Day 1
Demus woke up, not knowing what time it was save that he was hungry. As always, the room was lit indirectly, so it was easy to do. his stretches.
... 'Hey, am I here?'
--- 'Always. What's up?'
... 'I got what I wanted, so do I keep on loving and thanking things?'
--- 'Well, not the same things, but yes. Actually, there's a different method for continuing to get the best....'
... 'Okay. Teach me, please?'
--- 'Certainly. This is a bit quieter, but it's longer. I call it "Bliss-Work". So, I inhale as much as I can, hold, hold, exhale as fully as I can, hold, hold, repeat. Very good, I keep breathing like that and I choose something that I already love, like life or chocateel milk. Then, as I inhale, I mentally shout: "I love life!", and then when I exhale, I mentally shout: "I thank life!", and I do that over and over until suddenly, I feel really good.'
Demus sat on the cot in the cross-legged stretch, and began breathing and thinking that way. At eight breaths, a huge smile blossomed. It felt like butter has melted in his head, and honey was in his mouth. Humming happily, he got dressed, walked down to the eating hall, and around into the kitchen. In the Stasis cupboard there was bread, butter, mead, beer, water, sausage, and a quarter wheel of cheese. In the other cupboards there were other foods and spices.
... 'What should I eat?'
--- 'I think I should make a toasted cheese sandwich!'
... 'What's that?'
--- 'Stir up the fire and find a frying pan. Get bread, butter, and several thin slices of cheese.'
... 'The sausage smells kinda good.'
--- 'Tomorrow, either by itself or as part of the sandwich. But today I have to learn this carefully...'
Demus learned to make a toasted cheese sandwich, and was amazed and delighted at how the melting of the cheese made it taste. After washing the frying pan and hanging it back up, Demus wandered around. There were violyns and gytars on stands in the big room, one wall had a harmonium, and after a while, he found a bookshelf and some books.
.......Varieties of Potential looked quite interesting, so Demus took it to a comfortable couch and started reading.
~~~~~There are 16 kinds of Potential: Physical Might, Craft Knowledge, Weapons and Armor, Tactics and Stratagems, Persuasion, Information Control, and then the esoteric forms, Psychic Magic, Divine Magic, Infernal Magic, Arcane Magic, Alchemy, Qi, Astral, Argonia, and Deific Primality. The exoteric, or first seven forms are dealt with in the first half of this book.~~
Demus flipped to the second half.
~~~~~Divine Magic and Infernal Magic are granted spells and powers, to learn them or about them, contact a priest or go to a relevant temple or fane. The granting sources are jealous of their ways, and require commitment.
~~~~~Psychic Magic and Arcane Magic use units of magical usage. The unit name for Psychic Magic is Prana. Psychic Magi are born with an inner talent of Prana production and storage. The varieties of Psychic Magi are the Wild Mystic, the Channeler, the Deceiver, the Esotericist, the Mental Adept, and the Shatech. For all of these save the Mental Adept, when a young humanoid has unknowingly saved up Prana, a being skilled in one or another of these ways will notice him or her and offer to train, teach, or apprentice her or him. If this chance is not accepted, other chances may occur spontaneously, but the likelihood reduces. A young adult who has stored Prana may be able to find a Pranic Academy. Mental Adepts need no tutelage, they intuitively discover the usages of Prana, somewhat like Arcane Sorcerors.
~~~~~The unit name for Arcane Magic is Mana. Mana is formed of a mixture of 33% Argonia, 17% Qi, and 50% mental importance or beauty. Arcane Magi are born with an inner talent of Mana Production and Storage. The varieties of Arcane Magi are Abjurer, Conjurer, Diviner, Enchanter, Evoker, Illusionist, Necromant, Transmuter, Elementalist, and Sorceror. When a young humanoid saves up a store of mana, a particularly agressive, highly trained kind of Arcane Magi (a mixture of many of the non-Sorcerous kinds) will seek her or him out, offer apprenticeships to those of noble birth, and buy or kidnap those not of noble birth, to raise and train them in the infamous, nefarious "Wizard's Guild". Sorcerors need no tutelage. Their knowledge of the uses of mana are intuitive and in-born.
