Addendum to The “Interventions and Restoratives of Epochxin Affliction”
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Xorus publishes Addendum to The “Interventions and Restoratives of Epochxin Affliction” report … with blood results, derivatives, transmogrification, and lots more long and impressive terms!
Subj: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Addendum to the “Interventions and Restoratives of Epochxin Affliction” Report
Addressed to the general public and particularly in care of: Lord Breshon Caulfield of Bourth; Hendoran Outpost Mayor Lylia Rashere Faendryl; Moot Hall
In light of the confusion regarding the epochxin and prior events surrounding the poisoning of Lady Larsya Caulfield, this will serve as a relatively concise appendix of salient details on the issues covered in the more full report. In the fog of contradictory statements even I was unclear at times on these points concerning the epochxin, and I believe I misspoke on the place of the tar-like black salve on the chain of end products. I will later add another appendix addressing the strangeness of how this happened.
Appendix A: Derivatives of Ebon-Swirled Primal Blood
Epochxin is a term that is presumably a portmanteau of the words “epoch” and “toxin” to imply its accelerated aging effect. This has led to some confusion regarding the contents of Larsya’s blood and the poison on the arrow which struck her. This arrow was designed to disintegrate, such that the poison was never able to be studied. Lord Brieson Cassle introduced the word “epochxin” months later based on a text on the ebon-swirled primals, which was supposedly written by two Faendryl brothers.
The text that was studied by Brieson asserted that the ebon-swirled primal is a distant relative of the shadowy oculoth demon, and that the primal blood is in itself a venom. This is consistent with the fact that oculoth family demonic have black ichor venom which subjects its victims to horrifying mind shattering illusions. It is highly probable that Larsya’s recurrent amnesiac state was a consequence of her transformed blood. For the sake of clarity we will avoid using the word “epochxin” in what follows.
The following are known or suspected derivatives of ebon-swirled primal blood:
Base: (A) Primal Blood
Derivatives: (B) Transmogrification Agent: The poison on the arrow which struck Larsya. (C) Afflicted Blood: The victim of the transmogrification agent. (D) Purified Everblood Essence (E) Everblood (F) Half-Elven Sickness
Anti-Derivatives: (G) The Restorative Salve (H) The Modified Salve for the Afflicted (I) Treated Afflicted Blood
The transmogrification agent (B) was unable to be studied due to the arrow disintegrating. It immediately caused Larsya to begin rapidly aging, which was halted by suspending her in a bane coffin with temporal magic. This agent caused Larsya’s blood to be transformed into ebon-swirled primal blood, or else something so similar or partially constituted with primal blood that it was sufficient to draw primals to her. This was a premise given by Brieson from studying the Faendryl text. It is here referenced as Afflicted Blood (C).
While the primal blood is itself a venom, it is not necessarily sufficient to cause the transformation of the blood of its victim, which would have to be studied with samples and experimentation. Considering those who were assaulted by the primals in the Southron Wastes were not afflicted in the same way as Larsya it is very unlikely that the arrow poison is merely primal blood. It is very highly likely, however, to be based on primal blood. It is not at all clear that the poisons (B) and (C) are the same derivative form.
The distillation of primal blood immediately yields an alchemical substance known as “purified everblood essence” (D), suggesting in the strongest possible terms that primal blood (A) is a critical ingredient of the Everblood. Worded slightly differently, Everblood (E) is a processed derivative of primal blood, with other unknown reagents. Their effects are essentially opposite: Primal blood (A) rapidly ages its humanoid host, Everblood (E) halts their physiological condition. Essence of Everblood (D) in turn is the key reagent in the Restorative Salve (G) for treating the half-elven sickness (F), which involves mixing substance (D) with black toadstool and the highly poisonous white baneberry.
This salve is also a counter-agent for the Everblood (E), negating the immortality of its host. It was used to coat weapons to vanquish the Blameless, who were immortalized by Everblood. Its usefulness in this respect was discovered by accident through loresinging. This same salve has been used to negate three different blood conditions. The purified everblood essence (D) is known to be an intermediate in the processing of primal blood into products (G) to (I) with anti-parallel effects including presumably Everblood.
