flamepowder on the battlefield, except that it was an absolute victory for the Lozians against what barely held on of the recently reunited Losgard, fracturing the continent back into its state of squabbling kingdoms and scheming fiefdoms. Only Nokinal managed to maintain some semblance of order and structure for the next few generations after the decisive battle of Oxbow Ford.
Survivors of the Losgardian force report believing that the dragons had returned to wage war upon them on behalf of their enemies, spitting fire and chunks of metal into their ranks, or that someone had found a mage to call down thunder and lightning. Preposterous, as the result was indeed the result of technological superiority over a more superstitious force. The flamepowder weapons were quite primitive to what we have developed now, as they were mainly cannon with very poor accuracy and even poorer loading time. It was that battle that brought about an end to the era of swords, knights, and armor by ushering the age of cannoneers and riflemen. | Sophiilus Verginian, Natural Philosopher to the King of Lozia

Utility

Quite frankly, flamepowder is used to cause explosive fires, and nothing else. It was created as a tool of destruction and has maintained that distinction. Warfare and mining are the two primary uses.

Access & Availability

At first, flamepowder was a closely guarded military secret that led to the brief period of Lozian domination of the Losgardian continent. However, as soon as word began to spread concerning its existence, other alchemists and natural philosophers strove to unlock the secret of its making, leading to a shadow war to possess this power and potential of this new weapon.
Through skullduggery and intrigue, the secret began to spread as other kingdoms began to produce their own flamepowder and develop their own flamepowder weapons. While initially too expensive for anyone other than armies to use, as production increased, flamepowder grew increasingly available to the civilian populations. Currently, it is relatively cheap and accessible to anyone with the small amount of coin necessary to purchase it.

Complexity

Flamepowder itself is a quite complex mixture of elements that each must be processed before use. In addition, flamepowder by itself is of little use except for blasting tree trunks or rock, as the explosive blast is omnidirectional and can easily harm the user if not handled properly. As a result, sophisticated ironwork and fuses must be used for it to be both effective and safe for the user, which require incredibly sophisticated manufacturing processes of their own.

Discovery

It was the work of Lozian alchemists who first divined the necessary existence of a material such as flamepowder. If wood could cause a fire, then logically, other natural substances must exist that can cause a fire to burst to life, only more effective than wood and tinder. As such, a detachment of the Royal Alchemical Academy sought to find the ultimate concoction of natural resources to bring fire to life. After decades of research, they discovered the combination of charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter created a strong enough explosion to launch projectiles. While less helpful for starting cooking fires, they quickly saw the potential for military use and began designing new tools of war to harness its destructive capabilities, even as they sought to refine the alchemical compound to maximize its potential and capability.