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DRUGS
PHARMACEUTICALS
Given the supernatural nature of many of Lower Light's citizens, certain medical advancements have been made to keep the peace and ensure a safe environment for all.
Ailurex
Hormone blocker/regulator for those with certain types of ailuranthropy (werecats).
Suitable for: Most domestic ailuranthropes, and many of the felinae (small cats) genus.
Effect: Prevents transformation, though in most cases minor transformation is still possible (claws, teeth, some fur etc) at times of heightened emotion or adrenaline.
Side-Effects (in order of commonality): Weight-gain, irritability, anxiety, depression, risk of eventual resistance or immunity to the drug.
FeliTam & LycoTam
Post-exposure prophylaxis for ailuranthropy/lycanthropy.
Suitable for: Most viral infections (not infections of curses/magical nature). Most effective if course is begun within the first 72 hours.
Effect: Arrests viral ailuranthropy/lycanthropy while viral load is low. Typical course is 2 weeks unless otherwise specified by a physician.
Side-Effects (in order of commonality): Fever, nausea, aches & pains, high blood pressure.
Lupitan
Hormone blocker/regulator for lycanthropy.
Suitable for: Lycanthropes within the canis genus (wolf, dog, dingo, jackal, and coyote). Limited success in vulpethropes (werefoxes).
Effect: Prevents moderate to advanced transformation. Low levels of transformation are often still present particularly in times of heightened emotion or distress.
Side-Effects (in order of commonality): Weight-gain, fatigue, restlessness, depression
Sanguinex
Post-exposure prophylaxis & photo-sensitivity treatment.
Suitable for: Those bitten/blooded within 48 hours, most vampires.
Effect: Can arrest or cure infection of most vampiric lyssaviruses (VLV). Can also significantly reduce photo-sensitivity in both magic-based vampires and sufferers of VLV.
Side-effects: Reduced libido, insomnia
Vampion
Long-term treatment for certain types of vampirism.
Suitable for: Most common types of viral vampirism or ‘living vampires’. Most effective on younger vampires & those with a low viral load.
Effect: Reduces bloodlust symptoms and photo-sensitivity, in some select cases can reduce viral load to the point patient no longer suffers from the symptoms (so long as they keep taking it).
Side-effects (in order of commonality): Fatigue, ???
HemoSynth
A synthetic blood alternative. Effective for long-term use.
Suitable for: Vampires or other hemophages that have developed a sensitivity to blood or blood products, or 'vegan' hemophages.
Effect: Reduces hunger in hemophage creatures but does not provide long-term satisfaction. HemoSynth is not as nourishing as sustenance derived from a living creature. Often kept as emergency rations. Shelf stable. Does not taste particularly good.
Side-effects (in order of commonality): Voracious appetite, restlessness, nausea.
ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES
For the rest of you filthy animals.
Glitter/Wendy
Literal fairy dust.
Use: Snort it, lick it, eat it.
Effect: Depending on purity, how much consumed, and how, anywhere from euphoria to acid-trip like hallucinations. Also sometimes comes with the added effect of floating/levitation and low-level magic.
Side-effects: Lethargy when coming down, extra-susceptible to faerie cantrips and manipulation, addictive. Overdosing seldom results in death in itself but does result in ‘Wonderland Syndrome’ where the user is trapped in the mindset of the Dreaming.
Drac
Vampire blood that has been mixed with cocaine.
Use: Drink/eat.
Effect: Feelings of empowerment, increased strength, agility, and more acute senses (though not to the level of a vampire), boundless energy.
Side-effects: Quite addictive, extreme lethargy when coming down, increased hunger or even bloodlust that can lead to aggression. It’s not uncommon for people that either take too much or get a batch where the ratios are off to try to chew through someone’s neck. Abuse of Drac can potentially result in infection and conversion.
Faun Milk/Pan’s Ambrosia
Faun/Satyr… “milk”.
Use: Drink/eat
Effect: Aphrodisiac. A serious one. The ‘fresh’ stuff is most effective but there are powdered forms on the market.
Side-effects: People have died of cardiac arrest whilst in the throes of ecstasy. Those who are particularly weak to the stuff or take too much can be driven to extreme ends to satisfy their lust. Sometimes that results in their end.
Bedlam
A drug derived from Khoshekh’s blood.
Use: ???
Effect: Varies from person to person but usually intense feelings of euphoria and empowerment with an increase in strength & dulled pain response. Users tend to lean towards violence and destructive behaviour when the opportunity strikes. Depending on dose & the person’s genetic makeup and constitution may enter a state of murderous euphoria or (rarely) mild to moderate transformation similar to Khoshekh. Duration varies.
Side-effects: Highly addictive. Significant lethargy on coming down, can be rough on the cardiovascular system. Hard abusers will find less of their old selves remain after a time, replaced with violent tendencies and bestial desires.
Rabbit's Foot
A black market medicine used to combat sun sickness in vampires.
Use: Injection
Effect: Negates the effects of sun sickness and burning in entities sensitive to it.
Side-effects: Not stringently regulated. There is no official pharmaceutical alternative to this drug as thus far all trials have failed to pass adequate safety evaluations. Bad batches have varied in side effects from simple ineffectiveness to internal haemorrhaging.
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SUPERNATURAL REGISTRY & LAW
All entities of a supernatural/inherently magical nature must be registered as per the Safe Conjury Act. Those found to be wilfully avoiding registry face prosecution and forced magical excision or, if such a thing isn't possible, harsher penalties. Each registrant must provide an exhaustive list of their capabilities as well as any triggers that may hinder control over said capabilities. If capabilities aren't reasonably managed by their possessor, pharmaceutical intervention as well as training (where applicable) is mandatory.
All registrants must carry their council-issued ID at all times.
Any ability deemed to be a danger to life, property or land, is performed without consent, is used in a manner designed to evade apprehension/identification or to access restricted spaces/property or inhibits the reasonable comfort of other citizens is strictly prohibited.
Land/home owners are permitted to outfit their property with government-approved humane traps and deterrents for supernatural entities.
MAGIC SUPPRESSION & DETAINMENT
Lower Light's law enforcement is outfitted with devices designed to interrupt/suppress magical energy. Anybody deemed to be posing a risk to those around them is subject to having their abilities temporarily abolished in order to safely apprehend offenders. Offenders will typically be placed in cells constructed from meteoric iron that prevent any and all magical activity from taking place within them.
GLOSSARY & SLANG
Duster: A government agent tasked with meting out rogue/illegal mages. Derived from the terms ‘fairy dust’ and the colloquialism of ‘dusting’ or killing someone, though mages are not typically killed unless necessary.
Fairy Catcher: Pejorative term for a mage hunter.
Blood (verb): The act of a vampire feeding a mortal their blood in the process of turning them. The past-tense of this is ‘blooded’.
Neophyte: A fledgling vampire, where there is still possibility of being cured or reducing symptoms as though cured.
Supernatural: Or 'supe', is any entity of magical, fantastical, or altered status.
Mundane: Any person who does not have magical or altered statuses. 'Normal' people.
