Badass Bookworm
The Key Which Unlocks the Void
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To describe the drug created from the Crimson Orb Tree.
- Image Source: Here.
- Canon Link: An alternate for Spice.
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Name: The common name is 'Key'. This is a shortening of 'The Key That Unlocks the Void', the rather dramatic name given by users/sellers. It has other names too depending on which propaganda is against it.
The Dominion labels it rather hysterically (and hypocritically since they produce it) as "The Nightmare of the Abyssal Phantasm".
The Disciples of the Vader label it instead "The Jedi Mind Poison", again hypocritically since many of their high-ranking people take it.
The Republican Guard are a little more constrained and just call it "Mind Mirage." - Manufacturer: Criminals, unofficial factories in the Dominion of Light, Disciples of the Vader and Republican Guard on Tephrike.
- Affiliation: Many people on Tephrike. Not found outside there currently.
- Market Status: Open Market.
- Modularity: Can be put into tablets or used as powder in various means.
- Production: Minor.
- Material: Ground seeds of the Crimson Orb Tree's fruits, pharmaceutical components, often filler.
- Classification: Illicit drug.
- Method of Consumption: Usually consumed orally via pills or mixed into a drink as powder. Can be snorted, smoked or injected, though the effects and especially the side effects are greatly increased. A dose of uncut Key is generally 10-15mg, though unwise people can take more and risk an overdose.
- Average Life: The general high from Key lasts anywhere from 0.5-4 hours. This varies based on species, age, experience with the drug and quality of the dose.
- Nutritional Value/Allergies/Side Effects/ Purpose:
Key's primary purpose is as a stimulant. It creates a high which becomes more desirable at the same time as being harder to reach due to resistance and diminishing rewards.
This is an illicit drug and as such it has numerous side effects. Those coming down from a high will experience greatly reduced mental stimulation, tiredness, irritability and fatigue. Addiction is a common problem, and increases the more one uses it.
Certain species have a high chance of allergic or anaphylactic reactions to Key. These are primarily aquatic species such as Mon Cal, Gungans and Nautolan. In these species the rate of allergic reaction can reach 5-10% and cause severe breathing difficulties, swelling and death. For humans and near-humans this is generally less than 1% of the population.
- A high of Key can create feelings of euphoria, contentment, minimal to significant hallucinations, increased energy and potency. Force users claim to have an increased connection to the Force whilst using it, though this seems more perception than reality. Key can also increase sensation of senses, especially touch.
- The low of Key includes greatly reduced mental stimulation, tiredness, irritability and fatigue. It can also lead to increased appetite.
- Acute side effects can include heart attacks, strokes, allergic reactions and uncontrollable hallucinations.
- Chronic side effects can lead to infections, lung trouble such as asthma, insomnia, muscle weakness and reduced appetite.
- Addiction to Key can occur from the very first hit, or might never come. Usually though taking Key several days in a row greatly increases addiction. Breaking this addiction is a difficult and dangerous process.
- Key can be taken in numerous ways; orally, injection, snorting or smoking.
- Key is relatively expensive; a single hit is generally a day's pay for a Vaderite factory worker. Thus it is characterised as a drug for the rich and for criminals.
- High. Key gives its users a high which contains many sought after properties.
- Versatile. Key can be used in a variety of methods according to need or desire.
- Abundant. Made from the Crimson Orb Tree which is plentiful on Tephrike, Key is found in every city on the planet, and many other places beside.
- Low. Coming down from the high, Key has a low with very unfortunate symptoms.
- Side Effects. Key has many harmful side effects both acute and chronic.
- Addiction. Usage causes addiction eventually in almost all cases. Withdrawal and escaping addiction is a painful and sometimes dangerous trend.
- Abundant. The abundance of Key is also a significant problem for people of all species, affiliations and background.
- Illegal. Key is illegal in all three of the major world government's territories. Penalties for possession or selling are severe. However, the wealthy, well-connected and powerful can often avoid these sanctions, and even produce it corruptly on the side! This makes punishment much more enforced on the lower classes.
- Consequences. Leaving aside the deaths, addictions and other societal impacts of the drug, its profitability has had other effects. In order to grow the Crimson Orb trees, areas of irrigation are dedicated to the illegal groves, people are forced to work on them. This means productive land and water are spent growing trees ultimately for Key rather than food.
Key is the short name given to a drug extracted primarily from the seeds of the Crimson Orb Tree. The original method used was to take the seed, grind it down and then roast it to remove some of the more unwanted chemicals. It would then be formed into pills or smoked. This method produced a drug, but the high was much less and the low much stronger than modern variations. This, along with access to regular galactic Spice, meant that the original Key was rarely used.
However, over time, and especially when it became more mainstream after Tephrike's isolation from the galaxy, new methods emerged. This still involved grinding the seed, but also involved soaking it in mildly alkaline water and then mixing with certain chemicals to create a stable solution. When dried, this powder could be exported and used in a variety of ways. These drug chemists would often adulterate the pure Key with filler to increase their profit margin.
The arrival and growth of this new drug was a significant challenge to the three emerging powerbases on Tephrike. All declared the drug was illegal and declared harsh punishments for those caught with it. Amusingly, they all accused each other of exporting it to corrupt their people. The Dominion of Light declared it was a "Sith malaise" whilst the Disciples of Vader coined the term "Jedi mind poison". Both also blamed the Republican Guard, calling it a "Revolutionary infiltrator". The Guard in turn called it a "Product of the mind shadow", by which they meant the Force.
However, despite their bluster all of the governments realised that Key was both profitable and useful for them. It provided excellent 'encouragement' as a 'special ration' to people, with the added bonus that it provided blackmail material and an addicted employee. It was also profitable to grow and sell. Ostensibly this was done only to 'weaken their enemies' over the border, but in reality it was an excuse to make large profits in drug dealing to their own people as well. This last is much less common in the Republican Guard internally, though they happily export it to their Sith and Jedi enemies.
The end result is a widespread drug which has caused great suffering and is both secretly supported by and openly condemned by all parties. Key has continued to grow in usage and more groves of Crimson Orb are covertly planted yearly.
