The Seasons Turn

Week 13

This week marks the turn of the season from Spring to Summer and offers Seth Creighton the rare week off to participate in the Sunrise Celebration in High Rannoc.

In one area, a group of druids and farmers are performing a ritual to the Ash Mother. As the ash tree is associated with healing, I decide to participate. There is a ritual bath to cleanse our outside, then a cup of ash bark tea to clear the body of residual impurities. Thankfully, the actual clearing of residual impurities is not part of the ritual, as it was more comfortable to do that in the privacy of an outhouse.

Also, my golem has completed building a Garden Plot which I can use to grow a quantity of a plant ingredient. I decide on Surgeon's Sap, which should be a useful ingredient. I now set the golem to build a Fish Tank so I can keep some useful fish around. That should take him until Autumn to complete.

Week 14

The first week of summer brings with it an Intermediate Ailment, now that my Reputation has reached that point again. It turns out that an orc from Heroes Hollow has developed Adventurer's Rash, also known as the itch to adventure. It's not a complicated cure, but I will have to hurry. There's only a Timer of 4.

The Tags are Rash* and Senses*. Pixie Fur can heal the Rash, and Sea Beast Saliva can treat the Senses, but it is a very powerful ingredient. I have a small amount of time, so I'll see if I can find a substitute.

I decide to head to Glimmerwood Grove for a Coffee Cap. One thing I didn't realize is that I can increase my Reputation more quickly if my treatment addresses only the Tags of the ailment. This is something that I hadn't previously been tracking. So my Sea Beast Saliva treats Blood, Nerves and Senses, but the Coffee Cap only treats Senses, so I'll get more Reputation if I use the Coffee Cap, which only treats Senses with the Pixie Fur that only treats Rash.

1. As I pass a fairy ring, the fairies encircle me with their dance. One of them playfully makes off with my basket. The joke's on them. I hadn't gathered anything yet. Once they leave, I make sure that I have an empty pocket to safely carry the Coffee Cap once I find it.

2. I find the Coffee Cap under an old oak tree. As I'm gathering, I hear a small, pained hoot. A young owl has fallen out of its nest and injured itself. I don't have anything to treat it on hand, but I do still have some time to forage and might be able to find some Surgeon's Sap to treat it.

3. The good news is that I was able to locate the Surgeon's Sap. The bad news is that it was on the edge of Weaver's Wood. The giant spiders were on constant guard to detect when their webs had been disturbed, so escaping required some delicate footwork. I won't have time to treat the owl before I have to get back to my patient in my cottage.

Returning to my cottage, I find the orc pacing nervously. I crush the Coffee Cap into a fine powder, then set it to brewing in my cauldron. While it's bubbling, I crush the Pixie Fir into dust and finally sprinkle it over the finished brew. A few delicate sips and then a hearty chug later, my orc visitor finally allows himself to sit down.

Since I treated only the Tags he had, I gain 2 Reputation from a successful cure. Also, an Intermediate Ailment earns 30 silver and the Coffee Cap gave it a bit of sweetness good for another 4 silver.

As he rests up, I decide to return to the injured owl on my Downtime to treat their injury with the Surgeon's Sap.

During my Downtime, I return to the injured owl with my Surgeon's Sap. As I apply the sap, the owl coughs up a pellet made almost entirely of Hair of Boar. I'm guessing that he got injured trying to fight a boar. While I hope he doesn't get injured again, that's a useful ingredient to have on hand.

Reputation:13

Silver:114

Reagents: Darkwater, Fairy Dust, Gas Weed, Sea Beast Saliva, Shadow Shark, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only), Owl (Ways: Hair of Boar)

Golem Helper: Make Fish Pond (Will be finished by the end of Summer)

Upgrades: Garden Plot (Surgeon's Sap)

Tools: Alembic, Cauldron, Mortar and Pestle, Wand

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange, Dreamwater Depths.

New Apothecaria Adventures

 Before I get to Week 11 in Seth Creighton's career, I need resolve the penpal from The Strange. Write one question that Seth has for the demon, then answer it and ask a question about High Rannoc which Seth must answer.

What do demons of The Strange eat?

They eat souls. The Strange is between and around many realms and dimensions, so souls are always passing through. Now that the portal is open to Heroes Hollow, some adventurers are beginning to explore and embodied souls now sometimes find themselves on the menu.

What do the people of High Rannoc eat?

We eat the remains of living things once the soul has gone. More often than not, we remove the soul of the living thing so that we can eat the remains instead of simply waiting for the soul to leave.

Week 11

After a few weeks treating the monsters of Heroes Hollow, now it's time to treat one of the adventurers that pass through that dungeon. Karrigan the Wise has crawled to my door severely Wounded. I could leave this to the village doctor, but I really need a win after my last patient. Also, I have the necessary ingredients at hand.

First, I set the Shock Fish in my cauldron and boil out its electrical fluid. This is then allowed to cool and I add the Surgeon's Sap. The electrical fluid numbs the area as the Surgeon's Sap binds and heals the wound.

No major downtime projects this week, but we'll see how ready I am for the next patient.

Reputation:10

Silver: 60

Reagents: Darkwater, Fairy Dust, Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Sea Beast Saliva, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Tools: Alembic, Cauldron, Mortar and Pestle, Wand

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange, Dreamwater Depths.

