Aerial Elixir

From: Aerial Flourish in the Sylphs Grasp

Lore: The Aerial Elixir is a legendary concoction with origins shrouded in ancient tales of aerial adventurers and mystical acrobats. According to legends, it was first created by an enigmatic mage known as Aeritha the Soaring Sorceress. Aeritha was renowned for her incredible acrobatic displays, seamlessly blending her mastery of magic with graceful movements. Seeking to share her abilities with others, she crafted the Aerial Elixir as a means to grant temporary flight and enhanced agility to those who sought to defy gravity. The recipe for this elixir has been passed down through generations of adventurers, serving as a symbol of daring acrobatics and freedom in the skies.

Use: The Aerial Elixir is a potent potion that, when consumed, bestows the imbiber with temporary levitation and heightened agility. It allows the user to effortlessly glide through the air, executing impressive aerial maneuvers and acrobatic feats with ease. While under the elixir’s effects, the drinker gains a sense of weightlessness and unparalleled freedom of movement. This elixir is particularly favored by adventurers, performers, and individuals who seek to explore the skies or engage in extraordinary acrobatic displays.

Recipe:

• Ingredients: Essence of Featherfall, Sylph’s Grasp gloves
• Instructions: Combine the Essence of Featherfall, a rare substance obtained from the feathers of celestial creatures known for their ability to float gently to the ground, with the Sylph’s Grasp gloves, which have been infused with the Aerial Flourish spell. Place both ingredients in a magical cauldron specially attuned to alchemical enchantments. Stir the mixture gently while reciting an incantation, infusing the essence of flight and agility into the elixir. The resulting Aerial Elixir is a shimmering liquid that captures the essence of the skies and grants its temporary effects to those who consume it.

Values:

• Level: Tier 1
• Stats: Grants temporary levitation and enhanced agility
• Skills: Provides a +2 bonus to Acrobatics skill checks and a +1 bonus to Dexterity-based skill checks for a limited duration.
• Preparation: Requires access to a magical cauldron and knowledge of alchemical enchantments.
• Cost: The rare and exotic ingredients make the Aerial Elixir a highly sought-after item. Its cost can range from 1000 to 1500 gold pieces, depending on availability and demand.
• Process: The process of creating the Aerial Elixir is a delicate and intricate one, requiring a skilled alchemist or mage. The combination of the Essence of Featherfall and the Sylph’s Grasp gloves must be done with precision and care, and the incantation recitation during stirring is crucial to bind the properties effectively.
• Tags: The Aerial Elixir falls under the tags of “Potion,” “Acrobatics,” and “Flight.” It is considered a magical item with enchanting properties related to agility and levitation.
• Additional tags: Levitation, Windborne, Celestial Infusion, Skyward Grace, Aeromancy, Mystic Flight, Ethereal Motion, Elemental Breeze, Boundless Ascent, Gravity Defiance

Perception of Activation:

