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Post by Cherith Palsind on Jun 19, 2023 13:19:56 GMT -5
A tall old man with a large white beard opens the door to a potion store in the Pale City called the Frozen Bottle in hopes of talking to the owner. He had heard that the shop owner was looking for "guinea pigs" to test some new potions created to help people. When he heard that they were aimed at helping people, he knew he was the right person for the job.
He looked around to see if anyone else was there for the tests. He sees a young dwarven man sitting behind the counter, finishing up an order of potions. He walks over to the front of the shop and places the brews on the counter. The dwarf looks up at the old man with a welcoming smile. "Oh, you must be Cherith; you are here to test my new potions, yes?" Cherith looks at the young dwarf and gives a nod. "I'm here to help in any way I can," he says, leaning both hands on the counter.
The owner looks around and sees nobody else is here for the tests. "It looks like you are the first one here. If you could wait for one more person, then we can get started," he says heading into the back area once more. Cherith gives a thumbs up before leaning next to the door and pulling out a draw string bag of cookies.
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Post by Kou Miyami on Jun 20, 2023 7:07:03 GMT -5
Every day was a new journey for the retired restaurant owner-turned-adventurer, but never before had she been on one so cold!
It was her first visit to Frostgale, and after never having left her home until quite recently, Kou Miyami was a bit out of her depths in the frozen north. She bundled up in all the robes she had and made sure to keep a canister of warm tea on hand, but she still felt like a block of ice when she made her way into the Pale City. Her joints creaked and aches from the frost. Despite the cold, though, her spirits were warm, and she wore a bright smile on her face, visible beneath her feather-topped gardening hat. In one hand, she held tight to the blossom-covered cane supporting her, and in the other, a flier that advertised someone looking for Guinea pigs for potion testing. She wasn’t sure what Guinea pigs were - she was still learning common, after all! But if there was one thing Kou knew, it was someone who needed help!
The elderly fellblood was always in search of adventure, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for a daring mission! Testing potions with unknown effects, braving alchemical mishaps to help a potion master with his craft! This was a perfect adventure for her. And with that thought in mind, Kou made her way to the inconspicuous little shop known as the Frozen Bottle.
A little bell jingled when she pushed open the door, announcing her arrival. Aside from the dwarven owner behind the counter, there was only one other customer inside. Kou’s eyes widened from behind round-rimmed spectacles, a smile growing on her face.
“Oh, my, are you here to test potions too?” She hobbled over to the tall gentleman and held her weathered hand out for him to shake. “I am Kou Miyami, pleasure to meet you!” Her voice was heavily accented, betraying her Crescent Islander origin.
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Jun 23, 2023 1:16:26 GMT -5
Cherith continues to munch on his cookies until he hears the bell on the potion shop's door. He looks towards the entrance to see the small Fellblood woman enter the shop. He hasn't seen her around town before; maybe she is an adventurer or a merchant. He wipes the cookie crumbs from his beard and mustache to at least look presentable.
"Yes, I am. I just couldn't resist helping someone in need of help," the cheery old man says to Kou. Cherith reaches down to shake Kou's hand and greet her. "Very nice to meet you, Kou, the name is Cherith," he says with a kind smile on his face. The handshake is very strange as Cherith's hand is much larger than hers, so it is more like shaking a child's hand. He notices the robes that are obviously from Moonglade, which tips Cherith off that she is definitely from out of town. "Let me be the first to say welcome to the Pale City, I hope you like it around here," he says with both hand on his hips.
The shop owner looks up from his work to check the front desk. His face lights up with excitement as he notices that the other person who had signed up has arrived. The dwarf walks over to the two individuals standing in his shop. "You must be Kou; it is a pleasure to meet you," he says with a bow. "If you could follow me into the back, we can get started."
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Post by Kou Miyami on Jun 27, 2023 7:05:05 GMT -5
Kou brightened as the taller, elderly man described that he was here because he liked to help people on need. “Why, that’s what I’m here to do, as well! I’m an adventurer, you see.” Perhaps Kou was what one might describe as an… unconventional hero, if they could call her one at all. But she believed that there was no matter too small to help someone with, and no situation too dire! And a shopkeeper needing help with his wares was something that Kou was familiar with. She had been a restaurant owner for years; she knew how difficult it was to manage stock on your own.