 Week 12

 I haven't seen a mountain ogre in some time, but it turns out that one of them is my patient this week. Granikka seems to have come down with Magnetic Thumb. I've treated this before, so it shouldn't be too difficult. The Tags are Pain* and Blood* and I've got a Timer of 6.

While Sea Beast Saliva is good for either Tag, it's also a pretty powerful ingredient. Starting from scratch, I head out to the Deepwater Depths, where Bas Bata once stood guard.

1. Shock Fish are fairly common at these depths, but so are more dangerous predators. Once I grab my sample, I spy a large garfish which looks big enough to make quick work of me. Hiding among the crumbling stone of the underwater city, I lose 1 Timer, but I also lose the fish that was hunting me.

2. As I'm hunting for the Slime Shell I need to treat the Blood* Tag, I find a bit of graffiti carved into a giant seashell that once served as someone's home when this city was occupied. C R A K W Z HER . I couldn't make out all of the message, but it feels like I've seen that handwriting somewhere. Maybe in the notebooks left by the old apothecary in their cottage?

3. Outside the city, I found a spot that had clearly been cultivated by the old inhabitants. A small, balanced ecosystem of useful plants and animal specimens lives here. I easily find the Slime Shell I was looking for and even have the opportunity to collect some ink from a Shadow Shark, which might come in handy.

Once I'm home, I set the cauldron to boil out the fluid from the Shock Fish. Once that's cooled down a bit, the slime from the Slime Shell gets mixed in to make a slightly nauseating potion. But it does the trick and Granikka is pleased that she can put her sword down from when she wants to.

With her ailment cured, I gain another point of Reputation, which puts me back in the position to attempt more challenging ailments. The 10 silver will also help if there are additional tools that I might need. But that will have to wait until after the Sunrise Celebration that marks the beginning of summer.

Reputation:11

Silver: 80

Reagents: Darkwater, Fairy Dust, Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Sea Beast Saliva, Shadow Shark, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Tools: Alembic, Cauldron, Mortar and Pestle, Wand

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange, Dreamwater Depths.

 Week 9

Seth Creighton's apothecary practice is doing fairly well. In fact, his reputation among the monsters of Hero's Hollow has brought another patient to his door. A vampire named Frederick has come down with a terrible case of Cludgie Mouth and it's now his job to help.

This ailment has the tags Curse* and Infection*. My Dentist Crab Claw Gel can be used for the Infection component, so I just need to forage for something to clear the Curse component. Looking over my options, it looks like Fairy Dust is my best bet, so I head out to Glimmerwood Grove.

1. As I'm gathering Fairy Dust that is clinging to a spider web, I see a unicorn in the trail up ahead. It seems to sense that I'm staring at it and dashes off. One day...

The simple errand seemingly taken care of, I return home and begin preparing my cure. Distilling the essence of the Claw Gel, I add it directly to the Fairy Dust, causing it to condense into a piece of rock candy. My vampire patient places it in his mouth and begins sucking. The candy dissolves fairly quickly, along with his bad breath.

I accept my patient's fee of 20 silver and bring my Reputation up to 11.

Since I don't have a big project anymore, I think I'll be skipping downtime for this week.

Reputation:11

Silver: 140

Reagents: Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Sea Beast Saliva, Shock Fish, Surgeon's Sap, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange, Dreamwater Depths.

Week 10

I did not expect to see Flossie again after curing her Toad Nose nearly 2 months ago, but this time she's back with a case of Ventriloquist's Cough. It sounds terrible, but since it's someone else's cough, she shows no sign of other illness.

Now that I've developed my Reputation, the people of High Rannoc now trust me with slightly more complicated ailments. Ventriloquist's Cough has the Tags Magic* and Cough** along with a fairly short Timer of only 4.

This is a tricky one. None of my current ingredients are much good. Magic is easy enough. Fairy Dust is easy for me to find in Glimmerwood Grove. But the only ingredient powerful enough to address the Cough** is in Hero's Hollow and has a side effect of Sleep that will have to be counteracted. And the only way to do that with the tools I have is in Meltwater Loch. It will take a lot of luck, but I'll do my best.

1: It's time for me to enter the mysterious portal in Hero's Hollow and enter The Strange. I find a font of Darkwater and fill my vial. As I'm screwing on the cap, a friendly demon with a fanged smile approaches me. She notices that I'm not a demon and asks where I'm from. I tell her a little about High Rannoc which intrigues her. Since I'm in a bit of a hurry, I suggest that she writes me a letter telling me about The Strange and I'll write back telling her more about High Rannoc.

2: I spend 1 Timer traveling between The Strange and Glimmerwood Grove. My only chance of pulling this off is hoping a friendly soul can get me to my third destination with haste. Unfortunately, just as I found a mushroom heaped with Fairy Dust, I hear a roar nearby. A mother bear emerged from her den and roared again while staring me in the eye. Discretion being the better part of valor, I ran away.

With no hope of gathering the final ingredient in time, I return home in defeat. Not long after, Flossie cough is gone, as whoever was throwing it to her has recovered from their cold. I make no money this week and lose 2 points of Reputation. It looks like I'm down to treating Novice Ailments again.

Downtime

While I don't have any major projects, I do still have some things to do. I promised a demon that I would write her a letter. (This is the end of my day, so I'll come at that next time) Also, I need to buy a Wand which will allow me to collect certain magical ingredients. That will cost me 100 silver, but would have allowed me to finish the potion for this week's ailment if I'd had it before.

