Vitukua's Cure
Vitukua's Cure is a potion created by the Barrel of the Faithful when transmuting wine. It is a very potent healing potion and acts as a remedy for almost all known illnesses, including a temporary relief for addiction. Some strong variants can even bring someone back from the brink of death.
Creation Process
Using the Barrel of the Faithful, the creation process is as simple as storing a large quantity of wine within the barrel for at least seven weeks. After this time, the wine will have turned into a pale violett color with varying viscosity, depending on its strength. The color of the original wine has no effect on the resulting color. Experiments suggest that white wine can more consitently produce potions with lower risk of side effects but it is more difficult to produce stronger variants with white wine. After the creation process, around 70% to 80% of the original volume will be available.Effects
The strength of the potion effect directly correlates with the viscosity of the liquid. All variants of the potion are able to ease illnesses. Any know sickness that is not necessarily fatal will be instantly cured even by the weakest potions.Weak, Watery Potion
The weakest forms of the potion usually never stayed longer in the barrel than the minimum seven weeks or have been made out of low quality wine. They are unable to completely cure strong illnesses but can be used as a way to ease the pain, lower the fever and giving the patient a good chance of survival. Agressive illnesses need further treatment, or they will return and continue their fatal work.Strong, Thick Potion
Using high quality wine with a high alcoholic content and keeping it in the barrel for more then eight weeks will produce highly effective potions. They will be able to almost instantly cure most illnesses, even grave ones that have progressed a while. Terminal illnesses at thei latest stage can be eased and even cured with a steady treatment of this potion. If the patient were not to die within the next three to four hours, this potion would have a perfect chance of healing.Exceptionally strong, sirup-like potion
Using the best red wine, aged for several years and with a healthy alcohol content will produce the strongest possible variante of Vitukua's Cure after at least twelve weeks in the Barrel of the Faithful. It has a consistency of sirup and often cannot be drunken but has to be eaten by the patient to ingest it. So far, there is no known illness in any stage that cannot be instantly cured by this variant of the potion. The sideeffect of seeing the deities in hallucinations is however completely guaranteed. As such, the high priests of the Order of Vitukua regularly take this potion to get visions from their deity directly.Side-Effects
Overconsumption leads to hallucinations of the deity the consumer revers or fears most. These hallucinations might last for several hours, during which the person may ramble incoherent words, walk and trash around and is vagely aware of their surroundings. Many of them start to scream in terror or cower fearfully in the corner. They often wake up exhausted and weak, but inspired by the words of the deity that spoke to them. In some cases they are confronted with the deity they fear punishment from, which is usually connected with committing any larger sins in the recent past. The clergy is in agreement that these visions are real, as the gods often gave instructions, warnings or glimpses of the things to come that turned out to be beneficial for the people receiving them. Not everybody sees one of the Great Pantheon, but other spiritual guides or smaller deities. So far, nobody ever had a vision of the trapped away evil god Zecod, lending credibility to their genuineness.Further Details
Using Sabesbank Red
The best results so far have been achieved with Sabesbank Red from the region around Sabesbank. The resulting potion is stronger in a shorter amount of time. There is a conflict brewing with some merchants who want to significantly increase the price of said wine when selling to the monastery.Embracing the Visions
The current head of Selverrock Monastery, Friedhelm of Selverrock is constantly under the effect of the strongest potion. He claims to welcome the constant conversations with Vitukua and is apparently able to stay aware of his surroundings during the visions.Treating heriditary Illnesses
The noble family of Ukantriss regularly sends their important members to the monastery to be treated with the cure against their heridatry illness. The potion enables them to regain the full functionality of their legs for several months, until the condition slowly returns.Theft of potions
About a year ago, a spectacular heist was pulled on the monastery where several bottles of the strongest variant were stolen. After this, small portions of a dilluted variant have been encountered on the black markets all over Caramiza. The culprits have never been found.- Wine (red or white)
- Barrel of the Faithful (unique)
I love all the extra details you've included at the end, and the way different qualities of wine lead to different strengths of potion. What would happen if you put a different alcohol in the Barrel?
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I am glad you like it - this was one of those articles that just continued on being written :D You can find additional notes about other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages directly in the article about the Barrel of the Faithful