The mechanism for this is straight forward, “purified everblood essence” (D) is merely distilled primal blood (A), which directly counteracts its magical effect. Its usefulness as a plague salve implies the half-elven blood sickness (F) is ultimately based upon the primal blood (A). The essential point is that all of these are apparently derivatives of primal blood. The anti-derivative agent known as the “tar-like black salve” (G) is essentially an anti-venom for the primal blood (A), causing it to be effective on potentially all of the derivative forms. It was a slightly modified form of this salve (H) that was used to stabilize Larsya. Brieson boiled the salve and made a few minor changs, pouring it into the coffin as a bubbling black potion. Since Larsya was treated with potion (H) her blood is now substance (I) which has some unknown distance from substance (C).
Magister Svala is correct that we cannot assume her blood is still the substance (C). In fact, her treatment with the potion (H) has slowed or even halted her aging, analogous to Everblood. However, a rather subtle point has been overlooked is that as far as I can tell, Larsya only displayed her recurrent amnesia after being treated. Rather than a consequence of (A), (B), or (C), her being frozen in time may very well be a consequence of her treated blood, which has artificially suspended her temporal progression.
Lord Xorus Kul’shin Advisor to the Mayor of Wehnimer’s Landing
Date: 04/15/2018 12:58 AM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Appendix B: Model of Epochxin Intermediates and End Products
The following is a hypothetical set of models for mapping the relationship between blood conditions and agents related to primal blood. This constitutes a theory that there is a single underlying methodology behind a family of transformation blood curses. The relevance for curing Larsya of her physical affliction is that the case of Drangell can be used as a model. He was the opposite situation of having his primal blood derivative aspect (Everblood) remain in tact while his (troll) blood substrate conditioning was negated. This means he was reverted to his original Giantman form while retaining his Everblood immortality. It may be possible to perform a similar reversion for the other victims.
Tar-like Black Salve (G): * Simmering: Purified Everblood Essence (D) + Black Toadstool + White Baneberry -> Chanting Disintegrate or Wither spell
Bubbling Black Potion (H): * Boil: Tar-like Black Salve + “Minor Ingredients” (Consult notes of Lord Brieson Cassle.)
Blood Curses:
Treatment of the following blood curses by the alchemical recipes (G) or (H) causes a reversion in the blood negating hypothetically the primal blood component of the blood curse in question. This is sufficient for reverting Everblood and blackblood plague to seemingly the original blood of the host. The situation is more complicated in the case of Larsya because her physiology is hybridized with foreign blood. In this respect she is more like Thrazyar, Drangell, and Rodnay than the Blameless or blackblood victims.
While it is possible the arrow poison represents a singular poison or possibly even reduces to a formula such as (B) = (C) or (A) = (B) = (C), which have collectively been referred to as “epochxin”, we should entertain a more general model for the likelihood that there is a shared methodology with other blood magic transmogrification curses of the provenance of the Arcane Eyes. It is possible that primal blood (A) or Everblood essence (D) is one of the Unknown Ingredients (U) for the transmogrification agent.
As an addendum on this point, the Everblood was allegedly adapted from the blood of Drangell, but as we know now the Essence of Everblood intermediate itself is a distillation of ebon-swirled primal blood. The cursed troll form of Drangell was reverted to his giantman body, albeit without the elimination of the Everblood, which remained until the development of the tar-like black salve (G) for the half-elven “blackblood” sickness. This implies the ritual performed on Drangell was able to specifically target the physical consequences of his substrate component (troll blood) while leaving the Everblood aspect in tact. This may even be indirect if trolls originated in demonic blood magic.
The relevance of this point is that Larsya has already been treated with an anti-derivative of the primal blood, allowing the opposite situation of the primal blood derivative being countered but not the substrate transmogrification. The Tehir spirit caller Akhash was able in Lumnea 5111 to sever the troll specific aspect of the curse on Drangell using items tied to the curse and troll blood and body parts. This reverted the victim to his Giantman form. In this case it was a longsword that Thrayzar had used to strike down the witch that cursed them. If this model is essentially correct then a similar ritual plus the salve could be performed with items of the curse creators and the relevant substrates.
