Potion ingredients - Notes for Your Majesty's attention
By Raymond Sèze
Your Majesty, here are what we have been able to gather regarding the current use of
potion ingredients in
Milara despite the outlaw of potion themselves.
As Your majesty suspected, potion brewing has indeed been prospering undercover and has been adapting to the restrictions. The government and
Royal Councilmen might threaten the use of specific ingredients, but we only need to allow potion brewers time to come up with new replacements to allow the craft to continue underground while we solve the moral repression at the surface.
However, we have to be aware that the consequences of the substitutions are a reduction in the efficacy of the potion, an increase in the complexity of the brews and the number of plants they use, and an increase in the side effects and dangers of the brews and the potions. As such, any potions brewed in Milara is highly inferior to
Aquatio's own production and would make a poor showing in the
upcoming war.
Current state of potions in Milara
The common categories of potions that are still in use in Milara are protectors, healers, enhancers, potions for the self, elements controllers, potions acting against others' will, and curses.
For protection
Purifier bath
Classic ingredients: Olive oil (great).
Replacements: No need, olive oil is commonly used in cooking in the coastal regions.
Excuse for its legal use: No need for extra excuses, but coastal cuisine could be encouraged at court.
Anti-theft balm
Classic ingredients: Common mugwort (great).
Replacements: Common flax (moderate).
Excuse for its legal use: Flax is used in food and as textile, it is therefore easy to find and use and its possession will bring no suspicion.
For healing
General healer balm
Classic ingredients: Birthwort (great but toxic),
bryony (great but toxic).
Replacements: Willow (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: Birthwort and bryony are toxic and so their use has been abandoned in classic medicine, making their possession highly suspicious. Willow however, is still a major classic medicine, and so despite its weak power in potion, it is the most discreet ingredient to use.
Bone mender infusion
Classic ingredients: Betony (great).
Replacements: No need.
Excuse for its legal use: Betony is still used in classic medicine, and so its use will not bring any suspicion.
Pain Insensibiliser eyedrops
Classic ingredients: Houseleek (great).
Replacements: No replacement has been found until now.
Excuse for its legal use: The use of houseleek as a medicine is weak but can be accepted occasionally.
For enhancement
Strength enhancer infusion
Classic ingredients: Common vervain (good).
Replacements: Birch (moderate),
common mugwort (best).
Excuse for its legal use: Vervain infusion is a suspicious Aquitirian drink. Mugwort is used as a medicine, but having birch wood around to repair furniture is a much better excuse.
Senses enhancer smoke
Classic ingredients: Deadly nightshade (great),
mandrake (great).
Replacements: Common heather (good).
Excuse for its legal use: Medicine is a weak excuse for the possession of heather, however its use as an ornamental flower could be encouraged.
Brain enhancer smoke
Classic ingredients: Marjoram (moderate).
Replacements: Rosemary (weak),
oregano (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: After the invasion of enhancer infusions of the past century, marjoram has been exterminated in the country and its use has become taboo despite its benign effect. Rosemary and oregano suffer no such stigma and are still used in cooking.
For the self
Vision balm
Classic ingredients: Hemp (great),
opium poppy (great),
black henbane (great).
Replacements: Red poppy (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: There are no legal excuses for the possession of hemp, opium poppy, or henbane. The use of red poppy as an alternative has only just started, and so its possession as an ornamental flower or aromatic food will not bring any suspicious.
Courage infusion
Classic ingredients: Borage (great).
Replacements: Small nettle (moderate), Thyme (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: Borage is used in cooking in other countries but not ours, and so is suspicious. However, cooking is a great excuse for the possession of thyme. As for nettle, there are no excuses for it, but it is found in all garden. We can encourage the use of
common nettle in textile and animal feed. This will make the use of small nettle in animal feed easier, and from there we can progress to use it to feed our
soldiers. They can certainly use more courage.
Invisibility balm
Classic ingredients: Sundew (great).
Replacements: Willow (moderate),
fern (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: Willow is of great use in classic medicine and make for the perfect discreet replacement. Ferns are common in the wood, but there are no excuses for their use.
For elemental control
Thunder controller balm
Classic ingredients: Houseleek (great),
common mugwort (moderate).
Replacements: Laurel (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: The common use of houseleek, a weak medicine, or mugwort, a stronger medicine, will bring suspicion. Laurel is used everyday in cooking and so its use in potion is increasing despite its weaker power.
Water Controler balm
Classic ingredients: Sundew (great).
Replacements: Not any until now.
Excuse for its legal use: None, as sundews are not found commonly in Milara apart from some specific regions, and they have no other uses.
Against others' will
Aphrodisiac perfume
Classic ingredients: Black henbane (great),
early-purple orchid (moderate).
Replacements: Mint (weak to moderate),
lesser periwinkle (moderate),
summer savory (weak).
Excuse for its legal use: Henbane and orchid have no legal excuses for their possession. While periwinkle and savory are used in medicine, they are not in common use. Mint, however, is used in cooking without suspicion While the use of aphrodisiac is not the most interesting for us, starting a trend for mint-based food and drinks at court could be an easy way to preserve this potion tradition.
Admiration smoke
Classic ingredients: Lost.
Replacements: Greater burdock (lesser),
fern (best).
Excuse for its legal use: Fern are found in woods and are harder to come by discreetly in cities, as there are no excuses for their use. Burdock, while less efficient, is commonly used in medicine. However, the use of fern has been known to occur during military campaign under the excuse of using them as fuel for campfire, and has been a great motivation for ambitious young people to get into potions.
Will decreaser smoke
Classic ingredients: Black henbane,
Deadly nightshade,
datura.
Replacements: None until now.
Excuse for its legal use: All of these plants will bring high suspicion. Datura is the most tolerable one, as it can be used in medicine.
For curses
Cursing smoke
Classic ingredients: Black henbane (best),
early-purple orchid (lesser).
Replacements: Fern (moderate),
common vervain (best).
Excuse for its legal use: Ferns are found in woods and are harder to come by discreetly in cities, as there are no excuses for their use. Vervein infusion is considered an Aquatirian drink and immediately brings suspicious despite its medicinal applications.
Curse returner smoke
Classic ingredients: Common rue (best),
datura (moderate).
Replacements: Hawthorn (weak to moderate).
Excuse for its legal use: Despite many claims that datura can be used as a medicine, its possession immediately brings suspicious. Hawthorn has lesser medicinal use but is still more discreet. Rue is a terrible cooking ingredient and nobody will buy this excuse.
I was not able to find traces of other potions in the country, and it is highly possible that knowledge has already become lost from popular traditions. Any other potions come directly from
Aquatio and so must be considered with high circumspection for hidden dangers, whether in their recipe or in their final forms.
After this investigation, it is obvious that Milara has forgotten too much about potions, and I can only agree with you that rituals are a better base for our
scheme.
Comments
Author's Notes
The plants used here were historically used for similar applications. Source: Enquête sur les plantes magiques by Michèle Bilimoff.