A candle flickers in the dimly lit room and the steady 'drop drop drop' Â of the still gently bubbling in the corner keep the diminutive Miqo'te at the desk company in the dark, wind-riddled night. Â Pema had been compelled to seek out a room with one of the village's well-to-do's to work. Â It had turned out to be a blessing. Â The Hyur's study happened to have a large, thick oak table perfect for setting up her equipment. Â The fabrication of antidotes can be a tricky and time consuming process. Â Thankfully she would work undisturbed, for once.
Pema ponders to herself as she remember the last time she made this remedy. Â It was almost a decade ago. Â Sticky, the snurble that spent years at her side, made a little family for himself one year; half of whom had carelessly eaten a deadly and obscure poison while foraging near a mine. Â That year was the second time she encountered the herb known as 'Rumjum', the first being only a few summers after she was first on her own; which made it particularly challenging and memorable. Â At least, that's what she had always called it. Â It might seem strange, but this innocuous looking fungi, which when dried simply looks like bits of coal, could produce some of the most curious effects on the mind and body she had ever seen. Â She began to write in a neat fist,Â
A hand moves up and adjusts her monocle as she reads over her words. Â This was certainly not how she thought the day would go. Â Honestly, her mind had been on a rather unpleasant event of late when she had arrived at the village in La Noscea. Â Things were pretty straight forward until Nara asked her to check on some of the farmers who had fallen ill rather suddenly. Â Then 'straight forward' went right out the window and smashed into a thousand bits on the cobble stones down below. Â Even familiar with this poison she had made quite the error due to the cocktail of other herbs which had been alchemicaly processed to distill the volatile oils into a deadly elixir. Â Well, she made that error until she processed a sample of contaminated water from the village well and discovered her old nemesis hiding in plain sight. Â
This discovery led, thankfully, to a break-through which is currently undergoing a process of distillation in the corner of the dark but cozy room. Â Soon the antidote would be ready and it would be time to see what worked on countless snurbles and other critters would work on the people as well. Â She might have left that little detail out - about this being the first trials on people. Â She had never been unwise enough to think Rumjum was food, she had only watched the creatures suffer; which of course, drove her to discover the antidote. Â And though doubt did not 'plague' her, she certainly was hoping that it also wouldn't come back to haunt her later. Â
Until now she hadn't been around people long enough to generally be called upon for this sort of thing. Â Indeed, few adventurers had even learned her name. Â Even less had learned something useful about her - and by useful I mean something practical, like this. Â That sort of thing takes getting to know someone. Â
Her quill starts to skid across the page as her thoughts wander. Â She drops it quickly so as to not mar the page any more than she already had,
"Buggery," she sighs, "Well, I suppose it's time to get back to it anyhow. Â Almost time to add the mistletoe extract..."
Pema ponders to herself as she remember the last time she made this remedy. Â It was almost a decade ago. Â Sticky, the snurble that spent years at her side, made a little family for himself one year; half of whom had carelessly eaten a deadly and obscure poison while foraging near a mine. Â That year was the second time she encountered the herb known as 'Rumjum', the first being only a few summers after she was first on her own; which made it particularly challenging and memorable. Â At least, that's what she had always called it. Â It might seem strange, but this innocuous looking fungi, which when dried simply looks like bits of coal, could produce some of the most curious effects on the mind and body she had ever seen. Â She began to write in a neat fist,Â
A hand moves up and adjusts her monocle as she reads over her words. Â This was certainly not how she thought the day would go. Â Honestly, her mind had been on a rather unpleasant event of late when she had arrived at the village in La Noscea. Â Things were pretty straight forward until Nara asked her to check on some of the farmers who had fallen ill rather suddenly. Â Then 'straight forward' went right out the window and smashed into a thousand bits on the cobble stones down below. Â Even familiar with this poison she had made quite the error due to the cocktail of other herbs which had been alchemicaly processed to distill the volatile oils into a deadly elixir. Â Well, she made that error until she processed a sample of contaminated water from the village well and discovered her old nemesis hiding in plain sight. Â
This discovery led, thankfully, to a break-through which is currently undergoing a process of distillation in the corner of the dark but cozy room. Â Soon the antidote would be ready and it would be time to see what worked on countless snurbles and other critters would work on the people as well. Â She might have left that little detail out - about this being the first trials on people. Â She had never been unwise enough to think Rumjum was food, she had only watched the creatures suffer; which of course, drove her to discover the antidote. Â And though doubt did not 'plague' her, she certainly was hoping that it also wouldn't come back to haunt her later. Â
Until now she hadn't been around people long enough to generally be called upon for this sort of thing. Â Indeed, few adventurers had even learned her name. Â Even less had learned something useful about her - and by useful I mean something practical, like this. Â That sort of thing takes getting to know someone. Â
Her quill starts to skid across the page as her thoughts wander. Â She drops it quickly so as to not mar the page any more than she already had,
"Buggery," she sighs, "Well, I suppose it's time to get back to it anyhow. Â Almost time to add the mistletoe extract..."
 Time is nothing, Timing is Everything.