Dear Lt. Rennik Colmes,
As the law stands, the crime of Capital Alchemy is 'doing alchemy themed to Negative Energy, the Shadow Plane, or any Djinn Court'. Obviously, the products of Djinn Alchemy are illegal Brooking in and of themselves. But Negative Energy certainly is not illegal, as what Legate would be fool enough to ban the holy smiting hand of the Wroth, granted to his priests as vengeful force? And Shade Armor and the like remain legal armaments to possess. Notably, a number of the products of Negative and Shadow alchemy are in legal circulation, as are the ingredients to do such things. Posession of Shadowstones etc remains legal. The only logic I can see for banning the experiments themselves is a fear of any loose Shadows, or the invention of tools useful specifically and only to animators of the dead.
The Foul DjinnI have a couple of clear accounts of Djinn Reagents, and after consulting with Sister Selsi and checking my own notes of Djinn hunts, I have best-guess descriptions for others.
- Boiling Bloodsack: An orange, flaming, small sack of burning blood.
- Horn of Earth and Flesh: Some form of rocky horn, to the description I have.
- Air and Shadow Reagent: Unknown, but beware items that extinguish light brought near them, or manifest constant darkness. Passing darkness such as a Dark Lamp or Darkness Resin is simple, wholesome evocation.
- Water and Light Reagent: items that seem constantly dewy, wet with fresh water rather than say, fishy water. Things that seem like crude knock-off B'aaran regalia. I can show you a water summoning tome if you wish to see an example of natural water-magic prone to dampness.
Shadows and Negative- Shadowstone: Shadow alchemy. Used to produce, memorably, Shadow Lanterns. Shadow alchemy tends to involve horrid ethereal screams, blackness, and mass dispels on a failure. I've supervised it back when it was legal, but considered it higher-risk to one's person than I cared for.
- Negative Essence (NOT Negative Energy Crystals): Negative Alchemy, obviously. I don't need to test it to be sure, it's pure as can be.
Suspicious But Not Used in Capital Alchemy- Strange Object: Used in Aberrant Alchemy. Which is, bizarrely still legal, but highly likely to summon Horrors and other such aberrant filth.
- Bodak's Tooth: This appears to be used in Death alchemy not Negative. I have no idea if bodaks are made from corpses or are pure negative beings like Shadows. So a Minor desecration charge would be shaky at best.
- Mummy Dust: Technically may not be Negative Alchemy. I have never used the stuff so can't tell you. It is, however, technically the flesh of a humanoid (though dessicated) and would be Minor Desecration.
- Slaad's Tongue: Simply Chaos Alchemy. However, many non-elemental alchemies can summon a powerful Slaad if things go awry. They have difficulty escaping the lab, but it is good practice to destroy them, or place a warning sign and lock it in until it dissipates over the course of some days.
- Rakshasa's Eye: Simply Law Alchemy. Such devils as the Rakshasa are now so rare as to seem extinct on the Great Disc.
I am a moderately productive and extremely careful alchemist. And that subject, if the 4th require least-power magic bags, they need only supply me a Shimmering Tear and a modest fee. Given that, I have no desire to see my colleagues panicking. At least one is. I would not intend to judge mere posession of Shadow or Negative reagents harshly, people can be fools but not malefactors. Openly offering to make Shadow Lamps or Negative Energy weapons (other than legal wands) seems a decent line.
Leverhand guide your pursuit of truth,
Robert Angleton