They are used to change a pawns inclinations. Inclinations are like standard operating procedures for a pawn. A pawn with the Pioneer inclination tends to go exploring, one with the guardian inclinations will be stuck to your Arisen like glue (sometimes doing nothing in a fight until something hits your Arisen). Some inclinations simply do not work well when paired as the primary/secondary inclinations a pawn has. For example using the Scather/Guardian inclination combo is a very bad idea.

All pawns have all inclinations and they have equal values (maybe each are at 50 when you started answering the questions while creating your pawn). Put an elixer in your inventory and then use it (drink it). Here's how an elixer works: Let's say your pawn has the Scather/Guardian combo for it's primary and secondary inclinations. You buy and swallow a pioneer elixer and your pawns inclinations now show Scather/Pioneer. If you drink 2 or more then the pawns inclinations may read Pioneer/Scather. A pawns inclinations can change over time since it tends to mimic what you do. For example if you repeatedly stop to pick up loot while the battle is still going on, your pawn may begin to stop fighting to pick up loot. This is the Aquisitor inclination.

I normally purchase several of at least 3 types of elixer. I drink them in reverse order of how my pawns inclinations will show up. Drinking 3 Medicant elixers followed by 5 Challenger elixers, followed by 7 Scather elixers changes my pawns inclinations to be Scather/Challenger/Medicant for a good long while no matter what i do.

Hope this helps.

thanks man, that makes a lot of sense,that answer was very informative right off to buy some elixsers