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
(OOC Aside: I do not know if it was ever explicitly stated that the (supposedly dead) witch that cursed Thrayzar and Drangell was Raznel. Since Naimorai has apparently gone into the deep past, making Raznel unnaturally very old or at least time traveler, Xorus is making the inductive leap that their transformation curses all fall under this family.)
– Xorus’ player
Date: 04/15/2018 03:11 AM CDT
From: FLAYED-ANGEL
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Excellent posts! m/
AFAIK, it wasRaznel that cursed Thrayzar and Drangell… at least, that’s what I’ve always heard.
— Wheels & Skulls Department
You see Blood Mayor Cruxophim the Blood Reaver. “Blood for the Blood Mayor! Skulls for the Skull Office!”
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Just to confirm yest she cursed them. The two were hired to kill her and she got the better of the figbt. Drangell cursed into a troll and was our first known source of everblood.
Date: 04/15/2018 03:06 PM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Yeah. I was tired and the reference to it being her was not jumping out to me, because the Wiki stuff is largely snapshots of given points in time rather than future context. I know I have read that she was the one that cursed them, but I treat stuff as rumor until I find it in harder references. I see it now on her own Wiki page.
<<Excellent posts! m/>>
So. This Appendix B is an idealized general model, giving a framework for a set of theories. It might be that Thrayzar and Drangell form a methodological subset unique to Raznel, and that Rodnay/Ithzir-orphans and the “Winged Fiend” children form a methodological subset unique to Stone. It might be that this transmogrification agent collapses down to just being the demon blood under certain conditions. Think of it as a set of implicit mathematical equations where some values might be set as zeroes.
In the broader report Xorus was making the argument that demonic hybrids of fauna from this plane of existence are a “natural” phenomenon that happens all the time south of the Demonwall. This is actually in official history. He would argue that with the evidence in hand about “everblood essence” deriving immediately from primal blood suggests trolls ultimately originated that way from the Age of Darkness, and that “troll blood” has the healing properties it does because it is actually a debased form of Everblood.
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
I feel as though I say this often enough that it wears thin, but this is remarkable. Thank you for clarifying my murky knowledge about epochxin and how it’s figured into recent events.
— Lauren, Lylia’s player
Date: 04/15/2018 05:15 PM CDT
From: DMWCINCY
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Yeah. I was tired and the reference to it being her was not jumping out to me, because the Wiki stuff is largely snapshots of given points in time rather than future context. I know I have read that she was the one that cursed them, but I treat stuff as rumor until I find it in harder references. I see it now on her own Wiki page. —
If it helps it was confirmed through a conversation with pylasar about her role with the curse and given as fact not just hearsay.
Date: 04/15/2018 08:50 PM CDT
From: INIQUITY
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Appendix C: Inhibitor Effects of Primal Blood Anti-Derivatives
The empirical evidence for the counter-action of blood curses by treatment of epochxin anti-derivatives are as follows:
Blood Curse
Inhibitor
Effect
Description
Examples
Everblood (E)
Restorative Salve (G)
Death
The subjects melt into a tar-like substance.
Chaston Griffin, Blameless
Blood Curse (P)
Restorative Salve (G)
Death
The subjects melt into a tar-like substance.
Drangell
Blackblood Curse (F)
Restorative Salve (G)
Reversion to Original
There is a burning sensation, black veins are expunged.
Cured half-elves.
Afflicted Blood (C)
Modified Salve (H)
Stabilization
The rapid aging effect halts, does not constitute being cured.
