Fathom Fire

Fathom Fire was first discovered in the remains of Trigger Weed that washed up on shore after particularly powerful storms. The spiky, bulbus top proved highly explosive when burned. Higly noxious in it’s un-lit state, it can cause nausea and vomiting if exposed to any prolonged contact. The smell is described as ‘indescribable; but once you smell it, you will never forget it.’
With careful work the gas can be harvested into sealed bladders and then stored and transported safely in the treated skins. When properly regulated, a very small amount of Fathom Fire burns with an icy blue flame that can melt most metals and will re-melt glass if not carefully watched. It is sought after by those who’s work includes alchemy, potion-making, metalworking, refining and other fields where highly directed heat can be a boon. Dangerous to harvest and hard to store and transport safely, it is lucrative enough that a small but tenacious industry of harvesting and refining have cropped up around Sea Hammer and even further north.
It has also been used as a weapon in war. Large barrels of Fathom Fire were used as catapult ammunition during the wars with the Witch Kings with very mixed results. Highly unstable, and not friendly to sudden compression or rapid accelleration, a misfire could result in the sparking mechanism triggering and consuming the entire siege machine and it’s crew in a grisly death of fire hot enough to char bones and melt metal fittings. It is believed that the Witch Kings siege efforts killed only slightly more enemies than their own forces operating the machines. During The Siege of Fallanor at Endowin Pass nearly 75% of The Witch Kings siege weapons were destroyed when Knights of Saldaron embarked on a suicide mission, infiltrating the enemy forces and detonating the main supply of Fathom Fire, which in turn caused a chain reaction in the narrow confines of the pass detonating each siege units own munitions stock. With the fall of The Witch Kings, it was deemed an immediate act of war against all other nations to use Fathom Fire in a military capacity.