[Poisons & Philtering] A Study of Life and Death

by **Kavala** on March 28th, 2011, 12:05 am

Early on, Kavala had decided on what groupings of poisons she wanted to learn. All the experts agreed that beginning poison students should not start out with more than three, and indeed only three were really what new students could handle. To Kavala the groups were obvious - Roots, Vines, and Aquatic. Later, she'd pick up animal poisons or something else equally up her alley. Until then, from the book she studied, there were only a few things she could learn until she created her own.

Aquatic

Phantom’s Shell

Luminous Vos

Roots

Bloodroot

Blue Whinnis

Close Call

Vines

Greenblood oil

Lost Tongue

Kavala carefully studied the recipes. Yes, she had some of the ingredients. Taking careful notes, Kavala wrote down the mixtures and keys to successful poison making on her level, a painful novice. She was extra careful with safety and followed all the cautions the author suggested. Protect her eyes, nose, and throat. In her case, gills as well. Cover hands and arms to avoid accidental exposure. And most importantly of all, know ones ingredients. Always know them. Be sure what your doing, and test your poisons as best you can. Kavala had a fundamental problem with testing poisons, especially on animals, so she had to be double sure she was doing things right the first time because she couldn't then test them on anything or anyone without compromising her beliefs and possibly her Rak'keli marks.

Some of the ingredients weren't a problem. She had whinnis root and bump root in her stores. The seaweed and sea slugs could be captured in just a short swim. Rogue vines she'd have to gather, and vine oil she had on hand already. The bump root was already cooking, and the close call already just about made. She just had to finish it up before she let more reading material distract her, then she could take a short swim for the seaweed and set it with the seaslug to boil.

While the bump root cooked, she opened her poisons book and looked at the definitions. Most she already knew, but some terms were new to her. Kavala carefully studied each term, its definition, and then looked up examples in the book to back up what people were saying.

Antidote - Antidotes may be tailored to specific poison families or poisons of a particular strength. An antidote differs from antitoxin, which merely helps combat the effects of a poison.
Contact - A method of delivery that results in exposure when the target touches or is touched by the poison. A creature is exposed to contact poison if a poisoned item strikes the creature. A contact poison can take any form. Creatures without permeable skin are not susceptible to contact-delivered poisons.
Delivery Method - The method by which the target is exposed to a poison. There are four types of delivery methods: injury, ingestion, inhalation, or contact. Poisons can be crafted in different ways to have different methods of delivery; however, a particular dose of poison on hand must only have one delivery method.
Dose - A measurement of a single, functional unit of poison. The size of a dose depends on the type and nature of the poison. It may be one tablet, dram, ounce, nugget, pinch, etc. Generally, a dose of poison is a rather small amount.
Element - Each phase of a poison's damage may be composed of one or more elements. These are discrete components of damage. For example, in a poison that deals damage to one's physical health and agility as its initial damage, the health is one element of damage while the agility is another.
Existing Poison - A poison that currently exists, even if the particular character does not know how to craft it. For example, though someone may not know how to extract a poison from a black lotus, there are people in the realm who do, it is bought and sold on the black market, and it would not shock an experienced assassin to come across it in the course of his endeavors.
Ingestion - A method of delivery that results in exposure when the poison is metabolized by the target's digestion process. Typically, a poison can only be delivered by ingestion if it can be swallowed. Ingestion poisons are usually solids or liquids. Creatures that do not have digestive systems are not susceptible to ingestion-delivered poisons.
Inhalation - A method of delivery that results in exposure when the target inhales the poison. Accordingly, a poison can only be delivered by inhalation if it is itself gaseous, can be delivered by aeration, or gives off toxic fumes. Not all gaseous poisons are inhalation poisons; such a poison could also be a contact poison. A creature that holds its breath can avoid exposure to inhalation-delivered poisons. Creatures that do not breathe are not susceptible to inhalation-delivered poisons.
Initial Damage - The damage that a poison deals immediately upon exposure.
Injury - A method of delivery that results in exposure when the poison is introduced into the target's bloodstream or related anatomical system. Generally this is accomplished by attacking the target with a poisoned weapon. Accordingly, an injury poison must be capable of being applied to a weapon. Any attack that causes damage is considered to expose the defender to the poison. Creatures without discernible anatomies are not susceptible to injury-delivered poisons.
Intended Poison - The poison that the poisoner is trying to create. Once created, it becomes poison on hand.
Known Poison - A poison that a particular person knows how to craft.
Magical Poison - A poison that is infused with magical energy in some way. The term, magical poison, includes two types of poisons: magically imbued poisons and magically modified poisons.
Magically Imbued - Poison A poison that operates as a method of delivering a magical effect. In lieu of dealing typical poison-like damage, a magically imbued poison subjects the target to a particular magical effect. For example, someone skilled in both poison and magecraft may be able to brew a poison that arouses a strong emotion in the target.
Magically Modified Poison - A standard, nonmagical poison that has been altered by means of magic. For example, a dose of large scorpion poison may be enhanced to increase its toxicity.
Natural State - Each poison has a natural state of solid, liquid, or gas. Some poisons may take different states during different stages of their use. For example, a lump of toxic mineral (solid) may give off poisonous fumes (gas) when dropped in water. A poison's natural state has an effect on how the poison is stored, applied, and delivered. The method of delivery will also have some bearing on the poison's natural state.
New Poison - A poison that has never been crafted before, i.e., is not an existing poison. A skilled poisoner might be able to distill the bile from an giant sea-snake, where none before were successful.
Phase - Each period of time that the target is susceptible to being affected by the poison. Many poisons have two phases of damage: initial and secondary with the first affect listed being the initial and the second being, well, secondary.
Poison Family - A group of poisons of varying strengths and qualities that originate from a particular source material. For example, araneida, aquatic, and hedge root are all poison families. Poisons of the same family generally deal the same type of damage with varying degrees of strength. Often, the amount or duration of the damage increase as the size of the source material increases. For example, gargantuan spider poison deals the same type of damage as large spider poison but deals more of it. Some poisons are so unique that they do not belong to any poison family.
Poison on Hand - A specific dose of poison that has already been created.
Potency - The power of the damage dealt by the poison.
Secondary Damage - The subsequent damage dealt by a poison. Generally, a poison deals its secondary damage one minute after exposure unless otherwise noted.
Signature Poison - A poison that is tailored to a specific and unique target, i.e., a particular person. It is the product of extensive toxicological research and study of the target. Normally, the purpose of such a dark endeavor is nothing less than the assassination of the target.
Single-Phase - Poison A poison that lacks either initial or secondary damage, i.e., has only one phase.
Toxicity - The ability of the poison to affect the target as measured by the amount, type and duration of the damage and effects.
Venom - Poison produced naturally by a plant or animal and used by that organism. Many poisons can be crafted from the organs of animals, but that does not make them venoms. For example, the poison a scorpion delivers with its stinger is venom, but poison that may be crafted from a scorpion's liver is not. A venomous creature is one that has a poisonous natural attack or defense mechanism.

