Other

Searing Rile

Found at the base of volcanoes, Searing Rile is a rare extremophile plant which grows in clusters of two to four. It has a main stalk that rises from volcanic rock and offshoots into leaves that appear feathery. Searing Rile typically has a tan or orange colouration, although it's not uncommon to find red variants. Its leaves produce a wax that protects it from fire. The plant only succumbs to the most intense volcanic activity, which means it grows unchecked near the base of volcanoes. Only some Alchemists can afford it, and they primarily utilise the plant’s fire-resistant properties by collecting Searing Rile Wax. This wax is used to coat jackets, smith gloves, and other fabrics, preventing them from catching fire during work. However, prolonged exposure will destroy the wax and set the pieces of clothing on fire.

Dwarf’s Beard

Dwarf’s Beard is as thick and long as any moss grows. This species of moss, found growing both in nature and cities, serves as useful bandaging in a pinch, as the coiled, tightly wound nature of the moss is perfect for sealing small gashes or wrapping around a given cut to reduce bleeding. The makeup of this particular moss also makes it unlikely to infect a wound if placed upon it. Traditional gauze and advanced medical care, though, will always be more effective in treating the wounded. Dwarf’s Beard is employed as a rudimentary weave amongst tribal groups spanning Tykonia. 

Trepheonic Rice

Imported from the faraway continent of Trepheon, beyond the Great Storm, the namesake rice was once a staple across the entirety of the Tykon peninsula, flourishing when the rains were plentiful and the riverbanks flooded with regularity. Over the years, however, as famine devastated dry regions, new varieties of rice were bred, such as Rib Rice, supposedly quicker to mature and drought-resistant, to replace the original strain. While these newer breeds have flourished in recent years, the archaic rice that first arrived on Tykonia’s rocky coasts has become increasingly rare, now seldom cultivated. Few remain dedicated to the labour-intensive process of farming Trepheonic Rice. As a result, it has become akin to a rare commodity, rivalling other expensive products, and fetching a high price in markets. 

Vlagary  

Vlagary is an fiery perennial reed characterised by its thick, fibrous stalks that store a cane by the same name. It reaches up to 3 meters (~10 ft.) tall, and grows primarily on the banks of East Tykonia’s northern shore, where the Boiling Sea creates a hot, arid air. Vlagary’s ratoon nature allows it to regrow from its base after harvest, making it one of the few crops that are profitable enough to plant in such a desolate region. It’s pretty expensive in West Tykonia, as in recent years, Vlagary have been tarnished by extremophile bugs that eat away at the stalk and spoil the pith. Also, it is mainly used by artificers, or smiths, even, as a fuel. Charred Vlagary burns hot and fast, reaching high temperatures of 200℃ (392℉), making it a handy tool in brewing. However, it’s quick to burn out, and a single stalk will burn for about half a minute. Fringe arsonists that attempt to use it as an incendiary will find that Charred Vlagary will severely burn (3rd degree) their hands’ flesh faster than they get a chance to chuck it. Its sheer price also restricts widespread usage in this capacity. 

Vitabloom 

Vitabloom, also known by the name of “Soulflower”, is a plant with a rather unique life cycle. When the mana in a rather powerful magic user is released upon their death, should they be left in contact with soil, these short, wide, glowing flowers will begin to grow from both the earth around them and their corpse. It is said to look both morbid and beautiful. Once grown and sprouted, which roughly only takes a week from the death of the mage, due to the nature of this plant, it is said to be able to last indefinitely if not irreparably damaged or destroyed. While they do not naturally grow near them, Vitablooms can be transplanted and grown in mana-rich soil. Vitabloom is said to have broadly beneficial mana-related properties when utilised in alchemical processes, likely due to some of the magic within it. However, lethargy often comes when handling them. 

Spesira Menorea 

Spesira Menorea is a dark vine with bioluminescent, cyan petals that emit a soft glow. In low light, the flowering petals shift lightly and look as if they are shimmering. The vine itself is thin but strong, weaving tightly in rock crevices and dangling from cavern ceilings. It grows in dark environments: deep caves, forested sinkholes, or forgotten wells—anywhere humid that lacks sunlight. Spesira Menorea is rarely found in abundance, as it wilts fast when taken from its habitat, requiring special care during harvest. Alchemists harvest the plant to form a Menorea Core, preserving the floral glow before it dissipates. Ground Menorea cores are used in light-binding tonics, where the petals serve as a conduit for night vision or other visual-related applications. 

