More note junk no one will ever read
Drugs! Yes, drugs - for my fictional world. As I clearly skew further and further out of typical fantasy and have steampunk looking at me skeptically, my world now has a nice assortment of chemical things. Right now all I've really made are things related to magic users for the most part. Not only does my world have magic and chemistry, but magical chemistry too, so it makes sense that such things would exist -- oh, also, injection needles. Hey, they still fit into Victorian-era technology, at least according to my cursory research, and even if they don't - meh.
So, more world notes for my LJ. Also, at least at the moment, I've stripped "healers" (the magic-y type) out of the world. They have surgeons and doctors and even empaths and such, but no more magical healing abilities, they seem like a crutch really (and mages who use spells and such fail at healing, bad things happen when they try if they aren't super careful (i.e. already a surgeon who knows what they're doing without magic, which isn't likely - I mean, who's going to train as a doctor and a mage when both require ridiculous devotion to their profession?) so no wave of a wand to make things better (not that anyone uses wands anyway))
Common Drugs
Silence: A neural suppressant that shuts down any psychic abilities (including arcane magic) in most sapient species. It is generally used (injected) to suppress the abilities of prisoners while they are being confined. Long term usage can cause neurological damage that typically shows as tremors, emotional deadening, and an altered perception of time. Physical withdrawal is relatively mild and comes in the form of night terrors or nightmares. It is not uncommon for people with psychic sensitivities to become addicted to the effect that gives the drug its common name. In such cases the withdrawal effects can be severe as the suppressed abilities become active - leaving the addicted telepath or empath without any defense against outside thought or emotion except more of the drug.
Focus: A powerful stimulant that increases a mage's mental focus and power. While it is usually made in pill form, the drug is typically inhaled in powder form. Its effectiveness as a combat enhancer cannot be understated; however, it is highly addictive and while under the effects a mage is much more likely to suffer drain shock. Side effects of focus include jitters, tremors, heart palpitations, fast heart rate, dilated pupils and insomnia. Long term users tend to be extremely thin (as it increases metabolic rate), suffer from severe insomnia, and become dependent on the drug just to reach their original level of ability - becoming much less powerful than they were naturally. Withdrawal can cause seizures, major tremors, diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, fever, headache, and skin breakdown.
Streasee: A neural suppressant similar to silence, it interferes with psionic abilities (including arcane magic), either inhibiting them completely or severely weakening them depending on dosage. Streasee is typically used as a poison against mages and has no know antidote except being metabolized. The endorphins released through pain induction can temporarily counteract the suppressive effects. It can also cause nausea and vertigo.
Firebird: A cocktail of alchemical compounds built around the regenerative properties of firebird blood. It is either injected or applied directly to wounds, causing extremely rapid tissue regeneration to the degree that absent soft tissues and small bones can be completely replaced if they have been destroyed. Side effects include exhaustion, severe hunger (to replace resources used in such rapid healing) and suppressed immune response. Used too often or too soon between doses firebird becomes toxic, damaging bone marrow and ultimately crippling the body's ability to heal on its own. Over use can result in mouth sores, diarrhea, hair loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, frequent infections, fatigue, anemia, and numbness of the hands and feet. This can lead to a vicious cycle of use by those unfamiliar with its side effects. (The compound is a viscous gray sludge with an oily sheen.)
Flash: A neural accelerator that heightens sensory perception and response. While flash is present in the body, the brain operates at higher cognitive levels - when it is metabolized the user experiences a crash that includes dulled sensory perception and depression. Long term usage causes neurological damage that can leave a user barely able to function without the drug in their system. Each crash will increase the feeling of dulled senses and depression - however, the body does not build tolerance to the drug, making each dose as effective as the first. Eventually long term use will destroy the brain's ability to produce neurotransmitters leading to seizures, coma and death. Raw flash is a liquid and can be taken as eye-drops, through injection, as a tonic and is often rendered into a chewable tablet.
