Erdwael's Fire

Brought upon by consuming the highly illegal and expensive drug named erdwael, Erdwael's Fire is a powerful but dangerous condition that greatly magnifies both magical and physical strength.

Source

Erdwael's Fire can be bestowed upon a subject through the consumption of a substance called erdwael. Because of two of the potion's key ingredients (dragon blood and dragon bone dust), erdwael is highly illegal to manufacture or consume in Etherea. Merchants who are legally permitted to sell dragon blood and bones are required by Etherean law to file a report any time the two ingredients are purchased by the same customer.

Main Effects

Erdwael combines a number of other dangerous ingredients with those obtained from dragons, all with the compounding effect of magnifying both magical power and physical strength to a near-godly degree. The downside is that the power and strength have to be used quickly, or it will burn through its host, leaving behind a withered and often smoking husk. The power is also immensely difficult to control if one doesn't prepare themselves before taking it. Subjects of Erdwael's Fire have been known to suddenly release explosions of magical energy or enter rages of mindless destruction.
Despite its illegality, many non-mages can't resist the temptation that erdwael offers. If one was not a mage before taking erdwael, they would find that they suddenly had a huge well of power at their disposal. Unfortunately, those who aren't used to such power usually have no idea how to control it, and Erdwael's Fire has claimed dozens of lives due to the greed and false sense of confidence of young or misguided power-seekers.

Signs of Use

In general, it isn't hard to tell if someone has taken erdwael. The sudden boost in strength and power is hard to hide unless the subject was already exceptional in one area or the other and knew what they were doing. Even with that, others might still notice the subject's exceptionally bloodshot eyes or - in cases where the dragon blood wasn't mixed in correctly - the slightly scaly sheen of their skin. Extended use can result in foaming at the mouth, blood leakage from the nose and/or eyes, or the rapid growth of finger and toenails into something akin to talons. One subject's body was even found to have bony nubs growing from their spine, tailbone, and shoulder blades, indicating transformation into a more draconic shape as a possible result of the drug.

Punishment for Production and Use

In Etherea, laws regarding the use or consumption of any body parts from a dragon are extremely strict. In the case of erdwael, anyone found attempting to produce it is subject to life in prison. If they are also found guilty of selling or distributing the substance, they are sentenced to death by burning, usually in dragon fire. Subjects of Erdwael's Fire are immediately contained by magic-disrupting wards and imprisoned in a specially-designed cell until the drug wears off. Once it does, if the subject is still alive, they are put on trial before the High Justicar. If they knowingly took erdwael, they are imprisoned for ten to twenty years. If they took it unknowingly - either by accident or believing it was a different substance - they are required to commit up to five years to unpaid kingdom service, depending on damages caused by their actions.

Type

Magical