The Haan Study, What is Numbrina?

Latest edit done: 2024-02-28

The Eighth Scroll: What is Numbrina?

Numbrina is a broad term in Haan.

Though it has many different meanings, Numbrina normally refers to subjects having to do with creatures and plant life.

Or just nature in its entirety.

Technically speaking, Numbrina is the term used when referring to nature-related subjects having some sort of Haan-related influence. When characters use the term Numbrina, they could just be referring to the nature around them in general without referring to the practice of Haan overall. Just like in Dast Casting: writing styles and Numbrina characters depend on the person, culture, and practices it is being used in. Including the ways the Numbrina potion characters are written in. Standardizing written characters has been attempted in many places, such as The Sunset River, ROUE and Highmore, but these attempts have gain little to no success due to the enormous size of the continent and the vast pool of people practicing Numbrina alchemy. And too with the different believes surrounding Haan overall, the chances of finding common ground amongst Numbrina alchemy brewers are very slim.

The study of Numbrina has its roots in the beginning of the new Eferian species who were created within Sagen after the disappearance of the original Yulis. It is much harder for the people of Sagen to know as much about Numbrina then they know about Dast Casting. This is because Dast Casting is a practice having an active presence among the ones who practice it. The same cannot be said about Numbrina where there always must be an active will to test and experiment with Sagen’s nature.

Alchemy is also a subsection in the term Numbrina. Usually, Numbrina potions refers to potion brewing using plant life and other items found within the nature of Sagen whose structure has been influenced from the Haan elements around them. Though, not all plant life has the influence of Haan elements everywhere. It is extremely difficult to define what a ‘’Numbrina potion’’ is, however.

To illustrate this problem: one can imagine the differences between a magical potion and a cup of tea.

Contextually, there isn’t a difference between them.

This is especially the case if one imagines all potion brewing to be is boiling magical ingredients together in a pot. If this is what potion brewing is, then there isn’t a difference between potions and teas since the practice are identical to each other. Alternately—which is the most seen throughout Fantasy worlds—there needs to be a verbal spell and/or ritual going into the making of the brewing process for the brew to turn magical. The problem with this method is that it can’t exist in Sagen. Since Haan do not function by verbal spellcasting nor ritual components to form magical abilities due to the natural state of the Haan elemental rain over the Eferian continent.

Because of this, labelling what is and what isn’t alchemy in the Sagen world is very difficult to do. Numbrina potions then function by extracting the Haan elements who have influenced the plants’ properties and structure using various methods. This means that one plant can be used for a cup of tea without it having a major effect on the person drinking it. But if the same plant goes through the methods used to extract the Haan elements within it, does it gain the abilities of said elements for the person drinking it. These methods include forced extraction by syphoning the plants through high heats or pressure. Or mixing other plants whose properties help with the extraction process, among other methods. It should be noted at this point that throughout the history of Sagen, the will to do this have not been of high demand. This is due to the Eferian Elves’ view on Sagen’s nature to keep it as pure as possible. This entails experimentation among the Numbrina plant life have been of continuance opposition from it being a practice which goes against the natural state of the Sagen’s nature.

However—just like us as humans—there isn’t an overall belief amongst every Elven person in Sagen and the need and will to bring Numbrina potions to light have been of constant development since the beginning of the Numbrina discoveries.