Conversations with an Alchemist
While teaching in the Study of Renrut Nek, a Dreamer entered who made me gasp and stop in mid-sentence. I knew him immediately and knew why he was here. What I did not understand at the moment was the adventure he was about to present me.
He spoke rather sharply to me and ordered me to a place of privacy. I took him to Bogram's Liar. After inspecting the area, he eased slightly and began to speak. Unsure of his surroundings, how he had arrived, or why he was only 4th sphere, he asked me an abundance of questions in succession. I did my best to orient him; it was then that I knew how he had arrived. Moreover, I understood why.
Over the course of the next week or two, we traveled in secret; studying the planes he used to call his home. After a time, Fenr'al felt comfortable enough to confide in me and share his tale (See Fenr'al Tells His Tale) . I, in turn, explained how he had been returned to a place he had been exiled from. Eventually, I felt compelled to ask him why he had sought me out, and not our High Priestess.
"Are you not an Overscanner?" he asked.
I could not believe my ears! He actually thought me an Overscanner. However, he did not know of the death of Trebak (Refer to StarScanner Section) . He did not know that Trebak had been DreamStruck and that his Soul Essence had been buried in the mound at the Rings of Passage. Slowly, I began to tell him all I knew of the Overscanners and showed him a transcript. He read the meeting minutes of the StarScanners with tears in his eyes. It was then that I knew the Prophecy was coming true before my eyes.
"And what of Asmodan? Was he DreamStruck as well and no longer a threat to this beautiful City?"
I was in shock. "No, we live in fear of the fact that he will return anytime to take his Ruler's Ring from my husband, kill his own children along with many innocents. We believe he will try to return to the Throne of the Keepers of the Eternal Shadow as its Dark Lord."
Fenr'al grabbed my arm rather forcefully and pulled me toward him, his eyes staring coldly and deeply into mine. He whispered, "We don't have much time and I have much to teach you. We will begin immediately. Take me to the place you do your research, I want to see your laboratory now!"
Well, I was rather put off by the whole experience and was considering Blasting him a few times to teach him some manners (as is my nature). I began concentrating upon him and staring at him intensely. "You'll not talk to me in that tone, I don't care who you think you are!" He pushed me hard enough not only stopping my evocation, but landing me against the wall as well.
"Listen to me carefully as we have very little time. I must teach you what I know. Berkana has a good idea, but she is only one. You are the Dark Star and you are a StarScanner."
The Name of this place is Syriand's Graceful Entrance
Once again, I returned to the safety and serenity of Home. He kicked a few things out of his way and walked around. He picked up the Recharging Talisman and snickered under his breath. "You really think this piece of ago dung will work?" It was still in pieces from when I heard Intrigue's screams of pain, and had dropped it onto the floor.
"As a matter of fact, I DO think it will work. I've had this piece (pointing at the cylindrical encasement) made by a knowledgeable DreamSeer not too long ago."
I looked at the broken Recharger and sighed a bit under my breath. Looking over to Fenr'al, I watched like a child whose parent brings home a bag of goodies. He cleared a worktable by dragging his arm across it; notes, journals, and Elemens fell to the floor in a heap. He then laid his pack upon the table and pulled out a tattered book and then a variety of objects - roots, herbs, a few vials and small Earthen pottery jars. He laid them out on the table carefully and reached for a flask in his pack, uncorked it, poured the murky liquid into an Earthen mug, and drank from it greedily. He pulled up a chair and began to talk quickly.
"I will tell you the ways that we were taught from the Book of Val'Des when I first came to the feet of Aquiela. The wisdom is complex and as used in the manner, which I did, without the proper Balance with the other Wisdoms, it can be the portal to one's demise in this City.
You see, this City is one of the greatest alchemical and magickal creations of all time. It is the very essence of it all.
The human spirit manifests in a triad of forces, which Alchemists call, Sulphur, Mercury and Salt, corresponding to the Spirit, Soul and Body. Sulphur is the active force by which Order is created out of Chaos, the individualized aspect of the Universal Spirit. Mercury (also known as QuickSilver) is the passive force by which represents the individual Spirit manifesting as the soul. The inner heat must purify the soul so that it may be re-formed by the volatile Spirit into a universal state. Salt is the material manifestation of the soul, the physical body; this is healed and transformed by the purification and transformation of the soul..." (The Full Lecture @ Chapter 5)
Well, I was completely dumbfounded. I had not the first clue as to what he was talking about. I had started taking notes, but found that they made less sense than his words.