Larsya
It is possible that the blood curses Everblood (E) and the Blood Curse (P) of Drangell, with the troll form removed, are exactly the same but this will not be taken for granted. This table suggests that the tar-like black salve interacts with the Everblood by transforming the physiology of the host into the tar. The hypothetical causal mechanism for this is that the Primal Blood (A) component of the Half-Elven Sickness (F) is expunged from the host blood, while in the case(s) of the Everblood this underlying Primal Blood (A) component is catalyzed into more tar-like black salve or something similar. This suggests the constitution of Everblood fuels a runaway reaction of self-replication.
The inference to be drawn from this is that the “essence of Everblood” (D) becomes an accelerant with the tar-like black salve (G), which in effect becomes an anti-derivative substrate for the generalized transmogrification agent (K) per the model in Appendix B. In contrast, the salve acts as an inhibitor of this mechanism in the cases of Afflicted Blood (C) and Half-Elven Sickness (F), where the latter is a whole body purification whereas the former perhaps only inhibits the blood but not its imposed physical effects.
Subj: Re: Addendum to the Interventions of Epochxin Report
Appendix D: Extraplanar Hybridization
Our world consists of a material plane of existence formed of essence which pervades all animate and inanimate matter. The essence which constitutes a thing may be corrupted by exposure or intersection with the energies of other realms. It is thought by some that those forces we wield into magic are higher order essences, warping the otherwise inert properties of our material world with that of others such as spiritual and elemental planes. When the interplanar bleedthrough is with the elemental planes, saturation with elemental power is eventually infused within sentient forms. These range from frost giants to lava golems, where neither giants nor golems are intrinsically elemental.
In the case of “unholy” power this corruption tends to curse the souls to their vessels or locations and thus warping the spirits of the living toward undeath. It twists the spirit toward malevolence and a hunger for destroying itself. There is an intimate relationship between the demonic and undead for this reason. The unnatural fusion of such foreign powers, the siphoning and fusing of hybrid forms, fall under the domain of sorcerous magic. Soulstones are thus used for siphoning both spiritual and elemental power.
(1) Higher Necromancy
It is in this lack of sanctity for intra-planar purity that we find the unifying principle of higher necromancy. Things of one realm of being are not uniquely bound to that natural domain, and may be transmogrified into other kinds entirely or miscegenated into hybrid forms of neither world. This is a basic fact when interacting with extraplanar entities, whether demonic or whichever other categorization. Vathors make necleriines from humanoid corpses of our world. The Vvrael servants are tranformed with corrosive black blood and now one with the self-aware “anti-mana.” Glistening cerebralites replicate themselves from the brains of the fallen. V’reen morphs and magru breed from flesh.
These are conspicuous examples because they are “extraplanar” and yet their origins in our world cannot be disputed. South of the Demonwall there are many things which are demonic hybrids. These were fashioned by the hordes unleashed in the ill-advised warmongering of Empress Selantha II, or else from things missed by the Faendryl Armata in the unhealed tear in reality at the ruins of Maelshyve. These are the “unnatural” offspring of the demonic with (or otherwise spawned from) wildlife or livestock of our world.
The more subtle historical point is that many of the vaguely humanoid races of this world have unknown origins in the Age of Darkness. There was the chaos of a great demonic war that had corrupted and warped life so thoroughly that Imaera herself was kept busy for thousands of years. The discovery that the purified essence of the Everblood (D) is actually distilled ebon-swirled primal blood speaks to this pre-historical atavism of descent. While the Everblood (E) was adapted from the blood of Drangell (S), who had been cursed (P) as a troll, it is missing the point to say the Everblood is derived from troll blood. It is rather suggesting that the trolls originated many thousands of years ago in the corruption of humanoids (or perhaps giantkin specifically) by the venom of primitive oculoths. Orcs may similarly find their provenance in the descent of men or Elves.
(2) Transmogrification
Transmogrification is broadly speaking a process of fusion or conversion between kinds. Vesperti are such a thing between elves and bats, constituents seemingly only of this world, fashioned for their anti-magical and extraplanar powers. There is consequently a case to be made for such physiological transformations proceeding immediately from spells or spell-like manipulations inherent to the entities. In the case of a hybrid form this would be like breeding “horizontally” into a host instead of producing an offspring in descent. In terms of the model in Appendix B this amounts to the Transmogrification Catalyst (J) being nothing other than a sorcerous curse spell or something similar.
