The Grim Truth
Apr. 27th, 2011 12:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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alternityGreetings, Muggleborn Wizards, Witches, and Sympathisers.
Potions-making is an art much-vaunted by the wizarding world. A potion may be as potent as any incantation, and can charm, curse, cure, and kill as surely as spells can. For the purposes of magical education and bearing in mind the possibility of limited resources, a method of cauldron-less potion-making has been developed from the combined works of Felder Banesbury, author of One Thousand Practical Potions: An Academic Study, Ulrich von Zurbruck, author of Eine Geschichte der Tränke, and the treatises of Brother Tacius, upon whose studies the art of potion-making was first developed.
A note of caution to those collecting potions ingredients: learn to identify your components with exactness. Poison lurks in a mis-identified insect or herb, and even the most innocuous of household plants - azaleas, privet leaves, daffodils, and lily flowers, for example - are deadly to ingest. Proceed with great care, and the results you yield will be rewarding.
Basic Diversionary Concoctions: The 'Ici Grenade,' domestic Darkness Powder, and Tincture of Belladonna
Ici Grenade
Jobberknolls are a blue-speckled bird to be found in the forested regions of southern England, where it has been classified as an invasive species following its migration from the northern continent. It has many magical qualities, and its feathers are the primary ingredient of truth serums. The distinctive feature of the Jobberknoll is that it makes no sound until the final moment of its life, at which point its dying scream consists of every sound it has ever heard, repeated backwards.
The egg of the Jobberknoll - approximately 1 cm in diameter with a whitish cast and dark blue flecks, usually nested in yew and oak trees - is an under-utilized magical item, though it can be found in most apothecaries. Its only useful quality is that it, as well as the fully-fledged adult, plays back every sound made in its vicinity when cracked. There was a vogue for the use of Jobberknoll eggs as a listening device in the courts of medieval France, though transcription was necessarily tricky {Zurbruck, Eine Geschichte der Tränke, 1838}. During the werewolf siege of Tours in 1347, they were used to great effectiveness as the primary ingredient in the 'ici ('over here') grenade' {Banesbury, One Thousand Practical Potions: An Academic Study, 1984}
This diversion device is simple to make, and though primitive is highly effective. Once a Jobberknoll egg has been acquired - reveal no information at this time which may be sensitive or incriminating - prepare a thick solution of soil and water, and be ready to encase the egg inside. In a quiet environment, establish the sound of your diversion in close vicinity to the egg - either a footstep, some other loud noise, or a vocal call. Should a word or spoken cue be your choice, make sure that what is said, if it is anything other than a simple shout, is said backwards so as to appear as genuine as possible. Immediately surround the egg with the soil solution, and layer it approximately 2cm thick in a spherical shape. This must be allowed to dry in silence, lest the egg detect and store any further sounds. Once it has dried - the mud will be pale and dusty in appearance - store it in such a fashion that it will not be disturbed until the time comes for its use.
To use the the 'ici grenade,' it must be thrown in such a way that the dried mud cracks on impact, cracking the egg with it. The egg, upon breaking, will instantly replay the sound it last received - Jobberknolls do not retain silence - giving a misguided impression of where the thrower may be located.
Domestic Darkness Powder
Also on the note of diversions, Peru has long been the source of a darkness powder favored by those in the field of espionage. It floods the immediate vicinity with particulate darkness to a radius of 10 yards, and is useful in the necessity of a quick escape. In light of the recent strictures in trade, a recipe has been devised for a domestic edition.
This darkness powder must be created at night, as it is activated by exposure to light stronger than that of a dim gas lamp. Have a container of some opaque material - metal is best - prepared to receive the substance when it is completed. It requires:
- 100ml water, room temperature
- Approximately 5 tablespoons wood or coal soot
- Approximately 4 teaspoons dried ink, black, powdered
- 1 grain of sea salt
- The crushed wings and wing covers (discard carapace) of twelve black garden beetles, ground to a fine powder
Working under no more light than a single candle, heat the water to boiling, then saturate the water with the soot and ink until the solution thickens. Thoroughly mix in the powder of beetle wings, then add the grain of salt. This will cause the solution to crystallize rapidly, forming palm-sized clusters. Isolate these in a lightproof container. They will be ready to use the instant they crystallize. Exposing them to daylight will cause them to dissipate at a rapid rate and remain suspended in the air for the space of sixty seconds, so be prepared to navigate in near-total darkness.
