For the first time, I've discovered about the phlogiston theory. I heard about phlogiston when reading through the RPG books, but I never realized that it wasn't a made-up name. It actually comes from a rather solid theory that explains fire and more specifically combustion. It says that fire is created by 'liberating' it from the fuel source and allowing it to turn to an actual fire. While it's contained, it's phlogiston and the fuel is 'phlogisticated'. Air that is phlogisticated later turned out to be pure oxygen, mixes of nitrogen and carbondioxide, or even hydrogen.
The theory turned out to be only partially true. Carbon and carbondioxide is 'liberated' from the fuel and in combination with the heat, it will temporarily glow, causing what we know as a flame. However, this only applies to organic material, or even simply hydrocarbons. The theory says that metal should lose weight when burned, but when burned, oxygen will be captured by the metal, the other way around.
So, this theory presumes a lot of things and we know some details of phlogiston. What would the consequences be if the phlogiston theory would be real? Or is phlogiston, a material used in the RPG, simply a name for contained hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon? Perhaps more importantly, doesn't it conflict with the classical 'four elements'?
Finally, in the game World of Warcraft, supposedly only the quillboar Roogug can operate a phlogiston collector; while all dwarven, gnome and goblin technology are in the end founded on phlogiston, supposedly.
A small description of phlogiston by the RPG;
Phlogiston The miracle substance driving most technology in the world of Warcraft is phlogiston, a gas collected from the air and distilled into vials of liquid phlogiston. Phlogiston — odorless, weightless, and almost undetectable — makes steam technology practical by speeding combustion and increasing the heat produced by steam boilers.
Unless specified elsewhere, along with their other fuel requirements, phlogiston-powered devices require 1 vial of liquid phlogiston per week. Vehicles may require anywhere between 1 and 20 vials per week (or more!) based on their size and weight.
A phlogiston vial weighs one-quarter pound and has a market value of 20 gp, as described.
Produced by phlogiston collectors, vials of liquid phlogiston contain a precise mixture of oil, water and phlogiston gas. Liquid phlogiston allows smaller boilers to burn at the tremendous temperatures and pressures that enable portable tinker technology and gigantic vehicles to operate. In addition to its application in technological devices, phlogiston has found use in elixirs that alter the imbiber’s abilities for a short time.
The most common power source is a phlogiston furnace, a bulky, steam-powered assembly that is worn like a backpack, or built onto a larger device as an add-on or upgrade. Phlogiston furnaces typically connect to a techmod item through an armored cable that acts as a conduit between the phlogiston furnace and the item itself.
Description: The first samples of phlogiston were collected in the labs of dwarven tinkers in Khaz Modan when a vacuum pump was used to collect the superheated air over a kettle of molten iron. In the years since, the process has been much refined, leading to the development of the phlogiston collector.
This wagon-sized machinery has a large intake valve to pull air into a reserve over a glowing crucible. Once the phlogiston gas has been separated and purified, the device bubbles it into a mixture of oil and water to capture it. The liquid is then siphoned into glass vials and sold as “liquid phlogiston,” the fuel for many devices.
Operation: A phlogiston collector running at full speed can collect 40 vials of liquid phlogiston per hour, though collectors running on mountaintops collect a bit more and collectors at seaside collect a bit less.
Phlogiston collectors are temperamental and require constant supervision. If they collect too little phlogiston gas, the water content of the liquid phlogiston will too high and devices won’t operate properly. If too much phlogiston gas is collected, the crucible inside may start to react with the gas, burning white-hot until the entire collector melts into slag and the collected gas explodes.
A phlogiston furnace is a steam powered backpack that uses phlogiston to power turbines that produce sufficient energy to power a tech-mod device. Much like the phlogiston-based power sources of many more complicated technological devices, the phlogiston furnace produces a continuous stream of steam and makes a rumbling chuffing noise as it vents excess gas and pressure.
Made in a variety of sizes, the power furnaces are designed to power technological devices, but can be adapted to power tech-mod devices as well. Phlogiston furnaces are typically well insulated and strapped to the back of the person using it to power an item. In the case of armor, a phlogiston furnace might be incorporated into its actual structure instead of being worn as a separate item. In all cases, a phlogiston furnace occupies the cloak magic item slot.
