#bezoar

[turtley-ausome]

Scared, docter said I need surgery.

[antisphinx]

The Seventh Sacrifice (Or; The Weaver and the Truth Bird)

[holy-havoc]

Gift: A Himalayan pink rock salt lamp, a vial of organic mercury, two dice clearly carved from bone, a bezoar, a piece of amber with a mosquito in it.

Now this was a curious package.

The items inside seemed randomly chosen, yet all interacted with each other in a way that made him suspect that it wasn’t.

The dice were the most curious one.

Meant for some kind of game? Was he currently in the midst of a game he didn’t even know he was playing?

Sometimes life definitely felt that way.

Was he supposed to start studying alchemy? Or perhaps that was a personal compulsion, ignited by the curious items?

What could he make with a little bit of everything?

The thought would tickle the back of his mind for the rest of the day.

[codex-archive]

GENERAL — 7/262 — Bezoar

The word bezoar originates from Persian and means protection against poison. Known as a bezoar stone, it is an animal formation created from indigestible food remnants and other materials in the stomach of herbivores or omnivores. Gradually accumulated and compressed residues form a ball the size of a pea or sometimes even an egg. The largest specimens have been found in the intestines of chamois, gazelles and camels. Since ancient times, it was believed that this formation possessed magical healing properties. It was used either ground into powder or soaked in liquid and was considered a powerful remedy against various poisons, nausea, pain, digestive disorders, epilepsy and even evil spirits. Thus, in the Middle Ages, bezoars attracted the attention of the wealthy and were often set into gold, richly decorated jewellery or other everyday objects.

TRIVIA

— In the courts of medieval and Renaissance Europe, bezoars were so highly prized as antidotes that they were sometimes put to the test in front of horrified audiences. One of the most famous trials took place in 1575 at the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, where a condemned cook accused of theft was given the choice of hanging or being poisoned and then treated with a bezoar. He chose the bezoar. Unfortunately for him, the experiment proved that not every bezoar was miraculous: after swallowing the poison and the supposed cure, he died in agony within hours. The grisly test did little to dampen the mystique surrounding these objects though, and bezoars continued to be mounted in gold and silver and displayed as protective talismans and luxury curiosities in aristocratic collections.

Ironically, later medical research confirmed that bezoars can neutralize certain poisons, like arsenic, because the calcium and magnesium compounds they contain bind with the toxin. In that sense, the belief in their power wasn’t entirely misplaced, even if it failed to save Rudolf’s unfortunate cook.

-> ->

[evolutionsvoid]

Epizkon’s flight from the burning Palace of Milk and Miren allowed her to save an armload of divine artifacts and holy texts tied to Miteras, which would become the few precious remnants of the Celebrants to survive the Church’s purge. Amongst this hasty collection were a few Olisboi, the objects Miteras had used on herself to birth the Teraknon. While some would view such items as nothing more than toys of pleasure, the Celebrants revered them and saw them as the “fathers” of the Allmother’s monstrous children. A part of it came from the fact that these objects had been granted a hint of Miteras’ own essence, infused into them from her lone rituals of self stimulation. This granted them power and divinity, and thus the Celebrants held them as precious relics. So when the Palace of Milk and Miren was sieged, and all evidence of Miteras was being put to the torch, her followers were sure to include the Olisboi in this last ditch attempt at preservation. Unfortunately, not all could be saved, as some Olisboi had fell to ruin well before the Palace was destroyed. Some of the objects she had used had been fleshy and fresh, like the tentacle that created Hecto or the clam siphon that birthed Glochi. These items could not be properly preserved and their use in the ritual caused them to degrade. Thus, a few of these “fathers” didn’t last long. While plenty did survive to this point, the attack on the palace and the Church’s raiders made it impossible to grab them all. The Celebrants would have to take what they could get in these vital moments, lest their hesitation lead to complete failure. As a result, only five Olisboi were saved from the flames, taken away by Epizkon has she escaped the death of the Celebrants. 

Of course the most obvious Olisboi that survived to this day is the corrupted arm of Saint Dennius, who serves as staff, preacher and crazed compatriot of Epizkon. Yet, four more were saved and are kept safe in the shoddy underground church of this lost faith. In the beginning, they were seen only as relics and reminders of Miteras, objects to be worshipped and prayed to. As the last remnants of the Celebrants, one could not be picky on what divine artifacts they had. They would be viewed as fertility idols, with the hopes that touching one could bless a parent with a sage birth and healthy offspring. But as the years went on, and Epizkon slowly fell to despair and madness, she would eventually discover the potential still held within the Olisboi. One night, after she had finished with her sermon and work, a crazed follower of her pitiful faith crept in to claim one of the Olisboi for themselves. They had grown obsessed with Miteras and these artifacts, and desired to get closer to the goddess through one of these profane objects. They took an Oliboi that had been fashioned from a bezoar, but before they could flee with their prize, a strange desire seized their mind. Without care for stealth or their surroundings, they suddenly became infatuated with the relic and had an incredible need to use it on themselves. The sounds of this forbidden ritual alerted Epizkon to the thief, but before she could reclaim the artifact, the deed was done. She was ready to kill the defiler and robber for this blasphemy, but paused when they began to convulse. In horrified wonder, she beheld as the follower’s stomach swelled up, their flesh writhing and gurgling with life. Within minutes, their belly split open, and a familiar creature of stony shell sat within the ruptured corpse. The gray solid sphere, the long stretchy tendrils, there was no denying what stood before her. It was Umbol, but….not. This creature was much smaller and not exactly like her. But even with it a shadow of the former Teraknon, Epizkon knew a miracle when she saw it. 