Tincture of Belladonna - Sedative
Finally, valuable time can be purchased by means of a simple tincture which, when ingested, will send the drinker into a state of deep sleep. The plant called 'belladonna' has long been used as a sleep aid, but carries with it attendant risks - illnesses may be compounded by it, and it may be fatal. The advent of safer sedatives caused it to fall out of use, but its simplicity and effectiveness make it powerful in times of need.
Dry the leaves of the belladonna plant (pictured below) of an amount of roughly four ounces, and soak them in two pints of diluted alcohol for fourteen days. Filter out the leaves through thick paper or cheesecloth, crushing them against the filter so as to make the best benefit of the juices. {Tacius, Ars Potenta, 1074}. Again, this juice is known to be fatal, especially in the presence of known conditions such as sleep apnea and cardiac distress. Use it with extreme caution.
The Flour-Based Incendiary Device
Muggle history records the incident of the Great Mill Disaster of 1878 in the city of Minneapolis, wherein a massive explosion caused the decimation of the mill and the immediate area surrounding it. This phenomenon was due to the ignition of the flour being milled in the building - any organic powder, ground finely enough and mixed with the air, will ignite with tremendous ferocity when sparked. Properly controlled, it becomes an effective incendiary device.
To create a timed explosion using this common household ingredient, one must employ a wizarding product: the wireless radio. Attached to the switch used to turn this device on and off is an element similar in construction to that of a Muggle light bulb filament, which is responsible for powering the radio itself. This element generates a certain amount of heat, even when detached from the rest of the apparatus. To remove the switch and heating element, simply use a flat blade - a dull knife will do - to lever the switch from the body of the radio at its base.
The element will detach with the switch, and you will observe two wires of about 4cm in length protruding from the back. Making sure that the switch face is set to 'off,' twist these wires tightly together along their entire length. From this moment on, the switch should remain 'off' until the incendiary device is activated.
Using a mortar and pestle, take a small amount of flour or corn starch - any more than a palm-full will not be properly ignited by the switch - and grind it repeatedly so as to ensure a fine-quality grain. Once you are ensured of this, pour the powder into a 6x6cm square of loose-woven cloth such as burlap, and tie this securely around the twisted wires. To activate this device, turn the switch to 'on' and immediately throw it as high and as far away from yourself as possible. You have approximately fifteen seconds to vacate the area before the wires spark, at which point the flour, mixed with the air and ignited by the switch, will cause a violent explosion. The radius affected will be two yards in every direction - be sure to be outside this area.
My next missive is intended as the companion to this one, and will detail medicinal potion-making and alternative methods of warding off the effects of long-term exposure to Dementors. Expect it shortly, and as always, use the information I have given you with discretion and wisdom.
Potions-making is an art much-vaunted by the wizarding world. A potion may be as potent as any incantation, and can charm, curse, cure, and kill as surely as spells can. For the purposes of magical education and bearing in mind the possibility of limited resources, a method of cauldron-less potion-making has been developed from the combined works of Felder Banesbury, author of One Thousand Practical Potions: An Academic Study, Ulrich von Zurbruck, author of Eine Geschichte der Tränke, and the treatises of Brother Tacius, upon whose studies the art of potion-making was first developed.
A note of caution to those collecting potions ingredients: learn to identify your components with exactness. Poison lurks in a mis-identified insect or herb, and even the most innocuous of household plants - azaleas, privet leaves, daffodils, and lily flowers, for example - are deadly to ingest. Proceed with great care, and the results you yield will be rewarding.
Basic Diversionary Concoctions: The 'Ici Grenade,' domestic Darkness Powder, and Tincture of Belladonna
Ici Grenade
Jobberknolls are a blue-speckled bird to be found in the forested regions of southern England, where it has been classified as an invasive species following its migration from the northern continent. It has many magical qualities, and its feathers are the primary ingredient of truth serums. The distinctive feature of the Jobberknoll is that it makes no sound until the final moment of its life, at which point its dying scream consists of every sound it has ever heard, repeated backwards.
