Trophy: Elixirs, Tinctures, and Herbal Remedies from Old Kalduhr

[jesseross]

The forest holds many treasures. Some of the most important ones are not made of delicate gold or carved marble. Rather, they are harvested, ground, mixed with various other herbs, and used as potions, poultices, or poisons.

@jasoncordova and I are putting together a standalone book for the Trophy RPG (the game and its many expansions are currently featured in each new issue of Codex). One of the things we’re going to do with this book is include numerous tables that help flesh out the world Trophy takes place in. Keeping with the spirit of Trophy as a community project, we’re going to be crowdsourcing many of the elements that go into these tables. We already have a number of these crowdsourcing threads underway, any of which you can still contribute to. They can be found in this master list:

Trophy: Crowdsourcing Master List

For this installment, we’re exploring the strange substances concocted from parts of the forest. We’re looking for one type of contribution:

Elixirs, tinctures, and herbal remedies discovered in the Forest of Kalduhr

NOTE: Please avoid anything that feels like sexual predation or that is misogynistic in nature. We won’t print such things.

You can submit as many entries as you wish. By submitting here, you agree to let us use your contribution in the Trophy standalone book and PDF (you will be credited as a contributor). Submissions should be fairly brief (just a few sentences). Here are some examples:

“Praised by innkeepers and despised by musicians, the deep violet berries of the whisperbush plant cause a temporary deafness when ingested.”

“Found growing along just one rocky stretch of the Naveh River, the tendril-covered sunburst mushroom must be harvested using metal gauntlets. Failing to do so is a painful mistake, as the mushroom voraciously consumes virtually any organic matter it is put into contact with.”

“The pale green stonefruit known as The Duchess’ Delight was the first plant from the forest to find a home in the fine gardens of Ambaret. Not only did it thrive as a cultivated plant, its soft, sweet flesh began providing an additional benefit. When fermented and distilled, the Delight emboldens the drinker, reducing fear, anxiety, and inhibition.”

[maenad]

Spiraceavit, harvested by collecting the frost that kills wild rye, is a powerful alkahest, and known to produce especially powerful spirits when used in the distillation and fermentation of other grains. The fermented product of pure spiraceavit is rumored to give the imbiber the ability to see into the next world, despite inducing permanent blindness to this one.

[iamiragrace]

No adult believes anymore the stories of Valdun Dir about the tiny moths that can be found among the blackberry bushes. He claims each one has a single diminutive mushroom growing on their thorax that, when ingested, will show you the path forward – or out.

[iamiragrace]

There were tales of a village on the farside of the forest that had distilled an elixir that could sooth all wily and elusive ailments without clouding the mind. When intrepid merchants reached the town of Flung, however, they found nobody left, only a clutch of rabbits hopping about the town square.

[iamiragrace]

“The tincture is pungent and sweet to the nose, an acerbic flavor to the tongue, clear and blue to the eye. Its effects, unpleasant but occasionally useful, change with each new moon, growing more volatile the more cycles it’s seen.”
– From a fragment of parchment torn from “Mog’s Guide to Fluids”

[maenad]

There is a mushroom known as prohibolor, or colloquially as corpse fungus. It is putrescent purple, with a notable stench, and can often be found growing near rotted remains. Common wisdom is that the fungus can be used to form a poultice after being masticated into a paste. When applied to a bloody wound, the poultice will block pain completely. It is a remedy only used in dire circumstances, as, if the poultice is left on the wound for more than a few minutes, the wound will begin to fruit with similarly colored mushrooms.

[maenad]

The blue phoenix, Dolorem azul, is famously found roosting at the apex of conifers that have been stripped of their needles by some force. The bird itself is gamy, with stringy meat and generally unpleasant taste. However, the feathers, when pulverized, produce an irridescent pigment that can be mixed with human sweat to form a paint. Applying this paint directly to skin causes the painted area to become nearly invisible for a few minutes. Legend has it that ingesting the feathers raw has a longer, more complete, effect, but no one has reported success with this method; indeed, few have been willing to try.

Dracule’s carrot is a vibrant orange tuber that grows plentifully near crossroads, often identified by the similarly colored astaraceae flowers that bloom from the stems. It is delicious prepared most any way: sweet and nutty. Much like the common carrot, consuming too much of it causes the pigment to diffuse through your skin, tinging your flesh distinctly orange. However, this pigment is uniquely photosensitive, and becomes toxic when exposed to direct sunlight. As such, these carrots should only be consumed if you plan to travel exclusively at night.

[BlakeRyan]

Apricot Sunrise is a gnarly orange root found under the oldest fruit trees in the Levasti valleys. It is said if the root is ground down and boiled with Beetroot and Onion, the drinkers can share dreams, visiting each others minds. Those who drink the soup too often may find themselves taking on the fears or dreams of those they share with.

A vial of Glistening Harmony will cure a lack of desire, be it apathy for work, verbal interaction, or bedroom endeavours. The mix consists of Mint Leaves, Silver powder, ripe Blueberries, some Chalk, and Honey from a hive over 6 years old. The correct recipe is one of the most sort after items in Naganeh, though several fake recipe’s are floating around that may lead to frequent bathroom visits.

