Medicinal Pills and Elixers

(丹药 dānyào) – miracle drugs which can have all sorts of effects. Often taken to boost cultivation, heal wounds, cure poisons, purify or strengthen the body, and much much more.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Alchemy (丹道 dāndào) (外丹 wàidān) – the refining of plants, minerals, and other substances into medicinal pills & elixirs. In these novels, Alchemists (丹师) are essentially pharmacists who work with magical materials and make miracle drugs.
Cauldrons & Pill Furnaces (鼎 dǐng) (丹炉 dānlú) – the tools alchemists use to produce medicinal pills & elixirs.
The elements in the Medicinal Herbs, Spiritual Herbs, Spiritual Minerals, and other various ingredients provide pure Qi for the body to consume.

Manufacturing process

First, the ingredients must be combined in a draught of purest water. The lower the quality of water, the lower the quality of the pill/elixir.
Second, the combination must be boiled in a Cauldron or Pill Furnace (depending on if you want an elixir or a pill). Again, length of time determines quality, as well as careful watching. After this stage, the pill is done.
Third, the Elixir must be fed pure Qi for a minimum of three days in order to be properly effective.
Elixir's are stronger than Pills.

Significance

Personal, Medicinal

Item type

Consumable, Magical

Subtype / Model

Medicinal Pills and Elixers

Used by

• Medicinal Pills and Elixers

Rarity

Rare. Often passed down in families.

Weight

Negligable

Dimensions

Negligable, always small.

Base Price

Expensive.

Raw materials & Components

Medicinal Plants / Herbs (药草 yàocǎo) – a generic term for any kind of plant which can be used by alchemists to make poisons or medicinal pills & elixirs. Older medicinal plants (100-year, 1000-year, etc…) are generally considered to be more potent.
Ginseng (参) & Lingzhi Mushrooms (灵芝) appear quite often in these novels, where they’re claimed to have great medicinal qualities. Spiritual Plants / Herbs (灵草 língcǎo) – also called Spirit Grass. A magic plant which has absorbed spiritual energy from the natural world and is highly sought after by both cultivators and alchemists alike. Usually either eaten to absorb the spiritual energy it contains or refined into spirit medicines. Spiritual Minerals found in crystalline caves and untouched wilderness.

Tools

Cauldrons & Pill Furnaces (鼎 dǐng) (丹炉 dānlú) – the tools alchemists use to produce medicinal pills & elixirs.