• User’s Perspective:
  • Sight: The elixir glows with an inner radiance as it flows down the throat, and for a brief moment, the world appears sharper, as if every movement is in perfect clarity. A faint aura of shimmering wind-like energy surrounds the body, lifting stray particles of dust in slow, graceful spirals.
  • Sound: A whispering breeze hums in the ears, carrying the distant echoes of wind chimes and the soft rustling of unseen currents. When moving, the air itself sings, harmonizing with each motion.
  • Touch: A lightness spreads from the core outward, as though the body has become a feather drifting in unseen currents. Limbs feel effortless to move, and the usual resistance of gravity is dulled, granting a sensation akin to floating.
  • Taste: The elixir is cool and airy, like a sip of crisp morning wind infused with a delicate hint of citrus and skyflower nectar. A subtle tingling follows, leaving the mouth feeling as though kissed by a passing breeze.
  • Smell: The faint scent of rain-soaked clouds and open skies lingers, tinged with an almost imperceptible trace of ozone and fresh mountain air.
• Observer’s Perspective:
  • Sight: The drinker’s body becomes subtly outlined in a soft, flickering aura of translucent blue and silver mist. Movements seem impossibly fluid, almost weightless, as if stepping on unseen currents of air. Small motes of shimmering light trail their most rapid motions before vanishing.
  • Sound: A nearly imperceptible shift in the air follows the drinker, as though the wind itself is adjusting to their presence. Sudden movements generate faint, melodic gusts that dissipate into silence.
  • Touch: If touched, the drinker’s skin feels unnaturally smooth and cool, as though a thin layer of air separates them from direct contact. The sensation is fleeting but unmistakable.
  • Smell: A subtle trace of high-altitude winds clings to the drinker, reminiscent of distant storm peaks and skyward heights.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
  • Aetheric Flow: Magic-sensitive beings perceive the drinker as momentarily existing at the boundary of air and spirit, their essence flickering between material and ethereal.
  • Wind’s Favor: Those attuned to natural forces may feel the currents of the wind subtly shift in response to the drinker’s movements, as if eager to assist their flight.
  • Gravity Distortion: The drinker’s presence registers faintly altered in gravitational fields, as if they are no longer fully bound to the earth.
  • Echo of Flight: In locations of strong magical resonance, afterimages of the drinker’s movements may linger for a fraction of a second, seen only by those sensitive to temporal distortions.
• Positives:
  • Movement becomes effortless, allowing for graceful aerial maneuvers.
  • Reflexes and agility are heightened, reducing clumsiness and improving balance.
  • The ability to temporarily defy gravity enables safe traversal of otherwise impassable terrain.
  • A sense of freedom and exhilaration accompanies every motion, akin to becoming part of the sky itself.
• Negatives:
  • The sensation of weightlessness may be disorienting, especially for those unaccustomed to aerial movement.
  • Once the effect ends, the return of full gravity may feel jarring, causing brief sluggishness or instability.
  • If overused, the drinker may experience lingering vertigo, making grounded movement feel unnatural for a short time.
  • In stormy or unstable environments, magical air currents may react unpredictably, causing sudden bursts of movement.

The Aerial Elixir stands as a testament to the harmonious fusion of magic and acrobatics. Its lore carries tales of daring aerial adventurers, and its use grants those who consume it a taste of freedom in the skies, allowing them to perform awe-inspiring acrobatic feats while temporarily defying gravity.

The Aerial Elixir recipe is considered a highly prized secret among alchemists, mages, and those who specialize in acrobatics. It is typically not openly sold in regular shops due to its rarity and the specialized knowledge required to create it. Instead, the recipe is often passed down through secretive guilds, ancient libraries, or hidden enclaves known only to a select few.

To acquire the Aerial Elixir recipe, adventurers may need to seek out elusive alchemical masters, delve into forgotten tombs or ruins where ancient texts are kept, or gain the trust of renowned acrobats who guard their secrets closely. Some magical academies or secretive societies dedicated to acrobatics and flight may possess the knowledge required to create this elixir and offer it to trusted individuals.

The process of acquiring the ingredients for the Aerial Elixir can be equally challenging. The Essence of Featherfall is obtained from rare and majestic creatures that possess the ability to float gently to the ground, such as ethereal birds or mythical sky-dwelling beings. Acquiring the feathers or the essence itself may involve embarking on perilous quests or navigating treacherous landscapes.

The Sylph’s Grasp gloves, infused with the Aerial Flourish spell, are generally custom-made items crafted by skilled artisans. These artisans often reside in magical enclaves or workshops located in bustling cities or near renowned acrobatic troupes. The gloves are not readily available in common markets but can be commissioned through reputable contacts or by visiting specialized establishments that cater to adventurers, performers, and individuals seeking magical items.

As for their usage, the Aerial Elixir and the resulting temporary levitation and enhanced agility it provides are highly valued by adventurers, acrobats, and performers. In environments where verticality and maneuverability are essential, such as soaring cityscapes, towering mountain peaks, or mystical floating islands, the Aerial Elixir can provide a significant advantage. Adventurers can use it to traverse treacherous terrains, explore previously inaccessible areas, or gain an upper hand in aerial combat.