Andrashina 

When Andrashina leaves are dried, their flakes can be crushed to create a fine, copper-tinged powder of the same name; a potent vice that only the most daring choose to handle. Known for inducing vivid hallucinations and surges of rapture, Andrashina is addictive as it is unpredictable. The high hits fast: eyes dilate, sounds bend, colours stretch, and thoughts spiral. Some say that it uncovers locked parts of the mind and allows prescient vision, while others ride the euphoric wave chasing clarity or chaos. Despite the risks, Andrashina Dust has a cult following amongst underground fringe alchemists, who supposedly use the powder in elixirs of clairvoyance or illusory draughts, especially due to its overbearing psychoactive properties. Overdose isn't common, but the comedown can be brutal, with nausea and unshakeable tremors. Also, while it isn’t illegal everywhere, it remains highly sought after by thrill-seekers, rogue mages, and those desperate enough to barter reason for revelation. It is, unquestionably, the priciest vice found on the market. 

Tanleaf 

The phrase “Calm down” took on new meaning with the discovery and widespread cultivation of Tanleaf, one of the most—if not the most—universally smoked vices found all across Tykonia. Tanleaf pervades every echelon of society; from the lowliest farmhand, to the wealthy planter, a mercenary from Avont or even the affluent lord, you’ll find the vice all over. 

Cultivated on sloping terraces of rich "smoky" soil that simulates its native highlands, the herb thrives only in the high, well-drained beds sheltered from fierce mountain winds. The best growers water with cold spring or snowmelt water only, wetting each batch at twilight or dawn to lock in the leaf's signature smell. A morning harvest with short blades sees leaves then spread on cedar racks in shaded, airy drying rooms. Following flexible harvesting, bunches of Tanleaf are dried in leather sacks in cold, dark locations. Some reserve-grade Tanleaf is aged a year in oak casks, deepening its mellow, almost winelike aroma.

Smoked and puffed through a pipe or, as the steppe traders prefer, in a nargile, Tanleaf emits a sweet, resinous aroma, relaxing both brain and muscle, giving a temporary release from anxiety or exhaustion. Its milder addictive qualities coax users into the occasional daydream when consumed in excess, while generations of habitual smokers risk chronic respiratory ailments. Connoisseurs prefer to combine Tanleaf with lavender, chamomile, and more for a further relaxation of the nerves, or with sage, peppermint and the like to clear their heads. Rarely, secret caravan mixtures, fermented or cross‑region hybrids, appear among tight‑knit groups, with promises of euphoric, hallucinatory excursions supposedly matching even the most potent Andrashina traditions.

Carogna  

Carogna is the grisly byproduct of livestock afflicted by the Red Mist. When a creature breathes its last under the guise of choking red smoke, its flesh begins to weep a viscous, sulfur‑tinged byproduct, which herders have learned long ago that, if these clots are carefully excised from the corpse—scraped clean of every sinew and bone fragment—and then rinsed repeatedly in running water until the wash runs clear, a potent vice can be harvested. While being slow-boiled over an open flame, handfuls of flavourings can be stirred in, lending the brew its signature fleshy appearance and acrid stench. It is typically stored away in bottles, but can also be rolled into pellets and is usually as cheap as a loaf of bread, yet prized for its effectiveness.

Upon ingestion, Carogna works with terrifying speed. Within minutes, a warm flush spreads through the body, followed by a high so intense that pain, hunger, fear—every primal instinct—falls away, to a point it becomes difficult to remain standing, or conscious even. The eater often swears a feeling like the very pulse of death itself beating behind their eyes. Yet, the high is a double-edged sword; improper preparation or impurities can unleash the latent necrotic contagion still hitch‑hiking in the blood residue, and the user’s flesh will blacken from the inside out. Those who’ve been drinking Carogna since the rise of the Skull King find their skin slowly turning pale, and a lingering, deadly addiction that drives them time and time again to the peddler’s stall, chasing a death‑kissed desire only Carogna can satisfy.

Of course, as the Pale is inevitably pushed back, the supply and demand of the product is predicted to rise, and nobles are sure to get their hands on this frightful vice. In fact, some have certainly taken to storing the substance away, ageing it in dark cellars until the day it may fetch a price as high as Andrashina Dust.