Wai Gulapua (vWhy goo-lah-pu-ah)

"Safe, emissionless, easy to harvest, store, and use, and most of all, only found in our nation! You asked me to give you a trump card for the game of nations. Well, my leaders, I present to you the full house."

-- Pehu Noʻo.noʻo, revealing Wai Gulapua to the council.

Meaning Gold-Colored Nectar in common, Wai Gulapua is a recently discovered biofuel from the 'Oki Islands. Previously thought as a simple excretion that served no real purpose, aside from perhaps a glue in the colder months, a recent more scientific examination revealed its potential as a fuel and power source with little to no risk. While it's a humble and new product for the nation to begin testing, it carries the potential to be a purely unique export for the Islands, one that can put them on a more level playing field with the other nations of Edda.

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Properties

Material Characteristics

Wai Gulapua is an opaque, yellow-orange sap. When it's energized via steady application of heat, it turns red-orange and becomes clearer. When chilled under harsh cold, it becomes pure yellow and cloudier.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Wai Gulapua is sticky, smells of heavy iron, and not only tastes and smells of rotten fruit, but is also potentially toxic when ingested. No one has ever died from ingesting it, but they have gotten severely ill.
The sap itself has similar properties to any other sap, being of moderate temperature and a viscous consistency. When consistently heated it melts slightly, becoming thinner and redder, as well as retaining heat to the point it becomes hot to the touch.

Geology & Geography

Wai Gulapua comes from the Hala Hauna, a specific type of palm tree that only grows on the sandy shores of the 'Oki Islands. While the islands' trees are widely known for their malleability, the Hala Hauna only grows on the beaches, not being found in the small mountains, grass plains, or thicker forests of the area.

Life & Expiration

While more research is still underway, it appears that as long as Wai Gulapua remains in its sap state, it doesn't seem to lose any of its potential as energy. When heated and utilized, however, the sap turns into a more liquid substance, and fades away from the heat, with attempts to recapture it from this gaseous state proving unsuccessful so far, as the gas quickly breaks down in the atmosphere when exposed to oxygen.

History & Usage

History

It is common folklore that the Hala Hauna trees had something lying within them. However, in the past of the 'Oki islands, the secretion from the tree was seen as a profane thing. The fact that it tasted and smelled rotten, causing physical pain when ingested, aided that belief, along with the fact that Hala Hauna trees are mythically said to contain the souls of sinners. 
Even among those who don't pay mythical stories much mind, it is a rancid, sticky, and even toxic substance, so most people wrote it off as a byproduct to ignore.
The moment that led to a shift in attitude occurred on a random summer day in 994 EE. A wand crafter, Haʻa.haʻa Noʻo.noʻo, had been commissioned to make a Wand of Levitation to help the client's elderly parent lift and move objects as arthritis plagued their hands. Well, the crafter was happy to oblige, but they were out of their usual wood, and their order was delayed. So, they decided to use some Hala Hauna wood, as the wood became soft enough for their tools to properly carve once left out in the sun.
Despite the wood having been cleaned of the obvious secretions, Hala Hauna trees sometimes also contain small pockets of sap, which in the creation and engraving of the wand miraculously went undisturbed. The day after being given the wand, the client returned a bit haggard, as what was intended to be a Wand of Levitation ended up being a Wand of Launching, a discovery made thankfully at the cost of a mug and a window pane.
Upon inspecting their work once more, the crafter found the pocket of sap and also found that it seemed to retain the heat from the drying process as well as the heat energy from the internal magic circuit. While they found it odd, it went without much remark, until it was passed along to a family member during dinner.

