Potions are a common part of life in the world of Siraden. Commoners, soldiers, healers, and many more all make use of these magical liquids. But how do potions work? In today’s blog we’ll cover just that.

Potions and naturally magical plants have similarities with dark magic; that is, they are not connected to the Heart of Magic. A helpful way to think of potions and magical substances is programs and memory, like a computer. Potions are essentially stored spells; they generate their own magic and use it in a limited, “pre-programmed” way. Magical substances (e.g., potions and magical plants) have inherent properties. For example, a certain plant might have a healing power for a headache. It generates magic and that magic always does one thing—heals headaches.

Some things, though, have “blank memory” that can be “programmed” by combining them with other substances, chemicals, etc. and then the combination becomes the “program,” that is, the magical effect. Some substances have more versatility on what you can “program” them to do (more uses, basically).

Another unique characteristic of magical substances is that they are not affected by iron the way that magic-users are. This is because, unlike the threads that grow from a magic users’ source strand, the threads of a magical substance’s source strand are more resilient not burned/damaged by iron. This allows them to function even in the presence of iron.

— Duncan