Hygeth
Hygeth, from an old pre-Estuan word meaning ‘forethought’ , is a nootropic substance usually consumed as a tincture or as a tea. It increases focus, attention, memory, and the speed of thoughts. Originally a divinatory entheogen, the substance is now heavily used by quantitative and clairvoyant sorcerers for its specific properties.
The substance has long been used in Bastia and Anaxas but is largely unknown or rare in the other kingdoms. Its oldest documented use is in very early Anaxi texts as a specific reserved for seers.
Over time, the precise composition of hygeth has altered, and many chemists have their own specific blends. The core of hygeth, however, has not changed much in centuries: coca leaf, ephedra, and the sap of the purple nenuphar, are the primary active ingredients. Occasionally hallucinations are mixed in, but these are more the province of traditional diviners.
One particular form is hygethwine, which is, quite literally ‘the wine of forethought’. It contains a number of flavoring and attenuation agents which make the drink less unpleasant tasting and spread the effects over a longer duration. Hibiscus, cardamom, and black pepper are almost always part of hygethwine. It is purplish-red in color and has a sour, tart, and alkaline flavor.
Tincture of hygeth is a particularly strong form and, like hygethwine, bright purplish-red in color. Available as either a syrup or resinous substance, it must be dissolved in hot liquid or in alcohol in order to release the active compounds.
The legality of hygeth is somewhat complicated as dilute tinctures and hygethwine are legal in Anaxas and Bastia (where the traditional consumption is strongest) but stronger forms are of more dubious legality.
The substance has long been used in Bastia and Anaxas but is largely unknown or rare in the other kingdoms. Its oldest documented use is in very early Anaxi texts as a specific reserved for seers.
Over time, the precise composition of hygeth has altered, and many chemists have their own specific blends. The core of hygeth, however, has not changed much in centuries: coca leaf, ephedra, and the sap of the purple nenuphar, are the primary active ingredients. Occasionally hallucinations are mixed in, but these are more the province of traditional diviners.
One particular form is hygethwine, which is, quite literally ‘the wine of forethought’. It contains a number of flavoring and attenuation agents which make the drink less unpleasant tasting and spread the effects over a longer duration. Hibiscus, cardamom, and black pepper are almost always part of hygethwine. It is purplish-red in color and has a sour, tart, and alkaline flavor.
Tincture of hygeth is a particularly strong form and, like hygethwine, bright purplish-red in color. Available as either a syrup or resinous substance, it must be dissolved in hot liquid or in alcohol in order to release the active compounds.
The legality of hygeth is somewhat complicated as dilute tinctures and hygethwine are legal in Anaxas and Bastia (where the traditional consumption is strongest) but stronger forms are of more dubious legality.
