Qetichnixik

I can feel the seeds sprouting beneath my cracked skin, twisting and turning through my flesh to pierce the surface. It is unbearable...

— A qetichnixik victim

  Qetichnixik, literally meaning "skin of seeds" is a condition that afflicts those who consume a particular potion as treatment for heatstroke, or as a preventative measure against it.   Within the searing heat of the Cipou Canyon and its surrounding deserts, heatstroke is a deadly affliction. It is an unfortunately common cause of death for farmers tending to their crops, or anyone who must work outdoors for long periods. It comes as no surprise that they would turn to alchemy in order to prevent it. A core component of this particular potion is the seed of a local variety of fir trees. This concoction allows one to stay out in the sun for significantly longer, by more efficiently ejecting heat from their bodies— as the seeds do to survive the heat. This also serves as an effective treatment for those who have already fallen to heatstroke. However, if ingested in too great an amount— one will begin to develop an unpleasant condition.