On a colony of Auberean (Asheron's planet), a mana shortage

In an uncharted land on Auberean, 5 portal-jumps from Dereth, we have just started a new colony to spread out far and wide and tame a new land of all the wild, vicious creatures whose ferocity has been further enhanced by a form of dark magic.

After training the page to mount and fly a new Gromnie many stories above the land, and to shoot down the skyreavers with the crossbow-and-quarrel, we have retrieved the downed skyreavers for tonight's meal, and to re-make the bones into new tools for magic staves - some for our use, and others to sell at the local sorcerers' market.

A town crier / messenger has just announced to the town: "We have received word that a suppression field is making the mana supply less potent, so we have figured out ways to adapt. Using this explosive gray powder, if you harness it properly in the cannon, you will shoot out this iron arrow."