Lore:Moon Sugar

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Moon Sugar is an illegal and addictive drug found in sugar canes native to the Tenmar Forest of southern Elsweyr. Khajiit believe it to be a gift from the gods. The sugar is used in a variety of applications, most prominently as a seasoning, a magical ingredient, a recreational drug, and for communion with the holy moons. It is commonly refined into a more usable and more potent form known as Skooma. It should be noted that non-Khajiit are generally more susceptible to the effects of Moon Sugar and should avoid it.

Trade

Moon Sugar is quite valuable and often smuggled throughout the Empire, but few shopkeepers are willing to buy it. Due to its illegal status, many shopkeepers in Morrowind will not do business with you if you are carrying Skooma or unrefined Moon Sugar. Khajiit merchants, however, have a particular fondness for Skooma and are often willing to purchase Moon Sugar, presumably to refine it themselves or trade it for Skooma. Criminals have attempted to grow Moon Sugar grasses in Vvardenfell, without success.

In Cyrodiil, Skooma abuse is not as widespread as in some of the other provinces, so few merchants will outright refuse to trade Skooma or unrefined Moon Sugar. However, both drugs are still frowned upon and much of the product exists via an underground market.

Use

Moon Sugar is most commonly refined into crystalline or liquid Skooma before use, but can be ingested orally when unrefined, or used in alchemical experiments.

In Khajiit Culture

For the Khajiit, Moon Sugar carries an important religious meaning. Some beliefs hold that the sugar is crystallized moonlight caught in the water of the Topal Sea and brought to the sugarcane groves of the Tenmar by the force of the twin tides. By partaking of the sugar, Khajiit believe they are consuming portions of their gods' souls, which drive them into fits of ecstasy and abandon. Catmen shivering in the streets can be seen in most major cities in Elsweyr. The more dangerous derivative of the sugar, Skooma, is often smoked in its raw crystalline form by severely dependent users, who are said to experience constant states of euphoria and lethargy. Despite pressures from the Empire to curb the Moon Sugar trade, the drug remains an important part of any Khajiit's life and Elsweyr's primary export.