The Alchemist's Almanac

[Morty]

This is a registry of all known alchemical ingredients as used throughout dragon-essence!
Their origin, appearance, properties, and rarity will all be recorded here, as well as any other important details you feel should be included!
Alchemical components can be classified into four types, based on their origin:

-Plant origin
-Animal origin
-Inorganic
-Infernal


Plant origin means anything that came from a plant: leaves, stems, roots, sap, juice, bark, seeds, etc. These plants typically grow on Dragon-Essence and are generally on the lower end of the rarity scale. (15-50)

Animal origin means anything that was once part of an animal: blood, horns, eyes, bone, hide, bile, flesh, etc. These animals are usually found roaming the wilds of dragon essence and are generally on the lower end of the rarity scale. (15-50)

Inorganic substances are components that occur in nature but did not necessarily originate from organic matter! This includes things like sulphur, ammonia, orpiment, gold, lead, etc. These substances can typically be mined from the planet's crust or purified from other components. Finding a truly pure sample can be quite difficult and thus they usually occupy a higher echelon on the rarity scale. (20-80)

Infernal components are any ingredient, whether plant, animal, or inorganic, that originated in one of the planes of Hell. These constitute their own class as it is difficult to catalogue the origins of infernal components. Hell is a very strange and wild place, and some of the components obtained here have very fantastical properties. As traffic with Hell is highly restricted, these items are very rare and desirable, occupying the highest echelon of rarity relative to components found on Dragon-Essence. (80-100)

[Midnightmoon]

Example:

Plant Origin:
Sweet Sickle Stalk

Appearance:
It's a vivide dark green with a hint of blackberry blue with long twisting stripes that change colour as it matures. The stripes (usually 2-3) start out lime green when young, fades to cotton candy pink, then to vibrant purple and finally a dark purply red. Each stalk will have a pair of tall grass type leaves that bend over and look like scyths. When they die each season they drop seeds that are a mixture of new stalks and old, which means that you'll commonly find clusters of this plant with a mix of new and anged stalks each year.

Location: Found in jungle marshes and sometimes the fringes of rivers in more northern climates.

Consumption Attributes:
Usually eaten as a treat, similar to fresh honey, if a bit more watery. The adventurous may add it to small pools of water to make it sweeter. Recently, it has been added to different flavors of ice cream to add another texture to the mix.

Herbal Attributes:
New stalk sap (when the stripes are lime green) is used to sooth burns and promote scale growth. Added to certain other herbs and it can make the consumer go to sleep.
Aged stalk sap (when the stipes are dark purple or redish purple) has the same attributes as new (/minor) stalk sap but is more pottent. Used when the patient is extensively burned and can even be used for acid burns to some extent. When made into the draught it must be used with extreme caution (,only as a last resort!). One miscalculation and the patient may never wake up
The stalks and leaves themselves can be ground into a powder to be added to any beverage or food to bring down fevers and headachs. The powder can also be made into a cream (when mixed with other herbs) to stop ichy scales.

Extra: This plant is the origin of the saying; to be as"...sweet as a sickle".

[Midnightmoon]

Plant Origin
Drakin Leaf (commonly known as: Energy Leaf):

Appearance: A large, thick, dark green leaf, it's shape resembles a three toed dragon paw print. Each leaf is as large as a garbage can lid.

Location:
Almost anywhere. It mostly thrives in medeteranian climates but you can still find rare clumps of the herb in southern (snow type terrains, under dense trees) and far northern (desert type terrains. near oasis's) climates. In those cases it will grow in the spring and keep for a few months, otherwise it grows year round.

Consumption Attributes: Mostly used for it's healing properties it can also be used to give a bit of spice/ tang/ "energy" to your meal.

Herbal Attributes:
It has next to no purely magical properties for humans though is still used in their herb medicines. That's why it's "real" name is the "Drakin Leaf" while the dragon population commonly dub it the "Energy Leaf"

Dragons frequently eat the leaves to perform sketchy quick fixs, which allows them to reenergize and ignore minor injuries.
When added to other herbal combinations it gives them a slight boost of potentcy and will speed up the healing attributes of the core herb combination.
A side effect of the herb is that since it's a quick fix, the user will tire more quickly and most likely become more injured because they have forgotten about their previous injuries.

[Morty]

Name: Watcher Moth Dust
Origin: Animal
Rarity: 40

Appearance: A metallic, shimmering grey powder. Very light, sticks to your fingers.

Location: Harvested from the wings of the Watcher moth, a species of moth found mostly in the forests around the energy clan. Harvesting can be a pain as the moths can emit a psychic scream when distressed, discouraging predation.

