Name: Bask Slang/Street names: Catnap, Chill Description: A substance varying in coloration from light grey to light brown, with either a chalky or gooey texture. It’s commonly sold in ‘cubes,' wax paper wrapped tarry clumps similar to saltwater taffy, or pre-rolled cigarettes, ranging in dose from 5mg to 30mg with dosage guidelines (and the all important warning to consult a doctor before use) printed on the packaging. Abilities: Causes hyperawareness, increased sensitivity, and imparts a sense of wonder, while at the same time serving as a potent muscle relaxant. A reduction in anxiety is also often reported. Conditional Abilities: Bask can be safely combined with most types of hallucinogens (such as cannabis or gushers) to provide a synergistic effect, or with stimulants to decrease the effects of both drugs. Possible side effects (In order of most to least common): Lack of energy Drowsiness Dizziness Benign visual hallucination Sweating Nausea Dry mouth Agitation High body temperature Loss of appetite Liver damage Seizure Withdrawal symptoms can include (In order of most to least common): Anxiety Insomnia Dilated pupils Teary eyes Runny nose Rapid heart rate Nausea Chills Muscle aches/soreness Persistent, chronic fatigue Seizures Long term, repeated use can cause: Vitamin B-12 deficiency Anemia Peripheral neuropathy (tingling/numbness in arms and legs) Pancytopenia (reduced number of all blood cells) Tabes dorsalis (spinal cord degeneration; affects sense of position, touch, sense of vibration, and in extreme cases occasional paralysis of the legs) How does it work: Bask contains a hydantoin derivative commonly used in medical anticonvulsants/paralytics found to also provide a strong, persisting anxiolytic effect when taken in sufficient doses. This composes the primary ingredient in the drug, but the secondary ingredient is a chemical that causes the body to manufacture a hormone that binds to receptors in the cerebrum and cortex region of the spinal cord and inhibits vitamin B-12 reception. This causes increased sensitivity for a time before the drug loses potency or is adapted to and ejected from the receptors, and the drug is harmlessly secreted through sweat and urine. Bask can be ingested or smoked, with ingestion providing an unpredictable strength of effect (usually lower than smoking) that lasts hours longer, with a delayed onset of normally 30 minutes to 2 hours. Smoking tends to provide a more intense, immediate high with a more controllable dosage, and is more popular among frequent users. Limitations: Bask is not physically addictive, but if used in concordance with positive stimulation a psychological dependence can form. It also interacts strongly with alcohol, with even a single drink increasing the potency of the drug by up to ten times, usually with fatal results. Since the drug is derived from a family of anticonvulsants/paralytics, an overdose can lead to paralysis of the diaphragm or in extreme cases, cardiac tissue. The latter invariably leads to death. Under normal circumstances, an extraordinary amount of the drug must be ingested orally in order to truly overdose due to the diminishing returns at higher doses. Smoking it can be more precisely measured, but multiple doses are difficult to gauge the effectiveness of, which can lead to overdose. Generally, a user must take at least 4-5 times the recommended dose in order to experience death in about half the population. Tolerance builds up over time and is lost much faster than it is gained, leading to those who relapse on the drug to experience higher fatality rates. Flavor text: Bask was created by a young bio-research chemist, looking to synthesize a safer, legal alternative to many popular party drugs at the time. While not completely successful, the fatality rate of Bask when taken alone is low when compared to similar designer drugs. While it’s use is restricted within civspace, due to the relaxed dosing requirements and relative safety of use many fringe governments have not banned the drug. A popular pastime among Bask users is to lay out in mild sunlight after taking a dose due to the pleasant warming sensation, though new users are warned to apply sunblock and have a sober friend nearby in case the light gets more intense and they are unable to move to shade. Referenced Technologies (Optional): N/A Attainability: Open Tags: [Industrial] Category: Medical
