Re: alchemists ballista bolt

>         You sure?  I found a reference
>(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus)
>that says it's *stored* in water.  So, if it ignites, water won't put it
>out (which I kinda remember), but it won't *ignite* in water?  Do you have
>any references for this?


Haven't you ever heard of a white phosphorous grenade?  I'm a veteran, I was
in the first gulf war, and I also have a BS with a minor in chemistry.
Phosphourous burns in water.  It strips the oxygen right of the water
molecule and uses it as fuel.  I think they store it in oil, too, not water.
  They do this because the chemical bonds in the oil are more stable, and
oil and water do not mix, so you know no traces of water are present when
you put the phosphorous in oil.  I know for a fact they store Sodium in oil,
because it is really reactive, too.  Sodium and phosphorous are closley
related elements.

That's why white phosphorous from grenades is so nasty.  It gets into you
and starts using the water in your blood to burn, so it eats little holes
into you where the fragments hit.  Where normal fire would go out from lack
of oxygen, it keeps digging in and stripping it's own oxygen away from the
water inside you.  You have to physically remove it from you or let it burn
right through to get it out of you.  A WP grenade will also burn right
through the engine block of a jeep and then burn a hole into the ground
underneath the engine.  Seen it done.

BTW, that link does say they put white phosphorous in water, but I think
that is a typo.

Sodium in metal form is pretty nasty, too, it might make a good weapon, if
it could be magically or chemically purified into it's metal form.  It is
inert as a salt.

- Coyote, the Desert Dog

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