Tisanes of the Labyrinth
These preparations are of special interest to the priests of The Way. Each of these preparations uses Liao, and consequently those apothecaries who master them usually require the assistance of someone with access to that comparatively rare preparation, Under normal circumstances this means a priest with a congregation as a resource.
Usher's Decoction
Consuming this sweet, pale orange preparation allows a character to enhance their ability to perform priest skills.
The dreams that come after a use of Usher's Decoction are troubling to some theological scholars. While many of these dreams seem to be little more than night-time fancies, albeit very vivid ones, there is some circumstantial evidence that the dreamer is actually experiencing one of the dreams originally dreamt by a past life. Priests have reported dreams that made sense only in the context of someone else's life.
- Effect: The next time you use one of the skills anointing, consecration, hallow, exorcism, excommunication or testify, you count as an additional priest towards the power of the skill. You must possess the skill in question to use it.
- Roleplaying Effects: Until you next use a priest skill, and for a short time therafter, you feel remarkably centred. If you are dedicated to a virtue, you feel a strong urge to take action in line with that virtue. If not, you feel a strong urge to take action in keeping with your personal philosophy. The night after drinking this potion you will have particularly vivid dreams.
- Recipe: One dram of Marrowort and a single dose of Liao.
Waywalker's Suffusion
Consuming this bitter, midnight blue preparation allows a character to greatly enhance their ability to perform certain priest skills.
Theologians have discussed this potion at some length. There is a school of thought that it somehow places one in contact with those previous incarnations who were either strongly virtuous or were actual priests of The Way, somehow drawing on their presence to empower one's understanding and ability to effect the world. There is little concrete evidence for this, but there are regular - if rare - reports where one of the auditory hallucinations said something that seemed relevant to the situation at hand, or offered a fragment of useful insight.
- Effect: The next time you use one of the skills anointing, consecration, hallow, exorcism, excommunication or testify, you count as a three additional priests towards the power of the skill. You must possess the skill in question to use it.
- Roleplaying Effects: Until you next use a priest skill, and for a short time therafter, the drinker is aware of unseen presences as if you are at the centre of an unseen crowd. Occasionally the drinker may experience auditory hallucinations of distant muttering or occasionally a comprehensible word or fragment of a sentence.
- Recipe: Two drams each of Cerulean Mazzarine and Marrowort and three full doses of Liao.
Shadowcrow Infusion
This was originally developed by Kallavesi priests making a study of the Imperial faith. members of the synod have several times attempted to have the use of this mystical infusion declared illegal, but has not yet succeeded in getting the support of the Senate in doing so. Indeed, some priests argue that seeking to outlaw knowledge is a slippery slope that leads to unvirtuous behaviour.
An interesting side effect of the preparation is that it seems to ensure a dreamless sleep, meaning that the preparation is sometimes useful in treating traumatic memories, troubled sleep, night terrors and the attentions of certain malign spiritual presences.
- Effect: Inhaling the steam from this infusion causes the aura of the drinker to become impossible to read with the Insight skill or similar effects. The character becomes unable to make use of liao or of any skill that requires liao. The effect lasts until the next sunrise.
- Roleplaying Effects: Inhaling this infusion causes a momentary anguish, like the sudden separation from a loved one, but there are no other immediate affects. Any time the character sleeps under the influence of the potion, they either do not dream or do not remember their dreams.
- Recipe: One dram of Marrowort and a dose of Liao.