Jolt is a common stimulant used by mercenary groups and some soldiers to increase combat prowess temporarily. It can be applied in several ways, but most commonly is poured onto a cloth which is placed over the nose and inhaled sharply one to three times. This results in an almost immediate sense of alertness and clarity which lasts roughly an hour. Repeated use in close temporal proximity continues to work in rapidly decreasing intensity. The timeline of effect is largely why it is used by those whose job puts them into altercations often. For the average worker the post usage drop in energy is usually not worth the hour of productivity. Jolt can also be taken directly via the mouth but is absorbed slowly through the stomach this way, spreading the effect out over the course of several hours at reduced potency. Jolt tends to mess with most people’s bowl movements however and can be quite disrupted depending on the individual so this method is generally avoided.
Creation
Originally created by boiling thinly sliced Eggy root for several hours until the water is tinted a dark red. The Eggy pieces are then removed and the mixture is boiled for at least 3 more hours to help concentrate the final result to be more usable. A more common drink is Eggy Tea which fundamentally does the same thing as Jolt but is far less potent, boiling the whole root and not concentrating the mixture, it can aid in wakefulness but doesn’t have the discomforting after effects of Jolt proper.
Apothecaries who specialize in Jolt are capable of making it even stronger through their strange recipes and practice. Apothecary Jolt can be both stronger and less demanding on one’s bodily system making it much more valuable to those about to conduct dangerous business and it demands a substantially higher price.
Addiction
Jolt is moderately addictive, most won’t struggle with withdrawal after a few uses but it can become painful to quit if at least weekly use continues for a few months. Daily use for only a few weeks however can build a strong addiction which can be quite arduous to quit involving lots of muscle ache, headache, nausea and sweating. Though fatalities for recovering addicts are rare it’s not impossible to lose one’s life when quitting if they do not have access to enough fluids.