Firebolts
Firebolts are a closely-guarded secret of the Jasani, a country that has built its military power on the basis of this primitive yet highly effective technology. By using a mixture of Sulfur and Charcoal packed inside a metal tube a projectile can be propelled to high speeds, with deadly results. So far the Jasani have discovered how to use it as a supplement to traditional siege engines like trebuchets and catapults, or place it in the hands of heavy infantry on the battlefield. Firebolts are the end result. These weapons lack the range and accuracy of crossbows and warbows, but the noise they make terrifies their foes and they shoot right through armor.
Though there are many weapons and technologies that are developed all the time, Firebolts are particularly impactful in that they created a major military power out of what was once a backwater group of revolutionaries who needed to be quelled. When the Olaran issued an order to go into Jasani and restore the previous royal government, Firebolts allowed them to hold the line against a numerically-superior and highly-trained foe. It changed the outcome of these Jasani conflicts and shifted the worldwide balance of power away from the Treaty of Passaran. Now the Jasani leaders are some of the most important decision makers in the world. If anything were to happen to one of them, the entire world would be affected.
Utility
Firebolts were designed for no reason other than to kill, whether the target is a monster or another Avani. When used en-masse by mobile, well-trained troopers like the Jassars, they can devastate ranks of enemy soldiers marching in rank-and-file or flying to them. They aren't very accurate and tend to go wildly off target, but a single shot can easily be lethal to anyone but a magic-user. If used against large groups of enemies odds are that it'll hit someone. The thundering sound they make while firing can be as effective as the shot itself, however. Most soldiers are completely unaccustomed to it, and when simultaneously heard from an entire battalion of Jassars it can cause even the bravest of warriors to flee. The Battle of Fortorvi River ended in a running retreat for the Teutani States, who only lost 15 soldiers out of an army of 12,000, because of how terrifying a single volley from the firebolts was.
Access & Availability
Infantry Firebolts, as a vital military asset that no other nation has, are given every protection possible by the Jasani. Selling one to an unapproved buyer is an executable offense. Selling one to a foriegn nation is an act of Treason. Unauthorized individuals found with one will be questioned and forced to pay hefty fines (after which they may be forced into servitude). The craftsmen who create these weapons are heavily screened and guarded at all times. Most soldiers aren't even allowed to use them: only the elite Jassars, shock troopers for the Jasani military, get them. If a soldier using one is killed their allies are told to retrieve or destroy the weapon at all costs, which is the same for someone about to be captured. Those who actually know the secrets of the firebolt's design carry lethal poison at all times in case of a kidnapping.
Discovery
The details of who discovered this formula and how are a closely-guarded secret of the Jasani government, but it is believed that an anarchist during the Jasani revolution created the explosive formula to cause havok. It turned out that using it as an explosive didn't work so well, but it was very effective as propellant.
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