Ink and Incense (A to Z)

The dragons use many things for various reasons.

Ink is one of the things that the Imperial Bureaucracy consumes in great amounts, each of the departments has its own sources of ink which it jealously guards.  This acts as a secondary form of security for official documents, as the ink can be confirmed against official stocks.

Inks used for magical writings, spell books, scrolls, protective wards, and a thousand and one other magical uses are in constant demand and sources for them change as supplies are exhausted or cornered by one group or another.  Made from ground shells of magical snails, ink drawn from star squids, mined from deep wells, and so many other sources.  Certain magics requite specific types of magical ink which often must be quested for, ink made from ash of the black oaks of Talasok is favored for fire magics for example.

The us if incenses were central to the worship of the old gods, before the Sundering, and it is still used in ceremonies to honor the ancestor and the Sun.  Some dragons have become quite found of the various scents and textures of incense and a few are true connoisseurs of incense.  However, almost all dragons enjoy the scent of amber burned as incense, the idea of burning near gems for the scent amusing as well as pleasurably.

Various sorts of incense have mystical effects especially when combined by expert blenders, there is even a brach of alchemy devoted to such.

Notes: Just some ideas for unusual treasures and quests.

Photo Incense, Creator Andrea Kirkby, License CC by-nc 2.0