The Gold Grimoire contains a list of elixirs, potions, balms, and other crafted substances used by witches, wizards, shamans, and others indulging in the alchemy and apothecary arts. Each entry details its ingredients, effects, and common uses, from healing tonics to powerful transmutations. Whether for magic, medicine, or mischief, these creations harness the raw potential of plants and creatures alike.
Click on the respective creation’s name to see its description.
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Bermillion [Potion]
A cloudy medicinal solution used for cleaning and closing shallow wounds.
Bermillion is prepared from the bermilla root, a hardy perennial plant native to damp forest undergrowth and shaded ravines. The plant favours moist, acidic soil and is recognised by its knotted, woody root system and its narrow, dark-green leaves that remain close to the ground. The root itself is pale and fibrous, easily mistaken for rotten wood until cut open, releasing a sharp, bitter scent said to “sting the nose as it stings the skin”.
Harvesting
Bermilla roots are best collected in late summer, when the plant has stored the greatest concentration of resin within its fibres. The roots must be carefully pried loose, as cutting or splitting them prematurely reduces their medicinal strength. Once unearthed, they exude a strong, acrid odour, often compared to burnt vinegar.
Preparation
To produce Bermillion, the roots are cleaned and boiled at low heat until they release a pale, bitter extract. This extract is thickened with ash-salt and resin from conifers such as redfire pirne, which stabilise the suspension and prevent spoilage. The liquid settles into a cloudy state once cooled. A single flask requires several roots and a slow reduction process lasting two to three days.
Application
Bermillion is effective for treating abrasions, shallow cuts, and surface burns. It numbs the wound slightly, prevents infection, and accelerates the binding of new skin. The solution should not be applied to frozen tissue or deep punctures, as it can seal in damage and worsen long-term healing. For this reason, most field guides advise limiting its use to injuries less than a hand’s breadth in depth.
Notes
Bermillion keeps well if sealed tightly, though the mixture tends to separate over time; vigorous shaking restores its consistency. Some apothecaries produce stronger, more concentrated variants, but these often leave lasting scar tissue where applied.
First mentioned: [B1.C18], a potion stored within the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
Borrin Powder
Used to create long-lasting, steady flames without smoke.
A fine, dark red powder derived from the dried and crushed roots of the Borrin Shrub, a hardy plant found in arid, wind-swept regions. Known for its remarkable fire-sustaining properties, Borrin Powder is commonly used by travelers, alchemists, and blacksmiths alike. When sprinkled onto flames, it ensures a long-lasting, steady burn without producing smoke, making it invaluable for covert operations, enclosed spaces, and long winter nights. Some say a pinch of Borrin can keep an ember alive for days, awaiting nothing but a whisper of air to reignite.
First mentioned: [B1.C15]
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Cinian
Precision tonic for physical and mental weakness.
Cinian is a greenish potion used to restore clarity of mind and fortify the body in cases of fatigue or cognitive dullness. It is a balanced concoction, blended from a variety of rare herbs, minerals, and small quantities of prepared animal extracts and venoms, each chosen for its subtle influence on mental clarity and physical vitality.
In those already weakened [experiencing exhaustion, confusion, or diminished reflexes], it strengthens mental focus, alertness, and physical coordination. In individuals who are strong [fully rested, highly alert, and physically capable], it can overstimulate the nervous system, potentially causing disorientation, hallucinations, or fainting. Its effects are highly dependent on the user’s constitution, making careful assessment essential before administration. Cinian is valued for its precision: it offers measurable benefits when applied thoughtfully, but poses real risks if misused. Administration is always in small, controlled doses to ensure efficacy without harm.
First mentioned: [B1.C18], a potion stored within the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
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Numa Salve
A potent pain-dulling paste.
Made from the finely ground frost remnants of keina and the shells of river nimbles. These are blended with softened wax from nylvarn and the pith of sleeproot stems, gently warmed and kneaded until fully combined. The resulting salve dulls skin, underlying tissue and nerves, allowing needles or blades to pass without the body crying out, while leaving overall vitality untouched.
