A brand of whale oil used for lighting.
Whale oil is the refined oil that is harvested from whales, has swept Dunwall up in an industrial revolution. Highly volatile, it is harnessed in the form of tanks, which are used to power all of the technology in Dunwall.
Characteristics
Whale oil is easily recognized by the bright blue glow it emits. This can be best seen in the whale processing areas of the Flooded District, where leaked whale oil illuminates the halls and surrounding streets. It is suspected by some that whale oil is produced due to the whale's habitat at great pressures deep below the ocean, for the possible uses of temperature regulation within the whale's body. Yet others believe that if the human body can be exposed to such pressures, the human body can produce something similar to whale oil, yet these experiments have not come to fruition.
It also appears to be extremely unstable and volatile, as simply throwing a container full of it can cause it to explode.
History
A dripping whale oil tank.
Whale oil was discovered as a form of energy by the natural philosopher, Esmond Roseburrow. Originally, whale oil was not that important, only being collected for its use as an easily flammable material. Roseburrow's discovery changed that, when he observed how the poor used it. Through a special refinement process, he turned it into a specialized fuel source that advanced the Isles technologically by centuries. This also turned the whaling industry from a marginal, supplementary one into the single most vital industry for all the Isles. Whaling houses like the Greaves company or the Rothwild Slaughterhouse turned into wealthy, industrial powerhouses. Later Anton Sokolov proposed the first plans which lead to the weaponization of whale oil.
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