Consumption attributes:
The powder itself is usually inhaled through the nose and has hallucinogenic properties. It is a very obscure substance, as the visions it generates are generally quite horrific and headache-inducing.
The powder can also be turned into a concentrated liquid and imbibed. This strengthens the hallucinatory effects and reduces the headaches associated with its consumption. Taking too much also tends to send the user to sleep. The liquid form resembles mercury, but darker and cloudier.

Uses:
Often used by priest casts or cultists to induce nightmares for interpretation.
Has also been used as a slow-acting poison: many a rival ruler has been driven mad by the visions of horror incited by this drug. Users may find themselves confusing dreams with reality, and prolonged use brings about paranoia, migraines, and brain fever. Some victims may even become comatose if exposed to the drug for too long.

Image! i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae262/Wiremouth/FortheLulz/tincturesandpowders_zps68faf88d.png

[Morty]

Name: Gryphon Down
Origin: Animal
Rarity: 35

Appearance: Large feathers than come in many different colours. Down is the most readily available as it is readily shed by Gryphons during moulting season.

Location: Abandoned Gryphon nests and from the gryphons themselves, who might trade their moulted feathers for nuts and berries, etc. Found only on the continent.

Attributes:
While actually consuming the gryphon down is discouraged, gryphon down is quite warm and magical- as well as weather-resistant.

Uses: Is it used in clothes to protect against hostile magic, and can be powdered and distilled, along with other ingredients, to create a potion that will increase the users's resilience to magic. While the feathers themselves are common, it takes a skilled enchanter or alchemist to bring out its full potency. Some gryphon feathers are better than others. Pinion feathers are the most potent, but can only be harvested from a dead gryphon, so they are quite rare.

Note: Do not eat the feathers raw. Wash well before handling, especially around children. Lightly oil or wax for best preservation.

[Morty]

Name: Fireweed (Chamerion Infernaris)
Origin: Infernal
Rarity: 80

Appearance: A dark green stalk with spiky leaves and small orange flowers that grow in bunches near the top.

Location: Grows everywhere where there's soil in Hell, it is considered a weed by most. Can grow even in the most acidic soil. A very hardy and prolific plant.

Attributes:
When chewed, the leaves of fireweed impart a warm, heady sensation not unlike a burst of adrenaline, and makes the tongue feel tingly. Older, more potent plants will ignite when chewed. The leaves are rather pungent-tasting and have an earthy aroma. The flowers smell spicy-sweet and are often used in perfume. The spicy extract that can be made from the flowers is not for the faint of heart. It grows quite quickly and abundantly in the acrid soils of Hell.

Uses:
The leaves can be eaten as a mild narcotic and are useful for lighting fires with, as the leaf will ignite when chewed thoroughly, producing mock fire-breath.
Younger leaves can be brewed into a potion that will stave off frostbite and shield the user from the cold, and is useful in arctic exploration.
Older leaves are useful for making incendiaries. When shaken and exposed to the open air, the potion will ignite. Handle with caution.
The flowers are fragrant and make a nice, cheap perfume, or can be sprinkled on food as a spice. Their scent has been compared to that of cloves, but with a citrusy undercurrent. Distilled, it is very spicy and acidic, and can be added to drinks for flavor.

Notes: In an uncharacteristic feat of foresight, Iskander brought a batch of Fireweed seeds with him from the planes of Hell and plans on planting them EVERYWHERE.

[Kauria]

Name: Oilwort
Origin: Plant
Rarity: 20

Appearance: Oilwort grows in short clumps of fleshy blue-green stalks with fat, waxy leaves. Its flowers have miniscule white or lavender petals, and only bloom for a few days at a time.

Location: Plentiful around dry river beds, flood plains, or vernal pools - places formerly covered in large amounts of water. More common in warm climates, but still found almost anywhere.

Attributes: Oilwort roots are very shallow, so it takes little effort to cleanly uproot an entire cluster. The plant can re-root itself quickly in any appropriate environment. When broken, the stems and leaves ooze a smooth, colorless sap that dries quickly, but still remains slightly slick to the touch.

Uses: Oilwort sap can be used to create an oil that waterproofs feathers (and fur), so it's especially popular among air dragons wishing to avoid the unpleasantries and danger of sodden wings or manes.
If applied to an open cut or sore, oilwort sap can create a water-repellent seal over the wound to stave off infection or excessive bleeding and promote faster healing. It is mildly antibacterial, though it is still a good idea to clean any wounds before applying lest contaminants be trapped inside.
Oilwort extract is also sometimes used when cooking food, though the flavor is a little too greasy for many.
It may also be consumed directly, but much of it is water and has little nutritional value.

