Hello. C J here. I’ve got a ton of useful stuff in various free download links around the internet and now that I have some time I thought I’d try to centralize some of it and post about it here. First up, essence beverages. What is an essence beverage? Well, in Ascala there are a lot of mages. Mages are magic users with an innate talent for magic. They learn it easier, can learn more of it and live twice as long as a normal person. In Ascala they make up most of the corporate leads and business people and are encouraged by the government not to drink alcohol.
A wizard capable of causing buildings to explode in fiery death with their imagination maybe shouldn’t get drunk.
What do they drink instead? They drink high price fruit infusions steeped with magic energy that only mages and other magic users can pick up on and appreciate. These are the high class recreational beverages that keep them entertained and help provide them with a social life. In real life I personally really don’t like alcohol. This is not really for any ethical reason. I have an impossibly acute sense of smell and taste and the chemical ethyl alcohol burns my sinuses even in small quantities. Also fruit is cheaper.
Here’s a quote from arc three of my novel Impossible Skyline.
Zephyr looked around, trying to figure the place out. The room was long and thin, like most places in the middle of Grand Central. A sleek black bar ran long one side of the room, while the rest of the space was full of matching tables. The back of the room was a curtain of water that slowly shifted colour as it fell, but apart from that, the place was a far cry from the blinding hues of Spectrum. Everything else in it was brushed steel and white glass. The only other colour came from glowing orbs of crystal hung in the air, seemingly without any means of support, and drifted around as they slowly changed colour. The whole place had an air of arcane sophistication, but at the same time, of relaxation.
It also seemed to work differently from a regular bar. Most people were ordering drinks from menus instead of directly from the bartender. Rust pulled one out and made a selection for Zephyr as well as herself. A few moments later, their waiter returned and handed him a tall, thin glass filled with yellow-orange liquid.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You tell me,” Rust said.
I have the recipes for five of these beverages made. They taste a lot like real cocktails with alcohol because I’ve tried some very high quality zero proof alcohol substitutes and cocktail mixers and I’ve matched them by taste. I can do a fake tequila and a fake rum. I like margarita with the fake tequila and like my ancestors I like rum and coke made with the fake rum.
For fake tequila make a quarter cup over-steeped black tea and add in one teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper powder. Mix.
For fake rum make a quarter cup over-steeped black tea and add in a pinch of nutmeg. Mix.
Use in place of alcohol by volume.
Here’s the text of the five cards I’ve written including the recipes. The art for these is coming later. They’ll be in the first Quantum Expansion, Five Million Strong. Enjoy!
Dusk Sky
Cost 2 Silver
This beverage reminds one of the sky right before dusk and the looming coming of nighttime. It’s often called scotch tea. Mix one cup of hot black tea with one tablespoon of caramel and one half cup of milk. Serve over ice. Discard this card to cook. Gain a Major Boon to Stamina and Resolve.
Cold Sun
Cost 2 Silver
This enchanting beverage has the essences of a hot summer day and a cold winter night. Steep one black teabag and one pinch cinnamon in one cup hot water. Mix with two cups apple juice. Serve
over ice. Discard this card to cook. Gain a Minor Boon to Cunning, Intelligence and Charisma.
Beach Sunrise
Cost 2 Silver
This enchanting beverage tastes like walking on a hot beach in the cool dusk air. Steep one cup of black tea. Add in a pinch of nutmeg. Whisk. Add two cups of pineapple juice. Serve over ice. Discard the card to cook. Gain a Major Boon to Strength and Stamina.
Twilight Mysteries
Cost 2 Emerald
This mixture of carrot juice and blue sugar syrup looks and feels like watching the sky at dusk. Over ice, pour one fourth a cup of simple syrup with a drop of blue food dye in it. Then pour onto the top of the cup one cup of cold carrot juice and one half cup of black tea. Discard this card to cook. Gain a Major Boon to Dexterity and Cunning.
Jungle Heat
Cost 2 Topaz
This hot and heavily sugared beverage is a favourite of sailors and tastes like fresh jungle air. Brew one cup of strong black coffee. Mix in one tablespoon of caramel syrup while hot. Mix in a quarter cup of milk. Discard this card to cook. Gain a Major Boon to Strength and Dexterity.
C J Mcpherson
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