Water
Water is vital to mortal life. It springs from ground, flows along the land and drains into the sea. Along the way, certain types of water gain magical properties that are beneficial to alchemy. These waters are often harvested and traded at much higher prices and volumes than standard drinking water meant for consumption.
Some regions, like the Lichen Marshes, base the majority of their export economy around the water trade. The Lichen Marshes is the leading producer and exporter of Rotwater, a crucial ingredient for Healing Potions, due to its undead-infested marshes.
In cases where no innate properties are desired, especially when working with especially volatile ingredients, most chose to use conjured water. This water does not contain any innate magical properties, and may be safely used.
Crosswater
Crosswater is gathered from the point at which two or more rivers meet. It is usually used by druids and other people with divinatory practices to aid them in communing with spirits or seeing into the past or future.
A traditional elven practice of divination uses crosswater. A few drops of crosswater are sprinkled on the forehead of someone at their deathbed. Should it run heartside, the patient will recover, if it runs towards the eyes, they will have difficulties. The patient will die should it run down the right.
| Source | Confluence of Two Rivers |
|---|---|
| Properties | Divinatory |
| Used in | Potion of Clairvoyance, Potion of Comprehension, Potion of Mind Reading, |
Elemental Water
Water harvested from an elemental is thick with arcane potential. Elemental water is essential for transformative potions. No other water is capable of providing it's own magical source. There have been many attempts to distill elemental water into something a caster can injest to rejuvinate their own stores of magicka, but noone has succeeded yet.
Elemental water does have the drawback of occasional reanimation, which can make it somewhat unpleasant to drink or hold down.
| Source | Water Elementals |
|---|---|
| Properties | Arcane |
| Used in | Bottled Breath, Potion of Aqueous Form, Potion of Diminution/Growth, Potion of Invisibility, Potion of Speed |
Morning Dew
Morning Dew is collected by dragging sheets across plants, and wringing the water out of the fabric. Keeping track of the moon cycle is especially important when collecting dew, the dew formed after new moons or full moons is especially potent.
Practicioners of Wortcraft give glasses of morning dew gathered under a waxing moon to the ill to aid them in their recovery.
| Source | Dew |
|---|---|
| Properties | Enhancement |
| Used in | Potion of Giant Strength, Potion of Climbing, |
Rainwater
Rainwater is not particularly potent, but is decent for cleansing and purification. It is used alongside snowwater to create Potions of Vitality.
Only one type of rainwater is in enough demand to be traded for; Blood Rain. This unique red-tinted rain occurs rarely in the mountainous southern regions of the Lichen Marshes. If vials of blood rain are left alone long enough, the red settles as sediment, suggesting that it is a contagion causing the red colour rather than some inate property of the local rain.
| Source | Rain |
|---|---|
| Properties | Cleansing |
| Used in | Potion of Vitality, Potion of Watchful Rest |
Rotwater
Also called Dead Water. Rotwater is often gathered from stagnant bogs, or other death-seeped water. Water that has held undead or been around them becomes rotwater.
Rotwater is imbued with the unnatural healing factor of the undead, and is a crucial ingredient for Potions of Healing. It is a dangerous ingredient to use carelessly, as rotwater causes necrosis if it isn't neutralized with Living Water.
Rotwater is a major export from the Lichen Marshes.
| Source | Stagnant bogs, undead territory |
|---|---|
| Properties | Healing |
| Used in | Potion of Healing |
Snowwater
Snowwater, or meltwater, is ideal for treatment or prevention of disease. Most alchemists recommend purifying it through distillation, ideally with an alembic.
Snowwater is used as a vaccine in some rural areas. The snow is melted in a cup, and then drunk to protect against the flu. Studies of these rural communities does indeed show a heightened resistance to disease, as well as significant increase in intestinal worms and other parasites.
| Source | Snow |
|---|---|
| Properties | Treating disease, harm reduction |
| Used in | Potion of Vitality, Potion of Resistance |
Springwater
Springwater, also known as Living Water, is running water collected from natural springs or waterfalls. Springwater has rejuvenative properties, and is believed to be ideal for beauty products. It also inately counteracts the negative side effects of rotwater.
| Source | Natural Springs or Waterfalls |
|---|---|
| Properties | Beauty, Counteracts negative effects of Rotwater |
| Used in | Elixir of Health, Philter of Love, Potion of Heroism |
I love the juxtaposition of reading through the submissions for this prompt and seeing all of the resources that everyone has come up with that are unique and only exist in their world, and then seeing the title of yours and seeing that you've taken it in such an interesting way. (Reading this back before submitting the comment I realised that it might not come across as complimentary as I mean it to be. To be absolutely clear, I love your article and think what you've done with it is brilliant.)
No offense taken at all, that's exactly what I'm going for, and I'm glad someone enjoys it as well! I really enjoy writing about mundane things and making my own fantastical take on it.