Performers, particularly those specializing in aerial arts or circus acts, may use the Aerial Elixir to create breathtaking spectacles. They can combine their natural acrobatic talents with the elixir’s effects, captivating audiences with gravity-defying stunts, aerial dances, and mesmerizing displays of agility. The Aerial Elixir allows performers to push the boundaries of what is physically possible, leaving audiences in awe of their seemingly effortless movements.

Aerial Elixir recipe is a closely guarded secret, typically found in hidden guilds, ancient libraries, or specialized enclaves. The ingredients are obtained through challenging quests and rare sources, and the Sylph’s Grasp gloves are custom-made items. The elixir’s usage is favored by adventurers and performers in environments that demand verticality and agility, allowing them to navigate difficult terrains, engage in aerial combat, or create awe-inspiring acrobatic displays.

Aeritha Who Would Not Fall

In time before time, when the wind was young and the sky not yet tired of play, there was a one named Aeritha, of whom it was said, “Her feet know not the earth, her hands grasp only the air.” She was of the kind that danced upon nothing, who moved as the river moves when it forgets its course, twisting, leaping, laughing in the face of gravity, which men feared but she did not.

It is known by those who whisper of such things that Aeritha was born of storm’s breath and sky’s secret. No cradle rocked her, no earth bore her weight. It is said that as a child, she was taken by the high winds and carried beyond the reach of those who walk upon stone. Some claim she was raised by the Sylphs, beings of air and whisper, who taught her the steps of the unseen. Others say she drank deep of the wind’s heart, sipped the breath of the sky itself, and in that sip, she found what others sought with weary limbs and broken bones—freedom from the pull of the world below.

But to move as she moved was no gift freely given. It was said she sought the secret of flight not once, not twice, but through many years of falling. The cliffs knew her shadow well, for often did she step into the sky, only to be caught, only to be thrown back. The birds watched, puzzled, for here was a creature who was not one of them but wished to be. The air, amused, teased her, lifted her for a breath before laughing her back down.

She would not stop.

It was in those days that the Moon above took notice, for it is said that in the time before counting, the Moon was a mother to all who did not belong to the ground. Seeing Aeritha’s struggle, the Moon wept a single tear, and where it fell, there grew a flower of silver petal and weightless scent. Aeritha, knowing the ways of things that do not wish to be found, searched not with her eyes but with her breath. And so, in the whisper between two gusts of wind, she found the Moonlight Blossom, the flower that grew from sorrow of the sky.

She plucked it, but a flower alone does not grant wings. No, a secret must be bound and sealed, else it drifts away.

And so, Aeritha sought the Sylphs, those who move unseen in the high reaches of the world. They were not kind, nor were they cruel. They were wind, and wind knows not mercy, nor does it know hatred. But they remembered her falls, and the way she rose again, and they agreed to the binding. They wove the flower’s essence into a thing of drink, an elixir of sky’s lament and wind’s embrace. With her own hands, she took the first sip, and with her own breath, she left the ground and did not return.

It is told by those who do not know the truth that she ascended beyond sight, swallowed by the sky itself, never again to be seen by mortal eyes.

But those who listen to the wind, those who feel the shift in air before a storm, know better. They say she is still there, stepping in places unseen, laughing just beyond reach, a whisper in the high currents. And those who drink from the Aerial Elixir, those who dare sip of the sky’s sorrow, they say for a moment, for the briefest of breaths, they hear laughter carried upon the wind.

Moral of the Story: The sky belongs to no one, yet to those who seek it without fear, it may grant its favor—for a time.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Alchemical Potion
• Effect: Upon consumption, the drinker experiences a state of near-weightlessness and heightened agility.
• Mechanics:
  • Gain a +20% bonus to Jump and Dodge for 1d10 minutes.
  • The drinker can fall from up to 30 feet without taking damage, provided they are conscious and attempt to control their descent.
  • If consumed more than once in a 24-hour period, the drinker suffers extreme vertigo (-10% to Balance and Coordination-based checks for 1d6 hours).
• Availability: Rare, usually found in alchemical circles or among secretive aerial cults.

