The Newt and Demon

Theo spent what was left of the afternoon on reactions. His alchemical garden was at the point where it could produce hundreds of [Healing Potions] per day, but that left a gap for his other potions. Fenian enjoyed walking away from the town with a variety of potions. Attribute-enhancement potions were popular, but the alchemist was interested in brewing more niche potions. While his idea for constructs had fallen to the side, he needed to take the chance to produce for the trader. The cost of his potions had reached the point where gold couldn’t buy them. Bartering would be the way forward, which worked well for both Theo and the town.

Tresk signaled she was returning home as Theo wrapped up the day’s brewing. As he waited for her to return, he went through his mental list of modifiers to discover the best pairing for his stat potions. [Mana Bloom] might work in interesting ways, especially for attribute potions that enhanced [Intelligence]. [Embolden] was mostly useless, as it seemed far too dangerous to use. The effects usually traded mana for health, but the user could die if they didn’t have the required mana to fill the gap. By the time the Marshling got back to the Newt and Demon, he had a short list of modifiers that he could use, which led to a singular thought.

He needed more modifiers.

His mind tracked along a familiar path as they walked to the Marsh Wolf Tavern. Anything that arrived in town that came as though it was part of some destiny always made great potions. Theo had yet to experiment with [Veostian Karatan Cheese], but the properties were [Suffuse] and [Bind]. Their wool was likely to create good potions, although he didn’t look forward to eating hair to discover properties. The [Pozwa Horns] had already produced an essence that was unique, so that was sorted as an excellent investment. The only thing he had left for those horrid goat-things was their eggs.

Tresk went over her day, Theo splitting his attention as she talked. She met her fair share of new adventurers and had formed a small friend-group among them. The influx of new adventurers to the town was a boon, according to her. Theo agreed, if only for the increased business his store would draw. It was the first time at the Marsh Wolf that Xam did a repeat of a previous meal, but the curry-like Zee couscous was just as delicious as before. No one had a single complaint.

Alise had a few updates, even after Tresk shouted at her about not bringing b business to dinner. She heard about Throk’s new project, and took the lead on hiring adventurers and organizing the work. She used the town’s funds to buy more [House Seed Cores], but otherwise it seemed like a calm week. Xam took the opportunity to point Theo out as the reason her new bathhouse wasn’t open. By now, everyone knew what it was and it was impossible for her to keep the secret for more than a few days. The alchemist didn’t mind. Throk worked quickly.

Despite Theo not telling anyone about Fenian’s arrival, others in town seemed to know. Azrug was the likely culprit, having a communication crystal linking to the trader. Everyone seemed to prefer the Elf’s prices over the various traders that had been visiting. Theo had to wonder how the man even made a profit, but he shook the thought off.

When Tresk and Theo fell into the Dreamwalk, the Marshling’s assassination attempt was poor. The sneaky bomb technique he developed was enough to handle more assassins than she could spawn, and she didn’t take his advice on changing the scenario. He was fine with the situation as she abided by their new rule of having only a singular attempt every night. That left him with an uninterrupted night to experiment and refine his process. He took the chance to brew essences from the [Veostian Karatan Cheese], reminded once again that he couldn’t create anything new, but he could discover it through the normal process.

Something Theo learned about the Dreamwalk was the boundaries were flexible. If he believed he couldn’t do something, then it was so. But there were still hard limits to his abilities inside the dream, even if he felt it growing stronger by the day.

The cheese had the [Suffuse] and [Bind] properties, but neither seemed obvious. When he held a bottle of the [Refined Suffuse Essence] in his hands, it felt strange. Each reaction type failed, and his cores had no suggestions on making it happen. The [Refined Bind Essence] was easy to discover. It would produce a bomb-style potion, and a modifier essence of the same name. Whatever rules bound the Dreamwalk allowed him to pursue that bomb, resulting in an ordinary-looking bomb with a swirl of smoky energy behind the glass. Theo inspected the result.

[Bind Bomb]

[Bomb]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Shatter against a surface to release binding shadows.

Effect:

Bind a target. Time based on potion quality.

This bomb served a niche purpose, but Theo could see its use. His current strategy for binding targets centered on using a [Freezebomb] with the [Web] modifier. He could see this entering the arsenal he carried at all times, and a use for the adventurers who manned the walls of Broken Tusk.

Theo pushed himself in the Dreamwalk, trying to force his cores to advance to level 15. He ran more stills than he would have managed in the real world, tending gardens that sprawled over the landscape. They’d picked a pleasant memory from Tresk’s childhood, where she played in the hills north of Broken Tusk. Even with the delightful view, the alchemist had concerns about his core’s advancement. When he only had 2 cores, it was easy enough to understand how that affected his personal level. If they were both level 10, he’d be level 10. With 3 cores, that problem became confusing. Instead of providing half of his experience requirement, they all now provided a third, scaling with his level.

