Alchemy and Healing

The light rain and gentle breeze have banished most of the summer heat, to the relief of many in the Aerie. The recent cacophony of new residents has calmed, as the Egalrin adjust to their new home.

The organized chaos has been sorted out, and shipments of supplies are swiftly dealt with. The impromptu soup kitchen and supply distributions are now more or less permanent, staffed by Egalrin, the food on offer home grown.

Deeper into the Aerie, Simony works a shift in the infirmary. She moves with a bit of stiffness, her hands bandaged though the fingers are not.

"It's okay, dear.", she says softly to an elderly female Egalrin, her feathers a bright blue. "You've got the same illness some of your family have had. I'll have you feeling better in no time." A youthful male, with matching feathers to the older female, translates what the Goblin has been saying for the elderly Egalrin. She replies quietly, breathing a sigh of relief. "My grandmother is grateful."

"She is most welcome." The spells is a little lengthier than many of Simony's others, the light from her holy symbol especially bright, lighting up the area around the Goblin as she works.

In another section of the infirmary, one reserved for the younger egalrin and fledglings, a soft, mellifluous voice rises and falls in the cadence of a storyteller. Not everyone is a healer, but some can still help with the healing.

A small alchemical workspace is set up, a mortar and pestle grinding herbs for mixing on its own as a slender half-elf speaks to a half-dozen rapt egalrin children.

"And the elfmaiden came to the Raven, asking him, why do you weep so, my lord? And the Raven said, I am hurting and I know not why." Telamon's starry eyes are gentle, as he finishes bottling another tisane to help the sick recover faster. "The elfmaiden went to the Raven, and told him, 'You must be lonely, to live here alone. Let me stay here so you will weep no more.' And so the Raven's heart mended, and he was glad once again."

The blue Egalrin lets out a happy sound as the glow of Simony's holy Symbol fades. The younger Egalrin speaks quickly, with the female replying in a more sedate pace. "My grandmother is feeling much better, and thanks you profusely." The Goblin smiles, nodding cheerfully. "She is most welcome. Tell her she will feel her energy coming back, and that once she is able, she may leave and get back to her family. Just rest for now." Simony reaches out to pat the woman's hand. "Be well." She squeaks as the young male wraps the Goblin in a feathery hug before releasing her. Laughing, Simony waves, and heads into another section of the infirmary.

The melodious voice draws her near, and the Gobbo listens to the Half-Elf's story. As he comes to the conclusion, she claps her hands together, her grin toothy. "Ah, keeping them entertained while telling stories of your life, Lord Telamon?"

One by one, the little fledglings line up for their doses of medicine, bolstering them to shake off the illness. A small red-feathered one grumbles, "Taste icky," which draws a chuckle from Telamon. "Indeed! That's the nature of medicine, sadly; it's encouragement to get well so you don't have to keep taking it."

At Simony's applause, Tel looks up, startled, before grinning. "Not exactly. But they are stories of my family, and beginnings. What better tale to tell for people making a fresh start. How are you doing, Simony?"

From a small pouch on her belt, Simony pulls out a handful of silver-wrapped sphere. She offers one to the red-feathered Egalrin. "Pull on the ends there, gently. It's called toffee. Suck on it, and it will slowly melt." The silver wrapping slowly opens as the ends are pulled on, and the red-feathered youngling puts the golden-coloured treat into her mouth. Rolling around her beak with her tongue, her eyes widen. "Sgood!", she mumbles. A squawking immediately fills the room as the other younglings plead for their own toffees, which Simony is happy to give out.

She giggles and nods to Telamon. "It is an apt set of stories, I would say, and enough cheer to improve their mood. I am well, Tel, how are you doing?" She moves closer to the alchemical workspace, sniffing at the herbs and other ingredients. "Ahhh, antiplague. Excellent!"

Telamon grins. "Should've guessed you'd have sweets with you, Simony." He pats the goblin priestess on the shoulder, turning as she inspects his workbench. "Precisely. I got word that disease had become an issue here, so I picked up some tools and supplies and came back. Having someone who can craft alchemical remedies on hand might take some of the stress off the infirmary... and the healers."

He rakes a hand through his hair. "I wish we had the materials for seven triumphs -- that stuff is even stronger than good quality antiplague tisanes -- but the peppers are hard to find even in Alexandria."

"I started keeping them for Pothy. But found that when you need help getting the medicine to go down, sweets are the way to go. So now I have a few more in my pocket."

Simony hugs at Telamon as he pats at her shoulder, squeezing gently before releasing him. "Oh yes, alchemical concoctions are definitely very helpful. I offer my thanks for that, Telamon, on behalf of the infirmary and its healers."

The Gobbo rubs at her chin. "Have you tried looking in Goblintown? In my experience, most Goblins really enjoy hot spices, and there is a brisk pepper trade amongst us. You might be able to find what you need by talking to the sellers there."

Telamon wraps his arms around Simony in turn in a big hug, patting her on the back. "Magic is very useful -- I should know, after all." His eyes twinkle. "But it can be strenuous, and sometimes a simpler solution is more appropriate. Plus, it saves those energies for more serious problems."

He begins cleaning up his workspace, capping bottles and jars. "Honestly, alchemy is such a useful skill -- and it really doesn't require magical talent, just attention to detail -- it's no surprise there's a fair number of people who take it up if only to make use of more common remedies that can be made at home. The Althean Almanac goes into detail on that."

At the mention of Goblintown, Tel nods. "I did. The problem is that the peppers have to be harvested and prepared in a very specific way or you can't use them for the tisane. I've put out feelers, but it may take some time to get word back on if someone can supply what I'm looking for."