On the list of things to flesh out:
Thunderbolt
Rampage
Just names at the moment.
There are a couple more, I don't know what they do yet. Also, a big thanks to Ari for letting me pick her brain about drugs and side-effects and stuff.
So, more world notes for my LJ. Also, at least at the moment, I've stripped "healers" (the magic-y type) out of the world. They have surgeons and doctors and even empaths and such, but no more magical healing abilities, they seem like a crutch really (and mages who use spells and such fail at healing, bad things happen when they try if they aren't super careful (i.e. already a surgeon who knows what they're doing without magic, which isn't likely - I mean, who's going to train as a doctor and a mage when both require ridiculous devotion to their profession?) so no wave of a wand to make things better (not that anyone uses wands anyway))
Common Drugs
Silence: A neural suppressant that shuts down any psychic abilities (including arcane magic) in most sapient species. It is generally used (injected) to suppress the abilities of prisoners while they are being confined. Long term usage can cause neurological damage that typically shows as tremors, emotional deadening, and an altered perception of time. Physical withdrawal is relatively mild and comes in the form of night terrors or nightmares. It is not uncommon for people with psychic sensitivities to become addicted to the effect that gives the drug its common name. In such cases the withdrawal effects can be severe as the suppressed abilities become active - leaving the addicted telepath or empath without any defense against outside thought or emotion except more of the drug.
Focus: A powerful stimulant that increases a mage's mental focus and power. While it is usually made in pill form, the drug is typically inhaled in powder form. Its effectiveness as a combat enhancer cannot be understated; however, it is highly addictive and while under the effects a mage is much more likely to suffer drain shock. Side effects of focus include jitters, tremors, heart palpitations, fast heart rate, dilated pupils and insomnia. Long term users tend to be extremely thin (as it increases metabolic rate), suffer from severe insomnia, and become dependent on the drug just to reach their original level of ability - becoming much less powerful than they were naturally. Withdrawal can cause seizures, major tremors, diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, fever, headache, and skin breakdown.
Streasee: A neural suppressant similar to silence, it interferes with psionic abilities (including arcane magic), either inhibiting them completely or severely weakening them depending on dosage. Streasee is typically used as a poison against mages and has no know antidote except being metabolized. The endorphins released through pain induction can temporarily counteract the suppressive effects. It can also cause nausea and vertigo.
Firebird: A cocktail of alchemical compounds built around the regenerative properties of firebird blood. It is either injected or applied directly to wounds, causing extremely rapid tissue regeneration to the degree that absent soft tissues and small bones can be completely replaced if they have been destroyed. Side effects include exhaustion, severe hunger (to replace resources used in such rapid healing) and suppressed immune response. Used too often or too soon between doses firebird becomes toxic, damaging bone marrow and ultimately crippling the body's ability to heal on its own. Over use can result in mouth sores, diarrhea, hair loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, frequent infections, fatigue, anemia, and numbness of the hands and feet. This can lead to a vicious cycle of use by those unfamiliar with its side effects. (The compound is a viscous gray sludge with an oily sheen.)
Flash: A neural accelerator that heightens sensory perception and response. While flash is present in the body, the brain operates at higher cognitive levels - when it is metabolized the user experiences a crash that includes dulled sensory perception and depression. Long term usage causes neurological damage that can leave a user barely able to function without the drug in their system. Each crash will increase the feeling of dulled senses and depression - however, the body does not build tolerance to the drug, making each dose as effective as the first. Eventually long term use will destroy the brain's ability to produce neurotransmitters leading to seizures, coma and death. Raw flash is a liquid and can be taken as eye-drops, through injection, as a tonic and is often rendered into a chewable tablet.
On the list of things to flesh out:
Thunderbolt
Rampage
Just names at the moment.
There are a couple more, I don't know what they do yet. Also, a big thanks to Ari for letting me pick her brain about drugs and side-effects and stuff.