Reputation: 9

Silver: 40

Reagents: Darkwater, Fairy Dust, Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Sea Beast Saliva, Shock Fish, Surgeon's Sap, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Tools: Alembic, Cauldron, Mortar and Pestle, Wand

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange, Dreamwater Depths.

Another Run at Apothecaria

 Let me start off by saying that I had a lovely Halloween. I went to a good friend's Halloween party over the weekend and on Halloween night, I gave out a lot of candy. Not just candy. I also got a stash of small toys and whatsits for kids who may not have been into candy.

 A friend of mine from my hometown shared an article on Facebook about some new pumpkin color being promoted. While I'm not going to make kids single themselves out in order to get treats from me, it did get me thinking about what sorts of treats I'm offering. Some neurodivergent kids might not get the same joy from candy that others do, so something that's not strictly candy would mean a treat that they might actually be able to appreciate. So toys and stickers made it into my treat planning. They were in a bowl right next to the candy bowl.

It actually went over fairly well. I got a lot of candy, so I encouraged kids to take as much as they wanted. And some kids grabbed from the candy bowl as well as the toy bowl. Definitely something that I'll be doing next year.

I do still have the 13th Age review in progress, but I thought I would revisit my Apothecaria playthrough that I did last November and pick up where I left off. I may never do NaNoWriMo or anything of that scale, but I can definitely have fun writing during November.

When last we left Seth Creighton, the rookie apothecary of High Rannoc, he was a mere 7 weeks into his career. He had cured most, but not all of his patients and was in the process of his most potent cure yet: Treating the shattered tooth of the sea serpent Bas Bata, who lived in Meltwater Loch.

Combining Slime Shell, Liquid Fire, Shield Cap, and Vampire Venom, adding it to the cauldron of boiling Sea Beast Saliva along with the distilled essence of Giant Spider Venom, the poultice is complete.

Before Seth takes on his next patient, he takes stock of what he has accomplished in his short time as an apothecary.

Reputation: 9

Silver: 104

Reagents: Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Surgeon's Sap, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange

 

Week 8

After the impression that I made with the Dark Ruler of the Underlands, I seem to be drawing some patients from their domain. This time, an orc seems to have acquired phodothropy, which is the curse of turning into a hamster under the full moon. I've treated this before, but I don't have the ingredients that I did last time. It looks like I'll have to visit two separate regions to get the ingredients, which will take extra time. 

1: My first stop is in Meltwater Loch to get some Mermaid's Gift, a type of seaweed that helps with the Hair Tag. I finally manage to find some in a pool where a siren is practicing her alluring song. When she sees that I am drawn to her, she stops singing and apologizes. She explains that she is simply practicing and she is not yet hungry enough to eat me alive, but she suggests that next time might be different.  (or perhaps to fatten me up for our next encounter), she gives me a Shock Fish and sends me on my way.

2: Now it's off to Hero's Hollow for some Ghost Goo to deal with the Curse Tag. As luck would have it, as I started making my way through the twisting tunnels of the Hollow, I triggered a trap door that dropped me into a cell.The barred door was held shut by a quantity of Ghost Goo, which allowed me to escape easily and gather the needed ingredient at the same time.

I return home in plenty of time to treat my orcish patient. I put the Ghost Goo and Mermaid's Gift in my cauldron to boil until it forms a thick soup, which I serve to her. Even her orcish taste buds rebel at the toxicity of the Mermaid's Gift, so I don't make all the money I could, but my reputation continues to improve. I gain 16 silver and 1 point of reputation.

Now that I've got the cure for Bas Bata, I'll take my downtime actions this week exploring Meltwater Loch to see if I can encounter it again. Even if I don't, I'll try to gather some Sea Beast Saliva, since that's a useful ingredient.

1: No Sea Beast Saliva, but I do find Grobeck the Dwarf in his fishing boat. We chat for a while and he tells me about a Dentist Crab he saw not far from his fishing spot. Once we finish our conversation, I easily find the Dentist Crab and collect some of it s Claw Gel.

2: Searching a boat that had been wrecked by a sea beast long ago, I discovered a skeleton of one of the beast's victims, huddled over a barnacle-encrusted chest. It's unlikely to be plunder or it would have been looted long ago. Since I'm on my own mission right now, I decide to leave this poor soul to guard their treasure.

3: At long last, the greatest achievement of my short career has come to pass! As I wandered through the swamps of Meltwater Loch, I heard a familiar roar. The same rage and the same pain I had heard weeks before. Its long neck comes into view first as it unleashes another roar. Then it sees me. I don't move. I am terrified, but also I don't want to miss this chance. It comes closer, extending its neck to glare at me with its pitch black eyes. A low growl echoes in its throat.

I take out my sea monster-sized poultice and hold it in front of me. It sniffs the package cautiously. I don't expect the Giant Spider Venom to make things very appetizing. As it opens its mouth for another roar, I throw the poultice into the monster's mouth. It snapped its jaws shut at the surprise of the impact, then closed its eyes as the acrid taste of the Giant Spider Venom hit its tongue. But even with that, I was sure I could see the pain it carried lessen.

Reputation:10

Silver: 120

Reagents: Dentist Crab, Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Shock Fish, Surgeon's Sap, Wild Rose

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Zones: Glimmerwood Grove, Meltwater Loch, Moonbreaker Mountain, Hero's Hollow, The Strange, Dreamwater Depths.