That fateful night would reveal the true power of the Olisboi to Epizkon. It would seem that some of Miteras’ own fertility had been infused to these Olisboi, granting them the essence of both mother and father. If a mortal were to use this object on themselves, they would be given a profane child like Miteras. So potent is its power that it works on any that partake in it, regardless if they have a womb or not. However, the mortal flesh is incapable of surviving the birthing of a Teraknon, as the Godly Fluids poison them and the rapidly growing child tears them apart. From this ritual comes a child that bears a striking resemblance to the original Teraknon that was fathered by that particular Olisboi, but they are not the same. Though the relics themselves contain a bit of Miteras within them, it pales in comparison to the Allmother and her godly womb. This meager amount of essence only has mortal flesh to grow within, which dilutes its strength. Thus, the child that is born is hardly as potent as the original Teraknon, smaller, weaker, lesser. What has been dubbed as the “second generation” of these kin reflects the state of Miteras’ faith and followers, a sad echo of the former empire. However, just like this struggling religion, the potential remains…

With this ability to birth weaker forms of the Teraknon through mortals, Epizkon saw hope. Her madness and hatred towards the Church made her realize the power that was at hand. At last, a way to fight back. At last, a way to make the Church suffer. No more would it just be her and Dennius, hiding in the shadows and praying no one found them. With the Olisboi, they could create loyal children that would protect this fallen faith and punish the heretics that burned their empire. This degraded generation, though, would not be as terrifying and powerful, but Epizkon sought to fix this weakness with numbers. After all, with the Olisboi in hand, one could make as many Teraknon as they wanted, as long as they had bodies to fill. To birth her forces, Epizkon would grant this honor to sick and dying followers, allowing them to perform one last act of worship for the Allmother. But she couldn’t rely fully on the faithful, lest she burn through the already meager flock. So she would abduct members of the wretched gold masses and take those who strayed too close to their hidden faith. They would be used as sacrifices to the Allmother and have their flesh give birth to new children. Though she is still quite far from amassing an army of Teraknon, the ragged Celebrants now at least have a way to fight back and ensure they are not so easily snuffed out. 

Due to being born from many different mortals, the forms of each second generation Teraknon varies, though they retain certain characteristics. For the Umbols, they keep the hardened shell of the original, as well as the stony eyes and stretchy tendrils. All of these parts may not be arranged the same way for each of them, but at least the resemblance is still there. While Umbol was the size of a carriage and capable of crushing everything in her path, her little siblings aren’t as impressive. They are more the size of a cart wheel, and would struggle to properly flatten someone like she did. But that doesn’t mean they are useless, as that is far from the truth. They can still roll about, but their smaller size does give them more options. Their elastic limbs make it easy for them to launch themselves like seed pods from a slingshot. This lets them bludgeon foes or crush skulls as they fire their hardened shells about. Even when they roll around, they can take out limbs and knock enemies over with ease. Their weight may not be enough to crush them in one go, but those stretchy limbs can be used to let them “bounce” up and down on fallen adversaries til their bones are pounded into dust. Due to their size and abilities, the Umbols are perfect guards for the hiding faith. The tunnels and veins they call home give them an excellent battleground to fight on, as they launch themselves from the walls and openings. Soldiers will have a hard time advancing when a number of living boulders come bounding down the tunnel, blocking the way and bowling them over. 

As a lesser generation, these Umbols do not have the same intelligence as the original, but they are not stupid. They can take orders and coordinate attacks, but during their off times they enjoy zipping about or ramming into one another in fun, but loud, games. Another reason why they are tasked with patrolling the buried territory, as it gives them a way to burn off that excitable energy as well as preventing them from wrecking the church in their boredom.  

These Umbols are not the only second generation Teraknon to aid Epizkon, as there are three other Olisboi that can grant this blessing. It would be five, but unfortunately Dennius refuses to be used, as he yearns only for the Allmother herself. He seems to be able to withhold the ability to grant child to any who use him as an Olisboi, instead inflicting his mutating touch to punish them. He says that he has eyes only for Miteras, and will accept no other in her place. In his obsessed rambling, he dreams of being reunited with her and says how their love will birth a new Kastreti, one that will at last destroy the Church of Divine Wealth. It is a wondrous fantasy, to have Miteras back and the Church burned to the ground, but it seems that it will be nothing more than a flight of fancy for quite a long time. Thus, Epizkon must manage with only four Olisboi for the time being. But if a certain idea works out, perhaps she will have another way to bolster their arsenal…   

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The Teraknon return......in a way.... Though smaller and weaker, they can still do some damage! But now they are more conveniently sized, the perfect pet for any household!*

*Epizkon is not held liable for any damages that may occur from adopting a living bowling ball.

[miscellaneous-art]

Goa Stone and Gold Case, late 17th–early 18th century. «Goa stones, named for the place where they were manufactured by Jesuits in the late seventeenth century, were manmade versions of bezoars (gallstones from ruminants). Both types were used for their medicinal and talismanic powers. These treasured objects were encased in elaborate containers made of gold and silver and often exported to Europe. (…)» The Metropolitan Museum of Art

[theaskywalker]

Potions at Hogwarts by Karen Leopold. You can find the artist and other works at their Instagram: karen_leopold

[abitinterested]

IS NO ONE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT ABERFORTH'S PATRONUS IS A GOAT?