There was a ssage for you this morning.
The voice snapped Edwin out of his morning stupor slightly as he stared at the innkeeper. Hed just descended from his room, Sorry, wha? he blinked.
A runner from the Guild dropped this off for you. It is for you, right?
He swept a wing across the counter, depositing a small black pebble on the wood. Edwin blinked at it uncomprehendingly, Ummm. I may still be waking up, but thats a rock?
Edwin was still awful at reading Avior expressions, but it was clear even to him that the innkeeper was looking at Edwin like he was an idiot. Which wasnt really a surprise, but it didnt help him much here.
So problem?
Well its a rock.
You have an issue with rocks? Where did you co from?
A very long way away, apparently. Edwin responded, I still dont see how the rock plays into this.
Have you never seen a ssage stone before? What did they use back for you?
Ink and paper, usually. So, what am I missing here?
The stone. Identify it. He was really done with Edwin, wasnt he? Sigh.
Edwin shrugged and triggered Identify on the pebble.
Itsa rock!
A very rocky rock. Rocking all over. It rocks. Not a very big rock, though. It might be stoned. Maybe it will roll?
Okay, that didnt work. Material?
I think this is Granite?
Alchemical Analysis?
50 - 90% Quartz
50 - 90% Elental Oxygen
He should update his Quartz tag to be silica, shouldnt he? It would also be nice if he was able to get actually pure substances so he could Almanac them properly and definitely Eh, project for another day.
He shook his head, Not getting it. Not sure what youre trying to get to do?
Didnt you Identify it?
I did. No ssages, though.
You dont even have Common Knowledge?
Look, I co from so far away, you wouldnt even believe it. I dont suppose you could read it for ? he sheepishly asked.
Fine, the innkeeper squacked, But youll pay.
How much? Ill pay double for my breakfast.
Hmm. Thatll be ten ves, then, and you need to wait until Ive got everyone else taken care of.
Fine, Edwin acquiesced, mostly just not wanting to make any kind of scene- being seriously overcharged was fine when the paynt was on the order of ves- and slid the copper coins to the avior, who swept them up off the counter with the sa Skill.
Thank you for your patronage.
Food and ssage, please? Edwin tapped his foot on the floor as he took a seat.
Certainly, certainly, the innkeeper stepped into the next room over and returned a mont later with a small loaf of bread on a wooden platter. Edwin took it and tore off a chunk, chewing on the food while waiting for his answer.
To the Alchemist Errant, co to the Cope Hall at noon for an assessnt of your capabilities.
Thats it? Edwin was incredulous, Theres really nothing else?
Youre welco to look at it yourself. Or perhaps not?
Edwin glared at the bird, snatched his pebble and loaf off the counter and returned to his room.
Noon ca around quickly enough, and brought with it Edwin at Cope Hall, a location hed had to ask for directions in finding, and turned out to be a smaller building with doors surrounded by intricate carvings depicting so kind of story. Edwin was sure that it would be aningful to sobody, but he couldnt make heads or tails out of the scenes depicted. Sothing about people and avior, along with children. Trees were involved sohow ah! It was the history of Panastalis, wasnt it? Hmm. So, that would probably be representative of alchemy sohow? What were they doing?
His slow piecing together of the decorations was cut short as Edwin realized he might run late if he spent too much longer on the task, and cautiously crept inside. The interior wasnt particularly well-lit, with the only sources of illumination being torches burning in an eerie green color, casting a pallor upon every surface and making it all look sickly. The walls were lined with skulls and bones, darkly bubbling vials and bottles that were either faintly glowing or just catching the light in an odd way.
It was, in short, an extrely theatrical recreation of what a potions lab might be, sans a- oh wait, no. There was the cauldron, though it wasnt bubbling and the presud firepit it sat over remained unlit and stocked with white rods that Edwin couldnt Identify. There wasnt anyone that Edwin could see in the room, though.
Hello? he cautioned, looking around for whoever was supposed to be examining him, I was told to co here?
There was no response, so Edwin took a seat on a nearby stool and waited.