She had to get on her toes to shake Cherith’s hand, unsurprised that he had a rather firm grip. “Thank you! I’m very happy to visit your fine land. This is the first time I’ve ever been so far north in my life, and everyone has been so…”
She had to pause and pull out the tiny booklet from her robes, which Cherith would see read “Islander to Common Dictionary”.
“Hospitable!” She cried happily when she found the right word.
It was at that moment the owner returned and beckoned the two elderly testers to the back of the shop. He flipped the sign to closed before following them. Kou shuffled through the store’s back rooms, passing foreign bottles of herbs and unfamiliar plants. It took a lot of work to make magic happen in a bottle. Not so different from cooking, if you thought about it!
Kou could barely contain her excitement to help another as she turned to ask, “Now what kind of potions will we be helping you with today, young man?”
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Jul 5, 2023 1:45:58 GMT -5
The old man follows the two smaller people, almost hitting his head on a doorframe. As he looks at his surroundings while walking through the shop, Cherith sees potions and ingredients of different origins and uses line the shop shelves. Cherith lets out a whistle of astonishment at the enormous size of the collection.
The group enters a room full of books covering magic and chemistry, along with lots of alchemy equipment. It appears to be the owner's study, where he researches new potion recipes. "Please, take a seat," he says, gesturing to two chairs in the middle of the room. "I am so sorry I am being so rude. My name is Therrik Brünhag, and I own this wonderful establishment." He reaches into a nearby drawer and pulls out two identical pieces of paper. "Now before we begin the test I just need you to sign this form stating that you understand the risks of ingesting untested potions," he says holding out a quill.
Cherith pauses before writing down on the paper after Therrik's statement. "Wait these potions can be dangerous?" he asks a look of worry on his face. "I thought all of these potions were going to be safe." "You have to understand that I am only doing for the betterment of others, and if no one tests if these potions work or are safe, who will?" Therrik says with a smile. I guess it is true that there are risks in the business of helping people. Cherith reluctantly writes his signature on the bottom of the parchment and hands the quill to Kou.
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Post by Kou Miyami on Jul 9, 2023 21:15:46 GMT -5
The sheer amount of plants and potion parts on the walls in the back rooms of the potion shop certainly merited an impressive collection! Some were plants that she recognized… most were unfamiliar to the elderly woman, whose alchemical knowledge was limited to the realm of cooking. She understood the process of combining ingredients and making something new, but chemistry was something entirely new to her. Well… one was never too old to learn! And she was watching everything with rapt attention, excited to learn whatever she could!
And considering she was here to test the safety of new potions, Kou figured that there was no better way to learn than hands-on experience!
The dwarf brought them into his office, and gestured towards some chairs for them to sit. Kou gratefully accepted the rest, especially with the havoc that the cold had wreaked on her joints. She propped her cane in her lap, her legs dangling in the air.
“It is an honor to meet you, Therrik Sensei.” Kou bowed her head in greeting as the young man introduced himself. He pushed a piece of paper to them, explaining that this was a necessary part of this testing that they were going to be doing. Cherith, who seemed a little more skeptical than her, raised an objection to having to sign a contract for something that was supposed to be safe.
“Well… there’s always going to be risk to helping people, right?” Kou reasoned. “I’d much rather be the one to take that risk than someone else.” She took the quill from Cherith, signing her name in neat strokes, first in her mother tongue, then in the common language. When she was finished, she turned to Cherith with a reassuring smile.
“I’m sure it will all be fine. It’s a hero’s duty to protect others, but Therrik Sensei seems like a smart young man. Would you like some tea to calm your nerves? I’ve got an herbal blend here for calming the nerves and warming the soul.” She pulled out the cannister, offering it to both Cherith and Therrik. As she poured the brew for the elderly gentleman, she turned to Therrik Sensei. “What kind of potions will you have us testing?”
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Jul 24, 2023 2:18:17 GMT -5
Cherith gives a nod to Kou. She's right, Therrik seems like an intelligent and wise young man, he probably knows what he is doing. He takes a deep breath to calm himself. "Your right let's get this done and over with."
"Why yes I would like some tea, thank you," Cherith says grabbing the cup from the old woman. Therrik grabs a cup out of curtesy. They take a sip of the tea and lean back in their chairs. Hot air fill their lungs and nose, causing a brief calming euphoria. "Mmmmm. This is extremely delicious, you must teach me how this is made," Cherith says
Before answering Kou's question, Therrik gets up out of his chair and walks over to a cabinet labeled "Experimental, Do Not Touch." He grabs two pairs of potions then places them on the table in front of the two elders. He places his hands over two potions. "These two potions have the intended effect of allowing the drinker to hold their breath for longer by temporarily increasing their lung capacity." He places his hands over the other two potions. "But these will allow the drinker to momentarily see in the dark."
