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In Marrishland, magic is the source of all power, so it isn't surprising that it plays such an important role in its history and culture. It also lies at the heart of the conflict in the book. To find out how, read the book.

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Morusten

Morutsen is the sap of the kalysut. It is sweet, acts as a sedative, and possesses the curious property of temporarily preventing Mar, wints, and even Kalkorae from using magic. This last has assured its place as a means of preventing enemy wizards from escaping by means of magic. A few sips of unconcentrated morutsen is effective for an hour at most, and it is possible to consume a pint or more without succumbing to drunken unconsciousness. Most raw morutsen is evaporated until it becomes a thick syrup, and this is the form usually associated with the word "morutsen." At this level of concentration, a sip will halt a wizard's ability to wield magic for three hours or more, and a mouthful will extend its duration to as much as twelve hours, as well as rendering all but the most hardy immediately unconscious. Consuming additional morutsen does not further extend this duration.

There have not been any documented cases of death by morutsen overdose. The onset of unconsciousness is far too swift to drink more than a mouthful of the syrupy morutsen. Those scholars who have studied morutsen argue that the body cannot absorb any substance as quickly as morutsen's effect takes hold of a victim. Some speculate that some quality of morutsen somehow disrupts the tor's ability to wield magic, and that disrupting the tor on a larger scale leads to immediate unconsciousness. They believe that a sufficiently large dose of morutsen would so thoroughly disrupt the tor as to eliminate its ability to sustain life in the host body. So far, no one has attempted to test this theory.

The drakes learned about morutsen relatively early in their relationship with the Mar. It is known that many drakes consume morutsen regularly, though it is not clear why. Many speculate that it is a recreational drug of choice. Some believe it is a superstitious behavior intended to render warriors invulnerable to Mar magic. A few scholars have suggested more bizarre reasons for this consumption, often without any evidence to support their claims.

(Contributed by Nightfire Tradition)