[✓] Alchemy - Siegmund's Incense/ Siegmund's Candles

[The King Of The Moon 5117]

“And to ye Sons of Harren I admonish: There is no refuge from the sight of GOD. For He sees all things, and no sin is hidden before him, even in the darkest realms.” 
–To the Harrenites, from the Scroll of the Spirit, given to We the Faithful by the Exalted Prophet Owyn.

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Siegmund’s Incense – or Siegmund’s Candles – was in its time the pride of the Church Militant. First crafted by the Knights of the Black Sepulcher in days of yore, it was said to grant congregations the sight of the Prophet Siegmund himself, celebrated and burnt in swinging thuribles as incense during mass to ward evil spirits from town chapels and city cathedrals, whilst carried as candles or wax coatings by crusaders, that sought to keep the damned at bay on their crusades for God. Its existence was long doubted by alchemist and clergymen alike, as any record of how it was initially made or purposed seemed to be lost in the catacombs of the Library of Johannesburg, when the city was lain waste to by mad Emperor Phillip’s thannhium wrath. 

Lost, that is, until one grave-robbing alchemist during their travels was able to pry one a journal from the cold grasp of a Marked Man belonging to the school of the Ox, who’s unfortunate end had come at the hands of a Flugle in the swamps of southern Cunyuan. Preserved in the bog, the journal was written in an odd mix of Flexio and Cathanese, taking some years to translate. Finally, decades later, this artefact of Canonist wisdom would be returned to use.

 

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Siegmund’s Incense/ Siegmund’s Candles

Ingredients:

 

-Lard/ Distilled Water
-Rigidity x2
-Death x3
-Connection x2
-Light x2
-Dash of Descendant Ashes x1
(The ashes of any cremated descendant will suffice: be it a leper’s amputated leg or a witch burned at the stake. A ‘dash’ of ashes equates that remaining from a burnt limb or head, with the torso offering two measures if cremated properly. an urn containing the ashes of an entire person would therefore permit 7 dashes appropriate for 7 Siegmund’s Candles or Siegmund’s Incense)

 

Creation:

 

-All symbols must be ground into separate powders using aurum tools or a polished marble mortar and pestle. These tools are not necessary for the harvesting or storage of regents beforehand, however.
-The base must be added to an aurum or marble bowl, equating one candle’s worth of lard or a chalice of distilled water respectively.
-All steps henceforth must be carried out away from sunlight. Direct exposure to sunlight will cause the mixture in any of the following states to quickly burn up, strangely leaving no mark or damage on surfaces (or individuals) the flame touches.
-The two light symbols ought to be mixed into the base, causing it to take on a pinkish-red colour.
-The first death symbol should be mixed in, then until the earlier colour is replaced with a dull grey.
-The first symbol of rigidity , and the first symbol of connection, should be added at the same time - within three second of each other, to be precise - and stirred together (pre-stirring these symbols to add as one will not work) until the concoction turns a brilliant white.
-The second symbol of death, followed by a dash of descendant ashes, and third symbol of death should be added then mixed in rapid succession, with no more than ten seconds between each addition. This, if done correctly, will turn the mixture into a soggy vantablack mush. If done incorrectly, the mixture will instantly harden become a useless grey block and be put to waste.
-Finally the second symbol of rigidity must be added, reverting the mixture back to its earlier grey colour. 
-At this point, the mixture must be kept in relative darkness until the later hours of the night, where it must be positioned before dawn so that it might be hit by light from the rising sun. Should this be done properly, the mixture will dry and harden into a malleable wax fit for a candlewick if a base of lard is used, or dry and powder into an incense if a base of distilled water is used.

 

Effects:

 

Whilst the wax or incense is being physically handled, beings made from (or containing, as Mystics do) ectoplasm will forcefully gleam, causing their ghostly forms to shine and be unveiled, instantly ceasing once touch has been broken. 

 

The main use for the incense or wax, however, comes from ignition. When burnt, vapours repel sources of nearby ectoplasm and cause it fluxuate. Mystics will feel inclined to avoid it whilst their magics become near unbearable to cast, making spectral limbs seize and cramp up uselessly and spells to cost double their regular liturgy slots to use. The likes of invisible or Ghosts, Gravens and Wights will be physically repelled, too, being pushed away from the site of the burning candle or incense and unable to approach it as though held back by a physical mass. This can be resisted if any of these creatures is desperately inclined to remain near, though would force them to gleam brightly and create a visible aura over objects and people they are possessing or hiding within, though they will not be otherwise weakened. The effect upon ectoplasm across the spectral undead spectrum - from menhirs to geists - are for the most part the same: causing it to ripple and stutter regardless of its host’s will. The exception to this is with a Mystic’s ‘Deadbreath’ spell, which is dissipated and unravelled by the vapour of candles and incense at the same speed at which the spell would usually travel when cast.

 

The key difference in using incense versus candles, then, is potency and reach:

Siegmund’s Incense will quickly burn across the span of most rooms (8 blocks out in every direction from the incense, excluding the block the incense is being held in/ placed on). Ectoplasm caught in the vapour will then be subject to its above mentioned effects, though will immediately be able to escape them by exiting the incense’s range and will suffer no ill effects for roughly thirty narrative seconds after ignition (though the wielder of Ectoplasm will be alerted and discomforted by the candle’s presence; this serves to allow them chance to escape) and will be unable to re-enter the incence’s range without exposing themselves. The faster burning Incense will burn for five narrative minutes, before another would need to be lit.

 

Siegmund’s Candles however will slowly burn across a more concentrated area (3 blocks out in every direction from the candle, excluding the block the candle is being held/ placed on). Ectoplasm caught in the vapour will then be subject to its above mentioned effects, though unlike the incense the candle’s vapour with stick to ectoplasm; the effects will linger for two narrative minutes upon ectoplasm that’d passed through a Candle’s range, resetting should the ectoplasm return within said range before the two narrative minutes are up. Notably though the vapour from candles is not able to expose hiding spectrals when outside of its aforementioned range, which they would have to either linger in for thirty seconds after ignition (again, whilst feeling its effects and being aware of that they ought to move away) or willingly re-enter the range having left it prior. The ‘clinging’ effect will only leave spectres with feelings of discomfort and the ability to return into its radius without exposing themselves, as well as the additional liturgy cost Mystics suffer in their spellcasts. The slower burning candles will burn for ten narrative minutes, before another would need to be lit.

 

Redlines:

 

-The vapour exhumed from Siegmund’s Incense is vaguely translucent, whilst that of Siegmund's Candles is transparent, rendering them useless for the purpose of smoke screens/ smoke bombs.
-The effects of Siegmund's Incense and Siegmund’s Candles upon ectoplasm are restricted solely to discomfort and after prolongued exposure will also impact visibility. Ectoplasm will not be inherently damaged or disrupted, merely physically repelled (forcing ghosts, wights and gravens to move away or begin gleaming after too long and making mystic spells more costly).
-Being just outside of a lit Candle or Incense’s range, or being within it within the first 30 narrative seconds, will give spectres and mystics an inherent feeling of unease. They would know roughly what its range was and to avoid it, as one might avoid a hazardous smoke or gas; it is the job of whoever is RPing the Candle or Incense to ensure spectre and mystic players are OOCly informed, either by LOOC warnings, PMs or simply added details in emotes.

-The extra-exposure effect of the vapour on hiding spectrals – forcing them to gleam and become visible - will only kick into action once the spectre has actively chosen to remain in the range of the candle/ incense for 30 narrative seconds after ignition. 
-A spectre will be forced to the nearest escape route from being in the vapour’s range unless willingly choosing to remain so to expose themselves. If a spectre is stuck, and without a means of escaping this range within the 30 seconds after ignition then they would not be forcefully exposed (this clause obviously doesn’t apply when a spectre knowingly comes into range of a prior lit incense/ candle.
-Unfinished mixtures will burn up in sunlight, and produce heat as regular flame, but strangely not cause damage to people or objects, making it nigh impossible to weaponize and only practical as a deterrent or party trick.
-Eating or trying to directly smoke Siegmund’s Incense or Siegmund’s Candles will offer no benefits, nutritional or otherwise.
-The incense and candles will take an additional emote after being lit to fill their aforementioned range.
-Larger candles or heaps of incense can be made by using extra ingredients for a longer burn-time, but will not affect the range or potency of their vapour.

-Tier three alchemy is required to create Siegmund’s incense.

-Siegmund’s incense is a ‘rare’ recipe that must be taught in roleplay.

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Edits:

 

Spoiler

-Removed instant gleam/exposure effect of incense/ candles on all forms of ectoplasm.
-Added effect of incense/ candles to instead cause discomfort that repels spectres and makes mystic spell casting more expensive.
-Clarified gleam/exposure effect to only work on hiding spectres who are knowingly choosing to remain in the range of the incense/ candles without a means of escape (ie they would be exposed if they chose to ignore the incense’s effect and continue lingering around it after being lit, or if they chose to walk knowingly walk into its range. They would NOT be exposed if they were in a locked room that they couldn’t get out of and someone happened to light the incense/candles beside them in hopes of metagaming without prior knowledge of there being a ghost present).
-Clarified the responsibility of people using incense/candles to clarify the urge spectres and mystics would feel to get away from incense/ candles, before its effects come into full swing especially in he case of the former.

 

[Gallic 1051]

As a long-time ghost player, I approve of this concoction.

[yopplwasupxxx 5664]

Would really spice up both monster-hunting rp and religious rp +1

[Sorcerio 4594]

Very nice.

[Demotheus 649]

This is awesome. I love the idea of religious borne alchemy that seems like a whole different style of alchemy than the normal test tube brewing method. It feels like some **** the church would go for and whether deserved or not gives IC weight to the churchs claims of their God through the obvious theatrics that I'm sure would be encouraged when using this such as dramatic evoking of the creators name and will and blah blah blah. 

 

So cool. But I have one problem since it doesn't specify whether this can be used in combat or not. I'll assume it's capable of being used in combat and is probably its intended use. 

 

For use in combat it should not be narrative minutes but solid emote counts. Five minutes for example could be upwards of 30 emotes if we say that one emote round equates to about ten seconds. Mostly for fairness. I don't think anything currently lasts for that many emotes and so even though ten seconds seems like a long time for one emote round when such rounds can often be realistically only a few seconds depending on the pace of combat its best if its standardized. 

 

Another thing that should be detailed is how quickly the area of affect follows the person holding it. It's a fairly large area and smoke takes time to travel after all. I would say it should be able to travel a certain amount of blocks with the holder per emote depending on how many blocks the holder moves. 

 

Also detail how quickly it spreads to its maximum radius when initially lit. 

 

Awesome stuff. 

[jdesarno 380]

Sounds cool in theory, glorified moron approves. 

[Ducklingator 795]

Love the concept, on one hand; on the other, I think that having a candle which essentially provides you a way to disperse 6x6x3 blocks of deadbreath in 2 emotes is a bit much. I’d suggest an amendment for that specific part, but otherwise, great lore!

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

Thank you for submitting your piece! We are currently going through all of the current lore submissions submitted and as there is a backlog it will take a bit longer than normal. Your piece is now under review, a verdict will be given within a month or so.

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

This lore is pending, you will be sent a forum PM in the next 24 hours with a list of issues that need to be fixed.

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

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