Water Testing Kit

Historically an important tool used by those trapped on the Central Continent during the age of mourning, water testing kits could confirm if water was safe from radiation (radionuclides) and other chemical contaminants. Considering the state of the Central Continent at the time, doing so was extremely important, as there would be no access to proper water treatment for the effectively nomadic groups of runaway Elementals at the time. While many biological contaminants could be destroyed by boiling the water prior to drinking it, chemical and radioactive contaminants were far harder to remove without proper facilities.

Contents and Use

Each kit contains multiple tests strips and vials, generally enough to last for 10 separate tests. At the time during and before the Age of Mourning, technology had managed to shorten the time required to completely test for radioactivity in water. Though, this was likely accelerated by the need after the incredible amount of nuclear bombs used in the event that start the Age of Mourning in the first place. Multiple test tubes were required, as each test for the possible contaminant had to be completed individually with the test strip added to the tube. These would need to be left for three hours. After which, colour guides in the kits would be used to determine if the contaminant is present or not. Certain contaminants, mainly radiation, could be determined precisely, with colours indicating levels of acceptability.

Source

The nomadic runaways had few options to source the essential tool other than raiding the outposts and camps run by those that were hunting them. Raiding groups of humans was essential despite the dangers, as without safe drinking water death wouldn't be far away. Or at least, these runaway believed this.

In modern times, it's known that Elementals are far more resistant to radiation than was believed back in the Age of Mourning, and the conditions of the Central Continent were also far worse than those that considered previous warnings overestimated. However, the other chemical components in the water could have been significantly dangerous without the kits guiding these groups to better water sources due to the vast destruction that had scattered many hazardous materials into the ground and the water.

After the Age of Mourning and the Mourning War, water test kits would remain essential as Elementals started new settlements in war torn lands. However, the means to produce these kits was lost alongside the significant knowledge of humankind, meaning only a finite number remained. Slowly but surely they were used up. While similar technology has been created in the thousand years since, it's unknown how similar they are.