It might nevertheless be the case that in this instance of “the blood curses of the Arcane Eyes” there is some unknown substance acting as the catalyst which remains in the blood of the transformed. This is suggested strongly by the action of the tar-like black salve (G), which is made from purified everblood essence (D), and transformed the bodies of the Everblooded (D) into the tar. The Ithzir hybrid children which hatched from floating cocoons were made from slender crystal tubes of blood and abducted orphans.
Blood Curse
Victim Type
Kind
Culprit
Function
Ithzir Orphans
Children
Hybrid
Grishom Stone
Power conduit
Winged Fiend
Children
Hybrid
Grishom Stone
Power conduit
Larsya
Children
Semi-Transformed
Raznel
Beacon
Blackblood
Both
Semi-Transformed
Raznel
Power battery
Everblood
Adult
Semi-Transformed
Raznel
N/A
Thrayzar
Adult
Fully Transformed
Raznel
N/A
Drangell
Adult
Fully Transformed
Raznel
N/A
The Tehir spirit caller Akhash was able to reverse Drangell to a “semi-transformed” state where he was a giantman instead of a troll but still retained the Everblood. Grishom was able to adapt this directly from Drangell, while the same was done later for the Blameless. This suggests that the full transformation relies upon a substrate which can be separated out, while the catalyst and perhaps primal blood component remains. It is in effect the blood that is transformed with a secondary effect on the body rather than a hybridization or total transformation. The application of the tar-like black salve was arguably catalyzed upon the Everblood which led those bodies into a full transformation.
(3) Reversions
In contrast, the blackblood sickness (F) was merely burned out by it, and the boiled form (H) did not fully transform Larsya. This suggests its effect upon the blackblood was to reverse the “semi-transformed” state by expunging what was presumably a primal blood constituent. What will be argued in Appendix F is that the application of the liquid (H) to Larsya brought her body into closer unison with the primal blood. It is worth noting that the symptoms of curing the blackblood suggest relevance of elemental fire, which is known to inhibit the flesh restorative properties of troll blood. This suggests essence of fire would be important in curing primal or everblood admixtures from a host.
The blackblood veins resembled the taint from the shadow realm of Althedeus. Its purpose was likely to form shadow batteries for infusing the blood marble which destroyed Talador with fiery energies and corrupted it with shadow energy. The physical warping from this on Disciples of the Shadows is well known. The constituents of the blackblood are unclear, but there were iguanoid blood vials found in the Hendoran Outpost after it was liberated, which was the time period the pack with the salve recipe was presumably planted. It may also be adapted from whatever Raznel has done to her own blood. It is possible that the blood catalyst, if it exists, can be identified by fractional distillation of the blood of victims in this class (such as Larsya, Thrayzar, and Rodnay.) The wounds inflicted on Rodnay have notably vanished on their own similar to Everblood.
Similarly, there have been other situations of curses of the blood and flesh from Raznel which are not seemingly transmogrifications, but nevertheless perhaps involve corruption with the shadow energy. These would include cases such as a corpse erupting with a spontaneous transmutation of blood (U) into vermin such as scarabs. Most recently, we have learned that Disean the son of Lord Thadston Andrews has come under the control of the witch with perhaps the influence of a transformation (V), and he possesses a blade which inflicts a rotting disease (W) on its victims. When the corpse of an afflicted horse was burned the cursed energy was observed as shadowy ribbons of black flames. It would have been helpful to have acquired blood samples from this horse, but it might be studied for its differences from other injured parties such as Thadston himself.
It might well be the case that the Everblood possesses a self-catalyzing agent, much as would be necessary for the arrow “epochxin” poison to be nothing other than the primal blood, at least under certain conditions. If this were so it would only be necessary to expose a host to the Everblood and it would transform their own blood. That would not preclude other variants. The slow healing wounds of Rodnay may be less aggressive, much as Grishom healed slowly after the tortures of Nysorm. This may not even be a coincidence if Rodnay is a mixture of Grishom and Ithzir blood. Grishom spoke nebulously of exchanging our world for blood, and they of marriage of blood and power.
