Orpheus

Orpheus is a vampire drug, a mystical opiate which is taken in with the blood of those they feed from – the humans typically inject the drug into their bloodstreams before the feeding.

The enchanted drug can be easily tasted on the blood, and its effects on the vampire are very quick, especially if the dose is large. Of course, a dose that large will tend to knock out the human, leaving them in a comatose – and potentially fatal – state.

Smaller doses can be euphoric for both parties, but larger ones induce what can only be described as a vision quest, in which both parties travel through the history of the vampire in question, and choices made along the way determine whether either of them ever wakes up again. This experience of taking the drug has been described as being taken to Hell and left there.

Related Drugs: Black Frost, Calendula, Calynthia Powder and Gill Man DNA.

Calynthia Powder

Calynthia Powder is a bright purple colour. As a powder, it can be mixed into liquids and ingested, such as water or blood.

The drug is presumably magical in nature, and is used to affect the dreams of the person being fed it – usually without their knowledge. The drug makes the user more suggestible, especially when in a dream state, allowing anyone present while the user is dreaming to plant suggestions in their mind – while full control is not possible, it can be used to manipulate the person.

A person under the influence of Calynthia Powder will sleep more deeply, which makes the manipulation easier, as they will not wake when they otherwise would. Repeated doses will upset the sleep cycle of the user, making them sleep longer, dream less and awake less refreshed.

Related Drugs: Black Frost, Calendula, Gill Man DNA and Orpheus.

Calendula

Calendula is actually a real substance: it’s a herb derived from the plant of that name. The plant is a small yellow flower that grows across Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East, from the Azores to Iran.

It actually has medicinal effects – it has traditionally been used to treat constipation, abdominal cramps, acne, and in modern eras, radiation dermatitis and tumours. It is also used in cooking.

What lands it on this list is its supposed magical power: it is used by some members of the staff at Wolfram and Hart as a means of cheating psychic scans, by allowing users to hide their true thoughts and feelings.

Related Drugs: Black Frost, Calynthia Powder, Gill Man DNA and Orpheus.

July 12, 1996 — Jonathan Melvoin dies of a drug overdose

Jonathan Melvoin was the brother of Susannah and Wendy Melvoin, who were members of Prince’s New Power Generation. He had worked with Prince, and also as a member of the Dickies. At the time of his death, he was touring with the Smashing Pumpkins – Melvoin was a skilled keyboardist.

His death was caused by a heroin overdose, not his first. Melvoin was survived by a wife and child. The Smashing Pumpkins, who had already fired Melvoin for his drug use at the time of his death, were not invited to his funeral.