Grease of the Serpent: How the Waterdeep Trading Company Perfected Faerûn’s Most Resilient Alchemical Lubricant
In the heart of Waterdeep’s Dock Ward, beneath the scent of brine and forge smoke, the Waterdeep Trading Company maintains its Alchemical Quarter—a labyrinth of retorts, cauldrons, and spell-bound distillation coils. Among the many products refined there, one holds legendary status across guilds, workshops, and airship docks alike: Grease of the Serpent.
This emerald-hued substance, smooth as silk and alive with subtle motion, resists rust, corrosion, and even arcane interference. It is the master lubricant of the Realms, equally at home in a dwarven forge, an elven automaton, or a gnomish skycraft engine. What follows is the official Guild-Certified Formulation Record, compiled and licensed under the authority of the Baldur’s Gate Blacksmiths Guild and the Alchemist’s Consortium of Faerûn.
What It Is
Grease of the Serpent is a complex alchemical lubricant designed for high-resilience applications, merging natural regenerative compounds with refined arcane stabilizers. Its self-healing, conductive, and hydrophobic properties make it a universal solution for the lubrication and preservation of metallic, mechanical, and magitech assemblies.
It bears the Serpent Coil of 1489 DR Quality Seal, denoting a 93 percent purity rating as certified by the Guild Alchemist Inspectorate in the Dock Ward of Waterdeep.
Product Specification
Batch Reference: WDTC-GRS-SERP-1489DR
Quality Seal: Serpent Coil of 1489 DR — 93% purity rating
Product Description & Usage Notes
Appearance: Emerald sheen with silver undertones and a faint scent of rain on stone and mint.
Primary Applications:
- Corrosion prevention for armors and metallic fittings.
- Lubrication for constructs, siege engines, and airship assemblies.
- Enhancement of conductivity in rune-etched or magitech bearings.
- Temporary stabilization of damaged runic circuits.
Handling & Storage:
Store in sealed adamantine-lined jars away from heat above 25°C. Keep closed when not in use to prevent gradual transmutation of lining.
Warnings:
For external mechanical use only. Not for ingestion or use in potions. Do not use near serpentine creatures. Dispose of residues through the Emerald Enclave per Guild Alchemist protocols.
Formulation: Grease of the Serpent
Classification: Alchemical Lubricant
Commodity Code: ALCM
Batch Reference: WDTC-GRS-SERP-1489DR
Primary Use: Self-healing corrosion-resistant lubricant
Preparation Procedure (Guild Standard):
- Base Fusion: Combine Viper Oil Essence and Neutralized Troll Fat at 36°C until the mixture ripples like scales.
- Conductive Integration: Introduce Quicksilver Distillate while invoking the Seal of the Serpent Coil.
- Arcane Infusion: Add powdered emerald and phoenix ash; continue clockwise stirring.
- Stabilization: Add nightshade resin and two drops of aquafortis per jar.
- Curing: Rest for three days in sealed adamantine jars under shadow.
Finished Properties:
- Color: Emerald green with silver undertone
- Consistency: Self-leveling viscous gel
- Boiling Point: 278°C
- Arcane Conductivity: Moderate
- Shelf Life: 5 years sealed
Component Formulations
Viper Oil Essence
Classification: Alchemical Base Oil
Commodity Code: ALCM-OIL-VIP
Batch Reference: WDTC-VOE-1489DR
Process: Extract viper oil under silver flame, dilute with palm resin, stabilize with moondew distillate, and cure in darkness for seven nights.
Properties: Iridescent green-gold hue, sharp herbal scent, mildly conductive.
Refined Troll Fat (Neutralized)
Classification: Alchemical Binding Agent
Commodity Code: ALCM-BND-TRL
Batch Reference: WDTC-RTF-1489DR
Process: Render, neutralize, and purify under the Seal of Still Flesh, finishing with Ironleaf powder.
Properties: Opalescent white, waxy texture, inert, 10-year sealed shelf life.
Jungle Viper Extract
Classification: Reagent Base – Organic Oil/Venom Hybrid
Commodity Code: ALCM-RGN-VPR
Batch Reference: WDTC-VPR-EXT-1489DR
Extraction follows Guild Article VII: Venomous Components and Live Sources, requiring a Level III Venomcrafting Permit.
Yield: 20–30 ml per mature viper
Color: Luminous green-gold
Shelf Life: 1 year raw, 3 years refined
Alchemical Procurement Ledger
Behind every perfected jar of Grease of the Serpent lies an intricate web of supply routes, guild contracts, and bonded couriers stretching from Chult to Calimport. The Waterdeep Trading Company maintains a centralized procurement ledger for every reagent, ensuring compliance with the Alchemist’s Consortium and the Waterdeep Mercantile League.
This record defines not only where each component originates but also its cost, lead time, and the logistical challenges involved in keeping the alchemical vats of Waterdeep turning.
Average Total Lead Time (Full Batch): ~26 days
Estimated Procurement Cost (Per Production Batch): ~640 FSD ≈ 51 FGP
Notes:
All vendors registered under the Waterdeep Mercantile League and certified by the Alchemist’s Consortium of Faerûn.
Magical reagents (Phoenix Ash, Emerald Shard, Jungle Viper Extract) require bonded courier handling with Arcane Cargo Permit Type B.
Domestic suppliers within Waterdeep maintain consistent delivery within one tenday.
Seasonal variations may extend lead times by up to 40 percent during Rashemen’s Frostfall or Chult’s monsoon months.
Average packed crate weight for one production batch: 4 stone (56 pounds).
Quality and Certification
All batches are inspected by the Guild Alchemist Inspectorate (Dock Ward, Waterdeep) and the Baldur’s Gate Blacksmiths Guild. Chain-of-custody is maintained by Maelor the Quill, Chief Archivist of WDTC. Waste residues are surrendered to the Emerald Enclave for ritual disposal.
Ledger Reference:
- Batch: WDTC-GRS-SERP-1489DR
- Safety Class: ALCM-VPR
- Permit: Level III (Venomcrafting)
- Storage: WDTC-DockWard-ALC-Vault A (adamantine-lined)
Final Thoughts
The making of Grease of the Serpent is not mere craft, but a covenant. Each jar embodies the combined skill of Chultan venom-harvesters, northern troll-renderers, Calishite ash refiners, and Waterdhavian alchemists. In every sense, it is the living symbol of cooperation across Faerûn’s trade networks—a product born of danger, precision, and balance.
Through this formula, the Waterdeep Trading Company sustains its reputation not only as a merchant house but as the guardian of the Realms’ alchemical excellence.
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