The creation of black powder

The explosive power of black powder is a recent and scarecly known technology. Known mostly by the small land of Akivan, the used of black powder is used sparingly by other kingdoms in barrels for catapults or similar explosive delivery, but for the most part it is shunned and distrusted as magic. The fire it creates is often called "black fire" due to its creation method, and despised by most people. The people of Akivan are said to have even managed to use it in small, handheld weaponry, making them a surprisingly powerful people, but such rumors are rarely true. Firearms are unwieldy and dangerous, and only the most daring use them, and few such people travel the world.