 Time to resolve the downtime for Week 6 and see if I can get the ingredients to treat Bas Bata's shattered tooth.

I got all of the Slime Shell I needed, but I still need some Shield Cap. So it's off to Glimmerwood Grove to gather some.

1. As I'm exploring, I hear a faint voice just on the edge of my hearing. I try to make out any words, but the more I pay attention to it, the harder it is to focus on anything. Finally, I can't focus at all and simply lose consciousness. I come to in the middle of a fairy circle. Once I manage to get my bearings, I realize that I've much farther into the Grove than I normally go. Thankfully, a Shieldcap is growing nearby, so I grab it before I head on my way.

2: This is definitely a place in the Grove that I've never been to. The legendary Glimmerwood Giant sleeps here. Were he to stand up, he would be twice as tall as the trees. Very gently, I gather a Shieldcap that grows between his toes. I don't know what would happen if he were to wake up and I'm not sure I want to be there when he does.

3. As I reach for the last Shieldcap that I need, I hear a loud bang and feel a sharp pain in my side. I feel the wound, grateful that it's just a graze. A dirty hand reaches out for the Shieldcap just in front of me. I hear a small, angry grunt as the Shieldcap is thrown back onto the ground. Once they are gone, I reach into my healer's kit for a salve to control the bleeding. The pain causes me to curse, but when you're a hedge witch, that doesn't just mean saying a dirty word. I just hope that bad luck for that truffle hunter makes for good luck for everyone else in Glimmerwood Grove.

4: That was the last Shieldcap that I needed. Now I think I'll try to track down some Giant Spider Venom. It would be easier to get this in Hero's Hollow, but getting shot already cost me some time. Fortune is smiling on me, as I see a unicorn in the clearing up ahead. It seems to be doing battle with a Giant Spider until it finally spears it with its horn. Detecting my presence, it dashes off with supernatural speed. I take advantage of the opportunity and catch the venom as it drips from the dying spider's mandibles.

5. Given my last experience in the Weaver's Wood, I'm not heading directly there any time soon. I wind up following a path well worn by various animals. Along the path, I find a Wild Rose bush. Not what I'm looking for, but the seeds have their uses. I gather some and head home to wait for my next patient.

Week 7

That wretched vampire has struck again! This time, a villager named Milton Cash has come to my door and he has clearly been Drunk. This time, however, I am ready. I still have the Ambergris that I was able to gather for my first attempt, and rather than Moon Moss, I can use Slime Shell to take care of the Blood Tag. I'll still have to get some more Slime Shell when I'm ready to treat Bas Bata's tooth, but the ability to treat an Ailment that I failed to treat previously is my priority.

I crush the Ambergris into a fine powder, which I then combine with the slime from the Slime Shell to form a paste. I then apply this paste directly to the vampire bite and color returns to Milton's face almost immediately.

After receiving my fee of 20 silver pieces, I head out to Hero's Hollow to gather more Giant Spider Venom for Bas Bata's tooth.

Downtime

1: Following a path of spider webs, I enact my plan. I locate a giant spider and draw it towards me. As it snaps at me, I block with my left arm, which I have wrapped in thick, absorbent material to catch the venom. Once the spider has successfully bitten my padding, I smack it squarely between all 8 eyes to dissuade it from pursuing me further. As I turn around, I find myself now facing The Baron, one of the more notable denizens of these dungeons. A poltergeist animating a large suit of armor blocks my path. He lets out a booming villainous laugh and draws a wicked looking sword. I do my best to stay out of the path of that sword. He bellows "Coward!" but I don't care. I'm an apothecary, not a hero. He swings at me and misses, hitting the stone dungeon wall with enough power to force the sword from his gauntlet.

He laughs again, this time with some measure of ... mirth? "Well fought!" he booms. He extends a hand with a small vial in it. "A token of my esteem. There are few who have stood against me and lived." The liquid in the vial is a pale red. Vampire's Venom. Not what I was looking for, but it should work just as well.

2. The ground gave way beneath my feet! Pick myself up and take stock of my situation. I'm now in a small cell with a barred door of rusted iron. The lock is rusted as well and it takes just a little effort to work it open. As I'm celebrating my cleverness, a giant spider skitters down the hallway towards me. Thinking quickly, I throw the cell door wide and dodge as the spider lunges at me, luring it into the cell. Throwing the door closed and pressing my body against it to keep it closed, I present my specially prepared left arm. It's bites into the padding and I absorb another dose of Giant Spider Venom.

3. I discover a puzzle room in the dungeon. The floor is covered in lettered tiles. There is a mirror on the far wall showing the reflection of a word. Easy enough. But as I step on the first letter of the word, my foot falls through as if the floor isn't there. I mange to catch myself, but manage to hear a telltale chittering beneath the floor. It turns out that the tiles where the letters are reversed are solid, but not the other stretches of the floor. Passing my left arm through an illusionary tile, I smile when I feel the pressure of spider mandibles filling my padding with the final dose of Giant Spider Venom that I need.

4. Since I used that one Slime Shell for my cure this week, I'll need to make it up. Since I'm in Hero's Hollow, I'll try to collect some Liquid Fire, which has the same power against Infection** that Slime Shell does. I pass through a dusty crypt and step on an old, dry bone. The bone snaps and the sound fills the silence of the crypt. Ghostly voices grumble "Knock off the racket!" I freeze for several moments and proceed carefully, trying to avoid waking the dead.

