Drugs

Drugs in the Colonial Sphere are varied and widespread. While many have cropped up over the years, some are more available to others due to ease of production or other local factors. Most are banned in ICSA space, although they are still readily available on the black market. Discussing all of them would be far too lengthy, so here is a sampling of the more common ones.

De-Tox
De-Tox is primarily used by soldiers and medical workers to reverse the effects of poisonous gases, toxins or other drugs affecting the system. The drug acts like a sponge, soaking up all of the harmful intoxicants and neutralizing them in the system of the imbiber, provided it is administered quickly enough. Despite its effects, using the drug is both painful and debilitating, causing such side effects as vomiting and nose bleeds.

Onslaught
Onslaught is a generic name for combat drugs taken by some shadier mercenary groups. The drugs ramp up aggression in the imbiber, driving them to acts of brutality and violence unseen in sober thought. The drug can vary in intensity, and milder versions can be found commercially available in some military forces. The harder drugs, however, are found only on the black market.

Obscura
Also known simply as Ob, Obscura is banned by the ICSA. Despite this prohibition, smugglers often make good money living off shipments of the drug. Users of Obscura enter a dream-like state for several hours, hallucinating and losing muscle control. Upon leaving this trance, however, users enter a deep depression unless another dose is administered.

Focusyn
Focusyn is used to heighten awareness and improve reaction time. The drug speeds up users perception of their surroundings, allowing them to move slightly faster than opponents. This increased dexterity comes at a price, however, as the drug wears users down in a matter of minutes. Users often encounter muscle fatigue and have difficulty thinking clearly after using the drug. Despite this, it has become common as a performance enhancing drug for some athletes, prompting a crackdown and prohibition by several sporting authorities.

Stimms
Stimms work by helping to numb pain and drive people beyond what their bodies should allow. Essentially fortified adrenaline, Stimms are used by military groups as well as some medical agencies to help severely injured patients to recover from grievous wounds.

Tranq
Tranq is a relatively new drug, and combines alcoholic beverages with powerful opiates. The drug is mostly homebrewed, and so recipes can vary wildly, but the end results are usually the same. Producing a deep, depressive high where the user is in an hallucinogenic trance, Tranq is found most commonly in the deep criminal underbelly and can be considered an acquired taste.