~~~~~Pranic Academies and the Wizard's Guilds exist because those who cannot store Prana or Mana feel threatened by the asymetrical potentials of those who can. These are ways that those who are masters of Physical Might, Craft, and Persuasion can be seen to control these other potentials in order that the masses of humanoids they rule will feel safe. These methods of control do not affect either Mental Adepts or Sorcerors, and as a result those that do not hide their talents well are often persecuted, pursued, exiled, or even killed by their erstwhile fellow serfs or citizens.
~~~~~All living beings produce Qi. Generally plants produce more than fungi, fish more than plants, reptiles more than fish, birds are a special case, and mammals more than reptiles. Some humanoids can be trained to store Qi. Many humanoids can learn to use Qi. Most usages of Qi are difficult to perceive, and those trained to store Qi are usually trained in an order of personal battle mastery, so the masses of humanoids do not persecute them when they are under the protection of that (or a similar) order. Within each phylum of living being, there are special varieties that are the exception. Plants that store Qi generally have an Elemental Connection, and the Qi becomes 'flavored' with that Element. The super-exception is the Amaranth. It collects, stores, and distributes amazing amounts of both Qi and Argonia as a part of its pollen distribution process, even across planar boundaries. These particles of mixed Qi, Argonium, and pollen usually glow, and are called 'scintilla'. Finding an Amaranth is often a great quest of a monastic order or Alchemist Tower.
~~~~~The Astrality and the Ocean of Argonia are both highly energized infinitudes of nested spaces. The Astrality seems to be an unending sky with different colors of clouds, and it expresses the nesting of its spaces as layers. The Ocean of Argonium seems to be an unending sea, with temperature differences and currents. It expresses the nesting of its spaces as 'deeper whirls'. The Astrality is energized with Prana, which appears to be a glowing gas. The Ocean is energized with Argonia, which appear to be dark blue flames. All mammals and most vertebrates that sleep, experience spontaneous Astral Travel about one out of three 'dream periods'. It is not a dream. Any sentient being can learn to manipulate the Prime-Material Boundary between the Physical and the Ethereal, and thus may create a temporary opening into the Ocean of Argonia. While the appearance of Argonia remains a dark blue flame, it has not been affected. Levity and 'positive emotions' affect the Argonia to become Positive Argone, transitioning to bright blue flames and then to invisibility. Living beings thrive in the presence of Positive Argone. Seriousness and violently 'negative emotions' affect the Argonia to become Negative Argone, grey flames, black mist, and then invisible. Living beings become sickened in the Presence of Negative Argone. Mana and Prana are negated, destroyed, and repelled. Qi is blocked and curdles. Crafted Amber (a concoction of metal shavings or dust in colored, shaped, and dried tree saps) tends to gather Negative Argone and transform it into Positive Argone.
~~~~~This leaves Alchemy. There are three kinds: herbal, venomous, and spiritual. Herbal is concerned with finding plants that have stored Qi, harvesting parts of them to transfer the Qi in, and then deriving the essential oils and essential saltes of these Qi-ergized plant parts using Craft Techniques (distillation, etc), and recombining them to produce greatly enhanced medicinal or psychoactive effects, and to produce mana. Each deriving sequence applies parts of Spiritual Alchemy to the Alchemist, gradually transforming him into a being ready to discover Spiritual Alchemy. Venomous Alchemy uses Craft Techniques to derive and refine damage-causing or other special aspect potentials of various material concoctions.~~
Demus put the book down, his mind whirling with all the names, units, labels.
He wandered around, not seeing anything, stumbling into things a few times.
--- 'Sit there! Stop thinking about all that stuff! Just breathe! Put all of your attention on inhaling!...and then exhaling...inhale...exhale...'
Gradually the mixed-up chattering in his mind quieted and faded away. He started to hear something, like a far away chime... and then his body itched all over, on the inside also. He stood up and wrythed in place.
... 'What the Buff is this!?'
--- 'I've been putting my attention on things of the mind too much, for too long in a row! My body wants that attention now! I need balance!!'
... 'So what should I do?'
--- 'Get outside, go for a walk or a hike, breathe a lot of natural air!'
Demus turned and strode up the stairs to the front door. He came out noticing a brisk chill to the air. Not bitterly cold, but not like walking in the forest either. The door closed.
... 'Why is it so much warmer in there?'
--- 'I'll tell me later. Hike!'
So Demus walked quickly around the tower, which seemed to be about 20' in diameter and 60' high. He started to be confused, but shook his head and refocused on what he was doing. He found the Northern side of the plateau that the tower was built into continued at an upward slant into the mountain ridge. The Southern side of the tower had a road, but although the outside itches had faded, the ones inside seemed more intense. Walking wasn't going to do it, so he wasn't interested in any roads.
