Black Salt
Lopkim (lɔpkim)
Black salt is a rare type of salt from Dźike. It resembles ordinary salt and has even the same properties. However, it is black instead of white and has stronger magical qualities. It is used in rituals and magical concoctions.
Properties
Physical & Chemical Properties
Black salt seems to have just about the same physical properties as ordinary salt, except for the colour, of course. People can, and officially do, use it as its non-magical counterpart.
On the magical side, black salt can catalyse arcane energies and release them over a long time. For this property, it found several uses in alchemy. Many alńe found it useful to mix it into their potions to make them more durable. Some of them even say the effects last longer when salt is added to the mixture.
Several legends surround the black salt, however, especially for its dark colouration. Many people think it is related to the Abyss and its dark energies. For instance, rumour has it black salt is helpful during demonic evocation since it can retain magical energies in the evocation place for much longer, while the mage can focus on the magic. Some alńe tried to oppose these rumours, but their position in the Dark Lands is too complicated for people to listen to them.
Origin & Source
As if ordinary salt wasn't already rare enough, black salt can only be found in a section of the Dźikan mines. Someone claims this placement is not an accident, especially considering its use in the arcane arts. The abrupt surge in abyssal energies after the Dark Swan curse would have altered the properties of the salt. Most scholars look down to this idea as a confused rant.
History & Usage
Discovery
Officially, colonists found the black salt section in the Dźikan mines when mining for ordinary salt. Almost everyone believes the first colonists from Remnava already knew the existence of the black salt, which played a fundamental role in the decision of founding Dźike.
Some people think the black salt discovery is another fruit of the Arkadhian New Empire meddlings in the Dark Lands affairs. They claim the Shadow Court agents discovered the mines when looking for something else, an artefact supposedly located there, and found the black salt instead. The Court would have commissioned the foundation of Dźike to ensure a stable supply. Proof for this theory would be a weird-looking salt formation present in the mines, similar to an altar, with an empty spot on its top. It would have been the place of the missing artefact they were looking for.
Hazards
Mining and extracting salt (even the ordinary one) from the caves is a dangerous and unhealthy profession. Salt Miners are usually slaves and die young for an array of possible reasons, starting from structural collapses of the mines to physical diseases related to the unhealthy air they breathe every day.
To these secular problems, people added some arcane effects that handling black salt would have. Alńe believe black salt extraction is no more dangerous than ordinary salt, but they are used to stay quiet before people's frenzy.
The most common belief is that it causes a form of abyssal corruption. Pointing out it is widespread everywhere in the Dark Lands does not affect their opinion since fear is stronger than reason.
As a result of such believes' popularity, both Remnava and Medźina officially outlawed selling black salt within city walls.
Distribution
Trade & Market
The Salt Trading Company handles every kilos of salt extracted from the mines, including black salt.
Even with the ban in the other Dark Lands cities, black salt is still easy to sell on the black market. However, the legislation specifies it is forbidden to sell black salt inside the city, so people meet outside the gates to make their trade.
Moreover, the salt can still transit in both cities, provided it is not sold. Thus, the legislation allows the company to store it safely inside the cities before sending it to the Empire which is the largest importer.
Type
Ore/Mineral
Rarity
Only mined in the mines near Dźike
Taste
Salty
Color
Black
Related Locations
Related Professions
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