Ent-draughts

Ents make several varieties of draughts or broths that they use for nourishment. Each one has numerous recipes and different effects: i.e. there are hazelnut draughts, walnut draughts, and chestnut draughts; apple draughts, peach draughts, and plum draughts; etc.

The draughts are designed specifically for Entish needs, but can be used by other races for short periods with some strange side effects. The making of those wonderful beverages is an ancient, long, and complex art. The three listed below have names in Entish only and are not differentiated in other tongues. The names are quite long and include every ingredient and most of the preparation techniques; so to Men. they are merely Ent draughts. It should also be noted that most of these draughts are somewhat toxic to the dark races, ranging from nauseating to fatal. The draughts have within them indeed some of the "essence" some of the "dream and design" of the Ents, the earth, and Eru's intention. This is extremely disagreeable to the wicked physiologies of the Trolls, Orcs, demons, and Dragons, for whom it represents a direct antithesis to their misintended design.

Fruit draught is used by the Ents primarily as a thirst quencher after a hard day's (or hard week's) work, it is an exceptionally thin liquid concocted magically from fruit juices and fresh spring water. It satisfies Ents on a ten-to-one ratio; i.e. two quarts of fruit draught is equivalent to five gallons of pure water, Non-Ents are instantly refreshed, motivated and capable of another entire day's labor or travel. The initial sensation will be a tingling and a feeling that the drinker's han is standing on end. However, if used over an extended period of time, troublesome side-effects begin to appear. First, the imbiber experiences radically quickened growthh of his hair and nails, and abiarre craving for the somewhat toxic Goyan root found only in northern Fangorn forest. Further use radically increases the user's metabolism beyond any hope of satisfying it (although perhaps a constant diet of lembas or of cram might suffice). Eventually the individual will lose weight and finally starve. This process usually takes only one to three months under normal circumstances. The drainer's eyes begin to bulge after a couple of weeks or so of regular use, and this uncomfortable condition is incurable, even magically, and will depart only after a year of abstinence from the fruit draught.

The nut draught is a food staple among the Ents, and even a single bowl can sustain a very large Ent for quite awhile.lt is much thicker than the fruit draught, likewise requires magic in its concoction, and is full of the extract and pieces of nuts, roots, and bark. Its effect on non-Ents is dramatic and involves an increase in size, strength, and constitution. This was the draught which Merry and Pippin imbibed during their association with Treebeard. However, this draught will terribly punish non-Ents for greed. There is an unknown ingredient in the draught which is toxic to the affected races, and which builds up over the user's lifetime. This last point is important, the toxic substance does not decrease over a period of time by abstinence. The poison drives the user into a coma, out of which he may never recover unless puissant magic is performed to extract the residue of the draught from his system, and reverse all its accumulated effects.

The herb draught is a potent Entish healing mixture. It is extremely thick and has been described as looking like very lumpy molasses. The herb draught can be used in three different ways for three different purposes: 1) it will cure concussion hits on an Ent at a rate I Ox normal. 2) mixed with fruit draught, it acts as 10 day lifekeeping. 3) if made into a yet thicked paste with soil and bandaged on an open wound with moss, it will stop bleeding immediately, even from criticals, and leave no scar.

Non-Ents also may receive all these benefits, with the exception of the lifekeeping. Tt should also be noted that some folks who have been healed of a bleeding wound, later demonstrate some most unusual characteristics. When this rare phenomenon occurs, most often the treated individual simply becomes very hungry occasionally for recently fallen leaves. More rarely, the individual after satisfying his bizarre hunger develops nearly Entish strength, texture and coloring for several hours. The Istar Radagast has considered doing experiments on willing individuals to determine if it is possible to completely effect a transformation, that is, to evolve an Ent (or an Ent-wife!) in such a fashion. However, Radagast is loathe to either approach Gandalf, Tom Bombadil, or the Valar on the issue, or to do something so bizarre without their approval. It is likely that the phenomenon will go unnoted and untried since Radagast is the only one who has observed the few multiple occurrences during Middle-earth's history.

The secret of how to make these draughts is known to the Ents only, and they can be, made only in forests cared for by Ents where the ingredients are fresh. Nor do the Ents realize that their food causes side effects. Since most people never have more than a bowlm or two the side effects are not usually seen and noted. If an Ent makes friends with an outsider he will gladly share his food because he does not know it can be harmful. However, the Treeherd will not leach the outsider to make the draughts himself.