After five minutes, Edwin was starting to get a bit impatient. Was he supposed to do sothing? He was pretty sure this was Cope Hall, and it was noon. Was his examiner running late, or was seeing what he was able to co up with entirely on his own part of the test?
Hm. Well, he didnt know enough about any of the miscellaneous things in the room to do anything with them, so what did he have on him? He patted down his pockets, looking in his satchel. Hm. He mildly regretted offloading pretty much all of his ingredients into his cart, but it wasnt like he could do precision mixing on the fly when fighting. Besides, they were likely safer when secured under several layers of Apparatus and hidden on the underside of his shelf than they would be on his person.
So of what he did have was more appropriate for use in further experintation, though. Concentrated firevine and sinbalyne oil, a few dried talsanenris berries, a flask of distilled water, and not much else. Well, he could always make a healing potion. Maybe sothing to counteract hypothermia?
It was easy enough to make his tools- Sappers Apparatus ant he was never without a mixing bowl or stirring rod- and he settled in, geared up, and got started.
The primary component was water, naturally. The substances he dealt with were all far too potent to be used undiluted. It was also the one ingredient he could be generous with- he could concentrate the potion later by boiling so off if need be, and it was the one ingredient he had a functionally unlimited supply of. His heatstone had been set on permanent duty in his carriage as a source of heat for his distillery, and by consistently filling the water feed tank, he had nearly a barrel of distilled water ready for use at all tis. He also had set up a charcoal filter to try and purify fresh water and well, he was getting distracted.
He took a small asure of the water and, with a flex of Basic Thermokinesis accompanied with Infused Firestarting- his new Skill wasnt strong enough to boil water yet, though he liked to exercise it- he boiled two of his talsanenris berries in it until they were completely rehydrated. Then he kept going until they had turned to mush, and filtered out most of the skin and pulp- instead of discarding it, he slipped it in a vial. It tasted good when he cooked, after all. Loads of nutrients.
Level up!
Basic Thermokinesis 16 17
Edwin mixed his talsanenris juice into the greater bowl, and guided by his Alchemy, asured out a few drops of his sinbalyne. If he had molai, this would possibly work as a preventative asure, as the buffering plant would help spread out the effects of the talsanenris. Using sinbalyne would instead encourage the potion to spread quickly into and through the bloodstream and combine with the talsanenris to deliver a jolt of tabolic energy to the entire body, rather than being digested normally. When hed made potions before with it, it had resulted in Edwin jumping straight into the air as his body demanded he move. This one was much more diluted, so it shouldnt be as dramatic, but he knew the theory was sound.
Once the potion was homogenous, Edwin took an Apparatus toothpick and allowed it to take a tiny drop- barely more than a bit of film clinging to it- of firevine oil. Too much, and it would probably be fatal, giving whoever ingested it instant heatstroke if not worse. The trick was using as little as possible, and even still Edwin would need to find a lab rat to try his potion on before drinking it himself.
A few more minutes of stirring, and Edwin was surprised by a pleasant pair of notifications.
Level up!
Alchemy 83 84
Arcadian Elixir 16 17
He must have been close to that Alchemy level if his little experint had pushed him over the edge, and it probably also signified the completion of his potion. Very nice. He nodded in contentnt and started bottling up the elixir, only to be stopped by a new, commanding voice.
That will do for now. No need to bottle it, I can look at it now.
Startled, Edwin looked around, only to spot a man with carefully combed hair and an enormous moustache to match standing off to the side. He strode over to the table Edwin was using for his experint, and grabbed a spare beaker Edwin had set out, scooping up a asure of his elixir and holding it up to the light.
Hmmm. Experintal flash-fever potion, dium quality. Interesting. Care to explain why you decided to make this?
Fever potion? How did- oh wait. Alchemists Insight, isnt it? It lets him Identify potions, I guess?
It wasnt entirely my intention, mister Edwin had made the mistake of improper address once lately, he wasnt keen to repeat the incident any ti soon.
Cope. Shorob Cope. The man continued to examine Edwins creation, not looking at Edwin.