5. Wandering through the tunnels and caverns, I find myself is a large, elaborate dining hall. At the head of the large table is a figure cloaked in shadow. It can only be the Dark Ruler of the Underlands. "Come!" they say. "Join me for dinner!"

The food and drink at the table were not things that I was accustomed to. Thankfully, my apothecary skill helped me identify which things are poisonous and which are not. And one of the libations is actually Liquid Fire.

We have a pleasant conversation over the unusual meal. While there's a wealth of foes and challenges in the Hollow, there's very little company. I discovered that Ira, my first patient, had moved into the Hollow with her vampire lover, just waiting for them to turn her into a full vampire. I mention that I treated another victim this week, preventing them from having another Renfield, which caused the Ruler to laugh.

As thanks for being such pleasant company, they opened a mysterious portal to a realm called The Strange. The prior apothecary left notes that some strange and wondrous Reagents might be found there.

 Week 5

Seth's patient this week is Clara Lucas, a local seamstress who has acquired Magnetic Thumb. The Tags for the Ailment are Pain* and Blood* and there's no Timer. I actually don't need any time this week, as my explorations have provided the necessary ingredients already. While those are the same ingredients I was attempting to accumulate in order to treat Bas Bata, it will allow me to focus on my downtime and accumulating more of the Reagents that I need.

So I boil the Shock Fish to extract the electric essence and once it's cool, I mix in some slime from one of my Slime Shells. I give it to Clara to drink and within a few minutes, the thimble finally releases itself from her thumb. I earn 20 silver pieces and 1 point of Reputation for a successful cure.

For my downtime, I will head to Meltwater Loch and try to acquire more Slime Shells. I need 4 more to treat Bas Bata's Infection

1: As I'm walking along the beaches, I notice a strange set of footprints in the sand. They have four clawed toes that are widely splayed and the line of a tail dragging between them. The gait is clearly bipedal and they disappear into the sea. I wonder what sort of creature (person?) might have left them.

2: As I'm gathering a Slime Shell, I see Grobeck the dwarven fisherman. I wave to him and he waves, then rows himself towards me. He shows me his catch and I notice a Wigfish among the fish. I ask if I can have it and he explains that even though they are very rare, they're not very good to eat. I rattle off a few conditions that Wigfish can help to treat and he is happy to give it to me.

3: Scouting the beaches for Slime Shell, I find an old bottle with a note inside. It reads "Hello! My name is Maggie. I am 6 years old and I go to Lakewood School. I like peanut butter sandwiches, but without jelly. I would like you to be my pen pal. Put your letter in the bottle and put it in the water." I pause for a moment to write back. "Hello Maggie. My name is Seth. I am too old to go to school, but not too old to learn. I would like to read about where you live." I throw the bottle back in the water. Will she actually get my message?

4: A blood curdling bark echoes over the loch. The call of a cu-sith on the hunt. I scramble to a pile of rocks near the shore and hide in a recess just big enough for me. I wait for another Timer to make sure that the creature has passed before resuming my search. The good news is that my hiding spot was also the home to a Slime Shell, which I grabbed before I left.

5. I go hunting for Slime Shell in an old, barnacle covered shipwreck on the shore of the loch. In a cabin below deck, I spot a large chest of waterlogged wood next to a skeleton that's been picked clean by either sea boards or carnivorous fish. I open the chest to find a collection of wine bottles, the liquid inside turned to vinegar.

That's all the downtime I have and I managed to collect all of the Slime Shell I needed to treat Bas Bata.

Week 6

This week's patient is Vicki Hampton, an adventurer who went exploring the wrong tunnel in Hero's Hollow and came out with Phodothropy, which is kind of like lycanthropy, but for hamsters. Yes, Vicki needs my help to prevent her from turning into a were-hamster.

The Tags for Phodothropy are Curse* and Hair* and it has a Timer of 6. The Wigfish that I acquired from Grobeck can take care of the Hair Tag, but it looks like I'll have to go to Glimmerwood Grove to find some Fairy Dust (6) to remove the Curse.

1: I follow some boar tracks, hoping that it will lead me to some Fairy Dust. No luck on that front, though it does pass by a Nurse Willow, so I take the opportunity to collect some Surgeon's Sap.

2: It seems that the boar I was following was not a wild boar, but a boar trained by a truffle hunter. She starts hurling accusations of truffle poaching as soon as I'm in sight. A warning shot from her pistol passes right by my ear, temporarily deafening me. I hide in a hollow tree until the ringing in my ears fades, costing me a Timer. As I'm getting ready to resume my foraging, I spot a small shimmering on a mushroom cap. I've got my Fairy Dust.

3: Since I lost all of the Shield Cap that I collected last week, I give myself one more opportunity to collect some. I tried to avoid where I had my encounter with the pixies last time, but instead found myself wandering into Weaver's Wood, a section of the forest overrun with spiders of every size and description. I try to carefully avoid the webs, but the chittering of spider legs and mandible soon gives way to barely audible whispers. The whispers get closer, becoming voices just behind me. While most of the spiders are content to stalk me, staying just out of my senses, one approaches me. I recognize it. It's the spider that I aided a few weeks ago. It guides me through the webs and keeps me just one step ahead of its hungry brethren until I'm clear of the Weaver's Wood.

