The Shakes

I've seen a child who had consumed too many Elfweed berries have the shakes for almost three days. That poor parent...

— Herbert Alcorn, author of The Traveller's Guide to Natural Remedies

The Shakes

The Shakes is the common term for the condition caused typically by consuming too much of something that combats fatigue. Whilst magical method of treating fatigue tend to be moderate and controlled, there are natural substances in the world with such properties, the most frequently used are the berries of the elfweed plant. The shakes is rarely fatal, the majority of cases are very mild. However, a severe case can cause the heart to be overworked and ultimately stop due to overexertion.
A person suffering from the shakes will still have the alertness they desired, but will find it hard to focus and their extremities will be prone to shaking, hence the name. The more severe the case, the more severe the shaking. Having the shakes late in the day will also make it harder to go to sleep.

Elfweed Juice

The accepted method of prepared elfweed berries, is to juice them and mix them equally with as much water. In such quantities, it is only necessary to drink one mouthful's worth of the diluted juice to refresh oneself enough for a day. However, drinking too much, or not diluting the drink enough may lead to a mild case of the shakes.
However, the main danger of Elfweed berries is the accidental consumption of the actual berries themselves. It is the seeds that seem to contain the raw substance that deals with fatigue, but it seeps into the juice of the berry as well in low enough quantities that a handful of berries juiced is all that is needed. Eating a seed, whilst incredibly unpleasant to most tongues is dangerous as it may contain more than the recommended dosage just by itself.
The effect of the Elfweed berries is seen in animals too. It is thought this is the reason for this trait in the first place. The animals eat the berries, and thus the seeds, and then have the energy to travel large distances to spread the Elfweed far and wide. Elfweed is so called because it started in the Elven Forests but is now found almost everywhere in Aldenia as a result of this.

In other cultures

In the Elven lands where Elfweed was native to, the shakes are known as Milar ean'bion, which is Elven for 'like a hummingbird' as ones hands mimic the vibrating nature of a hummingbird's wings.

Type

Physiological