Mana Potion (/mänä poʃən/)

Mana Potions are an increasingly sought after magical tincture with the ability to enhance the abilities of spellcasting persons. Manufactured exclusively by the Black Fleet, the mana potion has become one of the most valuable commodities sold by the organization and has caused an explosive growth in the wealth and prosperity of the captains that ship the potion throughout the known world. The secret of producing mana potions is closely guarded, and it is widely acknowledged that the Fleet is actively trying to keep the wider world from discovering the secret of the potion's manufacture in order to maintain its monopoly on the production and sale of potions, and thus their profits.
Mana potions, when consumed, reinvigorate spellcasters, allowing them to cast more spells. For most mana potions this is of relatively limited effect, allowing the caster to cast a couple more of their weaker spells. More powerful mana potions also exist that greatly enhance the effect with greater potions allowing magic users to cast more spells than basic mana potions. 'superior' potions, and the rare 'supreme' potions take this enhancement even further not only allowing the imbiber to cast more of their less potent spells, but even allowing those who consume them to cast spells of a higher order, with 'supreme' potions, despite their immense rarity allowing elite casters to cast the most powerful spells known to mortals multiple times a day.

Manufacturing process

The process behind the manufacturing of mana potions is a closely guarded secret with even a comprehensive list of almost all of the ingredients kept secret by the Black Fleet. What is known is that there is a certain alchemical process combining several different ingredients. While most ingredients are unknown, it is commonly believed, both by its inherent properties, and because of the greatly increased attempts by the Black Fleet to secure sources for it, that the primary ingredient is the Kanau fruit, which has long been known for its strange, though limited magical enhancement properties. The basic potion is known to take about a week to produce. Refinement is known to involve continuing the process of brewing the process of potion over a greatly extended time in order to purify the final potion; sometimes taking as long as long as a year and a half for the supreme potion.

History

The history of the Mana potion is publicly, a short one. As far as anybody knows, the process of producing mana potion was discovered by alchemists in Leandris, working for the Pirate Lord Admiral de Souza. There are rumors that an original creator from an unknown, likely ancient source was uncovered by de Souza in his hunt for profit. Regardless, the first entity known to produce mana potions was in fact the Black Fleet, which produced the first vials of the substance just a few weeks after discovering the process of producing it. These first potions sold quickly, and demonstrated significant demand for the product, and shortly thereafter De Souza dramatically expanded the operation producing mana potions, though the Black Fleet would take steps to jealously ensure that no outsider could learn the secret of its manufacture.
Within a year of its discovery, the Mana Potion would become one of the most important products being sold legitimately by the Black Fleet, largely through shell merchants who themselves would take a handsome cut of the profit in exchange for carrying it legally. Though it was of lesser importance for the Fleet's black market trading, the Fleet handsomely raked in money for selling mana potions. This spurred the desire to further refine and enhance the basic mana potion into more potent forms that could be sold at a higher profit. The efforts to refine the first greater mana potions a few months after the first attempts, in 2244, superior mana potions towards the end of the year, the ultimate, purest supreme mana potion a year and a half after the first attempts to refine the process. 
The exchange of mana potions would spread from Leandris through this period, first appearing in Aeilla and arriving to the Dotharan Alliance shortly thereafter. Qua'adar and Gallaca would be the next see the spread of mana potion trade. The rest of Felora and Galisea would be slower to see the arrival of the first mana potions on their markets, though as of 2245, virtually all of the urbanized parts of the known world have begun to see mana potions for sale, although, most often in very limited quantities. Despite the increasingly wide spread of the mana potion, the Black Fleet has maintained an active monopoly in its production with other alchemists trying to replicate the formula tending to suddenly stop when they became much wealthier, or meet with mysterious accidents. However, growing demand for the product has put increasing strain on the Black Fleet's operations and ability to manufacture magic items, and it is believed that eventually the secret will leak.

Significance

The advent of the mana potion has been of massive significance to the magical communities of the known world. These communities, which had long seen a slow decline in the capabilities of casters, have been greatly reinvigorated by these potions which have multiplied the abilities of casters significantly. However, the relative rarity, and inherently consumable nature of the mana potion has limited the influence of the potion largely to the extremely wealthy, those who lead organizations, who ply their magics commercially, or who are active adventurers.

Potion Icon (Clipped) by Tanemori

Item type

Consumable, Magical

Creation Date

5th of Prótikomidí, 2242 AS

Manufacturer

The Black Fleet

Owning Organization

The Black Fleet

Rarity

Varies

Weight

roughly .1 kg

Base Price

Varies (Regular- 150 GP; Greater- 1,500 GP; Superior- 7,500 GP; Supreme- 30,000 GP)

Raw materials & Components

Unknown, though likely including the Kanau fruit.

Tools

An advanced alchemical lab

DnD (5e) Statistics

When playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, use the following statistics: When you drink this potion, you gain a number of points equal to the amount rolled on the following table. These points can be allocated to recover spell slots already used.

Potion of...	Rarity	Points
Mana	Uncommon	1d4+1
Greater Mana	Rare	2d4+2
Superior Mana	Very Rare	3d4+4
Supreme Mana	Legendary	4d4+4

Points can be allocated as follows:

Spell Slot	Point Cost
1st	2
2nd	3
3rd	5
4th	6
5th	8
6th	9 (Superior and Supreme Mana Potions only)
7th	11 (Superior and Supreme Mana Potions only)
8th	12 (Supreme Mana Potion only)
9th	14 (Supreme Mana Potion only)