Dragon blood elixir is a potion so powerful that entire nations have battled over a single flask, yet so rare that even seasoned magicians rarely find it. In fact in all of history it is known to have existed only three times. Other reports exist, but are probably rumors or fakes. The first known sample was prepared in Egypt in the fifth century BC by priests of the sun god Ra. It was transported to Alexandra and stored in the library there where it was presumably lost when Caesar burned the libary in 49 AD. The Islamic alchemist Jabir Ibn Hayyan wrote of it in the eight century, and a diamond vial containing a few drops was a coveted treasure of the Ming Emperors. Sady all these have been lost to time. A persistent rumor believed to have originated in West Africa says that a very old man caring a glowing red potion boarded a boat alone and sailed into the sunset. Some claim that he can still be seen in the last light of the evening, if you look hard at the place the sun was.
The formulation of dragon blood elixir is another secret lost to the ages, the writings of tenth century French monks speak of a potion made of dragon blood, rubies, and fine wine. Japanise temple texts mention a precious liquor made from dragon blood, pearls, seawater, and the wings of bees. Polynesian oral tradition holds that it is made of the blood of a sea beast, shark teeth, and the nectar of a flower that grows only on the highest peaks. An ancient Norse text refers to “snake potion” made from the blood of a giant fierey snake and “sundry flowers and herbs.” Although the exact formula may never be known, the method of preparation in all sources is remarkably similar. Each account speaks of preparing the elixir in the dead of night during the dark of the moon, mixing all the ingredients in a leather flask with the bone of a bird, and letting the first light of dawn ignite the magic within.
Uses of dragon blood elixir are as varied as the formulas to make it. The more modest descriptions attribute healing powers, long life and great stamina to any who drink it. Other descriptions claim the understanding of the speech of animals, the power to command nations, and other great magical feats. One account dating from the first century on the island of Java claims that any possessing the elixir could transform themselves into a dragon so large as to swallow the sun. This is no doubt the origin of many eclipse myths and traditions.