He places a breath potion in front of each person. "Try this one first I want to make sure it works better than I hope, and make sure you drink the whole bottle for the intended effect," gesturing to the potions up front.
Cherith bravely grabs the first potion. "I will take the first drink to make sure it is safe, like a true hero would." He chugs the potion in only two seconds then places the empty bottle on the table. "Hm, tastes like peppermint," he remarks. Suddenly he has a strange feeling in his stomach that rises into his lungs. Cherith's cheeks puff up with air at the seems, having to cover his mouth with his hands just to keep his mouth closed. Unfortunately the pressure was to much, and Cherith is forced to let go. A belch of biblical proportions unleashes from his mouth. Paper flies everywhere and some potions fall off the shelves and shatter. Cherith falls as his chair tips backwards from the force.
When the belching stops, Cherith starts to relax on the floor. He lets out a boisterous chuckle while rolling over to get up. "I haven't felt that much excitement since I wrestled that bear," he proclaims still laughing.
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Post by Kou Miyami on Jul 24, 2023 17:45:45 GMT -5
“I’d be happy to share my recipes!” Kou glowed with pride, quite happy to have shared something delicious with others. Unlike other chefs, she had no qualms about giving her recipes to others and learning in turn. Cooking was about connecting with people, and bridging gaps between cultures and lifetimes and eras. “Perhaps after potion testing, I’ll have the opportunity to show you!” Even after Therrick finished off his tea, a cup that Kou knew he’d only accepted out of courtesy, she felt decidedly happy that she’d managed to make a couple of new friends!
Then he pulled out the potions that they were to be testing - an elixir of water breathing, and one with dark sight. How fancy! Kou’s eyes widened in delight behind round rimmed spectacles, reaching out to grab the proffered elixir of water breathing. Cherith, ever the gentleman, it seemed, offered to drink first. Kou watched in interest as he described what he was feeling, before letting out a burp that clearly did not seem to be the intended effect. Nevertheless, Kou clapped her hands together in delight at the spectacle. “My, how marvelous! Perhaps not what the potion was meant to do, but I think it’s quite lovely, dear!” She gasped. “Have you really fought a bear before?” How dangerous! What a heroic feat of strength!
With that, Kou figured it was her turn. It seemed safe enough, even if it didn’t quite work the way it was supposed to, but part of the scientific process was making sure that you knew how everything reacted! Who knew if it would behave differently with a fellblood than a human? She kicked her feet in the air, unable to contain her excitement that she was well and truly helping people! “Alright, down the hatch, so they say!” She could not contain her giddiness even as she finished the contents of the glass bottle, feeling lighter, and lighter…
And lighter…
Hm. Something wasn’t right here.
Kou could feel the air that had been generated from the potion designed to help her breathe had simply gotten… trapped within her, until she was lighter than the air around them. Kou hiccuped as she floated out of her seat, steadily getting closer and closer to the ceiling until she hit the roof with a small, oof.
“Oh my goodness…” She marveled, waving at the two from above. “Why, hello there!”
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Jul 30, 2023 2:19:23 GMT -5
Cherith stands up off the floor, wiping a tear from his eye from all the laughing. "It's quite a story, it all started back when I..." Therrik quickly interrupts him with a worried remark, startled at his eagerness to continue. "Stop with the storytelling, are you ok? Do you need a doctor?" Cherith brushes the kicked up dust off his shoulders as he gives a short chuckles. "It's going to take more than a gust of wind to knock out old Cherith Palsind," he exclaims loudly. Little does anyone know but he is a bit sore but to proud to show it.
The old man looks up as Kou is lifted up into the air like a balloon filled with helium. He gives a face of amazement at the weird but wonderous potion that Therrik has made. "Kou, how do you feel? I can get you down if you would like," Cherith offers. She isn't to far out of reach do to the low ceiling but high enough where it is a challenge. He grabs her hand and pulls her back down to her chair. "Maybe try deep breaths to get the access air out your lungs," the dwarf recommends.
Therrik gives a confused look as both of his potions that he worked so hard on, seemed to fail in their intended purpose. He pulls a notebook from inside his desk and writes down notes on how he could improve it. "Well it seems its back to the drawing board with this one," he says scratching his head. Maybe the next one will fair better.
