Iconootropics

Overview

"Wanna Transcend?"

Iconootropics are a class of ethereal-biological compounds designed to augment magical abilities, cognitive functions, and perceptions of Reality. They act by harmonizing the biological essence of an individual with the Enthredic energies that permeate the cosmos, guided by the principles of the Iconic language. This fusion grants temporary access to heightened magical capabilities, insights into The Ontic Spheres, and a deeper connection with the Cogniton Substrate. Substances in this category have profound effects on body and mind, with particularly strong or uniquely configured decoctions bearing deleterious effects, including addiction.

As something of an in-joke, the street name for drugs in this category is 'I-Noot'.

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Users

Users of Iconootropics share an ability to harness the power of Enthredic, a quantum nanoscale computing substance designed by The Vocru to mediate between their high-dimensional Essences and material technology. Most hail from Taharjin's Flame, but background locales become more diverse all the time as humans spread out within the galaxy. Not all are trained mages of The New Temple: many have untapped talents or Enthredic quotients too low to have ever developed full powers, but with the augmentation the drugs proffer, great heights are possible even for these Uninitiated. Ascendant Masters, of course, achieve even more unbelievable results.
Mages seeking to amplify their powers, scholars craving forbidden knowledge, and psychonauts looking to explore the fringes of Reality are among the largest consumers of Iconootropics. The drugs' extreme rarity and complex manufacturing conditions means that only the wealthiest and best-connected have access to top-tier formulations, but the need to acquire them through less-than-legitimate means gives advantage to those more prone towards criminal paths. They are for this reason strictly outlawed by The Council of Landezon although practically speaking the Order does tend to end up with Iconootropic substances in their laboratories from time to time, for a myriad of reasons. Low-grade knockoffs made with more heavily synthetic processes are available to a more common user base, though their potential for harm accelerates dramatically over more refined products.

Effects & Side Effects

Use involves a ritualistic ingestion or application of the decoction, followed by a period of profound transformation wherein the user's perceptions and abilities are dramatically enhanced. The primary effects of Iconootropics include augmented magical capabilities, expanded consciousness, and an intuitive understanding of complex arcane theories. However, these come with significant side effects such as temporal dissonance, ethereal addiction, ontic fragmentation, and Cosmic Dissonance Syndrome (CDS), wherein users struggle to reconcile their enhanced perceptions with mundane reality. Effects differ based on the underpinning of the formulation.

The Experience of Transcendence

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Imbibing the Divine:
The act of text-injection is oft-described as akin to "shooting up with the words of the gods", evoking the sacred and perilous nature of Iconootropics. Users seeking to achieve Transcendence - as the 'peak' state of use is called - may find themselves navigating a spectrum of experiences, from the faint echoes of divine whispers to the overwhelming presence of Voice, capable of unraveling the very fabric of their being or elevating their consciousness to unprecedented heights.
Emanation-Stage Iconootropics:
The rarest and most potent form of Iconootropics, those in the Emanation-stage, carry the essence of The Compass Mantra, offering experiences that border on the sublime and the terrifying. Their scarcity and power render them objects of intense desire and subjects of whispered legends within the magical community.
The State of Transcendence:
Achieving Transcendence is not merely a metaphor for the euphoric high but a literal transformation of one's state of Being. In this heightened state, users transcend their dimensional boundaries, experiencing realities and truths beyond the ordinary scope of Existence. This transcendental state is both a pinnacle of magical aspiration and a precipice of existential risk.

Production and Distribution

The creation of Iconootropic substances involves intricate manipulation of rare materials, ethereal essences, high-tech equipment, and arcane molecules encoded with the power of the Iconic language - a complex operation calling for a broad range of highly specialized personnel. Higher-profile institutes that could afford these experts are sometimes involved in its production, but only secretly, due to Symbion regulations against Enthredic-adjacent initiatives. Consequently, manufacturing and distribution networks for Iconootropics operate principally from the shadows, relying on discreet couriers, black market merchants, and ambiguous apothecaries, and supported by an equally invisible clientele comprised of the few genetically predisposed individuals for whom the drug has any impact.

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The Dichotomy of Iconootropic Production

Expert Supervision vs. Hazardous Craftsmanship:
The variability in the production quality of Iconootropics introduces a significant layer of complexity and danger into their use. On one end, mages, along with other professionals such as Cogcrafters, Cosmolinguists and Neo-Mystic groups with deep understanding of Enthredic principles and the Iconic language craft these substances with reverence and precision, infusing them with whispers of the divine. On the other, less knowledgeable or reckless producers create decoctions that are chaotic and unpredictable, with potential for catastrophic outcomes.
Unpredictability and Strains:
Even under the most meticulous conditions, the production of Iconootropics cannot guarantee uniform results due to the inherent unpredictability of interacting with the Iconic language. The existence of multiple 'strains'—each corresponding to different facets of the Iconic language, e.g. Quantaphysics —adds layers of complexity and mystery to their use. This variability makes the process of choosing an Iconootrope akin to a gamble with one's own essence.

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Iconootropics are manufactured from a variety of physical compounds that straddle the realms of the ethereal and the material, including rare essences harvested from the liminal spaces where Reality thins, synthesized nanoparticles designed to resonate with Enthredic energies, and biologically active molecules engineered to amplify or modulate the body's natural magical affinities. Acquiring such compounds and setting up laboratories in the exotic zones ideal for production is obviously no mean feat. These clandestine labs are often nestled in arcane nexuses or dimensional crossroads, and well-funded, if by secretive sources. The Divide - an intergalactic cartel of highly dangerous alien thugs run by Arrebun Aai - are well-known as Iconootropic dealers and due to their outsize presence in the universal underworld more or less corner the market, save for a few plucky competitors. Though no isolated venture of theirs has been exposed to date, the Einsoo are strongly suspected by other factions in the Symbion to have sizeable investments in such drugs, and/or connections to The Divide itself.