Yanhienga Saltpeter (yon-HEN-gah)

In the caves of the Kimbur in northeastern Manatz, colonies of bats gather as thick as flies and the guano which lines the floors has been valued as a source of saltpeter for hundreds of years before Helenaphe. Once druids of the modern ages recognized the magical properties of the substance, the export became an enormous commodity of the Yanhienga region.  

History

Kimbur and Hezethal cultures occupied the caves and the surrounding lands as far back as the year 2000 Anterior. Throughout the year, guano from the caves was harvested to be used as fertilizer for the fields. Small amounts were also soaked in water so that the crystals of nitrate could be extracted. This "pure" form of saltpeter was used as an agent to promote fruit trees to flower and as an important oxidizer in the famed sparkler lamps of the region.   With the The Descent of Helenaphe and the turning of the Kimbura, the caves were abandoned for many years. In the 760s, as the turned Kimbura were driven off by the Manatza peoples, the traditional usage of the caves was resumed by a mix of Human and Hezethal cultures.   In the 1220s, druidic sorcerers under lead of Mendra Carxile ventured into Yanhienga and learned of the extraction of saltpeter. They recognized the Earthen Magic concentrated in the substance and began to use it in their rituals. This, alongside the independent discoveries of earthen potential in extracted sulfur, bromine, and lead, led to the creation of Druidic Alchemy as a study in the colleges of Cantra years later.