Basic Information
Kyphi was a compound incense, highly regarded in ancient Egypt and used in high tier religious ceremonies and as a medicine. The ingredients for kyphi are somewhat disputed - all recipes seem to include wine, honey and raisins, as well as an assortment of different spices and aromatic compounds. There were, in any case, said to be at least two kinds of kyphi - a "lunar" one of 28 ingredients and a "solar" one of 36 … other authorities suggest a mere sixteen ingredients. As usual these materials would have been compounded with a degree of ritual over a prolonged period.
At least one of the recipes seems to have formed the basis of mithridate which in turn was the ancestor of theriac and other alleged universal antidotes.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- Expect a spectrum of uses - you might look at a basic health buff for regular use or some more powerful enhancement. Alternatively it may be a cure or prophylactic for specific diseases or poisons. Different blends of kyphi may have different effects.
- If the ritual elements are effective, then you may be looking at some kind of potion.
- Should be expensive stuff and therefore likely treasure.
- Differences in ingredient count may be due to compiling - if a recipe tells you to use five-spice powder, is that one ingredient or five? What about garam masala paste?