First mentioned: [B1.C18], a potion stored within the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
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Poltin [Ground Poltin]
A powder to ward against witches and their craft.
Ground Poltin is an ashen powder, its making a closely guarded secret of alchemists and wizards. When scattered, it is said to sever the subtle threads through which witches weave their influence. Even though it is rather impractical to use and its power is oftentimes questioned, the practice of scattering poltin endures.
First mentioned: [B1.C5] Yves uses Poltin when warding the Lighthouse against a potential witch attack.
Purging Draught
Violent salvtion in a vial.
The Purging Draught is a crude yet reliable remedy devised by Bubs, a guard and the cook and of the Albweiss Mountain Guild. As a mianid, Bubs himself is known for the curious substances his body produces and expels — one of which he carefully preserves as ingredient in the draught. The rest is brewed from the scorched roots of glassweed, boiled down until its fumes claw at the throat, then thickened with charred gravel-moss to draw poisons from the blood and bile. Few doubt its power, but fewer still can stomach it. When taken, it violently empties the gut, sparing the victim from otherwise certain death by venom or rot, but leaving them weak and shuddering for days after.
First mentioned: [B1.C18], a potion stored within the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
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Samra [Heart-Raiser, or Giving Heart]
The Heart-Raiser.
ABOUT
Samra is a crimson cordial said to rekindle failing hearts and restore warmth to those drained of blood or strength. Though a single drop may call a patient back from the edge, the draught is never without cost: what it grants the body, it may steal from the mind. Survivors sometimes rise with a hollowed self, their memory or will diminished, their pulse steady but their spirit absent. The potion is notoriously rare, its preparation demanding fragments of the most elusive ingredients — foremost among them, a sliver of a witch’s giving heart, which lends Samra its second name: The Giving Heart. Because of its potency and peril, it is sealed in thick glass flasks that hold only threads of liquid, far too precious and volatile to risk spillage.
RITUALS OF SAFEGUARD
Many rituals are observed when administering Samra, for it is a potion feared as much as it is revered. Some healers first set the flask against the patient’s chest for a full cycle of breaths, believing the draught listens for the rhythm of the heart it will soon command — and if the pulse can stir even the faintest vibration, the potion is withheld. Others insist the patient must lie within a circle of ground poltin, thought to ward against witchcraft and wandering spirits, to keep at bay those forces that want to covet the “empty selves” Samra may leave behind. Even sceptics keep these customs, claiming it is better to honour the old wards than tempt fate.
First mentioned: [B1.C18], a potion stored within the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
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Tona Bark Syrup
Used as an antiseptic and for cleaning.
Tona bark syrup is distilled from the pale inner bark of the towering tona, a tree said to hum faintly when cut at specific temperatures. The bark must be scraped at first frost, when its fibres are rich with cooling essence, then steeped slowly in stone bowls until the liquid thickens into a dark amber syrup.
Some say the trees themselves hoard dreams in their roots, and that the syrup, when misused, drowns the dreamer instead of soothing them. A single drop calms fever and quiets the restless limbs of sickness, but two or more will lull the heart into dangerous stillness. The syrup’s taste is deceptively sweet, masking its peril. Because of this danger, tona is often stored in stoppered vials sealed with wax, and healers mark them with black thread so no mistake is made.
First mentioned: [B1.C18], a potion stored within the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
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Vinnetin Water
Used as an antiseptic and for cleaning.
An alchemical solution prized for its potent cleansing properties. Harvested from underground springs in the Mistveil Caverns, it is infused with natural purifying minerals and traces of lumicite, a substance that enhances its sterilising effects. Alchemists refine it through distillation, creating a powerful antiseptic used to clean wounds, purify tools, and neutralise minor toxins. Apothecaries mix it with herbal tinctures to dispel lingering corruption. The byproducts of such mixtures are repurposed for general cleaning, making it a staple in both medicine and household maintenance.
First mentioned: [B1.C15]
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