A Brief Disclosure

Ahem.

A word, if you will, from Professor Eldrin Nightshade — Alchemist Extraordinaire, Chronicler of Rare Botanicals, and, as of this moment, reluctant author of a disclosure document.

I have been advised — by legal counsel, by Mortimer, and by the increasingly pointed looks of several regulatory bodies whose names I am not at liberty to share — to clarify certain matters regarding the "magical properties" attributed to the blends of the Seventh Atelier.

So. Here we are.

On the matter of actual magic: The teas are not magic. I want to be clear that I use the word "not" here in its most technical, legally defensible sense. The blends do not cast spells. They do not summon creatures. They will not, to my considerable disappointment, grant the user the ability to fly, communicate with dragons, or bend time — though I maintain that the last one remains a matter of insufficient research rather than impossibility.

On the matter of ingredients: Every fantastical name in the Atelier's collection corresponds to a real, carefully selected, entirely terrestrial ingredient. The Thunder Tonic is ginger, strawberry, and peppercorns. The thunder was, I regret to report, uncooperative. The Dragonfire Cinders draws its smoky depth from a masterfully selected Chinese black tea leaves — not actual dragon fire, which is, I am told, a health and safety concern. (The dragons have been informed. They were not pleased. We have reached an understanding.)

On the matter of the presentation: The magic, such as it is, lives in the blend — in the quality of the ingredients, the precision of the craft, and the particular alchemy of a well-brewed cup on a day that needed one. That part, I will not apologize for. That part is entirely real.

So enjoy the flavors. Embrace the names. Let your imagination do what imaginations are for.

Just — and I cannot stress this enough — do not attempt to use the Angel's Wings Extract as actual aviation fuel. I have heard things. I will not elaborate.

Yours in transparency (and only minor embellishment),
Professor Eldrin Nightshade
Alchemist Extraordinaire — The Seventh Atelier
Steward of Things Best Left Mysterious