Returning home, I sprinkle the Pixie Dust on the Wigfish's wig and apply it as a poultice to the cursed hamster bite. I collect my fee of 20 silver pieces and 1 point of Reputation.

Reputation: 8

Silver: 84

Reagents: Ambergris, Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Sea Beast Saliva, Shield Cap (x2), Slime Shell (x5), Surgeon's Sap

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

 

I'll do Week 6s downtime next week.

 I know I said something about getting caught up on the downtime step of Seth's 3rd week as a village apothecary, but I think I'll skip it for now. It's not really something that needs to happen. Mostly it allows me additional time to forage for herbs but without an Ailment, it's hard to know what I might need. Maybe when I get a stronger handle on the game, I'll be able to anticipate my needs better.

Week 4

My patient this week is Micheal Stevens, a young adventurer who seems to have acquired a case of Cludgie Mouth when his trail rations took a dip in a dark pool in Hero's Hollow. Now every breath he exhales smells like it comes from the other end. The other end is actually worse, he tells me, but infrequent enough that the primary issue is his breath. I leave him with a pot of mint tea as I head out foraging.

Cludgie Mouth has the Tags Curse* and Infection* and a Timer of 6. The Star Shard I've collected can deal with the Curse Tag, but I still need something for the Infection. A Slime Shell from the Meltwater Loch should do just the trick.

1. Slime Shell is pretty easy to find. But just as I pick up the shell, an immense beast rises from the depths. It's Bas Bata, the great guardian of this place. It lets loose a mighty shriek and I see a wall of sharp teeth in its mouth. Except for one, which is shattered and the gums raw and inflamed. The creature is clearly in pain and thrashing. I don't have the resources to treat it right now, but it's something to keep my eye out for.

Shattered Tooth has the Tags Pain***, Teeth* and Infection**. Based on the size of the creature and its tooth, I'll need 5 times the normal treatment.

While escaping from the creature takes an extra Timer, I've got what I need to treat Micheal. I think I will take advantage of the opportunity to get some more Slime Shell, which will help Bas Bata's Infection.

2: As I'm hunting for Slime Shell, I find a small fishing boat occupied by a dwarven fisherman named Grobreck.We spend a while chatting and he mentions a patch of Gas Weed that he rowed past not too long ago. I bid him farewell and find the Gas Weed exactly where he said it was, along with another Slime Shell.

3. Another Slime Shell down. As the sun goes down and the mist rises in the loch, a ghost ship sails past me. The skeleton crew sings a working song, stomping their feet to its steady rhythm as they hoist their sails.

4: As I'm hunting for more Slime Shells, I find a small abandoned campsite. Just a simple lean-to and a circle of stones around a pile of burnt out wood and ash. Inside the lean-to, I found a small flute and a few pages of what looks like sheet music. While I can't read music, the handwriting looks familiar. Could this be where the prior apothecary went to get away from their troubles?

5: As my last act before returning home, I decide to find some Sea Beast's Saliva to treat Bas Bata's intense Pain. While Bas Bata is certainly the greatest of all of the Sea Beasts in Meltwater Loch, she's not the only one. I find an immense eel slithering among the beams of an old shipwreck. It chases me into a small cabin, but it's too large to follow me inside. As it hisses threateningly, I gather its saliva from its gaping jaws. As it swims away, tired of waiting for me to leave the cabin, I turn to see a skeleton guarding an old treasure chest. Remembering the ghost ship, I decide to let the skeleton keep their treasure.

I return home with my ingredients and set about curing Micheal's breath. I use my mortar and pestle to grind the Star Shard to powder, which I then mix with the slime of one Slime Shell. I pour it into his tea cup with the last bit of mint tea from the pot and tell him to drink it down. As soon as he does so, his next breath is a gust of minty freshness.

I have earned my fee of 20 silver pieces and 1 point of Reputation for a successful cure.

Reputation: 6

Silver: 44

Reagents: Ambergris, Gas Weed, Pixie Fur, Sea Beast Saliva, Shock Fish, Slime Shell (x2)

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

Now that I have something of a quest, I'll be taking advantage of my downtime to try to fill it. I've got Timer 6 to do whatever I want. To keep things interesting, I'll be hunting for Shieldcap in Glimmerwood Grove, which will be good for Bas Bata's Teeth.

1: Shieldcap is plentiful, but unicorns are rare. This is my second glimpse of a unicorn in as many weeks. Perhaps one day, we will trust each other enough to get closer. But that is not today.

2: Just as I'm about to pit another Shieldcap in my pouch, I hear the roar of a bear very close behind me. I drop the Shieldcap and back away from the bear slowly before breaking into a run once I'm a safe distance away.

3. I reach for a Shieldcap by a riverbank, but slip on the slick mud. Thankfully, the river is home to a naiad named Galit, who rescues me and sets me on the bank along with all of the Shieldcaps I've gathered so far. I thank her profusely and suggest that maybe one day I'll learn to swim. She gives me a playful smile and suggests that she'd be willing to teach me. If only I didn't have a tormented Sea Beast to treat, I would have taken her up on her offer immediately.

4: I find more Shieldcap in a grove tended by a druid named Maplehusk. I tell him about my encounter with Bas Bata and my quest to treat the might creature's shattered tooth. Maplehusk then directs me to another patch of Shieldcap that he had encountered not far from the grove.

