Tough Traveling: Drugs

“Tough Traveling” is a weekly Thursday feature created by Nathan at Review Barn where participants make a new list each week based on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. This hilarious little book cheerfully pokes fun at the most prevalent tropes in fantasy. All are welcome to take part, and there is a link up over at his site. Join in any time!

This week’s trope is DRUGS

DRUGS- Driver of all the underground economies. At times glorified, at times responsible for all the world’s evil, but just as common in Fantasyland as our own.

This one isn’t in the Tough Guide but was actually suggested by Tammy over at Ink Bones Books. Thanks Tammy!

Morphling – Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Morphling is a powerful painkiller that’s used mainly to treat serious injuries and administered mainly through IV – it’s not coincidence that the name sounds pretty similar to “morphine.” Like many painkillers, it is highly addictive and can alter the appearance of the addict, making them jaundiced and blowing their pupils wide. Several characters in the games are addicts or “Morphlings” including a major character…

ThreeEye – Storm Front by Jim Butcher   In the series opener, ThreeEye is introduced as a drug that can enable the user to gain the Sight thereby allowing humans them to see the supernatural. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, of course it turns out to be addictive…and that never ends well.

Hotblood Wine – Terrier by Tamora Pierce Hotblood wine is an alcohol/drug combo: it’s wine that has been spiked with an amphetamine that is predominantly used as an upper or an aphrodisiac. It is very commonly consumed substance in Tortall, especially the capital city Corus, where drugs and crime are a serious problem.

Milk of the poppy – A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin This one is kind of interesting because “milk of the poppy” or opium is an actual drug rather than something fantastical. In ASOIAF people mainly use it to deal with pain, but it’s highly addictive so that doesn’t always end well. Just ask Gregor Clegane!