Grave Salts

Grave salts are grainy crystalline structures, some finely sized to thicker lumps. Greyish white in colour it is sometimes bound with other elements from the grave, and found in pockets throughout the burial site.

As a type of salt crystal, it dries out many objects that contain a high water content. It also can be used in carrying out a few alchemical reactions due to many trace elements.

At least four compounds are found in Grave Salts. Besides Sodium Chloride as it's base. many amino acids caused by organic processes, and these primarily are the following: Ammonia, Cadaverine and Putrescene. The latter three give it it's distinctive smell of death. All three of the latter is generally created due to the breakdown of proteins.

Taken from old graves, it is dug up for alchemical use primarily, but also in the use of magics involving the dead. Usually the soil that it is found in dryer graves that still allows for the breakdown of tissues of the corpse. Hunted out regularly by specialists that deal with the alchemists and mages that require it, the gravediggers will have a list of sorts as to where this may be discovered.

Grave salt usage has been around for millions of years coming from around the time of the First Men and the Hyperborean Age. With the knowledge that this item can be used for, they created a whole industry to gain this. Finding the use in alchemy and necromancy, many cities of the First Men were amongst the first to keep records of the uses and the pungency of it.

After the world changed and the empires of the First Men were effectively killed off, the majority of uses for it was destroyed. This changed when many of the younger species came along, finding ancient records of its uses and how to get it. Many managed to recreate these, and invented others too. Spreading these through hushed tones amongst those who practised the darker arts, Grave Salt usage spread again.

Many religions and societies soon got wind of it, and has been banned or made taboo in many cultures. Still tracked down by those who find it's usage is still preferred, the black market for Grave Salts is as strong as ever.

First discovered by the First Men in the Hyperborean Age, stories of Grave Salts have been passed down through ancient tales & even older texts.

Commonly used in black magic and the darker side of alchemy there is rarely any other use for it.

Viewed as suspicious and dangerous by those who don't have any use for it, and are sickened that the dead is used in such rituals involving the dead.

Regularly filtered to get the salts purer, parts of other grave elements are removed.

The greatest hazard to the user is one of three things:

• If caught with Grave Salts in most societies, it can lead to heavy fines, jail time, and/or worse.
• Undead can be attracted to its usage seeing the potential for others of their kind to be created.
• Others may try to steal it for their own uses.

Purely found on the black market, certain grave robbers and grave diggers specialise in selling this. Always seen as an evil act, it is thought of as disturbing the rest of the dead. The majority of those who buy and sell, even those under the counter, refuse to touch Grave Salts. Just the smell alone will put off most.

Generally kept in dry conditions to stop it spoiling and the rancid smell getting worse.

Completely illegal in every major society, it is punishable by heavy penalties when caught with it. These depend on the place they were caught, and the local authorities.