Salve of the Shadow Walker

From: Luminozs Dew

Purpose: Enhances the user’s ability to move silently and unnoticed in shadows or darkness.

• Ingredients:
• 1 vial of Luminoz’s Dew
• Essence of smoke from a fire burning black wood
• 7 drops of oil from the Midnight Rose
• 3 pinches of ground obsidian
• Shadow of a cat, captured at midnight (in a metaphysical sense)
• Procedure:
• Begin by blending the Luminoz’s Dew with the essence of smoke in a darkened room.
• Slowly add the Midnight Rose oil, while uttering incantations of stealth.
• Mix in the ground obsidian, ensuring no light reflects off the mixture.
• Introduce the shadow of the cat, allowing it to meld metaphysically with the concoction.
• Stir the mixture until it turns a deep, opaque black.
• Decant the salve into a container made of dark stone or glass.

Lore of the Salve of the Shadow Walker: The Salve of the Shadow Walker has its roots in the ancient legends of Saṃsāra, particularly among the societies of stealth and subterfuge. It is said to have been first created by a legendary figure known only as the Night Whisperer, a master of shadows and deception. The Night Whisperer was renowned for her ability to move unseen and unheard, a skill she attributed to a special concoction she developed through her deep understanding of darkness and stealth.

According to lore, the Night Whisperer harnessed the mystical properties of Luminoz’s Dew, combined with the essence of elements that symbolize stealth and darkness, like the smoke from black wood and the elusive Midnight Rose. The addition of the metaphysical shadow of a cat, a creature revered for its silent and graceful movement, imbued the salve with an almost supernatural ability to blend with the shadows.

The Salve of the Shadow Walker was coveted by spies, thieves, and assassins, who used it to enhance their stealth abilities during covert missions. It also held a place of reverence among certain mage circles that valued the art of subtlety and discretion.

Use of the Salve of the Shadow Walker: When applied, the Salve of the Shadow Walker grants the user enhanced abilities to move stealthily:

• Enhanced Stealth: Significantly improves the user’s ability to move silently and remain undetected in shadows or dark environments.
• Shadow Melding: The user finds it easier to blend into shadows, making them nearly invisible in low-light conditions.
• Agility Boost: The user experiences a subtle increase in agility, aiding in graceful and quiet movement.

Tier One Stats:

• Stealth Bonus: +5 to stealth checks or equivalent skill rolls in the respective game system.
• Darkness Adaptation: Gain an advantage or bonus when attempting to hide or move stealthily in dark or shadowy areas.

Skills Obtained by Using:

• Silent Movement: Enhanced ability to move without making noise.
• Shadow Camouflage: Improved skill at using shadows and darkness as cover.

Side Effects:

• Light Sensitivity: Temporary increased sensitivity to bright light, causing discomfort or temporary disorientation.
• Withdrawal Symptoms: Prolonged use may lead to dependence, with withdrawal symptoms including jitteriness and reduced stealth ability.

Tags: Magical, Stealth Enhancement, Topical Application, Rare

The Salve of the Shadow Walker is a potent tool for those who wish to embrace the art of stealth and subtlety. While it offers significant advantages in stealth operations, its use comes with potential drawbacks, highlighting the balance between power and its consequences.

Where and How It Is Sold:

• Guilds of Stealth and Subterfuge: The Salve of the Shadow Walker is a closely guarded secret among guilds of thieves, assassins, and spies. It’s often crafted and sold within these circles, reserved for members or trusted allies.
• Black Markets and Underground Networks: In the shadier parts of cities in Saṃsāra, the salve can be found in black markets. It’s a coveted item among those who operate outside the law, and its sale is often conducted in secrecy.
• Occult Shops and Arcane Vendors: Some specialized shops dealing in rare and magical items might occasionally have the salve. These shops cater to a clientele that includes adventurers, rogue mages, and collectors of unique artifacts.
• Wandering Mystics and Alchemists: Occasionally, the salve can be procured from nomadic alchemists or mystics who understand its complex recipe and possess the skills to create it.

Price Range: Given its rare ingredients and the complexity involved in its creation, the Salve of the Shadow Walker is quite expensive. Prices can range from 150 to 300 gold pieces per container, depending on its availability and the risks involved in its acquisition and sale.

Environment for Use:

• Covert Operations: Ideal for use in espionage, reconnaissance missions, and stealth operations where remaining undetected is paramount.
• Thievery and Burglary: Used by thieves and burglars to enhance their ability to sneak into guarded places without being seen or heard.
• Assassination Missions: Assassins may use the salve to approach their targets silently, especially in dark or shadowy environments.
• Adventuring and Exploration: Adventurers might use it to avoid detection by enemies, especially while exploring dungeons, ruins, or during night-time operations.