Quickly making his way to the rocky slant, he started climbing. Within most of an hour, the itches had all faded away, and he felt 'almost-dizzy'.
--- 'Okay. Sit down and just breathe. I'm goung to tell me some things. I should think about them later. First, the tower is warmer inside because the kitchen and eating rooms, where warmth is made, are more than ten feet underground. Ten feet underground usually stays somewhat warm, even during the winter, with a few exceptions depending on water and permafrost. Second, I'm still quite young. I haven't made or stored up much Prana or Mana yet, but that could change. There will be a way that I can learn to do magic. Third, now that I'm in a better situation, I'm going to have to start eating more often. My body can't grow strong without enough food. I'll probably be dunging every day. Fourth, because I am young, keeping a balance between body work and brain work is very important. Now, my body is starting to get cold, I should climb back down, find a place to dung, clean-up, and go have some more food.'
Demus stood, nodded, and began climbing back down. He found a strange, tall, tiny shack with a crescent moon carved into the door. It smelled like ancient dung. Later he returned to the tower door, unlocked it, and made his way down to the kitchen.
After lunch, Demus felt completely worn out, body and mind. He laid down on his cot to take a nap.
Day 2
Demus woke up, stiff and cold. He grabbed up his cloak and blanket angrily.
...'Hey! Why didn't I wake me up?!!'
---'I tried, but I wouldn't wake up.'
...'I really need to stretch, I guess.'
---'I should get as warm as I can first. Cover my head with the blanket.'
Fairly soon, Demus was quite warm.
...'Huh! I never knew that.'
---'Yeah, most of the heat in me leaves through the top of my head. When it's cold around, I can see the warm moisture in my breath.'
Being warmed, Demus did his stretches, tenderly, then headed down to the kitchen and fried up some sausage.
Carefully staying away from the bookshelves, Demus decided to explore the stairs going up. Unlike those going down, these were not enclosed with walls, but were a series of wide, flattish stones set into the inside of the big, circular wall. They were just a touch too high and far from each other for Demus to be comfortable walking up or down. But he could jump up, stop, and jump up again. About every sixth or seventh jump, he would have to catch something and climb back up onto the stone-stair, sit dangling his legs over the wide open, and get his breath back. By the time he reached the end, six floors up, a couple of hours had passed.
Demus entered the door at the top. There was a short hall, and then a door with a sign: "Way-jo and Alchemist's Garden". There was no handle, no lock, and no hinges to be seen. Near the right edge, halfway toward the top was a recessed copper plate that he could barely reach. Try as he might, Demus couldn't get the door open.
He rested some and started down the stairs. There was no problem with over-jumping off, but about every third stair he would fetch-up against the wall. Breathing heavily, Demus made his way down to the kitchens. He cut several slices of cheese, and opened a jar of apple juice for lunch
* * * * * * *
He felt a hand on his shoulder, the soft 'come out' cue. He closed his eyes, and thought: 'Exit Demus. Exit World System. Exit Game Editing.' Everything he was sensing from Demus faded away. He opened his eyes, sat straighter, took off the world-editing gear.
---"Hey, Jimbo! What's up?"
\//"We have to talk, Reg. What are you doing?"
---"Same thing. Trying to figure out how to motivate young NPCs to become heroes without using obvious prompts."
\//"Good, except you seem to be realtiming one NPC over and over again."
---"Not realtiming. I get three to five days in ten hours."
\//"I don't mind ten hours in-system once in a while. But every day is bad for your health, and it drags the whole system speed down. It's okay for players whose characters are close to one-for-one, but those who have down-time aren't able to fast-forward through it."
---"That is a problem. Sorry. Is anyone playing near Rindyn?"
\//"Unlikely. Why?"
---"I can clone it, let the clone go with the world, and freeze it so that I edit in two-hour bursts."
\//"Will you use the gym or swim in-between?"
---"That sounds good."
James turned away, walked toward the exit, then stopped.
\//"You forget we went to college together, Reggie. I don't care how it sounds, do you promise to do it?"
---"Oh, alright!" James left.
---'It has been a while since I did any swimming.' Reggie got up to go to the company athletics area.
* * * * * * * * *
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
After lunch, Demus was tired of exploring. Outside the tower it was cold and blustery, so he wasn't interested in that. He didn't want to get captivated by a book again....
