Halaster's quaff was a potion designed to "Master Death", created by "He Who is to be Feared: Halaster". The quaff was an immensely dangerous potion that could render the imbiber immune to death magic and numerous other boons, but it also had a high chance of granting death.[1]
Description[]
When the elixir was successfully completed, it had a pitch-black color and viscosity of syrup. It tasted like bone marrow, the flavor that Elminster Aumar considered distasteful.[1]
Powers[]
Once Halaster's quaff was consumed, the imbiber immediately suffered physical damage from the drink, and one of the several outcomes occurred, depending on pure luck: 1) instant death, 2) even further physical damage, 3) feeblemindedness, 4) one of the limbs withered to the bone, 5) the skin turned chalk-shite and eyes turned red gaining permanent infravision, 6) gender and sex changed, 7) loss of powers and adventuring experience while gaining physical vitality, 8) gained immunity to chill touch and energy drain in all forms, 9) all positive effects of the elixir were gained but faded away after two-to-sixteen months, and lastly, 10) Halaster's quaff was fully successful. Halaster's quaff could be consumed as many times as one could procure it or create it, and its consecutive consumptions did not change the chances of receiving one result or the other.[1]
A successful imbibing of Halaster's quaff gave the luck individual permanent immunity to chill touch, strength, energy, or ability being drained, paralysis, feeblemindedness, disintegration, and death magics. They received a boost to their vitality, and, every time they stood at death's door, they received the benefits of free action and haste. They also could not age via the used of the haste. Lastly, instead of falling unconscious or dying from sustained damage, the imbiber was transported to the Ethereal plane, floating there in stasis, until it was returned to the Prime Material plane via magic, help from others, or similar means. If the body sustained enough damage whilst in the Etheral plane, they, nevertheless, perished.[1]
Creation[]
Firstly, Halaster's quaff had to be mixed in a vessel made of ivory or bone and stirred with a bone spoon. Its ingredients included powdered bone of an undead skeleton, ghoul tongue flesh, at least six drops of blood squeezed from the heart of a peryton, mimic flesh, zombie eyeball, at least three scaled from a snake that made a human skull its lair, powdered shell of a dragon's or wyvern's egg, and a potion of sweet water. Once the ingredients were stirred, the light spell had to be cast onto the mixture, and the potion had to be consumed before the light magic expired.[1]
History[]
The formula for Halaster's quaff was engraved into the floor of a certain chamber in the depths of Undermountain, the mega-dungeon underneath the City of Splendors, Waterdeep, and signed as being created by "He Who is to be Feared: Halaster." The relative ease of coming across the recipe, it being copied, and brought to the surface by numeours adventurers, made Halaster's quaff famous, often used, despite its deadliness. Many adventurers who produced the quaff and consumed it found themselves dead, maimed, or damaged. Those who left crippled by the concoction often attempted repeated imbibing in hopes of achieving the potion's sucesesfull effects of curing the potion-inflicted afflictions.[1]
It was known that Halaster Blackcloak consumed this potion, and at least one of his apprentices stole the formula from their master and carved it into Undermountain chamber's floor. After the formula was shared, it was believed that Halaster improved the recipe and gained the elixir's full benefits. This new formula, however, was never recorded or found, and its existence was only known thanks to a single brave adventurer who asked the Mad Mage about it and received an answer.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), pp. 85–86. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.