[Kauria]

Name: Magesbane (also magebane, magesteel, etc.)
Origin: Inorganic
Rarity: 65

Appearance: An unassuming silver-gray metal with a faint coppery sheen. Malleable, but highly durable, even in its unrefined form.

Location: Magesbane ore is mined from deep within the earth; deposits usually appear near the sites of old cities or similarly ancient or mystical locations. It is incredibly difficult to find and mine, usually requiring the assistance of trained spellcasters. It is also ridiculously expensive.
Dragons are rarely found to possess or use magesbane. It's more of a human thing.

Attributes:
• Raw magesbane ore can cause discomfort and weakness in magic-users on contact.
• Pure, refined magesbane harmfully deflects any magical energy directed at it back to its source (even if the original spell would not have caused harm to its user).
• More common, however, are magesbane alloys, which allow for a variety of properties and applications at a lower price than pure magesbane. Alloys are also usually more durable. Most important is the alloys' ability to be enchanted to expand the metal's effects. Enchantments are sometimes used to build weaknesses into magesbane's natural magic resistance. Trustworthy enchanters are difficult to find and expensive to commission.
• Magesbane ore can also be ground into a powder that, when mixed with water and crushed Drakin leaves, creates a potion capable of counteracting almost any magic-based poison, although the victim will be rendered incapable of using magic themselves until the potion is removed from their system.

Lore: Magesbane items are the mark of the wealthy and paranoid. If something is made with magesbane, you can bet your boots that it's important to its owner.
Medics to royalty often keep magesbane powder on hand.

[Morty]

Name: Ferrus Plant
Origin: Plant
Rarity: 25

Appearance: Tall, narrow-leafed plant with dark green leaves and a thick stalk. The leaves are tear shaped with serrated edges. When cut it will produce a sticky sap that is red in younger plants but black in old ones.

Location: Mostly in the forests of the earth and energy clans, it thrives in iron-rich soils.

Attributes: It has a rather awful metallic taste due to its high iron content. Eating it enriches the blood but too much can be toxic. It is eaten by the grubs of the watcher moth when they are forming their protective cocoons. They have odd magnetic properties. It is said that the stalks of the Ferrus plant will bend towards any great source of magnetism: Thus, for miles around, all Ferrus plants lean towards the Energy Peak. In certain legends, a person who is bowed to by the Ferrus plant is destined for great power.

Uses: As a rich source of iron, Ferrus leaves are very healthy. If one has lost a lot of blood recently, it is recommended to eat ferrus leaf. Dropped in water, a Ferrus leaf will always point North, or towards the Energy Peak, and thus they are useful in navigation. Supposedly, if one eats a lot of it, one can even begin to feel oneself drawn towards magnetic locations. The sap of young plants is often used as a pigment for its redness.

[Morty]

Name: Blood moss
Origin: Infernal
Rarity: 88

Appearance: A shaggy, blood red moss with roots like spiny feelers. The roots writhe when the moss is disturbed.

Location: This moss grows in swamps on the bodies of dead creatures in certain regions of
Hell. It prefers a dark, damp environment but can be found in many places.

Attributes: Blood moss grows on carcasses because it feeds on rotting flesh. It is very acidic, so it is not very good for eating, but placing it on wounds is highly antiseptic, as it will eat any bacteria and non-living tissue, and as such can ward off gangrene. When the wound is clean the moss will simply drop off and scuttle away on its centipede-like roots. The moss is not edible, and it is not recommended one try to eat it as it is very hard to kill and will writhe angrily if it is harmed.

Uses: Allowing the moss to attach itself to a wound staves off infection and promotes clotting, as the moss forms an absorbent web over the damaged tissue. Bloodmoss can be a great weapon against the undead as it will eat the rotten flesh of the zombies. Practically any dead organic material can be done away with using blood moss. Unfortunately in currently only grows on the planes of Hell.

[Nohiki]

Protozoa Origin: Trypanosoma Tartatus

Description: This species of the Trypanosoma is very rare and located only on Dragon Essence, or at least it was never reported on the continent. It was believed to be exterminated due to the procedures enacted in the last epidemic (Only drinkable water was that summoned by a water dragon, dead were immediately burned, sick quarantined). It is the cause to the uncurable Magia Mortis.