---'I should avoid theory then. Look for a book about practical things.' Demus looked carefully and found a small bookshelf on things like -Tower Maintenance-. The fifth book was -The Way of Supreme Qi-. It seemed to be a series of movements, like a very slow, solo dance.
...'Interesting.' He sat down, flipped past the introduction and a few chapters of history to the illustrations.
€€€"Always go as slowly as you possibly can. Inhale for every arm or leg move-part upward or inward, and exhale for every leg or arm move-part downward or outward. As your body moves, you are moving your aura, concentrating your Qi. As you do, more Qi from around you refills your aura.
€€€"To begin, make your aura brighter by never forcing anything to happen. Breathe deeply and clearly. Stand up in a way that is relaxed. As you inhale, let your chest remain relaxed, but pull your stomach down and outward. Your Qi will go where you have your breath going. As you exhale, your chest remains relaxed, but pull your stomach in and upward. Focus on your stomach from your navel downward to your hips. When you turn, let this area turn freely also."
Demus turned the book down on the couch to save his place and jumped up to try it.
---'Very good! Except for my neck, No, I don't mean 'let go of my head', keep my head up, but stop forcing it to stay there.'
...'What the Buff do I mean?'
---'Imagine that my head is floating, like I'm standing in a pool of water, with the surface just under my chin. There! Exactly!! Just breathe a few times.'
So Demus breathed a few times, and then picked up the book again.
€€€"Each move is like very slow walking, where you are sending your weight from one leg to the other. At first all of your weight is on one leg, then you send part of your weight to the other, then more, then almost all, then all. You must be able to tell when a leg has all of your weight and when it has none of your weight.
€€€"As you complete each move, remain relaxed. If you raise your shoulders or extend an elbow, this is a sign that you have lost your relaxedness. Just drop your shoulders an let your elbow come back in as you remind yourself to relax.
€€€"Each movement-part should be completed in one full breath. You begin with the feet as you inhale, pulling Qi up into you from the Earth. The movement continues smoothly upward until your Qi is gathered. Then, as you exhale, you send your Qi with more smooth movement until you have sent the Qi to flow. If the movements are not smooth, the Qi will flutter.
€€€"The movements are a dance, but your aura is the song. The song directs, informs, and supports the dance. The dance does not cause the song. They must be done together. You move your aura while you are moving your body.
€€€"The dance of the movements is not a thing of thought or memory. You learn them, but then must defocus your mind. Getting them 'right' is not the big thing, they will be 'right' eventually. Having them 'wrong' but your Qi flows excellently and your mind remains defocused throughout is perfection."
...'Defocus my mind? How do I do that?'
---'Uhm, look across the room. See that bookshelf near the far wall? Good. Now see the yellow couch in the middle of the room? You have to look past it to focus on the bookshelf. Okay, so.. Focus on the bookshelf! Now you are defocused on the couch. Focus on the couch! Now you are defocused on the bookshelf. Repeat that a few times.'
...'This is making me dizzy!'
---'I should go stand and breathe in the Way of Supreme Qi.
...'I don't even know any of the movements yet!'
---'It doesn't matter. Pretend I am standing in the pond, and the water is amazingly heavy on the bottom. Let my head float. Just breathe, good. Am I still dizzy? Ready to go on?
---'Okay, to get that feeling of defocusing on anything, look straight ahead. Now, cross my eyes. Good, now let them go and just stop using them. There you are! Defocused on your first day!! Magnificent!!!"
...'So- when I defocus my eyes, I defocus my mind?'
---'So far!'
Demus sat down to read the movements.
€€€"There is a bowl within your body that your Qi rests in. The front edge is found beneath your navel by placing your hand there, forefinger just under your navel, and the front edge of the ~"bowl Qi-in"~ rests against your smallest finger. Stand relaxed with your feet as far apart as your shoulders are, and breathe a few times. Feel your Qi in your ~bowl Qi-in~ moving with each part of your breath. There will be moments while doing a Qi way movement, when you will need to send your Qi back to your ~bowl Qi-in~.
1) Inhale, then start an exhale and gently step left, leaving all of your weight on your right leg. Then send half of your weight to your left leg. Finish the exhale and roll your hands gently down, inhale and let your arms flow out ahead of you and up to shoulder-height. Exhale and let your hands float down to waist-height. Bend your knees slightly.
