Contraband of Fastheld

Black Rotgut

Strictly moonshine, black rotgut is brewed in many rural communities across Fastheld. The common Lowweed is the key ingredient of many hidden stills. A potent liquor to numb the muscle pain after a hard day’s work, black rotgut is a foul-tasting, bitter brew that distinctly smells of rotting grain. Considered a peasant’s drink, black rotgut is aptly named-- Too powerful for casual drinking, it exists mainly as a way to get as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. Black rotgut was outlawed in 409 ATA-- Due to primitive brewing techniques and overindulgence, imbibers sometimes wake up still drunk the next morning, or not at all. It still has a faithful underground following across Fastheld.

Elktail Powder

Elktail powder is arguably one of the most terrible poisons available to a Fastheldian. It is used when one wishes the victim to suffer very greatly, then die. It is made from the rind of the fruit of the legendary (and extremely rare) Elktail vine, which is said to only grow out of the corpse of a woman who has committed every act the Church forbids. Poisonmakers consider the successful creation of this powder to be the pinnacle of their craft, as it requires first finding the rare plant, liberating the tiny fruit from the poison-thorned vine, keeping from bruising the insanely fragile fruit, then managing to peel, heat, and powder it with extreme deftness while using gloves, keeping the temperature and pressure of grinding absolutely perfect. The result, however, is sublime. Immediately upon contact with the tongue and throat, it causes the victim to shiver uncontrollably. As it enters the stomach, it causes the victim to retch uncontrollably, then moves on to chills, blinding headaches, the sensation of being stabbed with needles all over the skin, and muscle cramps, all while keeping the victim extremely aware and alert. The pain lasts over two hours, until it finally shuts down enough internal organs to cause death. Those very few that survive this poison are unable to eat solid foods for the rest of their lives, due to the extensive pancreas damage done and the inability to effectively digest. Very few survive more than a few years afterwards.

Flush

Flush is almost purely an ‘annoyance’ poison. It is used either to feign illness, or to feign someone else's sickness by repeated doses over time. It was once used in a very diluted form by healers to cleanse the innards, as it wears away at the lining of the entire digestive tract, (In OOC terms, it kills off internal enzymes and bacteria.) Use for more than a week can kill. It is taken orally. Its effects take about a half hour to come to pass, resulting in fever, swelled tongue, and heavy salivation, eventually culminating in bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, dizziness, and occasionally, convulsions over the five or six hour duration. Giving this to a pregnant woman gives a very high chance of miscarriage, often resulting in the death of both mother and fetus. Made from prolific necklace weed berries, it also gives the skin a blotchy, flushed tone all over the body.

Guttershiv Powder

Guttershiv powder is a minor but deadly poison. It is sometimes used to weaken opponents to have an easier time defeating them. It is an air-based toxin, which can either be blown in the face of the victim, directly sniffed, or even tossed in a fire to contaminate the smoke (with lesser effects). Admittedly, blowing the powder at someone else carries risks to the person administering this poison. Its immediate effect is a headache. Within thirty minutes or so, the victim suffers muscular weakness, dimmed vision, and an increased and irregular heartbeat. Over the next three to five hours, the victim will continue to suffer these effects, often leading to a heart attack and death if not treated.

Noose

Noose is a moderately deadly poison made from the hangman‘s noose mushroom. It is used most often as a intimidation/torture poison, due to a long activation period and the fear that loss of breath can invoke, for Noose causes the tongue and throat to swell painfully, making it difficult to breathe. Since it has a full antidote, the antidote is often used as a bartering chip in negotiations-- A mixture of goose weed, oxmarsh, and tingleleaf, properly mixed, can counter the effect. The poisoning itself begins with a sense of euphoria and a slightly swelled tongue. After six hours, the euphoria peaks, and the victim feels sluggish, and has difficulty breathing. After a total of twelve hours, the lungs usually fail, and the victim dies. Those that survive usually suffer lung ailments for the rest of their life, but a full life is possible-- Assuming a cure is administered in time.

Pigtail Powder

Pigtailflower powder is one of the more minor poisons in a poisoner's collection. It is typically used as a warning shot across the bow, as it were, or in uses where a voiceless victim is useful. It can be placed into food or drink with only a very slight, raisiny taste. Its effects are immediate, causing total loss of voice, throat swelling, difficulty breathing, and extreme pain. There is little chance of death unless there are other factors involved. These effects last up to two hours.

Red Rotgut

Also strictly moonshine, red rotgut is pretty much only brewed in the Shadow District. Blindingly alcoholic, it’s rumored to be a component of Old City wine, also brewed only in the Shadow District. By itself, red rotgut lives up to the name-- A regular drinker won’t have much of a stomach lining left after a while. Although banned, many Shadow District taverns still serve it ‘under-the-counter’ to the really hard-core local drinkers.