Disease description Magia Mortis affects only beings with strong natural agic, such as dragons or elves. Humans are not safe from it's effects though, as it causes a slightly less severe sleeping sickness in them than it's 'brother' species, Trypanosoma brucei, but still lethal and uncurable. In dragons, it can lead to death, although the protozoa feeds on magic. The stronger the magic in the subject is, the more likely he or she is to survive, but they must not use their magic, for it would cause pain and other unpleasant states, such as coma. It's incubation period is also rises with the strength of the user. In the case of dragons, when the symptoms arrive, the disease is already at terminal stage.

Infection: This disease has several transmission vectors. It can transmit orally, through a wound, or on any other contact with the insides of the soon to be patient. It's most dangerous ability however is called 'infection beam! - it can transmit through magic attacks that make physical contact, such as beams, balls or bolts.

[Morty]

Name: Slipan moss
Origin: Animal
Rarity: 50

Appearance: Pale green/grey-brown/white trailing moss resembling hair with small, pale flowers of varying colour.

Location: This moss grows on the backs of the Slipan horses, a long-lived and intelligent breed of horse sacred to the ______ people. It is extremely rare, as not only are the number of Slipan in decline, but it is considered criminal to cut the moss of of the sacred horse, even a dead one.

Attributes: The moss is typically boiled into a tea, but can be chewed eaten raw, and has a rather strong, musky taste. While it tastes rather unpleasant, it is very healthy, promoting blood circulation and bolstering the immune system. It is even said to promote longevity, if consumed regularly. (A treatment which is only available to the very rich.)

Uses: It can cure practically any illness, and has been known to save people from the brink of death. It is only used in extreme situations by the Slipan riders. It is also very warm.

[Morty]

Name: Harpy's Foot
Origin: Plant
Rarity: 20

Appearance: Bristly, dark green stalk plant with fleshy, four-pointed leaves that curl inwards towards the center.

Location: Grows commonly in plains and rural locations, it is a hardy plant that can grow in a wide range of temperatures and soil types. Often it is considered a weed.

Attributes: Its weedy taste and stringy texture make it unfit for raw consumption, but soups and compresses made from Harpy's foot have useful properties.

Uses: Harpy's foot can help cure fevers when ingested, and soothes stinging when pressed to a skin wound. (From a bee or a nettle, for example.)

[Nohiki]

Name: Hellsclover
Origin: Plantlife/Infernal
Rarity: 85/15

Appearance: A red, 4 leafed plant, not taller than grass.

Location: Very common plant on the infernal plane that was brought to Dragon Essence by either uncaring visitor or a visitor with twisted sense of humor. Fortunately it only grows on places with similar heat as the infernal plane, such as the fire clan territory.

Attributes: It is one of the hottest plants in the world, second only to Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. It can cause even a dragon great discomfort when stepped on, despite their thick scales.

Uses: In small amounts, it is a great spice for extremely hot food. It's bright red color doubles the use in the kitchen, as anything that is prepared with even the smallest amount of it looks like it was splattered in fresh blood. In greater amounts, it is used by pranksters and even as crowd supression weapon in certain territories, as even the smallest amount of the ground leaves in the air causes everyone's eyes and nostrils to burn intensely.

[Kauria]

Name: Dragonsbane (also called dragonbane)
Origin: Inorganic
Rarity: 55

Appearance: Iridescent quartzlike crystals, often with a faint purple or green tint emanating from their base. Naturally-occurring crystals are rarely bigger than a human's thumb, and it can take many fragments to magically manufacture one even that size.

Location: Deposits appear within mountainous caverns, and veins of dragonsbane crystals are sometimes sighted among the layers of deep canyons and sedimentary rock. They occasionally form inside geodes.
There are rumors of giant crystals and massive deposits in caves long hidden from man or dragon, but no proof has been found that such places exist.

Attributes: Dragonsbane weakens dragons and dragon-like creatures, like flits. Dragons close to / in contact with dragonsbane feel enervated and helpless, sapped of their ability to fight and sometimes even their will to do so. The effects worsen the longer a dragon is exposed to the crystals and last for a while afterwards. Small amounts have a near-negligible effect, causing only feelings of unease, while large amounts can actually be dangerous to a dragon's health. Dragonsbane is toxic if ingested.

Uses: Dragonsbane is obviously (almost) never used by dragons. It is a favored tool of dragonslayers and is often carried by any human who plans on confronting a dragon. The crystals can be woven into metal cables to construct traps, nets, and harnesses, or inlaid into weapons and armor to increase their effectiveness against dragonkind. Powdered, it is used to make dragon poison.
Dragonsbane can be used as a material component in spells and rituals specifically designed to target dragons, with devastating effects.
Items are virtually never made completely from dragonsbane.