#and I found the keep poison spider vitaar

[cobaltash]

Arriving from a timeline that belongs to @athelari, I welcome to the Thedas Spring Ball lady Inquisior Shokra Adaar! Truly an icon, who holds fast to her Vashoth roots and carves a path through the world that might bring those like her closer together.

Thank you for gracing us with your presence!

[herald-adaar]

Vitaar Headcanons

Following my wildly self-indulgent vitaar doodles, I felt compelled to share my extensive and lengthy thoughts about vitaar:

Vitaar itself is an enchanted steroid cream - it's a little greasy for a few minutes after it’s applied and smells vaguely of lanolin, but otherwise soaks invisibly into the skin. A blob about the size of a grape is all you need to gain the beneficial effects for about twelve hours, and you can put it anywhere, though most choose their inner arms and sides. It’s a pretty decent antiperspirant/deodorant when applied to the armpits.

Rashvine is the first vitaar anyone uses, because if the user has a bad reaction to it, they’re only going to get an uncomfortable rash until their body acclimates. This process has been known to last anywhere from a day to a few weeks. Chemists will then gradually increase the concentration and potency of the rashvine until the wearer is functionally immune to it in other applications. It is unwise to start a vitaar regimen without qualified medical supervision.

Vitaar was accidentally found to be an inexpensive, effective method of mithridatism. Originally developed as a way to protect those tasked with dealing the elfsnake infestation plaguing Par Vollen, users were quick to realize that the snakes bites were no longer curdling their blood, and in some cases, immediately killing the snakes. 

Later iterations of the formula included its renowned flesh hardening and physical enhancement properties. Antaam soldiers feel more protected wearing vitaar and a pair of pants then they do in full armor (though they usually double up -- vitaar is a perfect way to guard your joints without losing range of motion.) 

Most antaam soldiers are immune to two or three common poisons by virtue of the vitaar varieties available to them. Ben-Hassrath agents and antaam superior officers go through a vitaar regimen lasting years, with the end result in them being nigh unpoisonable. There is a small arms race between vitaar chemists and assassins to outpace one another.

Few but the vitaar chemists know that blood is used to bind the enchantment to the cream. Disturbingly, the blood of a qunari mage (racial, not cultural) is the most effective by a wide margin. There are a rotating stock of saarebas in the labs for this purpose, constantly monitored to ensure they don’t get dangerous ideas about blood magic.

There are only three vitaar chemists among the Tal-Vashoth. Tal-Vashoth saarebas and Vashoth mages can make a good bit of coin selling a pint or two of blood to the ones in Rivain and Antiva. Mages who cross paths with the chemist in Nevarra are never seen again.

Vitaar paint is purely cosmetic, used to politely signify that the wearer is wearing poison lotion. Within the Qun, the color and pattern on the face will tell you exactly what variety of vitaar one is wearing, and in what concentration. Many Tal-Vashoth and Vashoth are only wearing the paint, as the cream is difficult to come by.

Face paint regulation is primarily for the benefit of healers, who need to know what formula they’re using to prevent a dangerous interaction with any medications they might administer. For example, a simple elfroot and embrium tincture can cause cardiac arrest in those wearing poison spider vitaar. Healers among the Tal-Vashoth are frequently frustrated that their patients don’t follow the pattern and color rules.

Body vitaar patterns are less rigidly uniform, and vary from kith to kith as way of signifying which unit they belong to. Creativity and artistic ability aren’t skills generally fostered within the antaam, so most of these designs are the house of tides on different parts of the body. 

Doing each other’s vitaar is a widely practiced kith bonding activity, but the tamassrans are known to paint soldiers too, especially before they depart on a lengthy mission or engage in a lengthy relief session. Tamassran paint is usually much more ornate than anything the antaam does for themselves.

The Qunari use long-lasting greasepaint that doubles as sunblock, and while most Tal-Vashoth would prefer to use it, it’s difficult to obtain outside of Qunandar. Many have wound up using Avaar claypaint, which is less vivid in color but has a similar longevity outside of water. Human cosmetics like rouge and pigmented powders have also caught on as passable substitutes, but tend to be so costly they’re almost exclusively for ceremonial use or when making an impression on potential employers/victims.

Tangentially related: horn balm is also extremely hard to get a hold of. Hoof lotion is considered an excellent substitute at a fraction of the cost, though the smell isn’t as nice. In cold, dry climates, hoof conditioner made with oil and resin needs to be applied to the horns once or twice a month to keep the keratin sheaths from getting brittle and flaking.