OSKAT BEETLE POWDER
Mortal tier recipe. No cultivation requirements
I've used the whole beetle once as a test. Only do this if it's an emergency and, considering the mild benefits, no emergency can be big enough to justify putting up with the taste or smell. The main use of this rather commonly available powder is to enhance the effect of other stronger ingredients which may not be as readily available, allowing you to use less of otherwise expensive items – Ever-Summoned Demonic God Oskatat while dabbling in alchemy
INGREDIENTS AND RECIPE
* Mature Oskat Beetle, 1 insect – non magical bug
* Caffeinated stalkweeds, 3 stems – non magical plant
* Any fragrant oil, 2 drops – non magical fluid
Oskat beetles can be distinguished by age due to shell colour. Ideal mature beetles have a grey shell, while immature beetles are a deep brown. An additional point are corrupted beetles, which display no physical differences from other types. You can only tell apart these after finishing the production process.
Stalkweeds are long, thin plants that grow like weeds. Can you imagine that?
Use any blade to cut them at the base and trim off the leaves growing from their tip. Harvesting is that easy. Before even starting the production you will need to burn the stems dry and grind up the residue. As such you want to try and collect dry plants to make burning easy. Anyone that’s tried to set wet wood alight will know the pain this brings.
This component is added to the final beetle powder to complete the product.
To prepare the beetle, begin by soaking it in boiling water to kill it. This also removes any residue and dirt on its body. Leave the insect to dry after boiling, and choose an amiable scent in the meantime. Oskat beetle shells produce a scent likened to rotting meat, meaning that some sort of masking is necessary to maintain your sense of smell.
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You will know if the beetle is sufficiently dry as it snaps cleanly under pressure. From here its innards are removed and cleaned, leaving only the desirable chitinous shell. These are crushed through whatever means available, leaving a light grey powder. It’s recommended to block your nose in this portion, for obvious health reasons, before adding your two drops of fragrant oil. Use a small teaspoon to mix the oil in and properly mask the smell, completing the production of all components.
Now to check for corruption, normally from their food sources. If the occasional blue streak appears in the powder then douse the powder in water before throwing it out. The contamination is highly hallucinogenic and has driven some to insanity after long-exposure. Do note that burning this contaminated powder will activate both the contamination and Oskat powder, producing a dangerous dual effect.
Providing the beetle was not corrupted, the stalkweed powder is added and mixed generously. This should barely take much time since both are fine, smooth powders.
Bottle the product for later use, and try to get some sleep unless you wore gloves. With the forced sleep reducing effects of the beetle, you’ll be lucky to have any rest within the next 24 hours. Skin protecting sap does work as a form of protection.
USAGE
As made clear by Demon god Oskatat, this powder reduces the desire for sleep in a forced manner. However, your need for sleep will remain the same. People have died through prolonged usage of Oskat beetle powder because their mind requests sleep while actively denying it.
Burning the powder releases the horrid scent within, which no volume of incense can remove. Some people do like it though, so maybe the scent won’t be an issue for you. Alternatively it can be drunk in teas and extracts, but the issue doesn’t just disappear. In fact, it will also taste vile, drinking is rarely done voluntarily as most end up vomiting it out.
It’s primary use in the end is a catalyst in other sleep reducing medicines. Oskat beetle powder is actually strong enough for use in a most conception level recipes, but it primarily shines in other mortal recipes. The easy to farm nature of the beetles makes it common for employers to enforce overtime policies, but this practice is waning in the wake of new employee rights spreading like wildfire in the mortal realms.