"Nature is sustained by a continuous rhythm of disintegrations and formations, and the Alchemist imitates this with his 'solve et coagula'. He dissolves the imperfect coagulation of the soul (lead) and crystallizes it in a new form (gold). This is accomplished through an inner circulation of energy which the alchemist sets in motion, and this circulation then works by itself to achieve the desired result. The fixed form of the soul must be melted down so that its creative power is freed; then, it becomes the father of a new form. This process creates unstable changes and irrationality in the Alchemist, and only the influence of the illuminated mind can control the change and bring back stability."
>Fenr'al pauses for a moment and sighs sadly
"You can see that it was here that I made the turn with our works. This is where the Chaos took hold of me and I began to warp to the Darkness."
>Fenr'al continues
"When you pass from the consciousness of individual existence to the consciousness of universal existence (I might interject that this is debatably the split second of awakening… This is where the Balance of the individual begins), you will experience a state of darkness and Chaos called variously the nox profunda. This is the dark night of the soul or the lost confusion, corresponding to energy in an unformed potential state. Philosophical Mercury is the water of life, the spring in which the Sun and Moon, Spirit and Soul must bathe in order to be rejuvenated. This Mercury must be distilled from its normal course in the body so that it can be transformed into the medicine called the Quintessence. 'Boil' the body in the white water (mercury) until it has been dissolved in blackness. On boiling for a very long time, it will eventually lose its blackness, and finally the dissolved body will arise along with the white (purified) soul. They will unite in perfect harmony and become inseparable. This is the dissolution of the body and the fixation of the Spirit. These circulations should keep time with the heavens, each circulation lasting one week. The Quintessence is derived from the four elements through the Work of the Pelican (in the root center), and perfected by a simple digestion with the help of the Phoenix."
>Fenr'al stops and sips from an earthen mug before he continues.
I rose and wandered over to a small fire with a kettle nestled over it and fixed a cup of Harrowroot Tea, wishing for something a bit stronger. I suppose I should have understood what he was talking about, and my face must have shown my frustration and confusion. He glanced at me and scowled slightly, his tone changing to reflect his expression.
"The addictive effects of studying the Alchemic principals were evident to Aquiela. Though we were to learn the basics, he set forth that we were to restrict our studies to Herbal Alchemy in the City. I, of course, was not satisfied with that and with the reign of terror that the DreamStrike Masters were causing, I knew that there was some way to use the knowledge to aid us in their defeat. But, for the record, I will tell you the guidelines of the Herbal Alchemy here for you now."
Yes, but did I want to know? This guy sounded as loony as a goon and he was fixing to share some ancient secrets with me and I was suppose to be grasping all this. My fists began to clench as did my jaw, resettled myself in my bean bag chair and continued to let him babble.
"The auras of plants will help you to figure out their uses and powers. Pale yellow pink indicates a poisonous plant. Bright violet pink shows a medicinal plant. White pink (murky or brilliant white) means it is a power plant. Substances (essence and salt) should not be intermixed when alchemical elixirs are prepared. The vegetable, mineral and animal essences should never be mixed in any preparation; the result will be either neutral or poisonous."
"Alright!!!!", I shouted. "That is quite enough! You have come to me, demanded my attention to spoken to me as if I understood what in the world you're talking about." I stood up and threw my teacup across the room, shattering it into pieces and began to take my leave of this madman.
"THAT! That is EXACTLY what I am talking about." He pointed at the shattered cup in the corner. His eyes filled with the fires of rage and he stood up, straightening himself in a foreboding manner. "Foolish woman! You think your arts and knowledge are as written. You have traveled this City not having the first clue what you are doing!"
That was quite enough for me!!!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
>Fenr'al screams, clearly beginning to weaken!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
>Fenr'al appears heavily damaged!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
>Fenr'al seems very near dissolution!!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You evoke Blast on Fenr'al!
You have defeated Fenr'al!
>purple lace claps her hands together as if dusting them off and walks off in a huff……
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