Reliquary Tuesdays 7: The Elixir of Life
Created by only the most learned alchemists and sought after by the most feverishly deranged tyrants, this week's relic is a grouping of potions and solutions known as...
The Elixir of Life
The Elixir of Life is a potion reported to provide anyone who drinks it with varying degrees of eternal life. Kings and Noblemen throughout history have sought it, terrified of losing the earthly power they have gained. Comte De St. Germain, an 18th century nobleman, was said to have a version of the elixir. He was reported as living for several hundred years, though information on this is sketchy at best. The Qin Dynasty Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with obtaining the elixir, and requisitioned the Taoist alchemist Xu Fu to locate it for him. Xu Fu gathered a group of 500 young men and 500 young women and explored the Eastern seas for the famed elixir, legend holds that he did not locate it, but found Japan instead. In ancient Chinese alchemy it was believed that consuming precious gems, particularly long lasting varieties, would infer some level of their longevity. This included jade, cinnabar, hematite, and especially gold. In the famous Chinese alchemical book Danjing Yaojue (Essential Formulas of Alchemical Classics), written by Sun Simiao, there are a number of elixirs said to impart longevity concocted from mercury, sulfur, and arsenic. In reality most of these substances were highly toxic, giving any who drank them crippling illness or even death. It's doubtful any such concoction could be derived using ancient alchemical techniques, though if it were to exist it would likely be kept secret by those who discovered it...
Sorry for the lateness of this week's Reliquary post, lots going on over on my end, hopefully I'll have some more publishing news for you all
