Drugs

Drugs are chemical substances used for either medicinal or recreational purposes. Turius was initially devoid of the latter form; however, with the Ciscan arrival into Turius, they have been introduced. The most popular drugs are Rovia, and Murk. Certain governments, including the Resistance in Banjaar, have declared the use and selling of recrational drugs illegal, and punishable by a fine.

Rovia
The chemical precursors to Rovia predate most of the modern world by at least 3,000 years, with some scholars tracing the first known use of natural extracts to the religious practices of the Varagians. The Varangian Fjord region was once covered in a natural, sugar-cane like reed that, when chewed by workers and religious emmisaries, gave a noticeable boost in both energy and endurance. The cane was soon introduced into the religious ceremonies celebrating the Varangian deities Frolen and Ranveyrn. When the Rotharian Empire rose to prominence and led the first of many campaigns into the Varangian terratories, the practice was usurped into Rotharian custom, with the cane being boiled, crushed, and dried, producing a fine brownish powder more potent than the reed itself.

Rovia proved so addictive that the Rotharian Emperial Government took bold action during the heyday of it's use, outlawing the drug and related opium dens. Immediately after the drug was declared illegal, the royal house was assaulted, resulting in the murder of both the God King and his Senate, with a pro-drug leader by the name of Ulrich Firelord taking the throne. During this time, the drug was further refined and became mandatory usage for all Rotharian Knights and workers. Rovia is illegal in Banjaar, despite it's recent surge in popularity following increased border tensions with Meridia. It is currently mass-produced in high-volume, high-purity form by the Ciscans.

Murk
Murk was discovered in the early days of the Vessonian Republic, a sovreign state within Rishelm, only a year after it's founding. Murk is the most popular recreational drug of Occupied Turius, creating feelings of intense euphoria and physical effects like blurred vision and slowed walking speed. It is completely non-addictive, as it is a naturally produced fiber and oil and is naturally purified through the chemical processes leading to it's creation.

Murk was originally introduced into Turisian culture by members of the Ciscan underground, who intended to use the drug as a means to sedate the Turisian armed forces. The drug had the opposite effect intended, however, and was used to calm the nerves of frontline soldiers in the fact of overwhelming numbers. It is currently legal in both Meridia and Banjaar. Despite it's natural source, Murk is, in essence a perishable item, and both the shredded fibers and resultant oil must be suspended in liquid to maintain it's potency.

Eisen
Discovered by the Cisca Corporation 50 years prior to the Shroud War, Eisen is a hallucinogenic mushroom of the Psilocybe Ath'arin genus. Though the drug's properties were well known to ancient races like the Ath'ar, it was largely forgotten after the first expansion of the Rotharian Empire due to the large-scale systematic Rotharian strategy of destruction focusing on archives and medical facilities. Eisen provides a large boost to running speed, and though they are considered non-addictive from a physiological sense, psychological addiction is still possible. After rising to power, the Cisca Corporation noticed large scale use of the drug amongst conquered people's, and when invading Turius, introduced both normal varieties of the mushroom and genetically modified, poisonous varieties, in an attempt to poison and control the invaded. Pure Eisen is available to Ciscan scouts, who often smuggle the purified mushrooms to poor communities for personal profit.

The local government of Banjaar considers it an illicit drug, and outlaws it's use as a hallucinogen, while keeping the drug itself legal for it's culinary use in mushroom stew. When heat is applied, the volatile chemicals that create the hallucinogenic effect are chemically broken down, rendering the drug inert.

Bathol
Bathol is a synthetic drug discovered by Resistance scientists almost ten years ago. Attempting to create a cheaper alternative to Rovia for use in surgical procedures, Rovia was chemically derived from various protein chains and alkaloids, resulting in the impure but cheap Bathol solution. While the drug is legal in Banjaar and is often considered a "party drug", it's impurity, as well as the high likelihood of failed protein bonds in the basal structure, results in a high likelihood of temporary blindness in routine users, with permanent blindness possible in heavy, long-term users.

The drug is highly addictive, though it remains less addictive than it's sister drug Rovia. Because of it's unique chemical composition and high toxicity, Bathol can only be taken in single doses.