The Unholy Ingredient
Every successful adventurer knows that a monster is more than just a roadblock…it’s a resource. But while goblin ears and dragon scales have their established markets, some ingredients exist in a category of their own, whispered about only in the darkest corners of alchemical libraries. Chief among these is Aboleth Blood.
Drawn from the primeval Aberrations that ruled the world before history began, Aboleth Blood is not merely a poison or a curio. It is a powerful, yet volatile, ingredient that forms the core of one of the rarest draughts in existence: the Elixir of Temporal Echoes.
Item Overview
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Item Type | Wondrous, Consumable |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Value | 3466 gp |
| Appearance | Green and thick like sap, stored in a corked glass vial. |
| Potency | Used primarily as the core ingredient in the Elixir of Temporal Echoes. |
The Alchemical Secret
Aboleth Blood is harvested directly from the ancient, segmented body of the Aberration. It is a dense, sap-like green liquid that carries a faint, sickening psychic hum.
Alchemists speculate that the blood’s power comes from the creature’s Racial Memory. The Aboleth’s body is an active archive of untold millennia, and the blood itself retains a fraction of that temporal stability. When carefully mixed and stabilized, this essence of endless time can be transferred to a mortal, temporarily stabilizing their own lifespan.
Warning: Do not be fooled by its utility. This blood carries the taint of the deep. Careless handling can lead to debilitating psychic echoes, flooding the imbiber’s mind with fragments of the Aboleth’s crushing, ancient memories.
Trading the Taint: Who Buys Aboleth Blood?
Due to its high risk and specialized use, Aboleth Blood has a niche but extremely lucrative market.
Alchemists: They are the primary buyers, seeking the blood for its known utility in creating the Potion of Longevity. They require it in a preserved, stable state.
Wizards (Chronurgy Specialists): Mages obsessed with time and planar stability seek the blood, not for a potion, but for use as a component in complex rituals designed to slow, accelerate, or peer across temporal barriers.
Thieves and Smugglers: Given the incredible danger and difficulty of acquiring it, the high value of 2,466 gp per vial makes it a perfect, high-profit trade good in black markets, particularly those catering to desperate nobles or paranoid tyrants.
Handling Requirements: Extreme Volatility
Aboleth Blood is uniquely sensitive to external forces, a testament to its alien origins. Proper handling is critical to preserve its potency and value:
Glass Containers ONLY: The blood must be stored exclusively in a clean, stoppered glass container. Any porous material will absorb the psychic resonance and spoil the blood, or worse, taint the container permanently.
Air and Sunlight are Death: Exposure to air or direct sunlight causes immediate spoilage within 24 hours. The blood must be transported in light-proof, sealed cases and only opened in carefully controlled subterranean or indoor environments. Failure to adhere to this drops the item’s value to 0 gp instantly.