5: As I'm looking for the last Shieldcap I need, I feel a tap on my shoulder and a tug on my satchel. A small swarm of pixies has decided to prank me by stealing my satchel. I try to run after them ,but they are too fast. In their haste, however, they do drop one of the Shieldcaps I had gathered. Disheartened, I head home and await my next patient.

The main thing that happened this week was my birthday, which was on Sunday. I spent the day just relaxing and doing the things that I wanted to do. I resolved that I would treat myself to some RPG books from the game store, but wound up having the hardest time deciding what to buy.

My gaming collection as it stands now is very scattered. I packed up a pretty impressive collection about 5 years ago when I was getting ready to move to San Diego and most of it is still in storage. And my digital collection continues to expand. So whatever I buy now has to be something that either I don't already have or is sufficiently worth having a copy on hand right now, or something that I have a digital copy of and want a physical copy of or something that I don't have in any format. Combined with that eternal question "When am I actually going to play any of this?" I spent quite some time going back and forth among my options.

I settled on the new Cyberpunk RPG from R. Talsorian Games. With the new video game and Netflix show, it felt like time to get on board that train. I also picked up the Dungeon Masters Guide for D&D 5e. For a number of reasons, I haven't delved deeply into 5e, but this is one more step to taking that plunge. Now I just need the Monster Manual and I'll have the 3 main books.

Now on to the continuing adventures of Seth Creighton, Apothecary of High Rannoc.

Week 2

Although I failed to save my first patient, I was eager to make up for it with my second patient. Little did I suspect that my next patient would be an ogre from the mountains complaining of an ogre-sized hangover.

In game terms, a hangover has the Tags Poison* and Stomach* but a Timer of only 4. None of the ingredients I collected last week will help with these Tags, so I've got to go foraging,

I'll be heading to Hero's Hollow, a nearby dungeon where novice adventures go to prove themselves, to acquire Skullcap* and Crow Coal**. Skullcap should be the easiest, so I'll start there.

1: The areas closest to the entrance of the dungeon are supposedly well explored and relatively safe. That doesn't mean that surprises can't happen, though. Some crafty kobolds dug a pit trap where there wasn't one before and I made the mistake of falling into it. After playing dead at the bottom of the pit when the kobolds came to check on it and then climbing out, I'd lost 2 ticks of Timer, leaving me with only one more chance to gather the reagents for my hangover cure.

2: With only one chance left, I try to track down some Crow Coal. That way, if another hangover comes my way, I'll only have to find the Skullcap to have a complete cure. While I don't find any Crow Coal, I do find a map drawn by a novice adventurer. It's not very good, but it does have a description of a small pond with a Shock Fish. Not useful for a hangover, but it could help me treat other ailments.

Defeated again, I return to find my patient has recovered without my help. Or at least, the ogre's headache is down to the point where he is no longer in agony, but just very irritable. This time, my failure harms my Reputation. I didn't mention it last time, but I start with a Reputation starts at 5, as the locals are willing to give me a chance after their last apothecary disappeared mysteriously. But as the ogre passes through town grumbling on his way home, I can feel the villagers disapproval as I drop to Reputation 4.

Downtime: I only need 4 more segments of downtime to get the golem back in working order. I get it started building a Garden Plot which should be completed by the end of the season. I'll just wait out the 2 remaining segments because I want to try one more ailment and hopefully successfully cure it.

Week 3.

Flossie Patton may not consider her Toad Nose a blessing, but I sure do. As annoying as it is, it's a stable illness that won't get worse or better regardless of how much time I take. There's no Timer on this Ailment.

The Tags for the Ailment are Warts* and Mood*. This calls for a trip out to Glimmerwood Grove for some Songberries and a Princess Toad.

1: Just as I manage to locate a Songberry bush, I am accosted by a swarm of tiny pixies who play keepaway with the berries. Before long, they tire of their game and I gather my Songberries in peace.

2: I encounter the Princess Frog trapped in a spider's web. As it tries to wriggle free, I notice that a couple of the spider's legs are broken and its eyes flash iridescent colors. If I could heal its injured legs, it might be able to help me find magical ingredients in Glimmerwood Grove. I know Surgeon's Sap grows in the area, and even if there were a Timer on Flossie's Ailment, I already have the reagents for that.

3: Luck is on my side this week! Not only do I find Surgeon's Sap almost immediately, I see a unicorn further up the trail. As I close close to it, it notices me and runs off. Maybe someday.

Returning to the spider's web, I apply the Surgeon's Sap to the creature's broken legs. As I look into those 8 iridescent eyes, I sense that I have made a friend in the Glimmerwood Grove.

Rushing back to my cottage, I proceed to boil the Princess Frog's mucus before incorporating a paste made of crushed songberries. Once this is distilled into a thick paste, I apply it to Flossie's nose. We share a cup of tea while the paste does its work.  She then goes to wash her face and reveals her petite, button nose without a trace of the warts that had previously covered it.

With my first success, my Reputation begins to improve. It's now back up to 5. I also earned 24 Silver pieces.

To summarize:

Reputation: 5

Silver: 24

Reagents: Ambergris, Pixie Fur, Star Shard, Shock Fish,

Familiar: Spider (Magic Eye; Glimmerwood Grove only)

Golem Helper: Make Garden Plot (Will be finished by the end of Spring)

I still need to resolve Downtime for Week 3, but I'll do that next time.