How It Is Used:

• The salve is typically applied to exposed skin or clothing.
• Users must be cautious, as the salve is potent and its effects are immediate upon application.
• The enhanced stealth abilities last for a limited duration, often an hour or until exposed to bright light.

The Salve of the Shadow Walker, with its unique ability to enhance stealth, is an invaluable asset in operations that require subtlety and discretion. Its use, however, is often shrouded in secrecy, and acquiring it requires connections to certain clandestine networks or individuals. The environments in which it is used are as varied as the individuals who seek it, ranging from dark urban alleys to the shadowy depths of ancient dungeons.

Perception of the Five Senses and Extra-Sensory Aspects of the Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Sight
  • What is Perceived: Enhanced ability to see in low-light conditions.
  • Description: Users report a slight shimmering effect around the edges of shadows, making it easier to identify and utilize areas of darkness for concealment.
  • Positives: Improved vision in darkness aids in stealthy movement.
  • Negatives: Increased sensitivity to bright light, potentially causing discomfort or temporary blinding in well-lit areas.
• Hearing
  • What is Perceived: Heightened auditory senses, though not as pronounced as the visual enhancements.
  • Description: Sounds, especially those related to potential threats or movements, become slightly more distinct.
  • Positives: Complements the stealth abilities by allowing users to be more aware of their noise levels and surrounding sounds.
  • Negatives: Can be overwhelming in noisy environments, making it hard to focus.
• Smell, Taste, and Touch
  • What is Perceived: No significant changes in smell, taste, or touch.
  • Description: These senses remain largely unaffected by the salve.
  • Positives: The user’s focus remains on visual and auditory enhancements without distraction from other senses.
  • Negatives: No direct negatives related to these senses.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions
  • Aura Suppression
    • What is Perceived: A subtle suppression of the user’s presence, making them less noticeable.
    • Description: Users feel as if they are blending into the background, not just physically but also metaphysically.
    • Positives: Enhances the user’s ability to remain undetected, even by creatures or beings sensitive to presence or aura.
    • Negatives: Prolonged use may lead to a sense of disconnection from one’s surroundings and others.
  • Sixth Sense for Danger
    • What is Perceived: A vague, intuitive sense of danger or observation.
    • Description: Users may experience an instinctual feeling of being watched or a premonition of imminent threats.
    • Positives: Useful for avoiding ambushes or recognizing when it’s time to retreat.
    • Negatives: Can lead to paranoia or misinterpretation of benign situations as threatening.

The Salve of the Shadow Walker primarily enhances visual and auditory perceptions, crucial for stealthy movement and evasion. While it provides significant benefits in these areas, it can also lead to heightened sensitivity and potential overstimulation. The extra-sensory effects, such as aura suppression and a sixth sense for danger, add depth to its use, offering an edge in avoiding detection but also presenting unique challenges in terms of user experience and potential side effects.

Crafting the Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Materials Needed:
  • Luminoz’s Dew (1 vial): A key ingredient known for its connection to perception and stealth.
  • Essence of Smoke from Black Wood: Extracted from a fire burning specially chosen black wood, symbolizing the embrace of darkness.
  • Midnight Rose Oil (7 drops): Oil from a rare flower that blooms only at midnight, embodying the essence of the night.
  • Ground Obsidian (3 pinches): Represents the darkness and is known for its ability to absorb light.
  • Shadow of a Cat (metaphysical): Captured at midnight, it embodies the grace and stealth of a cat, a creature revered for its silent movement.
• Tools Required:
  • Darkened Alchemy Lab: A space where light is minimal, to keep the ingredients in their potent state.
  • Mortar and Pestle: For grinding the obsidian into a fine powder.
  • Alchemy Set: Including flasks, beakers, and mixing tools, for precise measurement and blending.
  • Enchanted Container: A container made of dark stone or glass, enchanted to preserve the salve’s potency.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Expert Alchemy Knowledge: Deep understanding of magical ingredients and their interactions.
  • Precision Crafting: Ability to handle and mix ingredients with great care.
  • Stealth and Shadow Magic Knowledge: Familiarity with the mystical aspects of shadows and stealth.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Prepare the Luminoz’s Dew: Begin by pouring the Luminoz’s Dew into a flask. It should be done in a darkened environment to maintain the dew’s properties.
  • Infuse Essence of Smoke: Slowly blend the essence of smoke from the black wood with the Luminoz’s Dew, allowing the mixture to absorb the smoky quality.
  • Add Midnight Rose Oil: Carefully add the Midnight Rose oil drop by drop, while focusing on the essence of night and stealth.
  • Incorporate Ground Obsidian: Using the mortar and pestle, grind the obsidian to a fine powder and gently mix it into the concoction, observing as the mixture darkens in color.
  • Introduce the Cat’s Shadow: This step is metaphysical and symbolic, requiring the alchemist to channel the essence of feline grace and silence into the mixture.
  • Finalizing the Salve: Stir the mixture until it becomes a homogenous deep black salve. The stirring should be done methodically and quietly, as if mimicking the stealthy movements of a shadow.
  • Storage: Pour the completed salve into the enchanted container. Seal it to ensure no light penetrates and the salve retains its potency.
  • Maturation: Allow the salve to sit undisturbed in a dark place for at least three nights, letting it absorb the ambient essence of stealth and night.

