X-Ray Elixir (Based on EliX-Ray’s Recipe)

Estimated Brewing Time:
Pewter cauldron: 286 minutes (4 hours and 46 minutes)
Brass cauldron: 269 minutes (4 hours and 29 minutes
Copper cauldron: 247 minutes (4 hours and 7 minutes)

Total Brewing Time:
Pewter cauldron: 8 days, 4 hours, 46 minutes
Brass cauldron: 8 days, 4 hours, 29 minutes
Copper cauldron: 8 days, 4 hours, 7 minutes

Ingredients:
Two and a half (2.5) liters of water
Three (3) jellyfish¹
Two (2) electric eel tails¹*
FFour (4) valerian sprigs²
One (1) three centimeter baryte cube¹
Thirty (30) ml honey³
Forty-five (45) grams sodium chloride (table salt)²

* Editor’s Note: This is the Sach’s organ of the eel

Instructions:
Part One:

1. Add 500ml of water and bring the heat to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
2. Add two jellyfish to the cauldron.
3. Wearing your dragonhide gloves, slice the two eel tails widthwise so that they are approximately 0.5 cm (0.2 inches) in width.
4. Add the sliced eel tails to the cauldron.
5. Bring the heat up to 383 Kelvin (110°C/230°F) for 45 seconds, and then reduce heat again to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
6. Stir thrice counterclockwise and then once clockwise. Note: At this point, the simmering of the cauldron may become slightly more pronounced. Be careful of splashes during this time.
7. Add two valerian sprigs to the cauldron.
8. Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 28 minutes (this would be 25 minutes in a brass cauldron and 23 minutes in a copper cauldron).

At this point in the brewing, the potion will be a mustard yellow color.

Part Two:

1. Add 1 liter of water to the cauldron.
2. Remove the cauldron from the heat. (Note: It is very important to remove the cauldron from the heat before this next step. Failing to do so will cause the cauldron to overheat, the bottom to melt, and the potion could cause it to explode. Exposure to the potion at this time will lead to magical burns.)
3. Add one baryte cube to the cauldron.
4. Stir the cauldron still off the heat twice clockwise.
5. Allow the cauldron to sit off the heat in your pewter cauldron for ten minutes (this would be eight minutes in a brass cauldron and seven minutes in a copper cauldron.)
6. Add the cauldron back to the heat and bring it to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
7. Add one jellyfish to the cauldron.
8. Bring the heat up to 383 Kelvin (110°C/230°F) for two minutes, and then reduce heat again to 363 Kelvin (90°C/194°F).
9. Stir twice clockwise.
10. Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 90 minutes (this would be 80 minutes in a brass cauldron and 72 minutes in a copper cauldron).

At this point in the brewing, the potion will be a pale silver, and it will emit a pale pink smoke. Siphon the potion into a clear crystal vial and allow it to settle in a warm, dark environment for 72 hours (three days).

Part Three:

1. Add 500ml of water to the cauldron.
2. Add the matured potion to the cauldron and bring the heat to 310 Kelvin (37°C/98°F).
3. Add two valerian sprigs to the cauldron.
4. Stir once counter-clockwise.
5. Add 30 ml of honey to the cauldron.
6. Stir twice clockwise.
7. Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 15 minutes (this would be 13 minutes in a brass cauldron and 12 minutes in a copper cauldron).

The potion should appear dark grey at this point. The smoke may vary between a pale
red and a burgundy color at this point: both are reasonable.

Part Four:

1. Add 45 grams of sodium chloride to the potion.
2. Stir twice counter-clockwise.
3. Allow the potion to brew for five minutes.
4. Stir five times clockwise.
5. Add 500ml of water to the cauldron.
6. Leave potion to brew in your pewter cauldron for 120 minutes (this would be 108 minutes in a brass cauldron and 98 minutes in a copper cauldron).
7. Remove the potion from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 to 20 minutes, until it no longer emits smoke. It should be a metallic silvery color at this point, and the smoke it emits should be a deep red until it stops steaming.

The potion should mature for five days before use. Upon consumption, it should be a similar color and consistency to mercury and taste like burnt licorice.

To Store:

The X-Ray Elixir only lasts for three to four days, so it should be brewed or purchased sparingly. It must be stored in a cool, dark place of temperatures between one and eight degrees Celsius (between 34 and 46.5 degrees Fahrenheit). The potion is highly light sensitive, and should receive as little light exposure as possible during brewing and after bottling.

To Use:

The X-Ray Elixir should only ever be administered by a trained and licensed healer. Only 30 ml (about two tablespoons) of the potion should be given at any time, or it can lead to unwanted side effects. It must be used in collaboration with specific charms and spells that activate the potion, or it is useless. The X-Ray Elixir should not be taken more than once a week, or it can lead to unwanted side effects.

Effects:

The X-Ray Elixir can be used with certain spells in order to make the tissues of a specific part of the body translucent. Approximately 15 minutes after the potion has been ingested, the healer or mediwizard can cast the appropriate charm on the part of the body they wish to investigate. The consumer will feel a vague burning tingle, but the sensation should not be intolerable. Depending on the spell cast, it can either be used to investigate the state of muscle fibers as well as bones or simply bones for fractures or breaks. The potion lasts for approximately 45 minutes before the charm is broken and the effects wear off.

The potion should only be taken once a week. There have been cases of overuse of the potion, which led to permanent translucence as well as certain forms of toxic poisoning. There have been some allergic reactions associated with the potion, including the patient breaking out in violent orange hives, permanent blackening of the skin where the charm was performed, and restricted breathing. If you begin to experience any of these, consult with your healer immediately.

Caution:

Those who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should not take the potion. Those with anemia should only use the potion sparingly, as it has been shown to exacerbate the condition. Those with shellfish allergies are more likely to experience allergic reactions to the X-Ray Elixir, so please consult with a healer before taking the potion.