Day 293

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

Who: Rob, anyone
When: Day 293
What: Rob's Alchemy skill has increased. Or just grab him to talk if you want.
Where: Anywhere in the Bastion
Format: Will match
Warnings: None

For Colin

Rob's been spending a lot of time in the laboratory area this past week. He told Colin what he was doing - trying to make an invisibility potion from various ingredients that Paarthurnax bought in preparation for learning to make healing potions - but he hasn't been offering updates on how that's been going. If asked he's been having trouble processing the plants into reagents correctly, along with a few minor issues with a brewing process that's beyond what he ever tried to do in science class.

Today though, while Colin's back is towards the stairs, Rob comes down as quietly as he can (and of course because he's trying to be quiet he's louder than he normally is) and approaches Colin from behind with an open bottle in his hand. Assuming Colin doesn't respond to his incredibly obvious approach, he'll cough loudly. Either way, as soon as Colin starts to turn his head during this process, Rob will quaff the contents of the bottle. When Colin's gaze finally passes over where Rob's standing, there won't be anyone visible. For the next 17 seconds. Homemade invisibility potions in Skyrim don't last very long.

For Paarthurnax

When Paarthurnax looks like he isn't busy with anything, Rob crosses the bridge to the Dragonfield and approaches him.

"Hey, uh, Paarthurnax? Can I show you something?"

For Everyone Else

There's a tough-looking long-haired man walking around in mammoth-hide sandals, cargo shorts, a tank top, and a rabbit skull and leg bones strung out on a necklace around his neck, the faint blue glow of a shard coming from each eye socket. He's clinking slightly as he walks, which may be related to the bulges in the cargo pockets of his shorts. Whether you've seen him around before or not, if you want to talk to him now's a perfect opportunity.

Comments

[freedom_engineer]

"So, back to the topic at hand," Colin says, gesturing over to Rob. "What else can you make? Or are those potions the basics thus far?"

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"So far just this. It's pretty easy to check if I'm on the right track with invisibility, compared to some of the other options. Now that I've gotten this one working though, I'm thinking the others should go easier."

He sets the empty bottles down on the workbench and pulls his datapad out of the mammoth-hide holster on his belt, unrolling it and tapping at the screen.

"The book I'm working from for the processes specifically says it's not discussing making poisons, but the one on the uses of plants and animals makes enough references that I could probably figure out how to make them if we need them. But with the things that Paarthurnax has brought in," he looks at his notes, "we have the ingredients for a bunch of different effects: invisibility, increasing natural healing rates, resisting injury from fire and heat, restoring stamina, making you tired, slowing how fast you catch your breath, increasing susceptibility to being injured by fire and heat, and a pure poison. References to some other effects that could be helpful to have around, like instantaneous healing, curing disease, clearing poison from the body, and increasing how much you can carry, but for all of those we'll need at least one more plant or animal in the Bastion to provide ingredients."

He's assuming for part of that list that he can use ingredients they already have in alchemy, like wheat, but he'll soon find out that only varieties from Tamriel will actually have an effect so he'll need to buy even more plants than he expects.

[freedom_engineer]

"All of that sounds handy," Colin says, his expression turning thoughtful. "The endurance boosters especially, given how exhausting the skyway is."

He shakes his head then. "But don't put the cart before the horse with the possibility of doing everything with it," he says. "As I recall from talking to a friend back home potions are expensive, resource-wise. VERY useful, but expensive."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Hm. That's a good point about the endurance ones." He pulls out the stylus and adds to his notes. "I think there was a reference to something that increases base stamina too, instead of just restoring it. Hafta check that later."

He looks back to Colin.

"In fiction it often sounds like making potions requires the use of precious gems, herbs gathered by moonlight, a baby's first laugh, stuff like that, but the alchemy in Paarthurnax's world just requires ingredients gathered from two different kinds of plants or animals. The complexity seems to be mostly in the preparation of the ingredients and the process. I mean, there's a reference to how positioning the equipment in specific ways relative to the phases of his world's two moons can affect the resulting potion, though it doesn't go into detail and it's not like I could actually follow instructions like that here anyways. Granted, I'm using large portions of the plants for each of these potions so there's only so many potions of one kind I can make at a time before the ingredients have to replenish themselves, but they're effectively limitless so long as no one goes overboard."

[freedom_engineer]

"Not quite what I meant," Colin said, laughing quietly. "The process for brewing potions involves a lot of grinding, milling, extracting, that sort of thing. It takes a lot of resource for one potion, as you pointed out."

He considers for a moment. "I'm sure there are probably potions that require exotic materials that aren't easily obtained, my sister swears by anti-petrification potions which I know require basilisk retinal fluid as a component, among other things."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

Rob looks thoughtful for a moment.

"That makes sense, actually, like using a creature's venom to make the antidote to it."

[freedom_engineer]

"The arcane sciences are a lot like other sciences when you get down into their core mechanics," Colin says in agreement. "However, I think you should stick to the basic stuff right now. I haven't seen any basilisks out there, and I doubt that anyone would want to imbibe a potion made from any extract of Anklegator."

His smile indicates a joke.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

Deadpan: "I don't think anyone would want to imbibe a lot of the potions I'm reading about if they knew what the ingredients are. Ignorance is bliss."

[freedom_engineer]

"Have you ever eaten processed foods?" Colin asks, grinning. "You'll come to appreciate just how accurate that statement is if you ever look at a list of ingredients."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"I have. I can't pronounce most of the ingredients, let alone know what they are. I was trying to cut out a lot of that stuff back home, but coming here seems to have improved my diet even more."

[freedom_engineer]

"My point being, who cares what's in it?" he asks, the small grin turning back into a smile. "Unless you're planning to change your mind and make poison, just don't tell anyone if they're drinking something vile. If there's flavor issues, I'm sure you'll be the first one to notice it."

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

He makes a face for a moment.

"Yeah, a couple of my early tries didn't taste so great on top of not working. These ones... I wouldn't say they don't taste of anything, it's more like they taste of nothing. It's hard to describe. Dunno if that's just what invisibility tastes like or if this is gonna be the same for all potions."

The problem with the taste of the early ones may be related to the fact that nirnroot's first effect is Damage Health, aka it's poisonous.

[freedom_engineer]

"Such is the nature of pois... POTIONcraft," Colin says, laughing quietly to himself at the slip. "So closely related, sorry about that. Some of the best potion brewers are also accomplished chefs. The two occupations are not terribly dissimilar."

"Anyway, so long as you're not working with anything volatile, it's always a good idea to do your own taste-testing," he says. "If it is volatile... like, say... basilisk retinal fluid. Well... that's what interns are for, huh?

That was a joke. Hopefully.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

"Both applied chemistry, in a way. Sort of. I have no idea what chemical processes are supposed to be happening here, if any."

Rob both raises an eyebrow and smirks slightly. Is he taking that as a joke or amusing sociopathy? Who knows.

"If I do ever make any poisons... not sure how I'll test them, but I don't plan on jumping straight to taste-testing without checking on other routes."

[freedom_engineer]

"It could be an interesting course of study, if you have an interest in that sort of thing," Colin says. "Assuming it's chemical and not alchemical, anyway. Much harder to follow the energy releases and transformations in the alchemical reactions."

He seems satisfied with Rob's words, and he simply nods. Somehow, he doubts that Rob would appreciate a suggestion of acquiring fluffy test subjects.

[dragonsorcsandwolves]

He'd be more open to the idea if it weren't to test things that exist to cause suffering to whatever drinks them.

"Could be interesting, but more the kind of thing I'd rather read about than do the experiments for. Learning how to make the potions is pretty interesting though."