Lambent Essences
Mastery of these recipes allows an apothecary to brew preparations valuable to ritual magicians versed in the lore of Day. With one of these potions a ritualist can wield the magic of the Day realm more effectively, but they also become more susceptible to the influence of that realm. Like the Magnum Opus, preparation of these recipes involves a slightly more alchemical than herbal approach. Herbs are carefully measured out with mithril, silver and copper spoons, sublimed in weltsilver crucibles, and distilled and condensed to draw out their essential natures.
Prior to the liberation of Reikos in 379YE, Imperial apothecaries who had mastered the Lambent Essences knew how to prepare both Effulgent Primessence and Lucent Quintessence. During the rout of the Druj orcs of the Stone Toad from the Highborn territory, many documents detailing the techniques of the Buruk Tepel fell into the hands of scouts, soldiers, and adventurers alike. Some of these notes originated not with the barbarians, but with Highborn scholars of the herbal arts - and the details of Radiant Transcendence found in those notes clearly originated with a so far unnamed apothecary from High Chalcis. The potion was clearly built on principles familiar to practitioners of the Lambent Essences, and appeared to possess only minor interest for the savage Buruk Tepel. Knowledge of how to brew this potent (if expensive) new elixir quickly spread through the Empire - partially due to the work of certain Navarr stridings with an interest in magic of the Day realm.
Effulgent Primessence
This delicate, clear liquid often glows slightly in shadowed areas. It rapidly sublimes when exposed to air, becoming a fine vapour that is inhaled by a ritual magician to enhance their perception of the magic of Day. By helping the ritualist to focus their thoughts, they can achieve a synergy with the concepts and themes embodied by that realm.
Overuse of Effulgent Primessence can lead to increasing lassitude. It becomes increasingly hard to care about physical things, and there are some rare cases where magicians have starved to death, lacking the inclination to move from their couches to satisfy their hunger or thirst. Users remain coherent, intelligent and capable of rational discourse, which can often hide the signs of Effulgent Primessence abuse.
- Form: Infusion.
- Description: This clear liquid glows slightly with an inner radiance even in shadow. The liquid bubbles and beings to evaporate when exposed to the air. A tiny droplet on your tongue has a delicate, delicious flavour that you cannot quite place.
- Roleplaying Effects: You become calm and cerebral, fascinated by thoughts, ideas and knowledge. You are disinclined to physical action where mental action might be sufficient. Your movements and thoughts become precise and ordered
- Mechanical Effects: If you possess the Day lore skill, then you gain one additional effective rank to the next Day ritual that you perform within ten minutes, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. This is a tonic; the effect of any other tonic you have drunk immediately ends.
- Recipe: Two drams of Marrowort and one dram each of True Vervain, Cerulean Mazzarine and Bladeroot, and one mana crystal.
Lucent Quintessence
This translucent liquid appears to have a slightly different shade from different angles. It is often diluted with fresh water before it is consumed ,as it has an almost overwhelming flavour of aniseed that some people find unpleasant. It is brewed from the distilled essences of four different herbs, which combine with the essence of the drink and allow them to align their thoughts strongly with the realm of Day. Complex ideas and strange geometries become easier to comprehend, allowing the drinker to more readily manipulate Day magic with mortal consciousness.
- Form: Liquid.
- Description: This clear liquid seems to have a slightly different colour from different angles. It smells strongly of aniseed, and a tiny droplet on your tongue reveals it to have an almost overwhelming flavour of aniseed as well.
- Roleplaying Effects: You become highly focused, pursuing things that interest you with stubborn doggedness. You find it difficult to show interest in things that do not engage your intellect, no matter how important it might be to others.
- Mechanical Effects: If you possess the Day lore skill then you can use up to 3 personal mana as if it were crystal mana on the next day ritual that you perform within ten minutes.
- Recipe: Three drams of Marrowort, two drams each of True Vervain and Bladeroot and one dram of Cerulean Mazzarine.
Radiant Transcendence
Radiant Transcendence is a thin salve that is applied to the hands and face. It is kept in sealed containers because once exposed to air the salve begins to heat up and will eventually consume itself in a flash of heat, leaving only a strong scent of salt water and Marrowort blossom. The process of creating the salve in the first place is quite fraught - the herbs and other components must be carefully prepared and once the salve is near completion, it must be sealed in an airtight container, or the apothecary will lose all the ingredients and have nothing to show for it.
The salve is refreshing, but it also encourages magicians who use it to impose their will on their surroundings to make their world more orderly, more efficient, and "neater". It is all-too-easy for a group relying on Radiant Transcendence to fall into argument about how best to arrange their ritual that lasts for so long that by the time the ritual is attempted, any benefits from using the salve has been lost.
- Form: Salve.
- Description: There are thousands of tiny grains suspended in this translucent, oily substance. When exposed to air, the grains begin to glow faintly as the substance becomes warmer. A droplet on your tongue has a refreshing flavour.
- Roleplaying Effects: This salve cleans your skin as it is absorbed. You become increasingly offended by anything you see as disordered, random, or inefficient. You feel an urge to impose order on your surroundings, and on the people around you.
- Mechanical Effects: If you possess the Day lore skill, then you gain three additional ranks to the next Day ritual that you perform within ten minutes, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. This is a tonic; the effect of any other tonic you have drunk immediately ends.
- Recipe: Three drams of Marrowort, two drams of True Vervain, one dram each of Cerulean Mazzarine and Bladeroot, one crystallised mana, and one ring of ilium.
| Potion | Roleplaying Effect | Mechanical Effect | Bladeroot | Cerulean Mazzarine | Imperial Roseweald | Marrowort | True Vervain | Mana Crystal | Liao | Ilium | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effulgent Primessence | You become calm and cerebral, fascinated by thoughts, ideas and knowledge. You are disinclined to physical action where mental action might be sufficient. Your movements and thoughts become precise and ordered | If you possess the Day lore skill, then you gain one additional effective rank to the next Day ritual that you perform within ten minutes, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. This is a tonic; the effect of any other tonic you have drunk immediately ends. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Lucent Quintessence | You become highly focused, pursuing things that interest you with stubborn doggedness. You find it difficult to show interest in things that do not engage your intellect, no matter how important it might be to others. | If you possess the Day lore skill then you can use up to 3 personal mana as if it were crystal mana on the next day ritual that you perform within ten minutes. | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Radiant Transcendence | This salve cleans your skin as it is absorbed. You become increasingly offended by anything you see as disordered, random, or inefficient. You feel an urge to impose order on your surroundings, and on the people around you. | If you possess the Day lore skill, then you gain three additional ranks to the next Day ritual that you perform within ten minutes, subject to the normal rules for effective skill. This is a tonic; the effect of any other tonic you have drunk immediately ends. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |