[✗] [Alchemy Addition] Desert Alchemy II: Nascence

[Hodgeling 403]

 

 

Natural Extraction: Nascence

 

The desert is a harsh place where few things survive, and fewer flourish. Only the hardiest and most adapted descendants, after centuries of strife, can confidently call it their home. Much is the same for the flora of these places, including naturally growing reagents. Harsh climate and brutal conditions open up a process of Natural Extraction; eroding, drying and then scattering organic material and minerals to the desert winds, worked down to an accumulation of their most fundamental alchemical symbols. This is one part of a cyclical, seasonal process. One as old as the world itself - its boons revealed true only under an alchemical lens. 

 

Natural Extraction, or the erosion of reagents and minerals, occurs over decades if not centuries. For its potential to be unlocked, an alchemist must first identify the symbols contained within and refine Nascence through alchemical extraction, filtering the desired substance from unwanted sediment.

 

Nascence [Beetroot Soup]
Very Rare

Sign(s): Aether | Air

Symbol(s): Agility (3), Clarity (2), Separation (2), Vigour (1)

Appearance: A dusty powder of many psychedelic hues, which shift from one to the next as it is sieved through. A gentle fume rises from the powder at any given moment, rich with the aroma of bitter cinnamon.

Location: Deserts, Desert Caves, Subterranean Springs

Harvesting: Nascence can be harvested typically by sieving deposits, netting airborne clouds with Nascence Sails, or evaporating liquid sources. Gloves or tools are recommended to avoid staining the skin, and face covers to avoid accidental inhalation and overdosage.

 

Raw Effect(s): If ingested by inhaling or digested raw, Nascence can open the mind to mild auditory and visual hallucinations. It is believed to assist in the natural healing process of the body, enhancing water retention and improving mental aptitude. For this reason, many choose to mix raw Nascence with food to dilute its effects to be more palatable. Nascence can also be burned with incense to produce a more mellowed high.

 

Nascence is addictive and rich with alchemical symbols and signs. Sustained use leads to the staining of the skin on the extremities, lips, tongue, nose and eyes. Halting use can lead to withdrawals which can cause dehydration, disorientation and confusion.

 

Redlines:

Spoiler

• Player signed item only.
• If not ST signed, these herbs may not be extracted for symbols. Exceptions are made if it is the only way to get the Ingredient
• Raw Nascense cannot be used in combat or to enhance combat in any way.
• Raw Nascence does not enhance the characters mechanical movement speed or dexterity in any meaningful way and remains purely for flavor.
• Enhanced perception granted by Nascence does not grant characters the ability to spider-sense or detect hidden creatures, instead making them more perceptive to changes or nuances in the environment which may assist in investigation or perception checks to detect specific targets.
• It is an addictive substance causing hallucinations and subsequent withdrawal symptoms if consumed in excess, for players to roleplay as they deem appropriate.
• Raw Nascense promotes the natural healing process of the mind and body, improving water retention while in arid environments and clearing the mind of mundane ailments caused by dehydration or illness.
• Raw Nascense does not enhance the intelligence, perception, cure wounds and/or diseases or poisons.
• When consumed by a Voidal Mage, they will experience an adverse affliction akin to basic poison, causing fever, stomach pains and vomiting as well as the typical hallucinations experienced by any consumer.
• Hallucinations induced by Raw Nascense are not visions and are literally just psychedelic hallucinations.

 

 

Origin

 

It is difficult to pin down a definitive description of Nascence, or whether natural extraction occurs in other climates. It is, however, surely linked to the mundane cyclical process of growth and decay in the natural world. Where it has been observed are in arid, hot environments such as deserts, mesa, and wastelands. Here, it can be described as an extremely fine sand or powder that smells and tastes of bitter cinnamon spice. When sieved, raw Nascence will shift in visible hues. At one stage it may appear a sunburnt orange and then the next oasis blue. This is due to its composition of many compatible materials, eroded down to their most fundamental symbols, ready for an alchemist to identify and extract.

 

Depending on the climate, these deposits typically take the form of dust clouds scattered to the wind, buried deposits, or even subterranean pools trapped beneath the sand and stone.  History speaks of Nascence with tales of desert skies violent with rich colors, a smoky haze blotting the sun, the scent of cinnamon in the air, and the voices of ancestors whispering over the sands.

 

Nascence is most commonly found on the erosive desert winds, scattered over the dunes. The trained alchemist can learn to identify its path and locate resting places where large quantities have gathered or been trapped. Large deposits on sand are particularly formidable to the untrained eye. Nascence is so fine that to stand on it would be similar to falling into a silo of grain. Surrounding sand and soil may give way altogether, forming a sinkhole into larger subterranean systems. Where water has accumulated within rock or beneath the sands, trapped Nascence can become saturated and form pools of syrup-like liquid; the well preserved bones and corpses of the unfortunate strewn beneath the psychedelic-hued depths.

 

Nascence is extremely dry, and will take to moisture easily. Excess water will certainly dilute its hallucinogenic properties but there would need to be a significant amount of liquid to completely nullify all of its effects.

 

When exposed to living creatures, Nascence induces a variety of effects which have solidified its cultural and medicinal significance in regions where it is most common. Nascence is a powerful hallucinogen which can be ingested raw, digested in food, or refined into more concentrated variants. It is most commonly used for its potential to open the mind to hallucination and visions, and enhance dexterity. Perhaps thanks to its addictive nature, it is a staple in regional diets. 

 

 

 

 

Harvesting & Refining

 

Deposits of Nascence are notoriously difficult to track down and harvest regardless of whether they are above or beneath the surface. Nascence is a hallucinogen, and so exposure to it during harvest certainly presents its own unique complications.

 

Nascence caught in the wind as a cloud is difficult to harvest, but must eventually settle somewhere. Once a deposit has been located and identified, it can be sieved with a special instrument designed to separate granules of dust and sand from Nascence. Alternatively, a Nascence Sail could be constructed as a net for large clouds.

 

Liquid Nascence is just over-saturated and while it retains its preservative properties, most of its other side-effects are significantly dulled. Large liquid deposits, such as in underwater caverns or lakes can be so dilute they are almost indistinguishable save for tell-tale signs like chromatic hues on the surface. It does, however, remain sacred or of particular importance to certain cultures. Once collected, it must be evaporated and then dried to return it to its base state. Subsequently, Nascence could be combined with aqua vitae and distilled  to produce a high-concentrated variation. This technique is very rare, and not likely known by the common alchemist.

 

 

Nascent Alchemy

 

Nascent Concentrate

T3 | Very Rare 

(Nascent Induced Invigoration)

 

Raw Nascence can be saturated in aqua vitae and distilled to produce a high-concentrated variation which when consumed produces a refined array of powerful side-effects.

 

Nascent Invigoration does have an effect on the physical state of those consuming high concentrations. Provided they are disciplined enough to be able to balance the potent mental effects, one would experience a temporary boost in their reflexes.

 

Once the mind is open in this way, a person may become perceptively and reflexively aware of changes in their environment. In exchange, the user becomes intrinsically more vulnerable to sources of fear or confusion such as voidal illusions and visions. This is also to suggest that the person who is intoxicated with Nascence may be more easily distracted or misled in general, becoming intrinsically more gullible as the walls of their reality melt away. As such, Nascent Concentrate remains primarily useful for rituals and ceremonies.

 

Once the effects of the invigoration wear off, the user is left feeling tired and mentally drained. Subsequent use must be delayed, unless the consumer wishes to risk a mental break or cardiac arrest. The rate of addiction in those who ingest concentrate are also much higher, and the effects of withdrawal more devastating - the mind and body desiring to return to its invigorated state; developing a dependence on raw nascence thereafter.

 

Mechanics:

 

Spoiler

An individual who consumes Nascent Concentrate undergoes the effects of an induced invigoration, temporarily endowing enhanced reflexes and widened perception. A potion of Nascent Concentrate must be primed and then consumed over [2] emotes. The effects of the concentrate take hold the next turn, lasting until the end of the combat encounter or [1] narrative hour outside of combat.

 

In this state, both the mind is open and the body heightened. With this enhanced reflexivity, they are able to dodge a single melee attack or projectile (such as an arrow or similar), provided they are fully aware of it, and their movement speed is increased by one block. In exchange, the invigorated are vulnerable to sudden changes of sound and light and may be staggered for [1] turn by very loud or very bright sources. They are also more susceptible to the influence of voidal illusions, visions and confusion. This is to say that they can be misled or confused by these effects to an easier and much greater extent than the common person.

 

At the end of the encounter or when the induced invigoration subsides, the user is left tired and mentally drained. They are sickened by Nascense, their pupils weak from extended dilation and are thus susceptible to sudden bright lights until they have recovered over [1] narrative day and rendered to half their normal strength and stamina for the duration. Concentrate cannot and should not be consumed again for at least [2] narrative days, risking death or falling into an instant catatonic state until the concentrate has been cleansed from the body. 

 

Descendants who have consumed concentrate on more than one occasion will suffer the intense effects of Nascence addiction and withdrawal. 

 

 

 

Redlines:

Spoiler

• Requires ST signature.
• Nascent Concentrate can only be created using Raw Nascence.
• When invigorated and dodging any attack, the character must be completely focused and aware of the threat, necessitating [2] Emotes.
• Voidal mages are unable to consume high quantities of Nascence (mental instability and/or their body is not resilient enough to process it) and cannot benefit from the effects of Nascent Concentrate at all.
• Voidal mages who consume it anyway will suffer heightened and agitated hallucinations which may render them unconscious or disturbed until it has been cleared from the bloodstream (around 24 hours or [1] narrative day).
• Those who wish to experience the benefits of Nascent Invigoration in combat must be limited to wearing nothing heavier than light armor.
• After using Nascent Concentrate, players must follow a strict cooldown period of two narrative days before subsequent use and sufficiently roleplay the effects of Nascence sickness and withdrawals.
• Characters who consume Nascent in its raw or other refined forms should be encouraged to roleplay the effects of long-term use, addiction and withdrawal.
• Characters who consume Nascent Concentrate more than once under any circumstance should be encouraged to roleplay the effects of withdrawal and addiction.
• Those who have consumed Nascent Concentrate and are under the effects of Nascent Induced Invigoration must sufficiently and clearly emote their character being under such effects.
• Nascent Induced Invigoration does not increase the base strength or endurance of a character under any circumstance. It only serves to temporarily enhance perception/reflex and dexterity. The character is still limited by the biological capacity of their base race and physicality.
• Raw Nascence cannot be used in combat and provides only a narrative boost to perception.
• Under the effects of Nascence Induced Invigoration, characters are highly vulnerable to sources of confusion such as voidal illusion, seer magic, visions, delirium, fear, and confusion. Meaning that they are more likely to be affected by these things than characters who are not invigorated.
• Invigorated characters are vulnerable to sudden changes to perceptive stimuli that they can see or hear. Very bright flashes of light or very loud sudden noises may stagger them for one turn as they become overwhelmed.
• Vulnerability to voidal illusions, seer magic, or other sources of confusion, fear and delirium.
• Nascent Invigoration can be used to dodge a singular attack or projectile once per combat encounter.

 

OOC Explanation

Spoiler

This project first started when I began roleplaying in the desert of Aevos several months ago. I was drawn in by the desire to try and fill the desert with unique and thematic flora and reagents which reflects real-world ecosystems while still remaining true to the fantasy worlds we all love to roleplay in. I also wanted to try and express a system of natural alchemy. 

 

Reagents that are normally harvested around the world will grow and die and erode just as everything else will in the material world. Building on that process and expanding on it was a lot of fun.

 

I was obviously deeply inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune universe when writing certain elements of this lore and for setting the overall theme. These stories and the rich worldbuilding in them is (if you had not guessed it) very important and special to me. With that in mind.. My goal was to create lore distinct from its inspiration and in a way that would honor existing worldlore and have a meaningful place in it. 

 

Credits

__Hergh for their help reminding me of how alchemy works and making everything make sense.

StingyParrot for his help in coming up with mechanical ideas for Nascence, and how it could fit in the lore of LotC.

BonesOfTheEarth for their help assuring me it's cool.

Keening for constantly proofreading and vibechecking my stuff.

_Helmet_ for lending their wisdom and suggestions!

 

 

Edited July 12, 2025 by Hodgeling

[__Hergh 785]

**** YEAHHHHH! Good job Hodgeling!

[Nectorist 12875]

+1 i often go to the desert to escape my wife and kids and i'd really like to be able to harvest some additional, high-level ingredients there 

[PrinceJose270 1211]

The spice must flow....

[Echo_42069 386]

+1 I like adds more flavour (:

[IrradiatedGoose 305]

LISAN AL GAIB

[Islamadon 9164]

This lore has been Management Veto'd.

TL;DR we think your writing is good but there is just too much overlap with existing hallucinogenic botanical herbs and we feel this is just more Dune posting. We will be giving Desert Alchemy I a full review in time, though some herbs may be cut (if approved) due to, again, overlap with pre-existing things.