Knowing the definition of poison terms were very important. She wouldn't learn them all in a day, but instead could go back and study each and every definition carefully and understanding that in doing so she was memorizing them and etching them on her mind like her medical terms. She'd make small cards, write the words on stiffened pieces of hide, and carry them with her until she understood all the meanings and had them memorized. Until then, she had them written down in her reference book so she could flip to the page and jostle her memory anytime she needed to, leaving room for additional notes as she needed them.

by **Kavala** on March 28th, 2011, 3:20 am

So while the bump root was distilling, she was able to prepare the other ingredients. Close call simply needed pure oil of the bump root with some lemon juice to preserve it once it was distilled. Since she already had the mashed up root in the distiller, she need do nothing more to it until she squeezed and measured lemon juice out and added it to the essential oil.

Once that was done, she poured the poison into four amber glass vials and corked them securely. They went on her shelf and were carefully labeled as to what they were. Next she started on the Blue Whinnis. She took the root, shredded it, then soaked it vinegar as her directions stated. She strained the soaked vinegar which had turned blue from the infusion of whinnis root, then boiled it carefully without bumping it into a harsh roll. When it had reduced to a thick sauce, she took it off the heat and let it cool. It gave off no odor then and was as described in the book. She corked it after dividing the liquid into four vials and stored it with the Close Call. Poisons, while dangerous, were not as difficult as Kavala thought they'd be.

There was still a great deal about them she needed to learn, and flipping through her book on poison, she understood half the battle was terminology and safety. For one, she wore gloves when philtering poisons. For another, she made sure the windows were open and the room was well ventilated. Poison gasses and even harsh odors like the scent of vinegar could completely overwhelm an unsuspecting philterer.

It was a precise science too. She knew from learning to cook that cooking could be imprecise and hap hazard, but baking was an artform that was calculated in exacts. Poisons were the same way. And the families poisons included were broad. She was learning vines, acquatic, and root poisons. But in effect there were so many more:

