Corpse Coal
Stench of Death
It is already tough enough when the air is burning and full of dangerous chemicals, now imagine the smell of death burning your lungs as well!Corpse Coal is unique to the Plane of Fire, a black rock known for its ghastly odour when allowed to burn. A nuisance for the unfortunate, if not a dangerous encounter for miners.
Properties
Characteristics
Its name comes from its relationship to coal, being a substance made from fossilised remains of Fire Plane flora and fauna. Black, hard chunks that are prone to crumbling given the right pressure. One can easily mistake it for the real deal, as it even burns like it.
The difference lies in its impurities through a combination of immense tectonic activity and the realm's resilient ecosystem. As the organic material quickly fossilises, it traps some of it within that is tougher to decompose alongside bacteria that breaks it down. The gasses and liquids produced by such bacteria then seep into microscopic pockets within the coal.
Stench of Death
If allowed to burn, these pockets burst and the liquids turn to gasses, releasing a horrible stench into the air. This smell of death is a potent mix able to cause most creatures to at least gag, with most describing it like a corpse that was left rotting in the sun for days on end. With burning it also comes prone to pressure building up in chunks, causing explosive releases of gasses that may spread fires further. Some chunks may even launch pieces when the right conditions of pressure and liquid volume is met.Usage
No real usage exists for Corpse Coal besides another fuel source, though its horrible smell makes it undesired for anything more personal. Not to mention the hazards of releasing corpse-related diseases doing so. Therefor only industrial furnaces even use it. Implementations in chemical warfare were attempted with it, but the evolution of gas masks and filtration systems made it quickly obsolete. Only a handful of attempts were ever used to weaponise it, ending up becoming mere fuel for vehicles or getting refined to remove the smell.
Type
Composite
Odor
Akin to decaying flesh
Color
Black
Corpse Coal is the kind of material that makes you wonder who thought this was a good idea and why it works so well. It is creepy, practical, and probably illegal in at least three kingdoms. I would love to see what happens when someone tries to smuggle a shipment of this stuff through customs.