Creating the Salve of the Shadow Walker is a delicate process that combines alchemical skill with an understanding of the subtler aspects of magic and stealth. The finished salve is a powerful tool for those who seek to move unseen and unheard, cloaked in the shadows.

The Legend of the Veiled Shadow

In ancient times, long before the stars whispered their secrets, there was a tale, veiled in the mists of forgotten language, of a salve most elusive. It was known as the Salve of the Shadow Walker, a concoction borne from the very essence of night and silence.

The story tells of a figure, shrouded in mystery, known only as the Shadow Walker. This being, neither fully seen nor entirely unseen, moved through the kingdoms of Saṃsāra like a whisper on the wind. The Shadow Walker, cloaked in darkness, could pass through the most guarded places, unseen by eyes, unheard by ears.

It was said that the Shadow Walker possessed a jar, small and unassuming, filled with a salve as dark as the void. With this salve, the Shadow Walker could meld with the shadows, becoming one with the night. Kings and lords sought the secret of this salve, for it held the power to sway the course of wars and shape the destiny of realms.

But the Shadow Walker, bound by an ancient oath, kept the secret hidden, sharing it only with those who proved worthy – those who understood that with great power comes great responsibility. For the salve was not just a tool of stealth but a symbol of the burden of unseen influence.

Moral of the Story: The legend of the Salve of the Shadow Walker teaches us that true power lies not in being seen and heard, but in the subtlety of influence and the ability to move unnoticed. However, it also warns us that such power should be wielded with caution and wisdom, for the shadows, though silent, bear witness to the intentions of the heart. The greatest of powers come with the gravest of responsibilities and must be used with discernment and restraint.

Suggested adaptations for other game systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Mythos Artifact
• Effect: Grants a +20% bonus to Stealth rolls for 1 hour. The user also gains a bonus to Dodge rolls in low-light conditions.
• Sanity Cost: Using the salve costs 1D5 Sanity points.
• Usage: Single use per application.

Blades in the Dark

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Alchemical Creation
• Effect: When applied, gain +1d to all Prowl rolls for the duration of the next operation.
• Usage: Single use. Requires a downtime activity and a successful Tinker or Alchemy roll to create.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Potion (Uncommon)
• Effect: After application, grants advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and resistance to detection by darkvision for 1 hour.
• Usage: Single use.

Knave

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Magical Consumable
• Effect: Grants the user +4 bonus to all stealth-related checks and saves for 1 hour. Functions optimally in shadows or darkness.
• Usage: Single use. Counts as 1 item for encumbrance.

Fate Core

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Stunt or Aspect
• Effect: When applied, gives a +2 bonus on all Stealth rolls in scenes with low light or darkness. Can be invoked to blend into shadows, effectively becoming invisible.
• Usage: Grants two free invokes per application; additional uses consume a Fate point.

Numenera & Cypher System

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Cypher
• Level: 4
• Effect: The user gains an asset on stealth tasks and is harder to detect via visual means for the next hour.
• Usage: Single use. Carrying more cyphers than your limit can result in undesired effects.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Alchemical Item (Uncommon)
• Level: 3
• Effect: Grants a +2 item bonus to Stealth checks and the user is treated as one level of light lower for the purpose of detection (e.g., bright light becomes normal light) for 1 hour.
• Usage: Single use.

Savage Worlds

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Magical Elixir
• Effect: The user gains +2 to Stealth rolls and is considered to have The Drop (bonus to attack and damage) when attacking from stealth in low-light conditions for 1 hour.
• Usage: Single use.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Magical Preparation (Illusion)
• Potency: Rating 4
• Effect: Provides +4 dice to Stealth tests and reduces visibility modifiers for the user by one step for 1 hour.
• Drain Value: 3 (applied to the alchemist who brewed it)

Starfinder

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Magical Elixir
• Level: 3
• Effect: User gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks and can treat areas of dim light as darkness for the purpose of stealth for 1 hour.
• Usage: Single use.

Traveller

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Advanced Personal Aid
• Effect: Provides a DM+2 bonus to all Stealth checks for 1 hour. Particularly effective in dimly lit environments.
• Usage: Single use. Overuse may result in temporary sensory disorientation.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Salve of the Shadow Walker

• Type: Arcane Ointment
• Effect: Grants the user a +20 bonus to Stealth (Urban and Rural) skills. In addition, the user can blend into shadows, making detection in dimly lit areas much harder for 1 hour.
• Usage: Single use. May cause light sensitivity as a temporary side effect.