Spectral Water
Spectral water is a unique kind of medicine that is naturally present throughout Altairus. Leys are spots throughout Altairus that have a greater abundance of Undifferentiated Anima than others. These areas are often centered around freshwater springs, which become infused with the Anima that is present around them. When water from a spring becomes infused with Undifferentiated Anima, it is known as spectral water. Spectral water has certain properties that make it ideal for diagnosing and treating Wendigo-associated conditions.
Properties
Spectral water is always clean. Due to its healing properties, it never harbors any harmful bacteria or parasites. This means it's always safe to drink, even if it has a bit of silt in it.
Additionally, drinking or bathing in it has the same effect on one's psyche as any other form of exposure to Undifferentiated Anima. The following quote describes the elevation in mood that consuming spectral water confers:
"I had only been in there for five minutes. When I stepped out of the spring, I could swear I felt lighter than before. Almost like a heavy stone had been lifted from my heart."
Those who drink or bathe in spectral water can also enjoy more rapid healing from disease or injury. It is a common ingredient for potions and an indispensible item for ley spas and hospitals throughout Altairus.
Use
Spectral water is used most often as medicine. Because of the Undifferentiated Anima present in spectral water, it is most often used to treat cases of Wendigo Possession or Null Magic Poisoning. It can even be included as an ingredient in stronger kinds of Ley Potions.
In other cases, spectral water can be used to test out whether one in the community may be harboring a wendigo. In the first stage of wendigo possession, it is hard to tell if one is wendigo-possessed, as there aren't any obvious physical tip-offs like wendigo mass leakage at this point. So, to catch cases early, Altairian societies have determined a test using spectral water that reliably determines if there is danger afoot.
This test is similar to an ordeal by boiling water, though it is not meant as a punishment. A pot will be filled with spectral water from a nearby ley with a trinket placed inside it at the very bottom. The person believed to be harboring a wendigo will then be made to stick their arm in the spectral water and retrieve the trinket from the bottom. If there is no wendigo, they will be able to retrieve the trinket with no issue. If they are harboring a wendigo, however, they will have an extreme reaction to the water. The host will begin to spasm and violently projectile vomit wendigo mass. Many times, the wendigo will slip out of its host's body at this point. If not, the host is surrounded and subject to even more Undifferentiated spells until the wendigo is fully expelled.
Spectral Tears
Spectral tears are a rare phenomenon. When a faery or magical beast begins to cry over a dying loved one, their tears may become "spectralized." Spectral tears appear unusually "sparkly," giving off an iridescent sheen just like other kinds of spectral water. Given spectral water's healing properties, they are oftentimes enough to save the other being from death, though the healing might not be obvious right away. They cannot revive the dead under any circumstances.
Spectral tears are always weeping tears, and they are not brought on by simple sorrow or rage. They only occur when the being crying them feels immense connection or love to the thing they are losing. Even then, spectral tears are incredibly uncommon.
In Altairian literature and art, spectral tears are rightly considered a beautiful phenomenon. They are often used as a symbolic plot device or a way of creating drama.
The only difference in appearance between spectral water and regular water is that spectral water always refracts the light reflected off it, giving it a sparkling rainbow sheen.
Spectral water is fairly common, though only at certain locations in Altairus. It is only available at leys, but those leys never seem to run dry no matter how much water is taken.
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