"Before continue with our next potions, let me do blow out some candles before we continue to get the intended effect." Therrik gets out of his chair and goes around the room to blow out some of the lanterns and candle around the room. Reassured that these potions aren't to dangerous Cherith looks at Kou. "Maybe you should try this one first. If the last potions are anything to go off of, these potions shouldn't be to dangerous."
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Post by Kou Miyami on Jul 30, 2023 17:44:36 GMT -5
The elderly fellblood looked a little crestfallen as Therrik cut off Cherith’s story before he could finish it, though she supposed he was right. There was a time and a place for everything, and that just meant there was more opportunity for storytime when Kou showed him how to make tea afterwards. She truly could not wait to hear his stories of harrowing heroics.
For now, though, she was stuck on the ceiling, lighter than air.
What a curious sensation! Kou giggled in wonder as she tried to hover back down to the ground with no luck. “I feel as if my insides have been replaced with air!” She replied. “But otherwise fine. Don’t lose heart, kiddo. I can see what you were trying to do with your potion. Now it’s only a matter of perfecting how much air the person receives at once! Perhaps try delivering oxygen in a steady stream rather than all at once?”
She listened to his advice, letting out a deep exhale. Rather than a normal breath, though, the air came out as a large gust of wind that sent Therrik’s papers scattering everywhere. Kou gasped as she returned to her chair. “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry, allow me to help clean all this up…”
While Therrik went around blowing out the candles, Kou hobbled around to collect the papers to the best of her abilities, mindful of her knees. As she sat back down, Cherith offered the next elixir to her. Kou clapped her hands together, delighted.
“Of course! Now, let’s see here. This one ought to improve my night vision…”
Interestingly enough, though as she downed the contents of the bottle, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Rather, instead of her vision adapting to the dark, her vision went entirely dark!
“Fascinating!” Kou said, waving her hand in front of her rounded spectacles, still unable to make out much of anything. “I’m not quite sure this one works the way it ought to, either, as I seem to have plumb lost my eyesight!”
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Aug 6, 2023 18:00:03 GMT -5
Cherith starts to look concerned as Kou's eyes turn cloudy. "Kou are you good? Your eyes look a bit, how should I say, whiter." He stands up to make sure she doesn't roam into any of the equipment in the room as she blindly walks around. "Maybe it's best for you to just sit down, less likely to hurt yourself," Cherith says, leading Kou back her chair. He looks kind of scared as looks at Therrik for answers. "Do you know if this will be permanent?" Therrik gives a look of reassurance to the concerned old man. "All of my potions potions are designed to only last an hour, so she'll be back to normal in no time."
The old man looks down at the potion with a bit of hesitance. He doesn't want to end up blind, but he has to follow through with his promise to test all the potions. He picks up the potion, scared of what might happen next. "Well, down the hatch," Cherith says, slurping down the potion.
Suddenly Cherith's eyes light up like a torch. He looks around, accidently hurting the eyes of the poor dwarf sitting in from him. "Wow, I can see everything around me. For a moment I was doubting you Therrik, but it really works," Cherith says flashing the light in the dwarfs eyes.
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Post by Kou Miyami on Aug 8, 2023 9:36:14 GMT -5
What a gentleman! As Kou bumbled around the room, bumping her hips into nearby tables and nearly tripping over rugs or into bookshelves containing alchemical tomes, he moved to grab her shoulders, gently leading her back to her seat so she wouldn’t get harmed. Her sight still hadn’t returned, but, well, age had already been robbing her of her sight in the first place, so this was all just part of life!
“Thank you, Cherith.” She pat him on the hand. At least, she thought it was his hand. It was difficult for her to tell. When the young master dwarf mentioned that it was only temporary, she did feel a bit of relief! Such was the course of life, or so they say, but she’d have been rather put out if her new job as a hero had been cut short so quickly!
“No need to fret, Therrik Sensei.” She assured the dwarf in case he was upset that his potion had not worked. “Fellblood eyes tend to work differently from dwarven or human ones, or so I’m told!” She let out a hearty laugh. “You just have to treat them like a cat’s, and figure out what works to trigger their night sight!”
Up next was Cherith. He was silent for a moment, which Kou took to mean he was a little nervous about being robbed of his sight. She reached out and tugged at his trousers, accidentally knocking a few things off the nearby table as she did so. “There’s no need to worry, dear. If you lose your sight, too, then we’ll just have to support one another for the next hour!”
