Scydoze

Scydoze is a recreational magical drug, first created in 15,402. It was originally made to treat Depleted Aura Sickness by boosting one's ability to replenish the aura, its density, and give a quick burst of magical energy, The drug was only used for 200 years in medical settings due to its side effects causing more severe issues than the aura sickness it was used to treat.   The drug causes more rapid evaporation of the Essence, quickly replenishing the aura and allowing the user to cast magic and resolve the related symptoms such as anxiety, lack of energy, headache, and temporary loss of spellcasting. Due to causing the essence to turn into aura so quickly, the essence can become permanently damaged, being prone to filling the aura less quickly over one's lifetime, causing further bouts of aura sickness, inconsistent spell effects, and risk overloading one's aura when taken in high dosages. When used by those whose aura is not depleted, the drug can cause a potent high due to the density of one's own aura, and in some cases, affect the aura of others nearby.   Due to the drug being disused in medical settings, it was quickly abandoned by hospitals, pharmacies, and medical centers. It's thought that Scydoze and its generic versions may have been disposed of improperly, allowing the drug to make its way to the public enmass through resellers. Once in the public's hand, the drug was reverse engineered and quickly became known as a party drug due to the pleasant high and quick energy it provides.   Although Scydoze use has been decriminalized in many regions, selling or producing the drug still often carries drug trafficking charges.

As a well known party drug, Scydoze has been the target of numerous anti-drug campaigns across the centuries. Users of it have commonly been demonized and shunned, generally thought of as dangerous, addicts, and thrill seekers. While reliance on the drug for consistent spell use is possible once one's essence has been permanently damaged, it is not addictive in the traditional sense and the vast majority of Scydoze users do not experience moderate side effects beyond a 'Scydoze hangover'. Scydoze is most commonly found in regions with high proportions of magic users, party goes, and in rave scenes. It's been falsely accused of being associated with gang violence and cartels in the past, highly contributing to its negative public image.   Death from Scydoze use is extremely rare, and oftentimes only seen in cases of suicide or as a comorbidity alongside other drugs and alcohol. Nearly all cases of Scydoze deaths have been due to the destruction of the essence itself, caused by an extremely high dosage of the drug being taken in a short window of time, oftentimes alongside other drugs with similar effects, other potent substances, or using extremely high risk spells that cause damage to the essence. Under normal recreational use, this is not a danger for the vast majority of the population.