Thunderjar
The thunderjar is a device invented by Chimerists to store the electrical charge that they require in order to awaken a new chimera. It captures electrical current from an outside source (lightning rod, magic spell, eel tank, or whatever) and stores it suspended in primordial slime until it needs to be discharged.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
A thunderjar consists of a glass jar partially lined with metal foil and filled about halfway with primordial slime. Some thunderjars have a ceramic outer shell or cover made from leather or quilted cloth to provide additional insulation and durability. On the outside of the jar (usually on the shoulder) is a ring or other connector that can be wired to an electrical source. This connects to a screw or pin that goes into the bottle to a metal coil that ultimately discharges incoming electricity into the primordial slime. A metal rod through which the device can be discharged typically runs through the cap of the jar and is connected to a mechanism that lowers the interior end of the rod into the electrified primordial slime.
Manufacturing process
Thunderjars are typically assembled from component parts made by other craftsmen. In cities with respectable population of chimerists, there are usually a few craftspeople with enough experience in producing thunderjar components to gain a reputation as the chimerist's vendor of choice. Non-chimerist specialists who source the components themselves and produce finished thunderjars are much rarer, but not unheard of.
History
The first thunderjar was created by an imperial chimerst named Lydeh Kuviljim around 150 years ago. Kuviljim was interested in creating stronger and more resilient beasts of burden, which meant that her creations tended toward large chimera that required massive jolts of lightning to bring to life. Since Tanrilar, much like Khezvaros, has clear whether for most of the year, she needed a way to store electrical current so that it could be discharged in a single large jolt to awaken her beasts. After decades of experimentation, the thunderjar was born. Upon Lydeh's death, the designs for the device passed to the chimerists' guild, who made them available to all guild members. Plans for the thunderjar can be found in every chimerist guildhall in the empire.
Significance
The thunderjar allows a chimerist to awaken large creatures without having to wait for an electrical storm to move in.
Thunderjars
Creation Date
831
Creator
Owning Organization
Rarity
Thunderjars aren't typically available for purchase on the open market, but most chimerists keep several on hand at all times.
Weight
15-20 lbs
Dimensions
10-14" tall, 6-12" base diameter, about 1 gallon capacity
Raw materials & Components
The basic materials required to build a thunderjar are not difficult to obtain and the design has been widely understood by chimerists and a few other specialists for over a century. While using components custom-made will result in safer-to-use and more efficient thunderjars, it's entirely possible to build a crude version of the device with goods that are readily available in most cities. The rarest component of the device is the pimordial slime used to fill it, but most chimerists have a sizable quantity of this ooze on hand at all times.
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