To the Legates - Proposal for the Further Study of Baublium

[WriterX]

Honourable Legates,

We know very little of Baublium other than its use in powering certain forms of both arcane and mechanical machinery. We know that is seems to come from the Machine, or its present in certain area in greater quantity. But its origin, how it comes to be and its exact properties remain unexplored.

Barring the expensive process it would take to find many of the core information regarding Baublium, the thing we could do, even with lesser tests and experiments, is find more uses for it.

As it stands Baublium is primarily used as a fuel source. However there was at least one instance of it being used in arcane weaponry.

If Baublium can be used in weaponry, can it also be used in clothing or armor. Could it also possibly have a use in arcane-engineering?

Baublium seems to store or is capable of passing through certain amounts of arcane power. Much like a channel that allows water to pass, could baublium, if properly refined, allow for the passage of arcane energy through it, allowing for perhaps new and more efficient ways of empowering our defenses, perhaps the Shade, or other future devices.

To simple treat Baublium as merely a fuel is akin to saying that wood, is only a fuel, for we can burn it. Or that charcoal can only be used in warming our homes or stoves. Yet, wood can be used to create all manner of furniture and tools. It can be used to build homes. Charcoal can be used in refining iron into steel. It is not merely a fuel, it is part of a reaction.

Why then must we treat Baublium as if it were merely a fuel, instead of looking at the possibility that we could expand upon its uses? Granted, we still need to keep a certain amount of it for our city to survive, but we should also consider what a possible future Baublium may hold.

As such, this proposal requests official funding toward Baublium research, spearheaded by the city, with the aid of Engineers and Arcanists, not only from the Astronomers of Q'tolip, but also those deemed qualified to aid in such research.

We must be realistic however and realise that a breakthrough may not be immediate, and that such research ought be carefully performed due to baublium's unknown nature.

The scope of the funding of such research I would leave in the able hands of the Pyramid to decide, as well as how many people could be employed for such research. But we stomp upon uneven ground, what path we may take might not immediately bring results. But to sit and do nothing, I believe, is also not the answer.

Working diligently,

Student-Apprentice Orin Vossar