Metagame Warning!
The knowledge in this page may not be accessible to the average character, as it may not be common knowledge.
Please consider if your character would know this knowledge first before using it in roleplay.
Author Note: Actual flux impeding smudge herbs are fairly uncommon, typically found in anchor worlds.
Smudges (Taxonomic family) | |
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A smudge stick made from white sage. Smudge sticks like these aren't true smudge sticks created from this taxonomic family; real smudge sticks have actual anomalous properties that allow their smoke to impede flux present in it. | |
Classification | |
Family: | Impediceae |
Found In | |
Planets with ECF of at least 3‽ or anchor planets. Only grows in alkaline soil. | |
Applications | |
Smudge sticks for use against flux-based abilities or flux constructs such as defiants. |
Impediceae, commonly called smudge herbs, are a family of anomalous plants that have a unique herb that produces a special flux insulating smoke when burned, making them useful for weakening certain psionic abilities that utilize cuil flux or weakening and warding off flux constructs such as defiants.
Smudge plants share a variety of different physical and biological characteristics. Specific species in the impediceae family can exhibit different characteristics from other species in the family.
Smudge herbs tend to have rubbery white or pale yellow leaves.
Smudge plants are most known for their rubbery leaves that contain an anomalous ionic polymer that acts as a flux insulator due to its ionic composition. When the leaves are dried and burned, these ionic polymers break down into gaseous ionic monomers alongside the plant's smoke, acting as a flux insulator in gaseous form. When in realspace, the anomalous ionic polymers in the plant will slowly break down over two months when dried. The embers of a burning smudge plant can vary from red to purple depending on the alkali metal its ionic polymers are based from. Potassium, for example, will burn purple.
Smudge herbs have a white or pale yellow color due to the presence of mysto-anthoxanthin, an anomalous pigment similar to anthoxanthins that is capable of tolerating the highly alkaline biology of smudge herbs. The pigment breaks down into a non-anomalous anthoxanthin such as flavones when exposed to baseline ECF in realspace, which eventually break down into colorless molecules due to the high alkaline content of the plant. This eventually kills the plant, though it can still be used for smudging for up to two months while in realspace before the ionic polymers inside are rendered mundane and break down.
Smudge herbs are typically toxic when ingested due to its alkaline content and ionic polymers. Its smoke is less toxic, but will irritate the airways when inhaled.
Smudge herbs are most useful for smudging; because its smoke acts as an adequate flux insulator, the presence of smudge smoke can weaken psionic abilities that require flux, and can weaken or ward off flux constructs. Flux constructs present in smudge smoke will experience significant discomfort.
Smudge herbs are typically dried and tied into smudge sticks that can be burned to fill a room with smudge smoke.
Smudge Sticks
Smudge sticks can be burned to create a flux-impeding smoke that can slowly fill a room. The presence of smudge smoke makes it more difficult for flux to change form and convert into psionic action. Weaker abilities that do not rely on the conversion of reserves of flux are unaffected (such as lifting small weights with telekinesis), but stronger abilities and abilities that utilize flux without converting it (such as many metacreation abilities) will be impeded by approximately 20% while within smudge smoke.
Smudge sticks have limitations; they can only realistically be used indoors because wind will simply blow the smoke away, and it can take up to 3 turns for a smudge stick to fill up a room.