Weapons: Gunpowder

Mid-level alchemists are capable of making gunpowder, but its use is very limited in most of the world. This is because it simply does not combust outside of a few locales. Mages are able to use it as a spell component, and some high-level mages have even been able to render it usable for short periods, but the dweomer wears off quickly.   Gunpowder is in higher demand in coastal regions as it seems to work somewhat reliably on the High Seas or the Ocean Endless, and for that reason, cannons and pistols have become standard gear for any long sea voyage. From time to time sailors will find their powder suddenly inert: lore attributes this to the approach of Kurma the Living Island, said to wander the High Seas, using magic to silence noisy cannons that disturb her tranquility.   Ships that keep to the Hubbish Sea, on the other hand, don’t burden themselves with such equipment because no gun has ever been known to work in this area. The Venial Straits connecting the Hub to the Ocean Endless is patchy—guns are very unpredictable along this corridor.   Only Mechanists can make guns, and the types of gun available vary by region. The only two mainland areas where guns are reliably functional are Vaqueria and Shoulun.