Khaffir (Ka -feer)

Any society is plagued by all manner of ills and struggles - including illicit substances, such as narcotics. The world of the Imperium is no different. There will always be those individuals or groups who seek to subvert rules and laws, to profit off of others by cheating them, extorting them, or by exploiting their weaknesses. And one of the inroads that users and exploiters will take advantage of, are a person's voluntary or involuntary predilection for pleasure and escapism - which many times can be achieved through the use of drugs or drug-like substances.
Khaffir, or the ebony lotus, is a black flower found growing in temperate climes, usually in large fields that cover the foothills of The Fists of Anker or the Hound's Jaws and that cling precariously to slopes of those mountain ranges.
While beautiful to behold, the khaffir flower also has, when dried and reduced to powder form, medicinal properties. In small doses this powder is a pain reliever and a sleep aid, dulling ones senses and allowing the mind to rest and heal. For this reason it has been a favored meditative and restorative for those with magical ability, and casters of all types at some time or another, will seek it out to mix in with teas and drinks, to reduce the mental fatigue and physical aches that magic can cause.
In higher concentrations or doses, khaffir powder is a dangerous and potent narcotic, used from ancient times to access or induce powerful (some say prophetic) hallucinations.
Unfortunately, those that have access to magical ability are those most subject to its hazardous properties, and if they are not careful, will soon succumb to the worst properties and effects the plant has to offer. When used in substantial quantities, khaffir is also a highly addictive substance, one that mitigates the gnawing ache that accompanies magical proficiency.

Khaffir - The dark side of Delving

This beautiful and yet potentially toxic plant has been harvested for generations by the Lhurak and used in various religious and spiritual ceremonies. It is believed to be a gateway to the Feywild, though no real research has been done to prove this.

Fields of khaffir are jealously guarded by criminal warlords and their gangs and constantly engaging in small skirmishes to determine ownership. There has even been at least one all out war that has been fought over this potent flower.
The plant is sought by those who traffic in magic, either the casting of it or the dabbling in it, as it alleviates the headaches that come from its use. Though they are always warned of its adverse effects, too many a Caster or Delver has fallen victim to its allure, needing more and more of it to achieve the meditative sleep the khaffir can bring.
Throughout the Imperium, khaffir addicts are derisively called Ghúl Fingers, so named for the dark discoloration of the skin that happens when the leaves of the plant are rubbed together to produce the dust that is either snorted, cooked or smoked. It is also a grim reminder that many addicts have very short lifespans and sooner or later will under up dead and buried, to supposedly haunt graveyards like the ghúls and ghasts of legend.

Type

Organic