Ingredients, Herbs, and Spices (WIP)

This list is limited to ingredients, herbs, and spices which have distinctly magical effects, as per the unique mechanics of Aeria. Those who are not credited will be before this thread is completed.

More detail will be added, right now this is a rough outline. Open to suggestions.

Restorative - Enhance the body's natural processes to promote health and healing.
Cecaelia Tentacle - When properly distilled, bestows a measure of the Cecaelia's regenerative properties on the user.
Powdered Stalker Skull - The Stalker's extraordinary resilience and healing capabilities are widely coveted. A stalker's bones seem to be where this power originates. For reasons unknown, the most effective bonemeal is produced from the skull.
Phoenix Tears - The Phoenix, legendary for its recovery, secretes healing magics through its tear ducts. This is a byproduct of its magical nature.
Dryad Cuttings - Attuned to natural life, Dryads' bodies concentrate potent restorative and nourishing substances, further enhanced by excess magic.
Juvenile Mistspray Leaves - Leaves taken from saplings of this species can be ingested to heal most flesh wounds. A key component in Elixirs of Health and certain healing balms.
Rueberry - Packed with vitamins and minerals, with a magical boon that promotes better absorption and utilization. Potentially harmful in large quantities due to vitamin overdose.
Lichdust - Despite the name, this dust does not come from liches, but rather, the dried and ground leaves of a peculiar carnivorous plant native to Sarkun. The Lich's Scythe has protective bone-leaves in long, bladed shapes around its enzyme-filled basin, which lies hidden underground and can easily accommodate prey as large as a man. It's easy to guess where its unique leaves get their color, and in a potion, the powders can be used to restore or even enhance bone structure, provided they're combined with the right reagents.

Irritative - Disrupt the body's natural processes to achieve a desired effect. Includes most toxins.
Giant Spider Venom - Milked from the fangs of select species of Giant Spider, these magic-infused neurotoxins can be diluted to numb pain, induce paralysis, or simply to kill quietly.
Parasitic Eggs - When prepared correctly, the eggs of numerous parasitic species can magically increase hunger, fertility, or dependence.
Kaiserdistel - Fuels immediate fight-or-flight response, removes inhibitions towards violence.
Kaiserstieg - Profound calming properties, stimulates altruistic response.
Dreamsprig - Hallucinogen which soothes nerves when smoked, causes upset stomach when eaten.
Blackmist Sprouts - Burning produces a black smoke which dulls all senses and could cause unconsciousness. Distilled for use in Silence Poison, among other things.
Nightal - When brought to a boil, releases a chemical that will severely lower the drinker's core temperature. The process is extreme but not lethal, and can be used to survive deadly conditions.
Moodbloom - Alters the mood in various ways depending on preparation.
Darkshade - Battlefields, hospitals, floodplains, and so forth have been home to these elusive flowers, whose petals have somehow accumulated the essence of death itself. Used in a poison bearing its name, as well as the infamous Twin Moon binary poison.
Thes'Pung - A rare and deadly mold that grows in places saturated with residual magic, Thes'pung will gladly feed on the stray magic most life forms produce, and if spores are ingested or even inhaled, a fatal infestation will germinate. Very careful preparation can limit or even control the spread, while imbuing the fungus with an enchantment based on the potion's effects. This means that through Thes'pung, any potion can become permanent, but invariably result in premature death. Made famous by the late William Warthrop, who eventually succumbed from his experimentation with the fungus.
Plaguethorn - A blackened nettle that grows in the corrupted Truminum plains near Surna. Consumption causes thorny growths to worm through the internal organs, blood to blacken and feel like fire, and massive hemorrhaging and expulsion of fluids from all orifices. Surprisingly, the symptoms pass after exactly one day and are survivable, except in frail individuals, and children.

Metamorphic - Completely alter one or more of the body's characteristics.
Chameleon Tail - The peculiar reptile's camouflaging abilities can be transferred through alchemical means.
Pureed Cuttlefish - Similar to the chameleon, this mollusk has an even more potent effect in potions.
Living Slime - Used as a base in many metamorphic potions, in order to prepare the body for a change, as well as facilitating the reversion to normal. Unpleasant in taste, highly toxic, and dangerous for the inexperienced alchemist.
Abomination Cuttings - Cursed flesh with no true form, ever growing and collapsing in on itself. These grotesque samples can be used to add an element of randomness to metamorphosis, though they require great care to properly introduce into a potion. Not to be confused with Blight, which will ruin any potion and likely kill the alchemist.
Lizardskin - Taken from various reptilian species, the shed skin contains traces of magic with effects ranging from hardened scales to natural regeneration. Especially potent if gathered fresh, or from a sapient reptile species such as the Naga.
Truminum - A rare and inherently dangerous substance, Truminum requires great care in its use in potions. Its utility as a fuel source is widely known, but due to its "wild card" nature it can be refined and, through alchemy, altered to produce a plethora of effects, beneficial and otherwise. The effects most intrinsic to its nature, which place it in this category, are Metamorphic.

