Pulverigne
Also known as Blackpowder.
It was hard to believe that small bag of black powder I had been handed could do more than induce a fit of sneezing. You can imagine my astonishment then, when Guido threw it into the fire, and destroyed the wall and back of the fireplace through the resultant explosion….Maximilian Hoherberg Von Zottehal Once thought of as a useless by-product metal extraction processes, Pulverigne is now being viewed with much more interest, thanks almost entirely to the work of Guido Durandson. Properly treated, Pulverigne is transformed into a highly explosive, unstable material whose uses are still to be fully explored and researched.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Pulverigne naturally occurs as a fine black powder, almost akin to sand in form, though on average the grains of powder will be larger than fine grains of sand. The black colouring of Pulverigne will leave a stain, similar to that left by coal or charcoal, or other forms of burnt carbon. Pulverigne will often be found in clumps, that then begin to disintegrate into the individual grains when it is touched or handled.
Origin & Source
Wherever metal is mined or refined, Pulverigne can be found. Small deposits of the material can be found in and around veins of metal when mining, but the majority of Pulverigne is found as a by-product of the metal refining and extraction process. It appears as a distinctly separate entity to metal slag that is also produced during the metal refining process, and in almost all cases, it is thrown away with the slag, as there is little call for the material in the majority of Ulskandar. In Rahhail, however, Pulverigne is collected and then refined, through a process of exposing the Pulverigne to high heat, generally in a crucible and then leaving the material to cool down again.
Life & Expiration
In its raw form, Pulverigne does not apparently degrade in an overly noticeable way, and can be kept and refined, with no ill effects to the finished product, years and potentially decades after it was originally collected. Once the material has been refined its shelf life is greatly reduced, with stocks of refined Pulverigne becoming less and less effective the longer they are kept. The longer refined Pulverigne is kept, the less efficiently and dramatically it burns when exposed to flames, with stocks that are kept for over a year being considered almost worthless. Although Pulverigne is not effected by exposure to air, exposure to water, or even significant amounts of moisture within the air can render the material useless, as it will fail to ignite.
History & Usage
Everyday use
There are no commonly known uses of Pulverigne, mostly because the material is generally thrown away when it if produced as a by-product of the smelting process. There are instances where grains of Pulverigne have been used to create an ink, which works quite effectively to produce a bold dark-colour of black ink, but is incapable of being made into inks of other colours.
Industrial Use
The only nation that has undertaken the major utilisation of Pulverigne is Rahhail, where the substance is refined on a fairly industrial scale for use in the fire-arm weapons of the Musketeer Corps, which have been created, and are being continuously developed by Guido Durandson. Other than this use, another industrial use of Pulverigne is yet to be discovered.
Hazards
In its untreated form, Pulverigne is a very stable material, though handling it without wearing protective gloves can lead to some nasty chemical burns if one isn’t careful. Once Pulverigne has gone through the refining process, however, it is highly explosive when brought into contact with flames or sparks, with less than ten grams of the substance capable of inflicting immense damage if applied correctly.
Distribution
Trade & Market
In theory, Pulverigne is a widely available resource, as anyone who is mining or refining metal ore or metal will have come across the substance. However, refined Pulverigne is only readily available within Rahhail, and it is not officially traded outside of the nation, for fear of other nations taking it on and using it against them. However, there is a reasonably flourishing black market trade in Pulverigne flowing out of Rahhail, but it is still rare to find the substance across Turoza as a whole.
Storage
Unless it is exposed to fire, Pulverigne is quite a resilient material. However, it tends to be stored in airtight containers, such as glass or ceramic vials and vessels, though Rahhail’s Musketeer Corps regularly carry their supplies of Blackpowder in water skins. As long as the material used to house a supply of Pulverigne is waterproof, and reasonably fire-retardant it will be fine.
Law & Regulation
Within Rahhail, refined Pulverigne is only allowed to be sold by registered traders, whilst only those specifically sanctioned by the Merchant Council are able to produce refined Pulverigne.
Type
Elemental / Molecular
Value
Raw Pulverigne sells for c.2-3CP per 100g. Refined Pulverigne sells for 50GP per 100g.
Rarity
Raw=Common, Refined=Rare
Common State
Powdered Solid
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