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Mental Accelerant - Research into Unconventional Alchemy XXIII

Journal of Conrad Azohi - Day 1,225 after embarking

A few days after we left the village I mentioned in my last journal entry, Hornon and Jaku began to urge that we leave the path of the river. We were beginning to venture into a region of swamplands which are commonly considered dangerous. According to my companions, these marshes are the domain of pirates, slave traders, and madmen. I still find this odd, as beyond the marshes the river apparently empties out into an ocean, and most riverborn trade in my homeland came, first, from the ocean. Though, it seems that, in this western world, only slave traders risk the open sea, and most riverborn trade in Takik came from farther up-river, around the rim of an immense lake. Trusting the guidance of my companions, I agreed, and we found a region of mostly dry land with a small village nearby, from which we acquired a beast of burden in exchange for some medicine that I transmuted. Apparently the poison in the river never reached this far south, as no one in the village had knowledge of the river being fouled, so my mind is at ease that we had done all we need do in that regard.

After we converted the Ulka into a cart, we began travelling through the forests of the region. Travel has been difficult, as civilization is sparse in this area and most paths are foot trails, but we have a few avenues which the Ulka can move along with comparative ease. Most of these paths have been directing us north and somewhat to the west. It has been a quiet journey, interrupted only by croaks of frogs and the chirps of the native birds. Every few days we will come across a small village and stop for the rest of the day. Most of the villages along these paths are primitive by the standards the three of us are accustomed to, but I am still fond of learning the details of these cultures. It has been growing more difficult to learn of the cultural norms recently, though, due to the growing language barrier between ourselves and the natives of the area. We still occasionally encounter a few people who speak some of the language of Takik, though, so all is not lost.

What I have learned thus far is that many villages in these woods survive off of hunting the large foul that wander the forests and farming root vegetables and edible fungi in hand-dug, loamy caves. There is also a great deal of gathering nuts and refining a clear, sweet syrup from the sap of a common tree. It seems that most individuals live busy lives between the many food-related tasks common to these villages. There is also a fairly strong emphasis on cooking, with each village having a particular style of dish or signature taste. I must admit that most of the results of these culinary endeavors have a distinct appeal. Most of the paths between villages exist to facilitate trade of spices and various ingredients. Though, it seems that this isn't exactly "trading," so much as it is the "exchange of gifts." We've also been joining in this activity, and gathering ingredients and spices as we have traveled over the last few weeks. Thankfully the pirates and slave traders who apparently live in the marshlands we left tend not to venture into these dryer lands, for some reason.

Today we stopped in a village which is focused on using nuts and syrup to develop various beverages. We managed to trade for a few samples and, as was to be expected, all were delightful. There was even a type of nutty alcohol which I made sure to acquire a bottle of, to enjoy with the occasional meal. Though, one drink was unique. It had an effect on the mind unlike any drug or chemical I have heard of to date: Specifically, it seemed to increase speed of perception and other mental processes, giving the impression of the entire world slowing down around the person while everything inside the mind sped up. It is a strange sensation, as though the very air one is moving through has become stiff and unyielding. I acquired a small bottle of this "slowing" drink, and in the next few pages I will be detailing the active ingredient, after I have discerned what it is and some of the finer details concerning it.