Aquatic - Favored by water-based poisoners, these poisons are made from aquatic plants and creatures.
Araneida - This family includes poisons brewed from typical species of mizaharan spiders. Most spider poisons negatively affect physical strength.
Arboreal - This family is comprised of toxins made from trees, generally fruit trees or conifers. Such poisons are characterized by grassy or earthly odors. Additionally, tree poisons last longer than other types of poison; they retain their toxicity for a number of months equal four times their level instead of three.
Bestial Known - among rangers and other hunters, these poisons are made from all manner of beasts; usually mammals.
Chilopoda -This family includes poisons brewed from typical species of mizaharan centipedes. Most centipede poisons negatively affect physical agility and overall speed of movement.
Fungus Poisons - in this family are brewed from mildews, molds, mushrooms, and many others. Most fungus poisons have low potency but high toxicity and are relatively easy to find.
Roots - As the name suggests, these poisons are made from plant roots. The poisons in this family are not as powerful as the poisons in other families. However, it is the largest of the poison families.
Hymenoptera - This family includes poisons brewed from typical species of bees, hornets, wasps, and the like. They are noted for the speed of their exposure times. Most hymenoptera poisons cause damage to physical speed and agility.
Lotus - This family includes all toxins created from the exotic lotus flowers. They can have very different effects but are characterized by high potency. Lotus poisons have no natural antidotes thus making them some of the most sought after poisons among crafters and assassins alike.
Lumbricida - This family includes poisons brewed from typical species of worms. Most worm poisons cause negative effects to physical strength.
Mineral - Poisons in this family are processed from naturally occurring rocks and minerals. Their qualities are as varied as what they are made from. Due to the relatively lower amount of refining required to create them, mineral poisons are somewhat easier to craft than others.
Moss - Crafted from mosses, which are usually dried and turned into powder, poisons of this family are marked by their strong odors and are some of the more common to find ingredients for and craft.
Non-Ferrous Metal - This family is dominated by ingestion poisons that frequently affect the digestive system. Most poisons in this family cause negative affects to physical health or nausea.
Ooze - Poisons from this family are brewed from the remnants of jellies, oozes, and slimes most often found in subterranean environments. Harvesting raw materials from oozes is a relatively easy matter compared to other types.
Scorpionida - This family includes poisons brewed from typical species of scorpions. Most scorpion poisons cause negative effects to physical strength.
Serpente - This family includes poisons brewed from typical species of snakes. Most snake poisons cause negative effects to physical health.
Undead - Poisons in this family are crafted from the remains of undead creatures. Even incorporeal undead creatures leave a faint residue upon their destruction. Undead poisons most often cause negative effects to physical health but effects can vary.
Vine - This family is comprised of poisons brewed from vines. It is important to note that these vines are often found in close proximity to roots which often makes for more productive harvesting. Poisons in the vine family are generally safer to handle than those of other families.

When she was done taking note of the families and looking through the list of known poisons from them, Kavala decided it was time for a break. She skipped lunch and headed down to the beach to look for her sea slug and seaweed. She'd each lunch beneath the waves as well, dining raw on tender crab and shrimp and eating siren hair seaweed for desert. She harvested other seaweed, placed it in a mesh bag, and started looking for the sea slug along the reef. It took her a good hour of swimming to find one but once she had it, capture was no problem. Sea slugs moved slowly and methodically, not normally prone to predation since they had natural chemicals that made them inappropriate for food.

Kavala returned to Sanctuary, put the seaweed on the drier to dry, and gutted the sea slug and strained its internal juices to make the Luminous vos. Her gloves protected her hands as she strained the internal juices, threw away the body, and then slowly brought the contents to a boil to then reduce to a thick coating. Much like her previous production, the Luminous Vos was easy to make. She did splash enough on her skin when straining it that her cheek in a tiny place went a little bit numb. So she quickly learned to veil her face for safety as she cooked down substances that could be poison. Kavala was particularly careful of her eyes, gills, lungs and hands as she worked.

Once the Luminous vos was boiled down and syrupy, she poured it into vials and after carefully labeling it, stored it on her poisons shelf as well.

The aquatic seaweed would take multiple days to dry, and once it was dry, she'd burn it and mix the ashes according to the recipe. Once the ash was collected and blended, she would store it in vials as well, larger though this time than the other poisons, and label it carefully as well.

And after all her work, always, she thoroughly cleaned all her equipment and tools, making sure there was no cross contamination.

by **Baku** on March 29th, 2011, 5:19 am

Thou has written, and thou has completed, so I award thee the following....

Kavala: +5 Research, +5 Philtering, +3 Teaching, +4 Rhetoric, +3 Herbalism, +4 Observation, +5 Poisons

Lore: Using Caution Outside of Normal Practices, Learning to Use an Alembic, Being Absorbed in One’s Study, Expressing Desires of Why, Raw Materials: The Start of Philtering, Suggesting a Change of Form to the Student, Curiosity Over Motives for Learning, Uneasiness Over Camden’s Emotions, Learning Philtering Equipment, Measuring in Philtering, Observing How Colors Change When Being Philtered and Distilled, Beginning Recipes for Poison Philtering(Aquatic, Vines and Roots), Philtering: Terms and Definitions and the Importance of Knowing Each, Making Necessary Notes, Multitasking While Philtering, The Necessity for Precision in Philtering, The Necessity for Protective Wear During Philtering (gloves, masks, etc), Proper Philtering Equipment Maintenance After Use

Camden: +2 Observation, +1 Rhetoric, +1 Negotiation

Lore: Debating How to Garner a Konti’s Attention, Kavala’s Desires to Learn Philtering and Poisons, Eagerness to Learn, Kavala’s Upbringing, Explaining Interest in Learning, Bartering With Being the Test Subject, Learning Philtering Equipment,

Additional Notes: Appeared to be a good start to a Philtering duo, on top of what could have been an interesting Kelvic/Konti bonding possibility. Hopefully some of the other Kelvics may garner interest in such practices in the future.