Item from Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas
A synthetic drug that temporarily supercharges Vanir power to lethal levels — the street-level symptom of a much darker experiment into what the Asteri want from their subjects.
Synth amplifies a Vanir's power exponentially for a short period before the crash — which is often fatal. It first appeared on Lunathion's streets as a recreational drug, but Danika's research revealed it was engineered, not accidental. The Asteri were testing methods of increasing firstlight output from their subjects. The drug ties into the series' central metaphor: the Asteri view the Vanir as a resource to be optimized, and synth is the R&D program for extracting more power from each individual. The street-level devastation — addicts burned out, neighborhoods terrorized — is just acceptable collateral damage in the Asteri's calculations.
A clear, slightly luminescent liquid administered by injection. It glows faintly blue — similar to firstlight but with an unstable, pulsing quality. The vials are small and unassuming, which is part of the horror: something this small shouldn't be able to do what it does.
Also known as: Synth, The Drug