Blades in the Dark

Aerial Elixir

• Item Type: Fine Alchemical Concoction
• Effect: A shimmering potion that temporarily enhances mobility and aerial prowess.
• Mechanics:
  • The drinker gains Potency on all actions requiring acrobatics, balance, or aerial movement (such as Prowl, Finesse, or daring escapes).
  • While the elixir is active, the drinker takes half damage from falls and can make an action to avoid fatal descents.
  • Lasts for one Score or Downtime Scene (~1 hour).
  • Side Effect: Once the elixir wears off, the drinker suffers -1 Effect on movement-based rolls for the remainder of the scene due to lingering imbalance.
• Acquisition: Obtained through smugglers, alchemical dealers, or as a reward from aerialist guilds.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Aerial Elixir

• Wondrous Item, Uncommon, Consumable
• Effect: A potion that grants temporary levitation and enhanced dexterity.
• Mechanics:
  • For 10 minutes, the drinker gains a +3 bonus to Acrobatics checks and a +2 bonus to Dexterity saving throws.
  • The drinker can move as if under the effects of the Levitate spell (self only).
  • Once during the duration, the drinker may use their Reaction to ignore fall damage from any height.
  • Side Effect: When the potion’s effects wear off, the drinker suffers Disadvantage on Acrobatics checks for 10 minutes due to momentary disorientation.
• Availability: Sold by master alchemists or found in aerial-themed ruins.

Knave

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Potion (Consumable)
• Effect: Grants temporary levitation and agility.
• Mechanics:
  • The drinker gains +2 to Dexterity-related rolls (including attacks, defense, and skill checks) for 1 hour.
  • Can leap twice as far and take no damage from falls up to 40 feet.
  • If consumed more than once per session, roll a d6: On a 1-2, the drinker becomes disoriented, suffering -1 Dexterity for the next hour.
• Rarity: Found in rare alchemy shops or given as gifts by sky-dwelling beings.

Fate Core & Fate Accelerated

Aerial Elixir

• Aspect Gained: “Light as the Whispering Wind” (Temporary)
• Effect: Upon drinking, the user gains a temporary aspect reflecting their enhanced agility and near-weightlessness.
• Mechanics:
  • The drinker may invoke the “Light as the Whispering Wind” aspect twice for free to reroll or gain a +2 bonus on any action involving balance, jumping, or aerial movement.
  • Automatically succeeds on Overcome actions involving routine aerial maneuvers or graceful landings.
  • Lasts for one scene or approximately 10 minutes of gameplay.
  • Side Effect: After the effect ends, the user feels ungrounded, suffering a +1 difficulty to all physical actions for one scene unless they take time to stabilize themselves.
• Availability: Found in rare alchemical circles or among sky-dwelling societies.

Numenera & Cypher System

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Exotic Consumable (Level 5)
• Effect: Temporarily grants the ability to hover and move with enhanced agility.
• Mechanics:
  • The drinker gains an asset on all Speed-based movement and balance tasks (including climbing, dodging, and leaping) for one hour.
  • Can hover up to 2 feet off the ground for the duration, avoiding ground-based hazards.
  • Once per activation, the drinker may automatically succeed on an Acrobatics or Movement check of Difficulty 5 or lower.
  • Side Effect: After the elixir wears off, the drinker suffers increased Difficulty (+1) on Speed-based actions for 10 minutes due to residual dizziness.
• Availability: Found in ancient ruins, crafted by Aeon Priests, or traded among aerial nomads.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Aerial Elixir