"I have given some thought to learning some alchemy recipes. Those dealing with aiding recovering or protecting one's health. You are right, they do allow us to stretch out our healing capabilities. I have been thankful many times for them. I have also thought about healing potions and scrolls. They can be easily stored, and used in emergencies, like what we experienced here."

Simony grins. "Cynthia, Warrick's daughter, is taking up alchemy, and she owns a copy of the Althean Almanac. I have thought of purchasing a copy myself. Or, transcribing one. It would be useful."

Simony rubs at her chin. "Do you have the specifications for how the peppers need to be grown and cared for? I uh could help you with acquiring them."

The half-sil sorcerer finishes cleaning his gear, neatly setting it aside -- not packing it up for departure, notably. "It's important to make a distinction between potion-brewing and alchemy, though. Magical elixirs require magical skills -- often, the ability to cast a specific spell is critical. Alchemical remedies and tools, as long as you understand how the reagents work, are much less complex." Telamon smiles. "I guess it depends on what you want to invest your time in."

At the mention of Warrick's daughter, Tel chuckles. "Well, I did suggest it to her. Alchemy's not magic -- but it can be useful for developing the kind of attention to detail you need to study magic. Any tool that is useful is hardly a waste."

He hmms. "The peppers have to be removed carefully, when they are full ripe but not sooner and not later. They have to be grown under dry but not withering conditions, and they have to be preserved slowly, using sea-salts and brine. A little goes a long way, but the preparation is key."

Simony's expression is thoughtful, and she nods slowly. "I will invest my time in both, magical elixirs and alchemical solutions. Learn them while I can absorb information like a sponge. They will improve my abilities as a healer by a good amount, and so are worthy of what time I have left in this world." The Goblin chuckles, and nods to the man. "I suspected as much, I believe you have spoken of the Almanac before, so you were the first that came to mind when I heard her talking about it."

Her small notebook makes an appearance as Telamon speaks on the preparation of the peppers. The pencil waggles back and forth as she writes down the details, nodding. "So careful removal, grown under dry but not too dry conditions, and preserved slowly in brine and sea-salts. It might take some time to get this going but I think we could find some people who're willing to attempt this. I mean... it's got potential for income, which is sure to interest the pepper growers."

Telamon chuckles. "There are those who say that the oruch are the only ones with the skill to grow and harvest them, but that's not the case. Still, it's a tricky business -- and some wonder what the point is. Seven triumphs is a kind of broth -- an incredibly spicy broth, that makes all but the stoutest of people dazed from the heat when imbibed. But it burns sickness and toxins away from the body like purifying fire."

Tel rubs his chin. "And before you ask, yes, I have had it. Once. I think if I was very sick I would take it again, but not without trying something else first. I think I was still lightheaded for another day after drinking the stuff." He shrugs with a grin. "Still, if it heals you, who cares?"

"Hah, tell the Goblins that, and you'll have dozens of them showing up next year with more peppers than you can shake a stick at. You really should, because competition drives us."

Her ears perk up and she nods. "Well, if it works, you can't knock it too much. I'm all for having as many good tools as possible. Especially things that can keep a while."

The Goblin's grin is toothy. "Aw, I trust someone was taking care of you, and that you weren't self medicating."

Telamon nods, looking thoughtful. "That... might not be a bad idea. Encourage them to come up with ways to smooth out the process." He grins. "A little healthy competition is good for the soul, in my opinion."

At the inquiry about being treated, Tel smiles. "No, the last time was Lana tending to me, and the time before that was my parents. It's good to have family and friends to watch out for you." He picks up one of the jars of dried herbs, labeled neatly and dated, and looks at it. "There's so much to be done here, but we are making progress. Slow and steady."

"Not encourage... challenge. Specifically mention those oruch, how their peppers are bigger, more effective. And stress that no contracts will be offered for subpar peppers. We will see some successes. More peppers means you'll get your seven triumphs."

Simony giggles brightly. "Hmmm, yes, but sometimes competition is bad for the body." She pauses to stretch at length, joints and vertebrae cracking and popping as she does so, which elicits a pleased sigh from the Goblin. "Yes, there is much to be done still, but progress has been made. Things are smoothing themselves out. I think we've got a handle on the disease that's present here, at least, it is not spreading out of control. Injuries are on the mend, food is plentiful, Egalrin have been housed and taken care of. You played a big part early on, for which you once more have my thanks, and certainly the thanks of the community here."

"Alright, challenge, then. That seems reasonable." Telamon's face curls into a broad smile. "But whatever works. If nothing else, it'll help in case of any future outbreaks. The dried, powdered form can keep for years if stored properly. Lay in a store, to fend off any woes, and all will be well."

He arches an eyebrow, hearing the popping, and snorts. "Sounds like you've been busy as hells. I... it's funny, this is the second time now I've found myself called on to help establish a settlement. It's... a much more fulfilling project than running around doing heroic derring-do, at least in my opinion. The seeds we plant today will be the trees of tomorrow, after all." At the mention of food being plentiful, he laughs. "Of course, that'd be a concern for you."

"That's good. Gods know how many plagues have befallen and will again befall this city and countryside. Being able to preplan for such things will save many, many lives."

The Goblin snorts and chuckles. "Busy doing good and bad things. Aryia always gives me a thorough workout. I don't know what her martial arts are called, but I am sure it's a word that means 'gently folding clothing while people are still wearing them' or 'involuntary yoga'."

At his mention of establishing settlements, a grin slowly works its way across her expression. "And now you have found the truest satisfaction in being a lord, Telamon. You have the resources, the connoections, the skills, and the personal power to do such things. The friends you've made here will repay you some day, tenfold over what you've given them. This is what I meant by being the nobility you wished nobility to be."