Discovery

Pehu Noʻo.noʻo, head researcher for the 'Oki Island Council, was attending a weekly family dinner when their cousin, Haʻa.haʻa mentioned their strange story involving the Hala Hauna sap making their wand go out of control. While the humble crafter thought nothing of it, Pehu started considering the alternatives.
He and his team had been tasked with finding a resource that would firmly put the 'Oki Islands on the global stage properly. Lumber and Fishing kept their trades nice, but left them vulnerable to the elements and popularity pulls.
After this fateful dinner, they began researching and examining the sap with a far closer scope. While regular and magical methods had left the sap an underwhelming product of the Hala Hauna trees, the tools of modern science shined a light on one aspect of the sap in particular: when exposed to heat, a unique protein released a high amount of energy. With the initial incident, Pehu theorized that this energy connected with the magical energy that would've pulsed throughout the wand, empowering the speed at which it "levitated" items.
After a year of constant examination and success, the result was clear. Wai Gulapua was the resource that the 'Oki Islands needed. It was powerful, naturally produced, easy to store and utilize, versatile in its applications, and most importantly of all, unique to the Hala Hauna trees.

Everyday use

The fuel is still being researched, but currently, it is mostly being applied to a style of engineering known as Gula ʻEnehana, which is engineering mostly based around tools and worn items, with the most advanced of its kind being high-tech prostheses.

Cultural Significance and Usage

Wai Gulapua is a new resource in the field of technology and engineering, but the sap itself does have some historical notoriety. The primary faith of the 'Oki Islands says that each piece of nature contains a spirit in some form, with the Hala Hauna trees containing the souls of sinners that need to repent before returning to a proper physical body, spending their life as a tree providing for the people of the islands. Therefore, Wai Gulapua was formerly seen as their soul trying to escape, or in darker tales, the blood of the victim spilling from their new body.
Furthermore, there is one historical note of Wai Gulapua being used as an energizing force in the past. In the history of the 'Oki Islands, there used to exist a cult known as The Family of Luku, who would utilize dark, destructive magic while having their hands coated with the sap. At the time, without a scientific understanding of how the sap powered their magic, it was reasoned that using the "blood" of the sinners increased the strength of baleful magic, therefore no one in their right mind would use it for their own non-evil purposes or tools.

Refinement

Wai Gulapua does not need any specific refinement process, as it secretes from the rings of the Hala Hauna trees, often making its way outside the bark of the tree in the process. It often does need to have debris from the tree removed before being stored and transported to avoid contamination, but that's easy enough to do with water and a slotted spoon.

Byproducts & Sideproducts

Wai Gulapua notably has no byproducts, at least none that stick around for any lengthy period of time. When heated, it becomes less viscous and turns to a water-like state, and from there becomes a gas when used. However, when that gaseous form hits oxygen, it disperses in a matter of seconds, with no traceable emission impact.

Hazards

While there aren't any natural hazards to Wai Gulapua when heated it is a volatile fuel source, and using it to recklessly power technology or magic without accounting for how much it'll increase can result in disaster.

Reusability & Recycling

Due to the aforementioned lack of byproducts or emissions, Wai Gulapua is the safest fuel known to Edda currently, for while Magical Energy is easily recycled, Wai Gulapua requires no recycling and naturally forms from Hala Hauna trees during the process of photosynthesis. Even better, even though the sap comes from the rings within the tree, no wood needs to be chopped in order to harvest it, as the right kind of spigot will do the trick.

Distribution

Trade & Market

International sale and trade of Wai Gulapua is legally permitted only through state-operated businesses, as Council Leader Mohala Naʻapōʻino wants the new discovery to remain totally in the control of the 'Oki Islands and its people, even if they can't keep it all to themselves. Local trade and sale is permitted, however, although as more technology gets developed more legislation is being drafted to ensure this new fuel doesn't become a threat.

Storage

Wai Gulapua is stored in sealed containers. While it's not necessary for it to be cooled in transit, it is often advised it is stored in a cold, darker environment when not in use, as excess heat can cause the energy within it to become erratic.

Law & Regulation

Currently, there are no strict rules about the usage of Wai Gulapua, due to the limited amount of technologies that even utilize it. However, with the potential of weapon development stirring in the mind of government scientists, laws limiting ownership of it are being drafted.

Type

Organic

Value

Valuable

Rarity

Uncommon, fiercely controlled.

Odor

Like rotten fruit

Taste

Bitter, Iron-like

Color

Orange-Yellow

Boiling / Condensation Point

Low

Melting / Freezing Point

High

Common State

Viscous Liquid

Related Locations

• Aka.hai Beaches