The Black Tar (Zeftmensch)

The Black Tar, known in old dialect as Zeftmensch (or informally Zeftensch / Zeft), is a corrosive, soul-polluting hydrocarbon sludge that bubbles up from the abyssal subterranean fissures of the Farseas.

Origins & Ecological Crisis

The tar originally surged to the surface after Thayan saboteurs undermined the Farfetcher Pumps beneath Silverpool, causing dormant hydrocarbon pockets to fracture. The rising black sludge choked riverbeds, suffocated native wild rice beds, and contaminated ancient dwarven reservoirs.

The Fungal Synthesis (The Stormhorns Discovery)

Recent battlefield investigations in the Stormhorns revealed a terrifying secondary origin: as thousands of war casualties from the Krusht offensive accumulate in the alpine lakebed outside M.A.S.H., the rampant mycelial bloom of Eadaz (The Mushroom Queen) has begun to actively ferment and weep fresh Zeftmensch directly from piles of decomposing fungal dead.

Industrial & Combat Applications

Dieselpunk Combustion: Refined by House Irungarten to drive massive hydraulic dredge pumps, forge pistons, and steam-crawlers.
Combat Stims: Alchemically distilled by Vaelinor Silmara into lethal serums that grant temporary superhuman strength, pain resistance, and agility at the cost of horrific physical and mental corruption.
Tar-Infused Undead: Exposure to deep tar pockets binds deceased souls into mindless, berserk tar-aberrations that regenerate unless cauterized with elemental fire or Hydracephelate.

Countermeasures

Hydracephelate: The blue elemental byproduct engineered by House Irungarten is the sole known chemical neutralizer for Zeftmensch. It dissolves the viscous binding agents of the tar and completely blocks the regenerative properties of tar-blighted matter.