Pristine Tincture

Pristine Tincture
Uncommon Reagent (5gp)
Rank: 7
Pristine Tincture is a clear, colorless alchemical solution known for its unmatched purity and versatility. It serves as the ideal medium for stabilizing magical essences and forms the base of countless alchemical solutions. Non-toxic to all but the most corrupted creatures, it can sometimes help the body process toxins and prevent disease.
Special Actions
Imbibe
Standard Action [REC 5]
Duration: 1 Hour
Effect: Drinking Pristine Tincture can help purify toxins from the body. You gain a +1 item bonus to Resilience checks made against toxins and contracting pestilence for 1 hour.
Creation
Pristine Tincture can only be crafted while within Alchemist's Ground. The creation process is a delicate dance of alchemical mastery. It begins with distilling the purified water into the engraved crystal flask under the twilight of dusk or dawn. The water must be drawn down the moonthread into the crystal flask, but care must be taken not to allow the moonthread to touch the inside of the flask. Silver dust is then impregnated into the damp moonthread, which is subsequently dissolved into the oil using a three-point star diagram. Seventeen twenty-thirds of the crushed quartz is added to the flask, and the remainder is bounced into the oil solution. Both mixtures are placed upon a sigil of equilibrium until the crushed quartz turns smooth and forms a filmy eye. The oil solution is then folded into the flask using charcoal as a blending and purifying catalyst. The charcoal is then removed and carefully scorched with flame until it melts into a slippery grey slag. The slag is painted onto the inside portion of the flask lid and engraved with three minuscule Seven Symbols of Purity. A puff of alchemist's breath is then captured into the flask, which is quickly sealed with the lid. The mixture is then left to age on a Symbol of Time until it no longer walks. Finally, the flask is violently shaken three times by the Palsied Hand in a trigram motion, causing the solution to stabilize and turn perfectly clear.
Ingredients: Engraved Crystal Flask (1gp), Purified Water, a pinch of Silver Dust (1sp), crushed and fired Quartz (1sp), Charcoal, clear wood oil (1gp), and Moonthread (Rare, 1gp)
Crafting: Alchemy DC 35
"In the heart of alchemy lies the Pristine Tincture, pure as a mountain spring, potent as the ancient magics."
——Elowen the Wise, Master Alchemist

Description

Pristine Tincture is a clear, colorless solution that serves as the cornerstone of all alchemical practices. Its transparency and purity are unmatched, making it the ideal medium for stabilizing magical essences from various creatures. Despite its innocuous appearance, Pristine Tincture emits a faint, refreshing scent reminiscent of freshly fallen rain, which belies its potent alchemical properties. Highly versatile, it forms the base of countless alchemical solutions, effortlessly blending with other reagents to enhance their efficacy and unlock their full potential. Pristine Tincture is non-toxic to all but the most corrupted creatures. It is considered a waste, but drinking it can sometimes help the body process toxins and prevent disease.

Lore

The origins of Pristine Tincture are shrouded in darkness and whispers of madness. It is said that The First Alchemist, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and power, encountered a malevolent entity in the depths of the earth — a cluster of brain-eating worm known as Thought Legion. This parasitic creature, seeking a new host, promised great power as it burrowed into the mind of The First Alchemist, slowly consuming his thoughts and memories.

Thought Legion, reveling in its own cruelty, whispered secrets of profound alchemical power, including the recipe for Pristine Tincture, intending for the alchemist to be too maddened to ever use it. As the worms fed on the alchemist's intellect, it revealed the precise steps to distill this miraculous solution, confident that the knowledge would die with its host. However, The First Alchemist, despite his deteriorating sanity, proved too clever for the parasite.

In moments of fleeting clarity, he created cryptic notes and recorded scrolls of information, ensuring the enigmatic preservation of this invaluable knowledge. Before his complete descent into madness, he managed to teach parts of the different recipes to his most trusted disciples, forming the foundation of Alchemy throughout the world. Though he was ultimately consumed by Thought Legion, The First Alchemist's legacy endures. The Pristine Tincture remains a cornerstone of alchemy, a testament to the dark origins and the high price paid for its creation, as well as the resilience and ingenuity of those who seek to master the arcane.