Incense

Incense was common in many religious rituals and spells across Toril. The form of incense commonly used at altars and in temple fires was known as temple incense.

Description
Incense was most commonly found in the form of sticks that could be lighted directly, or blocks that could be burned in braziers or censers. A stick would burn for about half an hour. A burning block could last for eight hours and would produce a hazy cloud with a radius of.

Incense was known for its pleasant smell, which served as a "perfume of the gods". It was sometimes said to help carry the prayers of the faithful to their deities.

Varieties
A wide variety of incense with magical properties existed, such as:
 * Incense of consecration
 * Incense of the Gorgon, a foul smelling form of incense that created a magical cloud with the effect of petrification.
 * Incense of meditation
 * Incense of obsession
 * Incense of somnolence, a sleep-inducing incense from the land of Halruaa.
 * Mesquite, a form of healing incense that the Azuposi derived from a plant of the same name.

Religion

 * Incense was commonly used throughout Toril at altars and in temple braziers.
 * Incense was an essential material in a priest's pack and was also usually carried by acolytes of temples.
 * Cloud giants were known to scatter incense into the wind each morning as a religious practice.
 * It had religious significance in Sambral, one of the Windrise Ports of Laerakond, making it very popular there.

Magic
Incense was used as a material component in in a variety of spells. It was used in the following spells:
 * Bargain
 * Call
 * Divination
 * Dream vision
 * Commune with greater spirit
 * Commune with lesser spirit
 * Conjure nature elemental
 * Hallow
 * Holy vesting
 * Hypnotic pattern
 * Invisible stalker
 * Smoky form
 * Summon spirit
 * Unhallow

Other

 * Bundles of incense stick were one of many items that had to be annually gifted to a Djangkong by their descendants.
 * Wizard slayers were known to ritually inhale incense on a regular basis, starting at a young age.
 * Certain kinds of incense were used as insect repellent in places like Chult.

Availability

 * A number of incenses with magic-enhancing properties were available for purchase through Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue.
 * Incense was one of the major imports of the Mulhorand empire.
 * Incense was one of the major exports of the Yikarian Empire.
 * Certain temple incenses came from the Anauroch desert. The D'tarig and the Bedine collected resin from cassia, myrrh, frankincense and dragons' blood trees, then sold it to outlanders, many of which were merchants sponsored by the Zhentarim.
 * Incense commonly found in the Western Heartlands and the city of Baldur's Gate had a sweet scent of sandalwood.