[MrTrollhands]

The eggs of giant forest birds which stalk the undergrowth of the Kalduhr are prized for their rich yolk, used in the brewing of Glow Nog. Spiced and sweetened, one sip grants renewed fortitude and bright eyes to travelers of dark paths. Take care to drink it sparingly, lest your glowing vitality become a beacon to the hungry spirits of the forest…

[MrTrollhands]

Crafted in secret by black market alchemists and prized by thieves and savvy merchants alike, a quick snuff of Gleaming powder causes one to temporarily smell gold. Its precise formula and quality varies widely, however, and side effects are common. Many are the tales of Gleam users who vanished into the dark places of the world, hoping to quench their unrelenting thirst for riches.

[signalstation]

Beware the hospitality of hunters, they say, when traps are empty. Travelers, roamers and cavesteaders have a rich shared lore, knowledge of the road. One of their cautionary tales is of poor folk, lured by a warm fire and the company of hunters, ingesting food or drink dosed with Houndmaker. A tincture of donum altumfamii (a white flower with black seeds), Houndmaker induces drooling, paralysis of the upper limbs, a sensitivity to scents, and a savage hunger. Those dosed are then pressed into service by the hunters to chase wildlife, desperate to feed, for as long as the effect lasts or until something living is laid low.

[dominik]

Balm from bell shaped root of Bola Roka plant has long been used as a cure for all sorts of skin problems (acne, warts, eczema - you name it) by those who claim to be witches and warlocks. What’s not often touched upon is that it only makes skin appear to be healthy, with effects fading in a matter of hours and root cause exacerbated with each application of the balm. But sometimes this is exactly what you need.

[maenad]

Witch’s moss, which grows only in the shade of rowan trees which have been struck by lightning, is delightfully soft, and emits colorful sparks when gently stroked. It tastes foul, but ingesting it raw will cause your eyes to glow with similar sparks, and give you the ability to see at night. When boiled into a tea, it is a powerful hallucinogen, and is reputed to be the base ingredient for many spirit journeys.

[maenad]

Murkwine is brewed only by a collective of hirsute monks, living in dens at the edge of the Great Forest. No one outside of their collective has been able to divine the recipe, although its earthy taste suggests that mushrooms are a primary ingredient. Ingestion of even a small amount will induce a pleasant long-lasting intoxication; as such, it can be found for sale at most festivals. Lesser known is its combustive effect; it forms a large and oppressive cloud of smoke when burned, and a molotov made from the stuff provides excellent cover for the enterprising criminal.

[signalstation]

Only young children from affluent families waste their time with Silver Begin-Again, a narrow-leafed deciduous plant with a bark that, when brewed and ingested as a tea, gives one the immediate impression that one had just moments before finished ingesting the tea. And yet the cup is full. Botanists say the temporal distortion is wholly chemical and passes quickly, but it’s a rite of passage for some (apparently) to sit and giggle at tea cups at least once on the path to adulthood.

[maenad]

Dragonflies flit in the low brush throughout much of the swampier parts of the woods, their emerald bodies having some value in pigments and as decoration. However, occasionally, you will find a virulent yellow morph. These blond dragonflies are more vicious than their green counterparts, and the famous lepidopterist Augusta Shane has proven that they can subsist entirely on human blood. What is only rumored, however, is that eating these blond dragonflies can give you the ability to digest raw meat and smell blood yourself.

[erdosain81]

The Becomer flower’s exquisite violet petals, when properly rinsed, are highly sought out throughout the land; Carelessly plucking and carrying the whole flowers though is a dreaded act. The sages of Old Kalduhr say that Becomer pollen grains breathed in by two or more different hosts pit the hosts into a vicious competition; The creature that serves the ways of the Forest the best will survive; The loser or losers will slowly turn into a replica of the Winner creature. The exact frequency, nature and duration of the Becomer test is not widely known, though it is suspected that the 4 seasons themselves bend to the will and the whims of the Becomers. It is said that bees in the Forest were all different creatures before getting into contact with the Becomer Mother, a tree-sized flower breathing and expanding in the heart of the Forest. Some even say that fairies and homonculi are a variation of this competition, a cruel fate forced upon unsuspecting consumers of a forbidden Becomer potion, or upon careless herbalists too entranced by the Becomers’ violet petals to cover their face.

[iamiragrace]

You know you’re close to a patch of Dhoraldoldurl, or Imp’s Scale, when the bottoms of your feet begin to tickle and pop. The more experienced traveler knows the bony protrusions sprouting from the arms and legs are painful but will eventually fall off harmlessly. Only a true expert could brew the leaves however, into a hard and bitter drink to mutate flesh and expand bone.

[maenad]

Lady’s slipper moths pollinate the giant lady’s slipper flowers, which bloom once a year in a stunning display of vibrant fuschia petals. While many think that the name “lady’s slipper” comes from the color and shape of the flowers, some know that the moths themselves actually make excellent slippers, allowing the wearer to move silently with ease as their footfalls are cushioned by the iridescent dust of the moths’ wings. However, this only works with freshly harvested moths, which means sliding your naked feet directly into the insect digestive juices. A few fabled burglars have ended their career by wearing said slippers a little too long while hiding from unanticipated attention.

[maenad]

(This is apparently now my daily exercise)

Homer’s Tobacco is, as the name might suggest, a leafy plant, with broad purplish leaves that give off a sticky resin when bruised or broken. It is pleasant when smoked, and dilates the perception of space and time, making hours pass like seconds, and kilometers pass like meters. It is therefore popular among nomads, especially those driving caravans cross country. Experienced users, however, will smoke it in shifts, as the impossibility of perceiving the real passage of time and space makes navigation impossible.