InSpectres and Apothecaria

 My session of InSpectres went ... interestingly.

I had posted it as an event to my Meetup group, but didn't get much response. One of the people who had tried it with me at the big Meetup gathering had expressed an interest, but backed out when she realized that she was the only one.

Being a man of my word, I went to the meeting place anyway. It was Bards & Cards, so I figured there would be a chance of picking up some players while I was there. I was right. It was actually the fellow who had been looking for a Pathfinder game and another fellow who he had been playing Magic with when I walked in.

InSpectres is a very simple game, so we were able to make characters and get things underway fairly quickly. The point where things got interesting is when the players realized what having narrative control of the story can do. One of the players decided that their character was old and carried a walking stick. After a lucky roll let him pull off something pretty unlikely and definitely supernatural, the player decided to lean on that walking stick as much as the character did. Almost everything they did after that point was based on the walking stick and what ridiculous thing it would do this time.

It was fun for a one shot, but I told them that if we did a follow-up or it actually became a campaign, the walking stick would be strongly dialed back.

Nothing else on the list of games to play with other people, but I will be playing a game with myself.

Apothecaria is currently on the Bundle of Holding along with a number of other solo and journaling RPGs. I had seen someone else play it on RPG.net, so when it made it into the Bundle of Holding, my interest was piqued.

The game doesn't use stats or a character sheet, I'm at least going to give my character a fun name. Using a witch name generator, I've come up with Seth Creighton, so that it the name of my hedge witch/alchemist who will be mixing up cures for the fantastical ailments of the folk of High Rannoc.

Week 1

My first patient is Ira Neal and she has been Drunk. Not an issue of too much alcohol, but too little blood. Ira has had a run in with a vampire and is lucky to have survived. This is the most difficult of the Novice Ailments, requiring ingredients with the tags Blood*, Cold*, and Senses**. If there's good news here, it's that there's a slightly more generous Timer than other Ailments, with a value of 8. So I have 8 chances to forage for herbs before Ira has to face the Consequences of her Ailment.

I think my best bet is going to the Moonbreaker Mountains, since I can gather Ambergris*** which will treat the Cold and Senses Tags and Moon Moss *** to treat the Blood tag. Those are difficult ingredients, so I'm grateful for the extra Timer on this one.

1: I don't find any Ambergris and it's a good thing I didn't. I accidentally drew the attention of some gull-drakes and it would have been very easy to lose anything I had picked up in the ensuing scuffle.

2: An eccentric balloonist named Woodrow Hicks has dropped an anchor to me and offered me a lift in exchange for some company. He was kind enough to take me a floating sky-island to the last place he saw a sky-whale, which should help me find some Ambergris. Thanks to Woodrow's balloon, I was able to avoid some dangerous passes in the mountains and have effectively gained a point of Timer.

3: I finally found the Ambergris. And also a damaged stone golem. I was able to gather enough pieces that I might be able to turn it into a working stone golem with enough time and materials.

4: Now it's time to track down that Moon Moss. As I roam the Moonbreaker Mountains, I think I spot something that could be Moon Moss. It's only when I get closer that I find out it's actually a swarm of pixies. It's lucky that springtime is shedding season for pixies and I'm able to pick up some Pixie Fur without having to risk their ire. It put it in my pack next to the stone golem rubble and continue on my way.

5: I was lucky to escape with my life! I had apparently trespassed on the hunting territory of a Wild gryphon and it chased me into a narrow pass. Just before it could catch me, I ducked into a cave. The cave was part of a large complex tunnel system and I finally made my way to the surface far from the pass where I had seen the gryphon.

6: Still no Moon Moss, but I did find a Star Shard. Useful, to be sure, but not what I'm after right now.

7: Not as dramatic as a gryphon, but a billy goat can still wreck you day. Especially in the mountains, where his footing is stable, but mine wasn't. I slid down a ravine and had to take a different path out.

8: After all of my adventures so far, it felt good to find a Wayfarer Stone. The magic runes carved into its surface ensure that it's never too hot or too cold nearby, which is very useful against the chill mountain air. Not long after I sat down, a fellow in strange clothes approached. He said his name was Mark Kidd because he had grown up as a goatherder. I told him about my recent encounter with a billy goat and he gave me some advice for my next encounter.

9: With time running out for Ira, I dashed through the mountain passes with more speed than was wise trying to find some Moon Moss. I didn't notice the sheep in front of me until I had very nearly run into it. Allowing myself a moment to catch my breath, I noticed the sheep waiting very patiently. It's clearly a tame sheep that is part of someone's herd. But the only shepherd nearby is on the other side of the mountain. There's no way I could return the sheep and then make it home in time to save Ira. But I can't save Ira anyway since I haven't been able to gather any Moon Moss. I escort the sheep home to the shepherd and then return to High Rannoc well after sunset with my head bowed.

Ira's husband reported to me that she had disappeared at sunset with no trace but a red rose left on her pillow.

My first Ailment was unsuccessfully cured and the patient lost. I have gained no compensation, nor the trust of the villagers. But I did obtain Ambergris, Pixie Fur, and a Star Shard.

Downtime: I devote the rest of the week to trying to repair the stone golem I found. Of the 10 segments of downtime necessary to repair the golem, I spend 6.