Both his [Drogramath Alchemy Core] and his [Drogramath Herbalism Core] were on the edge of level 15, but that would be useless for him. He’d unlock access to skills he desperately needed, but until his personal level hit 15, he couldn’t buy them. His [Governance Core] went to 9 yesterday, but his personal level sat at 13, stubbornly refusing to go higher. Times like this, it was tempting to use the [Lesser Experience Boost Potion], but warnings given by Fenian weren’t something he took lightly.

According to the Trader, it affected advancement and was considered illegal in the kingdom. The lesser version of the potion capped at level 10, but he was certain the second tier version would work up to 20. Theo pushed those thoughts aside, working through the night and waking the next morning to a rush of experience, but nothing to push him over the edge. Tresk woke at the same time as him, now that they used the Dreamwalking skill. Before heading off for breakfast, he ran his wheel of [Vesotian Karatan Cheese] through his grinder, made an offering to Drogramath, and set his still working on the first property, [Suffuse].

The leftovers from the night before were delicious, as they always were, and Theo went to make his rounds for the festival. While his wreath stood strong, most others had fallen to the elements. The alchemist tutted as someone in the neighborhood district had used mushrooms for their entry. It wasn’t a flower, but he allowed the entry anyway, since the mushrooms had a short lifespan, especially outdoors.

His [Governance Core] drank up each action he performed for the town, sending a series of small experience gains as windows popping into his vision. Theo ended his route at the marble quarry, finding a need to check in with Ziz and his gang of stoneworkers. The companionship gave him time to reflect on what he’d done in the town, and what needed to be done.

“Expansion is important,” Theo said, bringing his thoughts to words before the burly stoneworkers. “We have stone, metal, and wood production. Trade goods, an enchanter—even if she’s not doing much yet—and a wizard.”

“You stress out too much,” Ziz said, patting him on the shoulder. “I heard Throk cursing your name about the new water project.”

Theo nodded at that. He might have pushed the Marshling too hard, but he’d appreciate it in time. When things got better, people always forgot about the hard work they put in to make something happen. The hirelings were finishing up the last of the changes to the water system; the thought bringing Theo back to his idea of what they produced. Motes were needed to power most everything in town, but they had failed to create anything that harvested them in mass quantities.

“I wonder if we can set up a mote collection system,” Theo said, tapping his chin.

“Don’t look at me,” Ziz said. “You need stone? Gems? I got you. All that other stuff is too much to think about.”

Theo reclined on an unfinished pile of stone blocks, looking over his town below. At this rate, they’d break 100 citizens by the middle of next month. That was a point that stuck in his mind constantly. It was a number that seemed absurd, compared to the 20-something citizens he started with. Alise was clever enough about planning the city to make sure everyone had a nice place to stay, but his thoughts went back to the idea of expansion. They needed more land, and only the area east of town was suitable for habitation.

“Those gems are expensive, right?” Theo asked.

“Extremely expensive,” Ziz said. “Although Zarali buys almost all my stock now.”

Theo didn’t have a comment for that. She had a lot of money, but he didn’t know how.

“How are you guys doing?” Theo asked. “Need anything?”

A laborer laughed somewhere near the quarry. Ziz smiled.

“We’re good,” Ziz said.

“Have you met with any of the new people?” Theo asked.

“Yeah, I saw Alise throw a few folks out,” Ziz said, scratching his chin. “She has a great sense for people. She can smell a bad one before they hit the bridge.”

Those words were exactly what Theo wanted to hear. No one in town was slacking on their duties, which was made clear by the meeting they had with Rivers and Daub. When they brought assassins to take over the town, Aarok, Luras, and the adventurers were ready to intervene. The townsfolk of Broken Tusk fell into their roles with excitement, and that’s all he could ask.

Theo spent some time relaxing with the stonecutters. They were a rowdy bunch, though, so he made his way down to inspect Throk’s work as his mental timer ticked away. Instead of taking a straight course to the angry Marshling, he ran around and collected reagents for his potions. The wild reagents weren’t nearly as good as the cultivated ones, but they’d work for creating mass-production potions.

Xam’s bathhouse, resting behind the Marshwolf Tavern, looked much like the tavern itself. Dark wood slat walls with a blue wood-tiled roof. A sign hung from the door, claiming they would open as soon as Theo got his head out of his butt. That would be today, or tomorrow, depending on how fast Throk was working. As he made his way into the fields, across the road from Miana’s ranch, he saw their work was almost completed. The building the workers erected wasn’t the most beautiful, but it was better than a few boilers sitting in the middle of the town. Throk’s workers had already filled the trenches, which meant they were done putting the pipes in place.

When Theo entered the building, he found his requested boilers in place, all with complex timing artifices hooked up. Other pipes ran from the boilers to hoppers, mounted on the side of the square building, which he understood was for motes. So long as the hoppers were full, the boilers could run forever. He left the small building, finding his backup system north of the ranch. An even smaller building stood near the bank of the river, but Throk was nowhere to be found.

