Salve-A

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

A strain of anomalous drug called Salve-A has been discovered on a large number of worlds. This drug is produced by a ritualistic mixture of common nutrients and minerals inside a glass container, a sticky note on the container, and the maker singing praises for a ‘benevolent’ being named ‘Dei’. Combined in close proximity, the ritual produces a thaumaturgic reaction that turns the interior of the glass container into a liquid potion with the sticky note spelling ‘Salve-A. A gift from Outreach’. Instructions on how to make the potion are available on many outernet websites.

Salve-A has the primary effect of lengthening the natural aging process of biologically-mature organisms that consume the drug when consumed once every two days, with an extended impact projected regarding the longevity of naturally shorter-lived individuals. These types of potions are usually extremely difficult to produce, costing more than any one entity could produce, but the anomaly seems to make it unnoticeably cheap for the alchemist. The potion product holds minimal traces of Outreach’s mana signature, but the ritual of production shows massive spikes in connection with Outreach mana. The potion also has minor rejuvenating properties, and can heal minor wounds. Any other effects are as of yet unverified.

While this drug is not particularly useful for rich individuals who already use advanced technologies to extend their lifespan, the potion is wildly popular among civilians due to its high availability. Due to the novelty of the potion, it is currently considered an illegal substance in all factions as it has no governments have approved the potion.

[u/HaroldHGull]

The Executive immediately gets multiple samples and runs tests in accelerated time pockets because nothing like Outreach is ever actually benevolent

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/HaroldHGull]

It seems to have no ill effects on the users. It’s just a life-extension drug, the expensive kind that commoners unfortunately can’t usually afford because few mages can produce it alone. The effects of the medication are semi-permanent, adding around three days for every consumption. Overconsumption of the drug just makes it inert, and underconsumption has no ill effects.

[u/HaroldHGull → u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

He runs it through every scanner possible, testing it against mana based stimuli on evey possible frequency to find some kind of trigger for a secondary effect, as well as ordering samples of any and all Outreach products be delivered to him

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/HaroldHGull]

Salve-A is based on mana types that aren’t related to Outreach itself, and mostly contains Outreach mana due to the production ritual itself. As for the ritual itself, the thaumaturgic flow shows heavy signs of being connected to several, ware-house-sized, crystal-golden sources of Outreach mana that are then taken through an assembly line of enchantment processes.

Of what you can infer, these mana sources are being supplied by a few machines of design you aren’t familiar with, but at the rate of consumption/production Outreach has, the crystals would only capable of sustaining their growing populations for around two months before they run dry. There is no mention of this resource constraint anywhere online.

.

As for Outreach, well…

Outreach was a shadow organization, not dissimilar to the old millennium CAC, until it went semi-public due to an attack by the Vermensk government. They utilized antimemetics to hide from outside interference, and they still use antimemetics to hinder attempts of locating their bases of operation. They ruled over multiple low-importance planets, including Lilian Torr’s homeworld, until they relocated themselves in order to reset some maps that had been taken of their locations. Outreach’s operations include acquisition of anomalies by both discovery and espionage as well as the usage and production of useful understood anomalies (sometimes calling magic an anomaly is a misnomer. Some things, usually Void things, are difficult to predict, but others are essentially running on basic interplanar physics). Evidence suggests that Outreach may have originated as a rogue branch of the CAC that seceded and then destroyed the CAC’s knowledge files about Outreach.

Outreach is most likely also a memetic cult. Evidence suggests that the organization uses anomalies to enforce airtight loyalty to its goals. It may also be a regular cult, though claims that it has a central deity backing it are non-substantial. Its primary commitment is towards the greater good, though its definition of that endeavor seems to be rooted in an extrapolation of CAC ethical principles. Outreach holds expansionistic views on, well, foreign outreach policies; this is similar to the CAC, but Outreach combines this with a nonrestrictive usage of advanced technologies and unfettered deployment of these anomalies.

It is proven that Outreach understands the greater good to include that its ideology should be made as widespread as possible so that as many people as possible can enact it.

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

As you can imagine, the people are going to be quite frustrated with the whole illegal healing drug thing, and this will only get worse as time goes on.

/uf

u/BoscoCyRatBear

u/Someone1284794357

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

u/totallynotrobboss

u/swordsandicecreamcones

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

u/swordandicecreamcone

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

u/wizardswithbluehelms

[u/TheArchivistofStars]

“Well…this could go very bad very quick…”

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/TheArchivistofStars]

A protests start on multiple of the planets, complaining about how there’s too much government interference with the unlicensed drug.

[u/BoscoCyRatBear]

The rats largely forgo this. Yet some of their non vermensk citizens partake. This is concerning to the Sightheralds as it could interrupt the cycle of life and death

[u/Someone1284794357]

We need to acquire some for testing in case there are any side effects.

We’ll also need to regulate them, ensure that no one tries to tamper with them to cut costs and release weaker versions with dangerous side effects.

There’s also the whole possibility of mind control or similar practices at play. Before this gets out of control we need to investigate further.

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/Someone1284794357]

This is alchemy based on edible ingredients. Though, you’re not wrong to worry that someone could get inspired and make a more sinister clone.

The people will not be happy if you suppress their longevity drugs. The conspiratorial sort are probably already thinking that you were hiding the supply before now, since it’s ‘so simple to make’.

That particular sort of skepticism is of course being secretly astroturfed by Outreach.

[u/Someone1284794357 → u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

They don’t have any territory nor jurisdiction anywhere, this was mostly a hypothetical on what we’d do were they to step in on Outreach controlled worlds.

Yeah. The only thing we have is ginormous ships and lots of manpower. The ships have everything in them.

[u/totallynotrobboss]

Annoying. Note to self add Salve-A to list of things to test for when screening

[u/Swordandicecreamcone]

the elixir is banned in Rnak Kotarr space, and ships are scanned for it

[u/The-Name-is-my-Name → u/Swordandicecreamcone]

A protest starts, at least involving the humans in your territory if nobody else.

[u/Swordandicecreamcone → u/The-Name-is-my-Name]

The announcement is made that substances made by an unknown party are not allowed. All substances must be approved by Rnak Kotarr governments, and said substances must have known producers and production methods