about it. How much is it worth?”
Beyan looked up at Richter, startled. The irritating man had forgotten Richter was even there! “What? Oh yes, I was right! This is extremely valuable. It’s an elixir,” Beyan’s words trailed off as he got distracted by the silvery liquid again.
Richter had had enough. He took the potion back and rapped his knuckles twice against the gnome’s head, “Earth to McFly! If you don’t give me a reason not to, I’m going to be drinking this potion in about two seconds! Why does it matter that it’s an elixir?” Krom stood in the background with a shit eating grin on his face.
Beyan glared at Richter, but caught himself before he said something crass to the Master of his new village. “An elixir is a higher level of alchemy. I’m guessing that this is the first elixir you have seen?” Richter nodded. “That’s not surprising. They are far harder to create and far more expensive than brews or tinctures, therefore they are also far more rare. That’s why I stopped you. An elixir shouldn’t be wantonly used. I can’t promise anything, but if you let me examine it further, then I might be able to figure out its constituent parts. Then I should be able to recreate it. If you had made a Philosopher’s Cauldron instead of this,” Beyan waved his hand dismissively around, “I could tell you EVERY possible combination of ingredients that could make the elixir.”
Richter stilled his irritation again. As prickly as the gnome was, Beyan had information that Richter needed. He knew he had a lot to learn, and he wouldn’t turn his back on any opportunity to gain knowledge. “So that’s what the Cauldron does? It lets you know what’s in a potion so you can make more?”
Beyan rolled his eyes, “I said that I would be able to know every recipe. Given enough time that is. Each time the potion is made, there would be a chance to learn another recipe. Many of the widely known recipes for higher level potions contain ingredients which are nearly impossible to find. Invisibility potions for instance require several petals of a moon glass flower. The problem is that the only place that they grow is under the Crimson Spectre’s alchemy guild. Since they have a monopoly on a key component, they can charge whatever they wish.”
“Hmmmm,” Richter said, “So if we could figure out a different way to make the potion out of common ingredients…”
“Then we not only could use the potions for the village, but we could also sell them and break the guild’s monopoly. It would make you a fortune.”
Richter nodded in new appreciation of the Philosopher’s Cauldron.
Beyan continued, “Of course, the transmutation properties are why many truly covet such an item?”
Richter looked at him confused again.
Giving a long suffering sigh, Beyan said loudly and slowly, “TRANS-MU-TAY-TION. It means turning one substance into another. Often, a given area may be rich in one resource and poor in another. A Philosopher’s Cauldron fixes that. If you were lacking in say, powdered crystal, a certain amount of another resource could be used to make it.”
Richter closed his eyes and did his silent mantra, ‘Dooo NOT slap the annoying little man. Dooo NOT slap the annoying little man.’ It took so long this time that Krom said, “Uhhhh, milord. You are just standing there.”
Taking one final deep breath, Richter opened his eyes at look at his smith, “Thanks man. Yeah, I went somewhere for a moment. Okay, Beyan. Can the Philosopher’s Cauldron do anything else?”
“I’m sure it can, but I have never seen one before. I suppose now I never will.” Beyan looked around at the Forge again, then gave a pfft of dismissal and walked out. Richter looked after the irritating man, shaking his head.
Richter was conflicted because the gnome actually made a strong argument for building the Cauldron.
Beyan looked up at Richter, startled. The irritating man had forgotten Richter was even there! “What? Oh yes, I was right! This is extremely valuable. It’s an elixir,” Beyan’s words trailed off as he got distracted by the silvery liquid again.
Richter had had enough. He took the potion back and rapped his knuckles twice against the gnome’s head, “Earth to McFly! If you don’t give me a reason not to, I’m going to be drinking this potion in about two seconds! Why does it matter that it’s an elixir?” Krom stood in the background with a shit eating grin on his face.
Beyan glared at Richter, but caught himself before he said something crass to the Master of his new village. “An elixir is a higher level of alchemy. I’m guessing that this is the first elixir you have seen?” Richter nodded. “That’s not surprising. They are far harder to create and far more expensive than brews or tinctures, therefore they are also far more rare. That’s why I stopped you. An elixir shouldn’t be wantonly used. I can’t promise anything, but if you let me examine it further, then I might be able to figure out its constituent parts. Then I should be able to recreate it. If you had made a Philosopher’s Cauldron instead of this,” Beyan waved his hand dismissively around, “I could tell you EVERY possible combination of ingredients that could make the elixir.”
Richter stilled his irritation again. As prickly as the gnome was, Beyan had information that Richter needed. He knew he had a lot to learn, and he wouldn’t turn his back on any opportunity to gain knowledge. “So that’s what the Cauldron does? It lets you know what’s in a potion so you can make more?”
Beyan rolled his eyes, “I said that I would be able to know every recipe. Given enough time that is. Each time the potion is made, there would be a chance to learn another recipe. Many of the widely known recipes for higher level potions contain ingredients which are nearly impossible to find. Invisibility potions for instance require several petals of a moon glass flower. The problem is that the only place that they grow is under the Crimson Spectre’s alchemy guild. Since they have a monopoly on a key component, they can charge whatever they wish.”
“Hmmmm,” Richter said, “So if we could figure out a different way to make the potion out of common ingredients…”
“Then we not only could use the potions for the village, but we could also sell them and break the guild’s monopoly. It would make you a fortune.”
Richter nodded in new appreciation of the Philosopher’s Cauldron.
Beyan continued, “Of course, the transmutation properties are why many truly covet such an item?”
Richter looked at him confused again.
Giving a long suffering sigh, Beyan said loudly and slowly, “TRANS-MU-TAY-TION. It means turning one substance into another. Often, a given area may be rich in one resource and poor in another. A Philosopher’s Cauldron fixes that. If you were lacking in say, powdered crystal, a certain amount of another resource could be used to make it.”
Richter closed his eyes and did his silent mantra, ‘Dooo NOT slap the annoying little man. Dooo NOT slap the annoying little man.’ It took so long this time that Krom said, “Uhhhh, milord. You are just standing there.”
Taking one final deep breath, Richter opened his eyes at look at his smith, “Thanks man. Yeah, I went somewhere for a moment. Okay, Beyan. Can the Philosopher’s Cauldron do anything else?”
“I’m sure it can, but I have never seen one before. I suppose now I never will.” Beyan looked around at the Forge again, then gave a pfft of dismissal and walked out. Richter looked after the irritating man, shaking his head.
Richter was conflicted because the gnome actually made a strong argument for building the Cauldron.
Similar Books