The new water system was nice, but there was an old problem that Theo never solved. He made his way back to the Newt and Demon, stopping to chat with Azrug as he considered the issue.

“Salt mines were a thing on Earth,” Theo said. “But I still haven’t figured that out.”

“You said salt was in everything,” Azrug said, leaning over the counter.

“That’s true,” Theo said. “If I could figure out this reagent deconstruction thing, I could pull salt from them.”

“Well, everyone is buying up your new potions,” Azrug said. “You should make more.”

“Go weed my garden,” Theo said, grinning.

“If I weed those giant plants in the greenhouse, will you brew more [Healing Potions]? Maybe something other than those?” Azrug asked.

Theo waved him away. “I just need a bigger greenhouse. I suspect there’s a dedicated building I could use.”

“Oh, you mean this?” Azrug asked, pulling nothing out of his pocket. He smiled. “Just kidding. That’s something Fenian would do, right? Just show up with exactly what you need.”

“He has a habit of being overly informed,” Theo said.

Theo bid farewell to the shopkeeper, walking out the front door instead of up to the lab. He needed to spend time in his greenhouse anyway, gaining as much herbalism experience as he could so he could push his core to level. The alchemist maintained the current pattern of the garden, favoring fully cultivated [Spiny Swamp Thistle] plants over introducing new ones. He had a small row near the northern side of the glass building where he kept his other creations, propagating them occasionally so he didn’t lose that progress.

There was a problem with producing cultivated reagents that restored mana and stamina. [Manashrooms] were mushrooms that only grew in a dark cave, north of town. [Moss Nettle] only grew in the tall Ogre Cypress trees. Neither reagent was suitable for growth within the greenhouse, limiting his options on which he wanted to grow. A thousand [Healing Potions] at absurd quality was better than a few of each at decent quality. When he was done in the greenhouse, he went to the lab to tend to his stills.

Theo moved the flask of [Refined Suffuse Essence] to the side, saving that for later. He cleaned his stills with [Cleansing Scrub] and set them up for another run. The alchemist already brewed enough potions to make Fenian’s trip worthwhile, but the shop needed more potions. With the stills loaded with cultivated [Spiny Swamp Thistle Root], and [Stone Flowers], he turned his attention to the new essence.

It was nothing special to speak of. Something about the Dreamwalk blocked his senses when he was there, perhaps a personal failing, but out in the real world it spoke to him as a detergent-style essence. He ran the basic experiment to figure out the essence to water ratio, settling on a strangely dilute mix of the two. It reminded him of the [Tunneling Potion] in its design, but the description was too vague to understand.

[Suffuse Potion]

[Potion]

Rare

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

A potion used to bind two properties to an object, or each other.

Effect:

Bind two properties.

Sometimes the system gave him exact numbers, effects, and side-effects of a potion. Other times it gave him vague hints as to the use of a potion. He set the flask of potion aside, scratching his head in confusion. Theo was snapped out of his stupor, a system message he’d been waiting for popping up.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] receivedexperience (5%).

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] leveled up! Level 15.

[Drogramath Alchemy Core] gained an enhanced effect: +5 wisdom.

“One core down,” Theo said, feeling the slight tingle in his mind as his intuition expanded by a fraction. “One to go.”

Theo left the lab, letting his potions cook down. He wouldn’t discover the secrets of the [Suffuse Potion], but he suspected it was related to a skill he hadn’t unlocked. It wasn’t entirely like the [Reveal] property, but it had the same flavor. That led him to think it was related to constructs. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have a use for the potion until his personal level hit 15. The alchemist planned to leave [Reagent Deconstruction] for level 20, taking [Alchemy Constructs] at level 15. His mana control was still horrible, and would require greater practice before he found a use of the skill.

Attempting to level his [Governance Core], Theo split his attention between visiting citizens and picking herbs. The woodcutting operation was going great. Sledge elected someone to be the forester that managed which trees to cut, and which to leave. The Ogre Cypress, despite towering to the heavens like skyscrapers, grew at an absurd rate. With the help of a forester, that process was even faster.

The miners were doing fine, but they hadn’t found new metals in the ground. Their new tunnels allowed them to increase production, but that bottlenecked at Alise. The smelter had found an apprentice in record time, even buying her a [Smelter’s Core] with the town’s funds. She must have told Alise about the situation, who then sorted the money out.

As Theo made his way back to the Newt and Demon, he felt a familiar haptic buzz in his mind. He recognized it as Fenian’s communication crystal, which he withdrew without hesitation.

Alchemist! Fenian shouted, excitement seeping from his words. Is the far side of the river still clear?

Theo blinked a few times, trying to let his brain catch up to the strange question.

Last I checked.

Perfect! Fenian shouted, laughing into Theo’s mind. If you wouldn’t mind charging your towers, that would be lovely. I’m coming with an unfriendly guest!

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