{WASC 2022} Thaliphage Mucus

Thaliphage mucus is a substance harvested from Thaliphage Sarnera, an algae native to the Cangianean Sea (south-western Kendreis Ocean).

Properties

Caractéristiques des matériaux

Thaliphage mucus is a transparent, green-ish substance. Once harvested, it might also include small chunks of algae due to the method of harvesting (scraping it off the pneumatocyst, the stipe or holdfast of the algae), which are filtred out during processing.

Propriétés Physiques et chimiques

Thaliphage mucus is a dense, sticky, jelly-like substance. It isn't flammable, but heat does make it lose its molecular integrity, and it needs to be stored in a cold environment before processing, preferrably in seawater.

Géologie et Géographie

Thaliphage mucus is only found in the Cangianean Sea, in the south-western part of the Kendreis Ocean. The exploitation of that material is therefore almost only done by Kanuyaji-based organisations. Thaliphage Sarnera needs very specific conditions to grow, which are only found in this specific place. Arguably, this algae could also be found in other places, but not in a significant enough quantity to make its harvest profitable.

Origine et Source

Thaliphage mucus is produced by the Thaliphae Sarnera algae. This algae grows from Rift zones at the bottom of the sea, which link back to another specific dimension's sea floor. It is one of the Twin-Type plants you may find on Sictaroth, meaning that their roots are set in two dimensions at the same time.
The holdfast of the algae is thus set in a very radiation-heavy zone, where its sunlight-absorbing blades cannot grow (that also sometimes being due to the lack of said sunlight). The algae grows a stipe, which is dragged upwards by a gas-filled pneumatcyst, whose size can grow up to more than three meters in diameter. To protect the stipe and pneumatocyst from radiation, the algae produces thaliphage mucus, which absorbs and destroys radiation, and allows for the plant to grow. The closer to the Rift's point of origin, the strongest the anti-radiation properties of the mucus are.

Vie et Péremption

Thaliphage mucus, once harvested, has to be stored in a cold environment, preferrably in the same water that surrounded it. Once in that stable environment, it has about a day to be processed.

History & Usage

Histoire

Thaliphage mucus' properties were discovered fairly early after the first establishment of settlers in Kanuyaji. At first, it was used as a protective cream, which did not last long due to the poor shelf life of it as a pure substance. The first development of processed thaliphage pills was in the early 250s A.E., with numerous innovations along the years to improve their efficiency duration, etc.
The first development of illegal drugs using Taliphage mucus ates back to the first discovery of its properties. Similarly to the medical use of that substance, efficiency and effects of these drugs has only improved in the years after, that very much including the span of the ensuing traffic and power of the organisatio handling it.

Utilisation habituelle

The most common use is pharmaceutical. In Sictaroth's present time, it is the main ingredient in a lot of shimmer-poisoning related ailments :

• A fine powder, dilutable into water, which's purpose is to absorb radiation in the case of people ingesting contaminated foods or liquids, and gets eliminated by natural ways.

• Pills, used to build up the immune system to resist higher than average air radiation levels.

• Intraveinous injections, which build up immunity from blod contamination (therefore preventing contamination from breathing contaminated air)

• Various treatments used to dampen deeply-set radiation poisoning, including long-term and chronic illness treatments.

The second most common use of Thaliphage mucus is the manufacture of drugs, which have a large range of effects, which are both influenced by the actual composition of the drugs, and the genetics of the person taking them.

• On humans, the most common types of drugs have a psychotropic effect, including stimulating effects, impressions of physical strength and sexual prowess, and hallucinations (some types of drugs inducing this or that effect).

• On TKs, some thaliphage-based drugs have the side effect of making them absorb shimmer radiation better, which allows them to Manifest more efficiently and powerfully. It does come with the susmentionned side-effects of hallucinations and generally unstable state of mind. A lot of military research includes the development of such drugs with minimal side-effects, to have more powerful TK platoons.

• On most other genetical strands of humans, these drugs have a higher threshold to actually come into effect, which means some organisations specialise in highly concentrated drugs made especially for fae-genetics or mairen-genetics humans. Those drugs can unfortunately also get into human hands, and often cause overdoses and death.

Note that the non-medicinal use of Thaliphage mucus is highly illegal, and all harvesting has to be done clandesinely, whic often means divers are not well protected both physically and in terms of health isurance, meaning they often resort to using thaliphage drugs to try and prevent Rift sickness, settling them into a vicious circle of needing that job to pay for drugs, and said job having them need to take drugs.

Type

Biomaterial

Odeur

Plain, faintly herbal.

Goût

Bitter, herbal, salty, generally very unpleasant to a human palate.

Couleur

Translucent, green tinge.

État Courant

Mucus (natural state)