Mister Cope. I was hoping to make an anti-hypothermia potion, but I suppose if the result was a flash fever potion, I do need to add in a bit of molai to help lessen the severity. I thought I might be able to get away without it, but it seems like that isnt so.
Oh, I dont know about that! This might serve to shock a patient back into health, particularly if their blood is a bit low!
Blood? What does any of that have to do with blood?
Um, I guess? I wouldnt really know about that. I was hoping to join the Guild, and I was told to co here? Then, I got a bit bored and thought it might be so kind of test, so I just tossed together a new potion with what I had on . I wanted to try and make sothing new, you see.
New? You hadnt made this before?
Well, no. Like I said, I was trying to make a-
Yes, yes. Well, well done! Its nearly as good as I might have managed at your age. And this, Cope tapped the apparatite container, And this apparatite substance? You made this, it seems?
Uh, yeah. I got a Trophy Path, and this was the result. Its super versatile.
Indeed. Mostly alchemically neutral, too. Very useful.
So, the Prodigious Pioneer-Alchemist made so kind of grabbing motion at the bowl of fever-inducing elixir, and the liquid vanished, reappearing as a faintly lavender sphere in Copes hand, who slipped it into a hidden pocket in his fancy clothing, Why should I sponsor you?
Well, Edwin was marginally prepared for this, I have extensive alchemical training and quite a bit of experience mixing my own potions. I believe that I would be able to fit in nicely within the Guild and contribute as needed to any projects, or undertake research of my own, even without the schooling the Guild mandates. My Alchemy is in the eighties, along with several supporting Skills, though those are admittedly much lower as theyre freshly evolved.
Hm. I see. Cocky, are we?
Edwin shrugged, I know what Im capable of.
Ha! he laughed, Youre lucky I like a bit of attitude! Alchemy in the eighties he stroked his moustache, Let see so of what youve made in the past. If its good enough, youre in.
Edwin ntally shrugged and withdrew a few of his potions, the hexagonal vials they were in allowing his fingers to find them without even looking, So of my more standard healing potions.
Hm. Not much of a healing potion. Elixir of boosted recovery, dium quality. No Health-optimizations?
Errr no? I dont know how to do that sort of thing.
Howd you make these? He asked, looking over the vial, and Edwin hoped he wouldnt pocket those as well.
Talsanenris and molai mainly, a bit of sinbalyne to reduce pain and hasten delivery. Its my most general potion, ant to be imbibed as a bit of a quick stabilizer.
I see. Well, its not the best Ive seen or even done, but did you co up with the formula yourself?
Edwin nodded, I did, yes.
Hm. That explains the pitiful ingredients. Brewing instructions?
Oh, you- Uhhh actually, I think Ill hold onto that one until after I get in to the Guild.
Smart man, the alchemist winked at him, Not that you need to worry about . Now, Othniel
Who? Edwin asked.
Oh, hes another alchemist in the Guild. Keeping him around is a disgrace, the man barely contributes anything! No, he just has his apprentices repeat the sa thing ti and ti again, yet he keeps pushing out of my rightful positions! Funding is diverted, hell destroy curious samples ant for , steal my notes and present them as his own and worse! Hes the quiet sort that you need to keep an especially keen eye upon. Hed rob your own mind blind and sell you what he took!
That doesnt sound great. Why dont they deal with him?
Beats ! The man wouldnt be able to figure out white gold if he had the Gaiash tell him everything.
So am I in, or not?
Well, I wont be able to get you full mbership of the Guild yet, but I can pull you in on my team! Ill get you set up with so lodging, you can work with , and we can show the Master how deserving we are, eh?
Um, sure I guess. Will I have so books?
Of course youll have books, my friend! So, what do you say?
Edwin nodded, I an, I guess? I dont suppose I could get so more details about what this would entail, could I?
Oh, Ill have one of the paper-pushers write up sothing for it. Itll go great, my friend! Just you wait and see!
Edwin smiled awkwardly as the large man clasped him in a side hug, trying to squeeze out from the grasp.
It was only hours later when Edwin was back in his room that he realized Cope had kept his healing potion after alll.
Dang it.
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