Gases, Materials, Minerals, and Material Treatment Methods Unique to the World of TOW

[Wonders of Eros]

Litswitch is essentially a fine, dark gray powder that takes on different chemical properties depending on what elements it's mixed with. It's made by grinding a certain type of rock and salt mineral together, and is thus quite easy to produce. Depending on what you mix it with, it can be made highly flammable, explosive, or acidic. It doesn't cause any sort of air pollution and is only mildly toxic.

 

Litswitch Ignition refers to an array of chemical reactions that will happen consistently when the powder interacts with certain other compounds and materials.

 

Carnatheene is the oldest known form of Litswitch solution, and has been known about for thousands of years, even all the way back in the early First Era. It has a coarse, thick, pasty consistency, and is naturally luminescent with a somewhat greenish yellow color. It's most widely used by primitive races, often as a sort of glowing body-paint, but also for painting and in the decorating of sacred sites. That said, more advanced civilizations do often use it to mark trees for lumber or to make points of interest easier to see at night (chiefly, so that you can find your way around in the countryside or wilderness without having to use the stars). Some primitive societies also know that Carnatheene can be given a bright red glow if you combine it with iron.

 

Canathoreene Stones are hard, often sharp crystals that emit an incredibly strong, white light. In fact, they can in many cases be significantly brighter than your average light bulb. They are formed through a fairly labor-intensive process called Litswitch Crystallization, which has only been around for a few hundred years.

 

Litswitch Crystallization refers to the practice of repeatedly heat-treating and compressing Litswitch powder until it turns into a solid form; or in other words, a Canathoreene Stone.

 

Saraata is a heavy, partially Litswitch-based paste used as a condiment by a race called the Catharni (who live primarily in Idia). It's a mix of coarsely grained Litswitch, plants, and another material called Linosheen.

 

Linosheen is a hard, black material with an almost obsidian-esque look to it. It was a commonly used Eleven armor material during most of the Classical and Modern eras owing to its rigidity and durability, but it immediately fell out of favor when it was discovered that it quickly dissolves when in contact with Litswitch. As Litswitch canons and explosives universally use partially Litswitch-based ammunition, it simply became too dangerous to wear it during battles.

 

Griovuain (or Larkin, as it is often called) is an expensive, frothy, slowly bubbling solution. It's made of concentrated Litswitch, a highly acidic and toxic compound called Niratine, heavy amounts of iron, small amounts of Linosheen, and various animal fats. It's pitch-black in color and can cause severe burns to the skin. Breathing in heavily concentrated Griovuain fumes can also cause a wide array of different illnesses, most of which are fatal if left untreated. When combined with a gas called Aeathels (or its concentrated form, Keiolin), it can cause bones and muscle tissue to quickly dissolve. The combined use of Griovuain and Aeathels by wealthy countries on the battlefield has led to terrible scenes of unimaginable suffering and carnage. Small dosses of the combination are also sometimes used as a form of torture in some societies.

 

Niratine (or Larmansprayl, as it is often called) is a compound made of various acids and natural toxins. Since the start of the Eleventh Era, it's also been common to add a small amount of Litswitch to the base.

 

Aeathels (or Keiolin, as it's known in its concentrated form) is a highly expensive, fragrant-smelling gas (or liquid) that is often used by royals and nobles in some societies to scent their homes. It's actually a vapor released when you boil the blood of the Keia oyster that is then bottled and sold.

 

Edited March 8 by Wonders of Eros