Caster's Brew

Many attempts at home-brewed remedies for the Shards of Zolgar, or “the Pains,” exist. These formulas are scattered through hidden grimoires, passed by word of mouth, or etched into the margins of forbidden texts. One of the most famous—perhaps infamous—is known simply as Caster’s Brew.   Unlike most of these dubious treatments, Caster’s Brew is rarely claimed to be a cure for the debilitating aftermath of magic use. Instead, it’s said to dull the worst of the early-stage symptoms: the nausea, the blinding headaches, and the razor-edged nerve pain that give the Shards their name.   Multiple versions of the recipe exist, each offering its own combination of suspect ingredients. Most omit precise quantities, making them all but impossible to replicate with confidence. The only consistent elements are Mossycup Thyme and Blooming Astridia—the former a common kitchen herb said to steady the pulse, the latter a pale woodland flower with a gentle calming effect.   Beyond that, the instructions diverge wildly. The version recorded in Thalen's Grimoire of Adjustment—possibly the most well-known surviving account—calls for Yellow Birch bark, Ghost Moss, and the caster’s own urine, all to be boiled together for 24 hours under a dark moon.   Other recipes contradict nearly every part of that. Some insist on a full moon instead. Others require spring water “from the source” or claim that the entire brew must be drunk within ten minutes of steeping. Alternative herbs include Black Oak bark, Queen's Mint, and Green Yarrow. One particularly dangerous variation insists on a pinch of Sweet Foxglove—a known cardiac toxin that, if mis-measured, is far more likely to kill than cure.   Despite the legends surrounding it, a caster suffering the onset of the Pains would be far safer seeking admission to the Sanguine Tower where treatment with ground Aspium in wine is both effective and consistent.