Al Sula
The invention of Starpowder changed the very face of Lyra, allowing the simple Gunslinger to challenge the most skilled Akari.
In the sun-scorched lands of the Sultanate of Al Sula, the Sulari were born beneath radiant skies, surrounded by desert abundant with colorful Lumite. They nurtured an effervescent culture to match, imbued with passion as belly dancers tangled with the midnight desert winds and onlookers inhaled the sweet tendrils of the smoke from their hookahs.
Though unmatched in skill as Wyrm Hunters and masterful with the rifle, for centuries the Sulari were considered little more than “Warlords of a Wasteland” by their Mainland counterparts. Little did they know of the riches, perfectly veiled beneath the seemingly barren lands.
Unbeknownst to even the Sulari themselves, Al Sula’s deserts harbored a secret of unimaginable worth, discovered only when a devastating sand storm ravaged the nation. Unyielding waves of grit and gravel whipped across the land, destroying hundreds of Sulari encampments and leveling dunes that had stood for centuries. But as the sandy swells relented at long last, glimmers of hidden treasures were unearthed in their wake. The Sulari emerged from what remained of their shelters to find a sea of pure Lumite had been revealed around them. For years the Sulari kept their discovery a secret, trading Lumite only to the Akari, leaving the rest of the Mainland to wonder how they had come into such considerable wealth so suddenly. As the years strengthened the Sultanate’s alliance with the Akari, they invited the Order to establish a new branch, deep in the belly of the desert.
It was here that researchers discovered that by grinding Lumite into a powder and mixing it with a blend of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, they could create Starpowder, a form of elemental gunpowder. But the volatile nature of Lumite made the grinding and mixing process perilous, often proving fatal for non-Akari. Even when successful, they found that Starpowder was prone to both unexpected combustion and corrosion of containment vessels, rendering the use and transport of Starpowder exceedingly dangerous.
Suspended somewhere between chemistry and magic, the production of Starpowder resides within the domain of Akari alchemists. Enduring painstaking labor and perilous risk, the alchemists ferociously guard the secrets of their work, all too aware of the risk Starpowder poses in the wrong hands.
Driven by insatiable demand, the Starpowder industry flourished with breathtaking speed and boundless prosperity, giving rise to Sulari Exporters who spanned Lyra and the Skylands. The creation of Starpowder forever altered the landscape of Lyra, empowering the humble Gunslinger to rival even the most adept Akari.