The egg of the Jobberknoll - approximately 1 cm in diameter with a whitish cast and dark blue flecks, usually nested in yew and oak trees - is an under-utilized magical item, though it can be found in most apothecaries. Its only useful quality is that it, as well as the fully-fledged adult, plays back every sound made in its vicinity when cracked. There was a vogue for the use of Jobberknoll eggs as a listening device in the courts of medieval France, though transcription was necessarily tricky {Zurbruck, Eine Geschichte der Tränke, 1838}. During the werewolf siege of Tours in 1347, they were used to great effectiveness as the primary ingredient in the 'ici ('over here') grenade' {Banesbury, One Thousand Practical Potions: An Academic Study, 1984}
This diversion device is simple to make, and though primitive is highly effective. Once a Jobberknoll egg has been acquired - reveal no information at this time which may be sensitive or incriminating - prepare a thick solution of soil and water, and be ready to encase the egg inside. In a quiet environment, establish the sound of your diversion in close vicinity to the egg - either a footstep, some other loud noise, or a vocal call. Should a word or spoken cue be your choice, make sure that what is said, if it is anything other than a simple shout, is said backwards so as to appear as genuine as possible. Immediately surround the egg with the soil solution, and layer it approximately 2cm thick in a spherical shape. This must be allowed to dry in silence, lest the egg detect and store any further sounds. Once it has dried - the mud will be pale and dusty in appearance - store it in such a fashion that it will not be disturbed until the time comes for its use.
To use the the 'ici grenade,' it must be thrown in such a way that the dried mud cracks on impact, cracking the egg with it. The egg, upon breaking, will instantly replay the sound it last received - Jobberknolls do not retain silence - giving a misguided impression of where the thrower may be located.
Domestic Darkness Powder
Also on the note of diversions, Peru has long been the source of a darkness powder favored by those in the field of espionage. It floods the immediate vicinity with particulate darkness to a radius of 10 yards, and is useful in the necessity of a quick escape. In light of the recent strictures in trade, a recipe has been devised for a domestic edition.
This darkness powder must be created at night, as it is activated by exposure to light stronger than that of a dim gas lamp. Have a container of some opaque material - metal is best - prepared to receive the substance when it is completed. It requires:
- 100ml water, room temperature
- Approximately 5 tablespoons wood or coal soot
- Approximately 4 teaspoons dried ink, black, powdered
- 1 grain of sea salt
- The crushed wings and wing covers (discard carapace) of twelve black garden beetles, ground to a fine powder
Working under no more light than a single candle, heat the water to boiling, then saturate the water with the soot and ink until the solution thickens. Thoroughly mix in the powder of beetle wings, then add the grain of salt. This will cause the solution to crystallize rapidly, forming palm-sized clusters. Isolate these in a lightproof container. They will be ready to use the instant they crystallize. Exposing them to daylight will cause them to dissipate at a rapid rate and remain suspended in the air for the space of sixty seconds, so be prepared to navigate in near-total darkness.
Tincture of Belladonna - Sedative
Finally, valuable time can be purchased by means of a simple tincture which, when ingested, will send the drinker into a state of deep sleep. The plant called 'belladonna' has long been used as a sleep aid, but carries with it attendant risks - illnesses may be compounded by it, and it may be fatal. The advent of safer sedatives caused it to fall out of use, but its simplicity and effectiveness make it powerful in times of need.
Dry the leaves of the belladonna plant (pictured below) of an amount of roughly four ounces, and soak them in two pints of diluted alcohol for fourteen days. Filter out the leaves through thick paper or cheesecloth, crushing them against the filter so as to make the best benefit of the juices. {Tacius, Ars Potenta, 1074}. Again, this juice is known to be fatal, especially in the presence of known conditions such as sleep apnea and cardiac distress. Use it with extreme caution.
The Flour-Based Incendiary Device
Muggle history records the incident of the Great Mill Disaster of 1878 in the city of Minneapolis, wherein a massive explosion caused the decimation of the mill and the immediate area surrounding it. This phenomenon was due to the ignition of the flour being milled in the building - any organic powder, ground finely enough and mixed with the air, will ignite with tremendous ferocity when sparked. Properly controlled, it becomes an effective incendiary device.
To create a timed explosion using this common household ingredient, one must employ a wizarding product: the wireless radio. Attached to the switch used to turn this device on and off is an element similar in construction to that of a Muggle light bulb filament, which is responsible for powering the radio itself. This element generates a certain amount of heat, even when detached from the rest of the apparatus. To remove the switch and heating element, simply use a flat blade - a dull knife will do - to lever the switch from the body of the radio at its base.
The element will detach with the switch, and you will observe two wires of about 4cm in length protruding from the back. Making sure that the switch face is set to 'off,' twist these wires tightly together along their entire length. From this moment on, the switch should remain 'off' until the incendiary device is activated.
