Compilation: Explosives in TES(:O)

Ravnie

Have you considered a career when it comes to blowing things up with more mundane means rather than magic? These little tidbits should help you get started! If you have discovered any other additional substance, item or whatnot, please leave a comment below and I will add it to the list.

All future updates on this article will be added to its respective Google doc.


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KINDLEPITCH
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Kindlepitch is a sticky substance used to ignite a fire. It gives off a small amount of heat and smells of either ash or bears another putrid smell. As it is highly flammable, and handling it with care is always advised. Despite this, even more volatile mixtures are formed by combining kindlepitch and fire salts. This results in concentrated kindlepitch, which is used for blasting and excavation. Treated kindlepitch is another form of kindlepitch, and is extremely flammable compared to its initial sticky state.

Kindlepitch is frequently stored in barrels and used for torches. Other forms of storing include glass bottles, which are marked with an indicator that its contents are highly flammable. Only the liquid state or mixtures of kindlepitch are found in glass bottles.

QUEST DIALOGUE WITH KINDLEPITCH

What should I do?
"A mixture of kindlepitch and fire salts burn bright as the sun. Toss it into the heart of the beacon and the stone will melt like butter on a hearthstone."
- Tildur, during The Serpent's Beacon

Where can I find fire salts?/Then where can I find the fire salts?
"The Maormer use fire salts to warm their food on long voyages. They should have a supply in the hold of the ship moored in the harbor."
- Tildur, during The Serpent's Beacon

"The Orcs are carrying kindlepitch—I could smell it. Probably to burn Elven houses. Kill some of these snowbacks, collect their kindlepitch, and throw it at their torches in the supply shacks. It'll be fun."
- Svanhildr, during Challenge the Tide

"The Covenant has attacked. I need kindlepitch to light the signal fires.."
- Quartermaster Lineem, during If By Sea

So we go to the crematorium and....
"We demolish the dig site. Worm Cultists have been using concentrated kindlepitch to clear rubble. The Xivkyn Soulbranders have been distributing it since they arrived. If you can acquire some, we can use it to destroy their operation."
- Drake of Blades, during Of Brands and Bones

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FIRE SALT
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Fire Salts are in essence highly flammable salt chips that are used to ignite fires. To make even more flammable concoctions, fire salts are commonly combined with kindlepitch. When combined with kindlepitch, conflagration is the result when the mixture is set off. Fire salts have been noted to have such an intense heat that it can even be felt through glass containers. It should be noted that kindlepitch is not the only mixture that utilises fire salts. Inferno admixture works as an explosive flammable concoction that consists of fire salts and shalk guts. Most potent mixtures are made out of crystallised fire salts.

At times, fire salts are even utilised in traps to create an explosive reaction once the trap triggers. Traps are not the only method of application for fire salts. It used in ammunition for (Imperial) siege weaponry, to dramatically raise temperatures in forges by blacksmiths, and applied to wood. When wood is treated with fire salts, the wood gives off magically intense heat. Hand thrown fire salt bombs do exist, not to mention explosive arrows.

Alchemical properties, such as elemental perks and magicka restoring effects, hail from fire salts as well. The latter can be obtained from flame atronachs.

QUEST DIALOGUE WITH FIRE SALT

So what do you need me to do?
"Gather some fire salts and kindlepitch from the docks. With them, you can make a fire bomb. Not only will setting their ship on fire destroy it, it will flush Svadstar from his hiding hole so I can end him."
- Eoki, during Broken Bonds

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OTHER OPTIONS
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FLASH POWDER
When flash powder is thrown into a fire, it causes a small explosion. The explosion creates a noisy display that can be disorienting. Metal pellets are used in the process of creating flash powder to no doubt grind it into the fine powder.

FIRESAP GEL
Firesap gel is a red Argonian gel that can be used to overheat objects.

EMBERFLINT
A dull red powder that sparks and pops whenever moved. Emberflint was no doubt mined in Stonefalls within the Emberflint Mine (by Argonian slaves).

KNOCKOUT POWDER
A finely ground powder that explodes on impact.

SHALK GLANDS/GUTS
Shalk glands are known to have flammable properties. Inferno admixture is an explosive mixture made from combining fire salts and shalk guts.

FIRE STARTERS
Any fine gentlebeing knows that the best way to start fires is to have a fire starter.

• Troll hair is good for starting fires in the wild.
• Flints, firesteel and straws are used in tinderboxes.
• Waterproof pouches are used for firestarting kits.

Arunei

I love the thought process behind storing a highly flammable substance in a wooden container. You'd think they'd use glass, stone, magickal wards, or any other container that isn't itself already flammable.

What I think is funny is the fact that apparently we have no kind of firearms, not even things like cannons, when the means to power those sorts of things exists in the form of all these explosives. A cannon is just a big tube stuffed with gunpowder that ignites when the fuse hits the gunpowder, right? You'd think at least the Imperials would have figured out things like cannons and maybe crude, simple guns, but it seems like none of the races have come up with the concept of a shooty-shooty weapon aside from bows and staffs.

VaranisArano

Arunei wrote: »

I love the thought process behind storing a highly flammable substance in a wooden container. You'd think they'd use glass, stone, magickal wards, or any other container that isn't itself already flammable.

What I think is funny is the fact that apparently we have no kind of firearms, not even things like cannons, when the means to power those sorts of things exists in the form of all these explosives. A cannon is just a big tube stuffed with gunpowder that ignites when the fuse hits the gunpowder, right? You'd think at least the Imperials would have figured out things like cannons and maybe crude, simple guns, but it seems like none of the races have come up with the concept of a shooty-shooty weapon aside from bows and staffs.

There are references to cannons in a Daggerfall joke book, in Redguard, and in the artwork for a TES card (though cropped out of the card itself).

They just haven't appeared in any of the main TES games.