The Sacred Draft of Leweyd

Seers have known for centuries that if one wants to see the events which will shape the future, one needs to drink of the Sacred Draft from the cup.
The Sacred Draft of Leweyd is a very powerful and potent concoction made from the roots of The Mortal Weed. Only the initiated and trained in the sacred arts are able to drink the brew without sequels to their health. Repeated use of the cup can bring many illnesses of the mind to the officiants.

by Vishnu Prasad

Causes

Consuming the draft is not to be undertaken lightly. The making of the brew is only allowed in certain Orders and Guilds throughout Alven. At the present moment, only The Arkivon and The Sanctuary are the only organisations legally allowed to produce and make use of the deadly substance.

Production

The making of the Sacred Draft is a jealously guarded secret. Mortal weeds can be found in every region of Alven, except for the much colder regions to the north. The plant is particularly common throughout the Light Months of the year and can be found by the ploughed fields and hedgerows. Its large translucent, greenish flowers hide a dark secret: all the parts of the plant are poisonous. Apothecaries will only use the root of the plant to make the brew, as it is known to contain less of the toxic substance and is generally safer to use than the rest of the plant. The roots then dried and ground, will be added to the rest of the ingredients. Many other ingredients can be added to the cup: honey, for example, will sweeten the potion and make it more easily digestible.

Symptoms

The Sacred Draft of Leweyd is known to induce trance-like episodes over the course of three or four days. After three days the poison wears off and the officiants will come back to themselves. The madness associated with drinking from the cup can be mild or more severe according to the dosage used in the potion.

Mild Symptoms

In this state, the diviner is withdrawn from this world and enters The Threshold by letting his mind become numb and quiet. He or she is immune from the sounds and sights of the living and can communicate with the beings and gods who reside in the liminal plane. Diviners are still in control of their speech and will communicate the thoughts of the divinity or spirits who made contact with them from across worlds. The diviners' attendants record their every word as it is very likely that the diviners will not remember what passed while under trance.

Severe Symptoms

If the potion is stronger, the person under the influence of the drug will be taken over by The Madness of the Cup. The officiants will behave as if they were mad and express themselves in rants. They will see situations, objects, and people that are not there.
The first day is when the visions are strongest and this is a dangerous phase for the health and sanity of the individuals undertaking the journey to the Unknown. No one can help the person who is experiencing the nightmares of the Threshold. Attendants to the diviners are people who are usually close to them and are able to keep them safe during the trance. Diviners Seers have been known to do the strangest and sometimes the most violent things while under the influence: stab themselves, drink their own blood, and even eat their own feces.

The visions that are experienced in this fashion are precious and very much sought after. The dangers incurred by the Seer, Priest, or Priestess are balanced with the rarity and the rawness of the visions from the Threshold where all secrets are kept. A skilled diviner will be able to interpret their experience to their client. It is not surprising then that divination has become one of the most lucrative ways for the religious and art orders of Alven to fill in their coffers - sometimes at the expense of their acolytes. This art, as sacred as it is, is a very dangerous one and many officiants have lost their lives or their minds in the sole attempt to pierce the secrets of the Planes.

Affected Groups

A worrying trend in recent years has been the use of the Draft in untrained and unqualified hands. I have it on good authority that there has been a growing trend in the reckless young people of The Thane's Hall to use potions and brews magicked out of the Mortal Weed for their own consumption. The 'journeys' have been deemed to be worth the risk by some of the thoughtless young poets, and warriors of Alven. In this instance, the weed is not usually imbibed but inhaled as fresh herbs or seeds.
It is sad to report that such sacrilegious experiments have at times ended up in the death or serious impairment of the participants. The Archive has tried for years to stamp out such practice but without much success.

Type

Chemical Compound

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Uncommon