Using a mortar and pestle, take a small amount of flour or corn starch - any more than a palm-full will not be properly ignited by the switch - and grind it repeatedly so as to ensure a fine-quality grain. Once you are ensured of this, pour the powder into a 6x6cm square of loose-woven cloth such as burlap, and tie this securely around the twisted wires. To activate this device, turn the switch to 'on' and immediately throw it as high and as far away from yourself as possible. You have approximately fifteen seconds to vacate the area before the wires spark, at which point the flour, mixed with the air and ignited by the switch, will cause a violent explosion. The radius affected will be two yards in every direction - be sure to be outside this area.
My next missive is intended as the companion to this one, and will detail medicinal potion-making and alternative methods of warding off the effects of long-term exposure to Dementors. Expect it shortly, and as always, use the information I have given you with discretion and wisdom.
ORDER ONLY
Date: 2011-04-27 06:08 pm (UTC)and fu says that yeah, flour is explosive as anything, but he's holding off until he has a chance to test it for himself. i'd imagine that'd put a kink in a lot of the large farms and their day to day if nothing else.
poppy, what do you think?
sirius, man, any more insight as to what he's trying to do with all this?
Re: ORDER ONLY
Date: 2011-04-27 08:41 pm (UTC)Fortunately, he omits to tell them its other name or where to look for it--I suppose that speaks to his assumptions about people's training. I confess I'm unsure whether non-specialists could tell Belladonna from Bittersweet in the wild--and they shan't find it at all if they're looking in the north or here in Scotland--but I should think they'd stand a better chance if they knew it's 'deadly nightshade' they're after. So perhaps we will not see a rash of sleep draught murders, at least.
As for the business with flour, I believe that's quite sound. We Healers use something similar on a small scale: when I cleanse the vessels and instruments with which I mix medicinals, I take a small amount of exceedingly fine-ground material just as he describes (not flour, but there's no reason that wouldn't do quite the same thing) and a speck of igneous sand, and I place them along with the items to be cleansed into a large antimephitic crucible. I apply one charm that seals the container with a snap, and that disperses the ground dust within the chamber. A second charm quickly heats it, and when the temperature hits its mark, the igneous sand sparks the powder inside the vessel and the explosion consumes all corruptible matter within. It's all quite safely contained by the crucible, of course, but I could see that the same effect produced on a larger scale in an enclosed public space could have quite catastrophic results.
I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-27 09:00 pm (UTC)And how about that darkness powder? That looks really awesomely wizard.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:30 am (UTC)I just hope no-one tries to blow up a barn at the Stretton's this summer with Sally-Anne in it.
But yeah, the powder looks easy enough. I like the ici grenades, although it sounds like a lot of effort for a little distraction. Do you think it might be a trap? Like he says to make it a certain way that gets you blown up, or gets black all over your hands so people can tell what you've been working with?
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:38 am (UTC)And, yeah, don't even say that, okay? That's really awful. I mean, they have loads of muggles and muggleborns working there, don't they, the Strettons?
That might be right, actually. Maybe whoever's writing these wants people to get caught, because I'd think it'd be dead near impossible to make that stuff and not get it all over you.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 04:51 am (UTC)Still, they wouldn't want to hurt the other muggles, would they? Because if I were in a barn I wouldn't be there by myself.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 10:29 am (UTC)Just promise me you'll try to be safe, alright? I mean, muggles could make that bomb-thing too if all it takes is a bit of flour and something to set it off.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:39 am (UTC)Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:53 am (UTC)Because he's giving Fred and George all sorts of ideas.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:57 am (UTC)Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:41 am (UTC)I don't know.
D'you think?
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:52 am (UTC)I can't imagine messing around with it at all unless I was wearing dragonhide gloves, and even then, I probably still wouldn't want to.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:41 am (UTC)Least I hope you're not. Yeah?
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:50 am (UTC)I just don't want anyone to get hurt is all. So it's coming from that. I care about you, Ron, and I don't want anything awful to happen to you.
And it's not because
you know
because I think it's wrong or something.
And that's the whole reason I decided to join up in the first place besides. So people wouldn't get hurt. Because it was join up or tell, and I wasn't about to be responsible for what was going to happen if I did.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 02:56 am (UTC)I'm glad you did, join up with us, I mean. Because it was rubbish not being able to tell you stuff before. And I know you wouldn't tell or do anything that'd hurt Terry or Hermione or get us all caught. You wouldn't.
Sometimes, though, I just think all we do is talk here when maybe there's more we should do. Try to, anywiz. I don't know. I mean, you're not wrong that something like that could go wrong or just not turn out the way we'd think it would.
Just, sometimes it doesn't seem right to just let things go on the way they are.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 03:03 am (UTC)Honestly.
Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good
Date: 2011-04-28 03:12 am (UTC)