Demiurgic - Conjure up specific magical effects when activated.
Phoenix Feather - Used in conjunction with other ingredients to produce fiery or restorative effects.
Wastes Permafrost - The basis for many ice elemental effects in potions.
Sarkun Soil - An earth elemental or restorative agent.
Living Coral - A water elemental or restorative agent.
Badger Skin - Used to produce protective effects such as toughening of body or even physical shields.
Lothalis Bark - Useful in generating protective effects, either in a balm or liquid.
Powdered Cordonium - The basis for Blizzard potions and other time-altering effects.
Dragon's Root - Feeds on the remnants of dead dragons, causes emission of fire.
Neodymium Ore - This curious substance, when exposed to Motile, can produce mild electrical effects and in some cases, affect the nervous system.
Echoing Fulgurite - When striking sand, lightning will form a silica substance known as fulgurite. However, sand with the right mineral content (including Cordonium and/or magically-conductive metals) can trap essences which reverberate through the crystalline structure like a miniature lightning storm. When carefully dissolved into a potion, the most potent electrical effects can be unleashed.
Unfettered Essence - An object or tangible substance that seems... disconnected from space and time, shifting in position, color, and so forth. Used to produce phase-shifting or teleportation effects, often created as a side-effect of casting similar spells. Rare and expensive to acquire.
Umbilical Cord - Can create minor healing effects, attune one's senses to life energy, or establish a connection to the realm of souls.
Astral Thread - Used primarily in Etherium, a potion which allows one's consciousness to enter the Astral Plane.

Catalytic/Obstructive - Accelerate or stabilize reactions, respectively.
Stinkwallow - Odious weeds that greatly slow most alchemical processes, at the cost of a vile flavor. Essential in potions that require lengthy brewing.
Eye of Newt - Commonly employed by novice alchemists to slow alchemical processes to a more manageable pace. Useful for prolonged brewing.
Capricium - Obtained from ocean vents and in underground pockets, this gaseous substance can be used to accelerate reactions, and synthesize the dissolving potion known as Acid. It is violently unstable.
Quicksilver - A toxin on its own, this curious liquid finds its way into a great many potions as a means of amplifying or hastening magical effects.
Crystallized Essence - Used in many potions to amplify magical effects, unlocking many ingredients' hidden potential.

DEMIURGIC


Phoenix Dust - Much like Phoenix Tears, Phoenix Dust is gathered from the Phoenix, an eternally burning immortal creature. Phoenix Dust, a notoriously difficult substance to acquire, has been historically used in the production of many early forms of explosives, combustibles, and pyrotechnics. On it's own, concentrated Phoenix Dust can burn for centuries - if not indefinitely - as it is used in the famous Sun Spheres of Huaxia. Alchemists throughout history have combined trace amounts of Phoenix Dust with different Alchemic mixtures to create astoundingly impressive explosives. It is well known for it's use in unguided rockets, Hwacha (unguided rocket arrows), fireworks, siege weaponry, and an early form of projected, weaponized flame commonly called 'Phoenix Fire', capable of bonding to nearly any material, even water, and burning at high temperatures.

The great appeal of Phoenix Fire combined with it's rarity have led many alchemists to seek alternatives to the substance. It is believed such a pursuit may have led to the original discovery of gunpowder.

Manna / Sap of the World Tree:

As befitting of sap drawn from the network of the Hollow Men - themselves the most ancient and revered of alchemists, whose alchemy produced all life - 'Manna' has a long list of effects, attributed to it over centuries of myth and legend. This sap - drawn exclusively from the root network of the World Tree - has rarely been studied in any consistent sense, leading to a number of discrepancies concerning it's potential.

Manna is regarded by many cultures as a miracle substance, capable of wide-ranging restorative effects upon raw consumption. It is said to be capable of healing wounds as well as disabilities and diverse, chronic ailments. Legend also grants it the ability to salvage entire harvests or cure diseases, both mundane and the divine.

Given the supreme alchemic prowess of the Hollow Men, and their connection to nearly every other alchemically useful ingredient, it is possible that Manna itself can be manipulated by the Hollow Men to perform any alchemic effect they desire, leading to it's contradictory nature. The sap is very difficult to come across. It is believed by many that the Hollow Men choose when to reveal their roots as to prevent damage to the immensely valuable World Tree. Such a thing would prevent common consumption, but also protect the World Tree from the idle hands of irresponsible alchemists.

Manna is also used in the creation of Lucium, the legendary material known to be the bane of all undead. As the hardened form of Manna, Lucium has the remarkable ability to practically incinerate all undead flesh - including that of Vampires, Liches, and even the Blight, all with the same ease.