The shortened point in this is that the mere presence of a primal or everblood component is insufficient for the tar-like black salve to result in lethal transformation. It was a vulnerability peculiar to that form of the Everblood curse. It would have unpredictable effects on others such as Rodnay, Grishom, Raznel, and whichever modifications have been made in the intervening period. The presence of Disean with surviving Blameless must allow for the possibility, though by no means the certainty, of Raznel somehow controlling the group of them rather than only that member. If this is the case there may be a modified Everblood (X) which is not vulnerable to the tar-like black salve (G). There is not yet any evidence this has happened, but the possibility must be anticipated. It would stand to reason another treatment involving primal blood might work.
Appendix F: Temporal Nature of the Primal Blood
The fundamental alchemical identity of the epochxin and Everblood in the substrate of ebon-swirled primal blood forces the inference that we are witnessing anti-parallel temporal effects from the same underlying causal mechanisms. The Everblood (E) “heals” the body aggressively by forcing its return to a frozen moment in time, while not doing the same for the mind, whereas the Treated Afflicted Blood (I) has frozen the mind and almost halted the body. This is less of a paradox than it might seem. Consider that a thing frozen in a moment of time does not perceive itself that way. In its own frame of reference it is normal, but everything else is happening rapidly or simultaneously.
The curious fact that the ebon-swirled primal is a “primitive oculoth” rather than a cousin in the oculoth family is telling. What it is implying is that they are oculoths as they existed in some earlier point of evolution, their forms frozen into a given state of development. They are oculoths who have been corrupted by temporal suspension of their bodies imbued in their blood. They still have their sense of awareness, the ability to act. The venom being called “epochxin” refers to its temporal distortion on the flesh.
Blood Curse
Body
Mind
Hypothetical Blood Synchronization
Everblood (E)
Restoring Force
Normal
Body (Only)
Troll Blood (T)
Restoring Force
Normal
Body (Only)
Afflicted Blood (C)
Accelerated
???
Not Synchronized
Treated Afflicted Blood (I)
Slowed
Restoring Force
Body (Partial) & Mind
What I am proposing is that the primal blood venom may have a kind of “epochxin” effect on its own, but the arrow poison fully converted Larsya’s blood into the ebon-swirled primal blood which may exist in temporal suspension. Without being properly hybridized with her body so that it is synchronized with its temporal freeze, the consequence is her flesh is infused with a thing that perceives its flow through time as much more rapid. There is in living things a kind of “blood-brain barrier” which presumably shields trolls and the Everblooded from having their minds afflicted by its filtering effect. The trouble with Larsya is her mind is in contact with the venom, per usual with oculoth venoms.
The fact that her mind is frozen in the moment she was first struck suggests her mind is like a spring about a fixed point in history due to her blood. This suggests in turn that synchronizing her body with the blood would return her flesh to that temporal state as well. At the moment, her body is in a sense too cured, when what is needed is deeper transformation. Once her body is returned to its initial condition of youth, making use of more temporal magic, one would be concerned with expunging the primal blood.
The commonalities between these blood curses is once again important. The blackblood sickness when purified will spontaneously manifest into writhing things such as maggots like the blood of Raznel. This is remarkable as the incident with the Ithzir which led to a dozen transmogrified orphans was rife with temporal distortions. There were “temporal warriors” bleeding through from the rifting, as well as incarnadine riftworms, and larger breachworms. This was not incidental. The first child victim “Jimmy” was transformed with blue pupiless eyes, his corpse leaking blue blood which spontaneously erupted as riftworms. Considering Rodnay’s healing power and the oculoths existing in the shadow realm, this suggests the underlying presence of their blood as a component in the transmogrification agent itself. This may be what was destroyed by the tar-like black salve in the case of blackblood curse, if it was starved of everblood, whereas in Larsya it was acting directly on much primal blood allowing the catalyst to become a greater factor.