• Consumable, Uncommon, Potion
• Price: 90 gp
• Usage: Held in 1 hand, Activate: [Interact] (drink)
• Effect:
  • For 10 minutes, the drinker gains a +2 item bonus to Acrobatics checks and Dexterity-based Reflex saves.
  • Can perform high jumps without requiring a check and ignores movement penalties from difficult terrain.
  • Once during the duration, the drinker can treat a fall as 30 feet shorter for calculating damage.
  • Side Effect: Once the effect fades, the drinker experiences a brief loss of balance, taking a -1 penalty to Acrobatics checks for 10 minutes.
• Crafting Requirements: Requires Formula (Expert Alchemy) and rare sky-infused ingredients such as Featherfall Essence.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Magical Elixir
• Rarity: Rare
• Effect: Temporarily enhances agility and provides limited levitation.
• Mechanics:
  • Grants the Acrobat Edge (if the drinker doesn’t already have it) for 5 minutes.
  • Provides +2 to Agility rolls and +1 to Parry due to improved reflexes.
  • Once during the duration, the drinker may ignore fall damage from up to 40 feet.
  • Side Effect: After the effect fades, the drinker suffers a level of Fatigue for 10 minutes due to sudden re-adjustment to normal gravity.
• Availability: Found in high-tier alchemical markets, often used by elite spies and aerial performers.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Restricted Consumable (Bioware-Alchemical Enhancement)
• Availability: 10R
• Cost: 3,500¥
• Effect: A rare alchemical concoction designed to temporarily enhance agility and aerial mobility.
• Mechanics:
  • The drinker gains +2 to Gymnastics and Athletics tests for 10 minutes.
  • Can fall up to 15 meters without taking damage, provided they are conscious and make an Agility test (Threshold 2).
  • Once per activation, the drinker may attempt an acrobatic movement (such as wall-running or flipping mid-air) without requiring a roll if the difficulty is 4 or lower (GM discretion).
  • Side Effect: When the elixir wears off, the drinker experiences a -1 penalty to Agility tests for 30 minutes due to sudden loss of aerial sensitivity.
• Street Availability: Found in high-end alchemy markets or black-market bioenhancement circles.

Starfinder

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Hybrid Item (Potion), Uncommon
• Level: 6
• Price: 3,200 credits
• Usage: Single-use (drink)
• Effect: This shimmering blue potion grants the user heightened agility and limited aerial control.
• Mechanics:
  • Grants a +2 enhancement bonus to Acrobatics and Reflex saves for 10 minutes.
  • The drinker ignores difficult terrain and can move as if affected by the Levitate spell (self only).
  • Once per duration, the drinker may automatically succeed on an Acrobatics check DC 20 or lower involving aerial movement.
  • Side Effect: When the effect ends, the user suffers a -1 penalty to Dexterity-based skill checks for 10 minutes due to lingering disorientation.
• Availability: Sold in high-tech alchemy shops, often used by aerial combat specialists.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Performance-Enhancing Stimulant (Illegal in Some Systems)
• TL: 11
• Cost: 6,000 credits per dose
• Effect: A chemically engineered compound designed to enhance physical agility and aerial maneuverability.
• Mechanics:
  • Grants +1 DM to Dexterity-based skill checks (such as Athletics, Acrobatics, and Stealth) for 30 minutes.
  • The drinker takes no damage from falls up to 10 meters and halves damage beyond that.
  • In zero-g environments, the drinker gains Advantage on all movement-based checks for the duration.
  • Side Effect: After the effect wears off, the drinker suffers 1D6 points of Endurance damage, recoverable only through 8 hours of rest or medical treatment.
• Availability: Found in restricted military R&D facilities, often acquired illegally.

Warhammer 40k (Wrath & Glory)

Aerial Elixir

• Type: Rare Alchemical Stimulant
• Tier: 3
• Rarity: Rare
• Cost: 8 Wealth
• Effect: This alchemical concoction temporarily grants the drinker the grace of an Aeldari warrior, enhancing agility and mid-air movement.
• Mechanics:
  • The drinker gains +2 bonus dice on all Athletics and Acrobatics tests for one scene (roughly 10 minutes of narrative time).
  • Once per activation, the drinker may ignore fall damage from up to 12 meters and move through difficult terrain without penalty.
  • Side Effect: When the effect fades, the drinker experiences Disadvantage (Increased DN +1) on all Dexterity-based tests for the remainder of the scene due to the sudden return of normal gravity.
• Availability: Found in rogue alchemists’ vaults, black-market pharmacology rings, or as part of an elite assassin’s arsenal.