__top__: Mithraditism

“I want you to teach your blood not to fear what would kill another.”

So he began. The first week brought chills and cramps. The second week, only a mild headache. By the end of the first moon, he felt nothing at all. Each month, the healer increased the dose—always just shy of deadly. mithraditism

The healer brought out a tiny glass vial. Inside was a single drop of scorpion venom, diluted in goat’s milk. “Drink this each morning,” she said. “At first, you will feel ill. But over many moons, your body will learn to turn the venom into nothing more than a bitter spice.” “I want you to teach your blood not

Kael hesitated. “You want me to poison myself?” By the end of the first moon, he felt nothing at all

The rival fell to his knees. “How?”

Years passed. Kael grew strong and feared no cup of wine, no offered bread. One night, a rival lord finally slipped a lethal dose of scorpion venom into Kael’s goblet. Kael drank it dry, smiled, and asked for more.

Here’s a helpful, illustrative story to explain —the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually ingesting non-lethal amounts, building up tolerance. The Scorpion King’s Lesson Long ago, in a sun-scorched kingdom, there lived a young ruler named Kael. His throne sat between two dangers: a desert teeming with venomous scorpions, and rival lords who often tried to poison him at feasts.