Blasting Powder

In the Year of Tin of the Decade of Cherry, toward the end of the Century of Wind, an elderly daewar by the name of Pack Lodestone made a discovery, purely by accident, that advanced Kal-Thax's mining technology by centuries. A tinsmith by trade and an inventor and tinker by inclination, Lodestone was searching for a new, cleaner-burning fuel for tinsmith furnaces. Through trial and error, and many near-fatal accidents, Lodestone completely failed to produce his cleaner-burning fuel. What he did create, however, was the most important invention in a thousand years of dwarven history—blasting powder.
A volatile mixture of carbon, sulfur, and metallic salts, blasting powder burns quick and hot when set to flame, and explodes in spectacular fashion when set alight in confined spaces. Since its discovery, blasting powder has been used primarily in mining, quarrying, and construction, but it's also used in fireworks, as a propellant for powered tools to drive fasteners like rivets and bolts into stone and steel, in cable splicing, and in countless other industrial applications throughout Kal-Thax.
Modern blasting powder comes in a variety of qualities and grain sizes based on the intended use. It is sold either in various-sized kegs of hardwood slats bound with iron or by the Kal-Thax pound in cloth bags. The use of blasting powder within Thorbardin proper is tightly controlled, as errant explosions can cause havoc underground, but it can typically be purchased anywhere tools or machinery are sold. 
While every thane in Thorbardin makes use of blasting powder, the Daergar are particularly skilled in its use. The darkseekers' relationship with blasting powder goes beyond its industrial and recreational use, however. Due to its high salt content, many Daergar use blasting powder as a seasoning in various dishes. In addition, the deep dwarves use it to clean wounds and create inks for tattooing.