Apep

Known alternately as “Red-gum” and “Venom paste.”

An off-white to deep red substances often sold in semisolid bars. Using the paste directly on the gums gives a short intense rush of hyperactivity, hyper awareness and hyper sensitivity. If smoked it gives a more manageable high and enable the making of art while on it. Smoked apep also have less serve side effect but it more additive.

### Harvesting and Processing

Found deep amongst the catacomb roads of Orpheus, Apep is a secretion of large and very deadly bacterial mold colonies known as “Crawlers" by local serfs, so called because the colonies will often and rather unnervingly shift their position to account for nutrients brought into the catacombs by the storms. The secretions left on the walls, floors and ceilings of the catacombs following such shifts are able to be harvested and brought for refining.

The refinement process involves running the secretions through a high voltage electric charge to break the substance down into its base form and eliminate any residual spores. The base components are then mixed with a paste traditionally this was made of crushed insects but more recently has been substituted for nutrients paste as the binding compounds react quicker making the refinement more efficient. The resulting residue is then hardened into a congealed mass to be sold.

### Appearance

Upon completion Apep appears as an off-clear substance (in the case of nutrient paste based compounds) or a dark red (in the case of insect compounds.) Often these are sold in small semi-solid bars of a few inches in length.

### Use and Effects

Apep is taken in various ways, serfs tend to simply rub the substance on the gums, this provides a short but strong rush as the drug meets the bloodstream quickly. When taken like this Apep is a stimulant. Users will often become hyperactive, hyper aware and hyper sensitive, while the substance dampens mental faculties as the brain struggles to cope with the sudden influx of sensory information.

Nobles more often take Apep broken down and diluted in a water-based hookah, when used in this way the effects are more manageable but last for a longer period of time. When mixed with various other substances and smoked in this way it has been claimed by a number of MES sufferers, that the drug facilitates a trance like state with some going so far as to claim it allows for an out of body experience or extrasensory internal awareness. Such claims have been investigated and none proven however claims and rumours continue to abound amongst noble society.

### Side effects

While not an illegal substance Apep is heavily controlled both in sale and harvesting, a task mostly overseen by the Neshmet Order who tend the catacombs. The control however does not stop foolhardy serfs looking to make money fast or even off-world smugglers from trying to brave the catacombs, should they be caught the punishment is often severe.

Harvesting carries its own risks and there are often a number of serfs who ingest the spores of the mold and are poisoned, resulting in an arduous death as their lungs collapse as the spores multiply. Using the drug as the serfs do can cause sensory overload,hemorrhaging, brain-damage and stroke if done to excess. As well as stained red gums in the case of insect based pastes.

When smoked the drug presents less risks however there is a higher chance of addiction, there have been some cases of users entering fugue states or coma in extreme cases of overdose, with vomiting, nausea and shaking should the dosage in conjunction with the other compounds used in the hookah be incorrect.

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