The Missing Ink

I have lived for eons, I witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations and I tasted every single ink known to my kind...but what if I missed one?
~ Y'lon, Shadow of the First City

The Missing Ink is a legendary substance that frequently appears in the tales and myths of the Mecamii and which said to be of such exquisite hue, saturation, and lightness that whoever consumed it would never be able to "taste" any other type of Stone Ink.
While the idea of a "Missing Ink" was originally nothing more than a metaphor for the unknown wonders of the world that had been dreamt up by a handful of ancient Mecamii as a mere intellectual pastime, it quickly became a highly influential cultural concept for the entire species.
Due to this, it is not uncommon for young or bored Mecamii to undertake a more ore less serious attempt to actually create the Missing Ink.
While so far none of these attempts have been successful, they nevertheless gave the Mecamii a strong incentive to explore the world and more frequently interact with other species.
Together with a number of other factors the cosmopolitanism resulting from these interactions actually lead to the formation of the very first Mecamii nation in the shape of the Republic of Mâché.

Spread

You do realize that I not only used to live in the city of Xan'dria but that I am also quite literally a part of said city?
So don't try to tell me that there was a supposed secrete underground temple beneath the city's lighthouse, as I am also on good terms with Aros and he never mentioned anything like this.
~ Ly'bar, Study-Hall of Xan'dria

Given that Stone Ink only truly holds and culinary value for the Mecamii, the legend of the best tasting ink in all of Cenorad is generally only known to said species.
The only exception to this are the Yinmoujia, which in their quest to put a price tag on every item in existence quickly educate themselves on this myth once they hear of it the first time.
For while the Ink might never be created, as long as the Mecamii are willing to trade for rare ingredients and ancient tomes, the Yinmoujia will continue to invest themselves into the tales of the Missing Ink.

Variations & Mutation

There are generally two variants of myths involving the Missing Ink, which then further subdivided into countless different variations.
In the first version the Ink had once been created in ancient time but the recipe which detailed its fabrication has since become lost to time. Therefore stories that follow the frame of this myth version usually focus on listing possible locations where the recipe might be hidden.
In the second version of the myth, the Ink has yet to be created but thanks to various secret and definitely not made-up sources the storyteller recently managed to hear of a handful of special ingredients that when combined might just give rise to the Missing Ink.

Related Species

• Mecamii

The Blood of Stones

Stone Ink is the sole aliment of the Mecamii and is usually made by combining a powdered pigment with a suitable solvent, such as water or animal blood.