What happened to Cherith, however, was decidedly not what had happened to Kou. His gaze swept across the room, like lighthouse beacons, before shining directly in Therrik’s eyes. The dwarf, whose eyes were quite accustomed to the dark of underground mountains and sensitive to the light, gasped in pain, covering his face.
“Good gods, man, put your peepers away!” He waited until Cherith looked away to speak again, clearly confused. “I don’t understand. It technically creates the intended effect, but that is still not the way it was designed to work. What am I doing wrong?”
The businessman’s composure finally cracked, burying his head in his hands. Why were his potions acting like this? He’d just wanted to make elixirs to help people’s lives easier, but if he were to sell these, it would just have the opposite effect!
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Aug 17, 2023 2:13:41 GMT -5
The old man realizes that Therrik is not used to bright light. "Oh I'm sorry Therrik," he says looking down at the ground. He quickly shuts his eyes not trying to blind anyone else with his enhanced sight.
Cherith can hear the anger and frustration in Therrik's voice. He can't imagine what its like to continuously make something in the attempt to help but end up making potions that might harm them. Cherith blindly reaches over and places his hand on his shoulder to comfort Therrik. "Don't worry Therrik, the number one thing you should remember is that greatness isn't achieved right away, it takes time and great effort. You'll figure it out eventually, and when you it will be glorious," he says comforting the defeated dwarf.
Therrik looks at Cherith and Kou still kind of sad, realizing that these two strangers that he had just met believe in him more than his own father. His father is a miner and wants his son to join the mining business, but Therrik is more interested in alchemy, which his father is not happy about. "Thank you I really needed to hear that," he says as a tear roles down his face. He wipes the tear off his face and his serious business face returns as he sits up in his chair. "I would like to thank both of you for testing my potions and believing in my work."
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Post by Kou Miyami on Aug 18, 2023 8:32:58 GMT -5
Kou fell silent as the poor young master expressed his frustrations. She knew all too well that feeling of hopelessness.
Cherith was quick to jump in, reassuring the artisan that skill was not something that was forged in a day. Kind support that brought tears to the dwarf’s eyes, based on the sniffling coming from the desk, piercing Kou’s heart. The elderly woman still could not see - but that would not stop her from saying what she wished to say. Kou picked herself up and hobbled over to the desk, using her cane as an impromptu walking stick until she was close enough to reach out and touch the dwarf.
“Give me your hand, Therrik Sensei.”
She held out her palm until he obliged, albeit probably a little confused at the request. Wrinkled, weathered palms ran over burly hands covered in hair and scars from dwarven tools. The mark of a laborer and artisan, though not that of an alchemist. She broke out into a wide smile that stretched her wrinkled cheeks.
“Look at these hands. They were not made to be an alchemist. And despite what others have wanted you to do, you have decided to chase your passions and do something that will make other people happy. How beautiful that is. How wonderful.” She praised.
“There are some that have spent their entire lives doing only what they are good at, because it is easy. But it’s difficult for me to trust the craftsman who has never failed. Because it means he’s never learned what is right, and how to fix his mistakes. Perhaps you fall now; but you are learning how to pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and get back to doing the good work that you’re doing. And I think these potions are quite unique. Can I buy them from you?”
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Post by Cherith Palsind on Aug 23, 2023 2:42:05 GMT -5
Therrik is frozen with his mouth agape at the wise and moving words of the old Fellblood. She's right, all he needs is dedication and time, and he'll achieve his goal of becoming an accomplished alchemist.
Once Kou has finished her speech, Therrik stands up and walks around his desk to the old woman. Tears of joy roll down his face as he gives her a heartfelt hug. "Thank you for believing in me," he says from the bottom of his heart. He then turns to give the tall old man a hug, but Cherith beats him to the punch with a hug of his own. "You are welcome friend," he says giving Therrik an extremely warm and comfy hug. "In fact I'd like to purchase some potions for myself as well."
Therrik backs up and clasps his hands in excitement. "Of course you can buy some of my potions, and I'll put that money towards bettering my craft and helping my community," he says with a grin. He goes into another cupboard in the room and comes back with an assortment of potions. He lists out all the prices and gives both of elderly folks a fair price for them. He waves them goodbye as they leave the shop as he heads back to his desk. "Well looks like I've got a lot of work to do," he says under his breath.
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