2) Inhale, send most of your weight back to your right leg, turn left with your waist, exhale and step your left leg forward, send one fourth of your weight to your left foot. Bring your left hand up and back, while your right hand moves forward and up to almost meet it. Inhale. Exhale and send your Qi into an invisible ball between your hands, and send three quarters of your weight to your left foot. Inhale and feel your Qi swirling in the ball. Exhale and let the ball hover before you while your left hand moves out to your left at shoulder height and your right hand moves right downward toward your waist and you turn at your waist more to the left. Inhale and move your hands back to the ball, send half your weight to your right foot. Exhale, let the ball hover before you as your left hand moves down near your left waist and your right hand moves out at shoulder-height as you turn at the waist to your right. Inhale, send most of your weight back to your right leg, turn left with your waist, exhale and step your left leg forward, send one fourth of your weight to your left foot. Bring your left hand up and back, while your right hand moves forward and up to almost meet it. Inhale. Exhale and send your Qi into your ball between your hands, and send three quarters of your weight to your left foot. Inhale and feel your Qi swirling in the ball. Exhale.
€€€"Repeat this movement many times before adding the next movement to your routine."
Happily, Demus got up and began repeatedly, slowly going through each step. On the third time through,
---'Okay, I think I've got it. I'm doing a great job with the breathing. Now it's time to defocus while I'm doing the move.'
So Demus tried that, and it all flowed amazingly well. He went right into his late afternoon stretches, had a snack of apple butter on bread, went to his cot and fell asleep.
Day 3
Demus woke up early, before dawn. He was warm, though the air was cool. He sprang up, did his stretches, and flowed right into the Qi dance.
...'I feel SO! amazing!!'
---'Indeed!'
He trotted down to the kitchen, but instead of any kind of sandwich, he chopped up bean sprouts, broccoli spears, a few leaves of baby spinach and boil-fried them in watered beaten eggs, all going by instinct and desire. The flavor was completely new to him, most of the vegetables he'd found to eat in the past had been half-rotten turnips or potatoes, or just plain leaves. This mixture of flavors and robust green-ness was exactly what his body needed at that time. The stasis cupboard was about half empty.
...'What happens if I empty it?'
---'I don't know. I go hungry?'
...'I need to avoid that.'
---'If I hike down to the lake, I can catch a bunch of fish, sell them at the village market, and buy these kinds of things I've been eating.'
...'Am I sure? How often would I be doing that? Can I carry a week's worth of food?'
---'True. Interesting conundrum.'
...'Is that my idea of guidance?'
---'What about that 'garden'?'
...'It's locked. Beyond that, how will I ever learn magic if I'm not a natural Prana or Mana producer?'
---'Maybe I could learn Alchemy? There might be a book on that....'
So Demus searched for a book on that. He found Herbal Qi and Transformations by Brother Bright-Elf the Craftywight Scout.
*****
Tools ye shalt reqyre : an clean steel knife, an 1-gallon working chalice, stored in white cloth; a flat surface, 3'x3'; an mortar & pestle; glass containers with corks; allembic with heat source; an 4-gallon container of pure water; an 1-gallon container of anhydrous alcohol; cupboards that will remain undisturbed for weeks at a time; excellent ventilation. Remove all sundials and time-keeping devices. When cutting, make sure thy feet are bare.
Seek ye and recognize the desired plants by day. In order to discover which ones have extra Qi, meditate with a possible plant, appreciate its beauty and vitality, and lend it some of thy Qi. Those with extra Qi will then glow for a short period. This glow is eaiser to see in the dark.
The best time to cut these herbs is late in the night, when the sky is well-lit by the Moon. Never cut more than one-third of the plant. Leave an offering of fertilizer. When cutting roots, fill the dirt hole with water, put in thy fertilizer offering, and add back enough dirt to support the remaining plant. Put all cut parts in an white cloth bag, and keep them there until ye reach thy work area. First quarter and Full Moon are for plants having to do with fertility, summoning, protection, prosperity, and health; focusing on leaves, stalks, and flowers. Third quarter and Dark Moon are for plants having to do with destroying, banishing, removing, and purifying; focusing on roots.
~ The night after the day of rest be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with employers, work, harvests, promotion, friendships, healing, contacting divine spirits, workers, and leadership.
~ The night after the first day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with dreams, the home, the hearth, cooking, medicine, clairsentience, the oceans, families, and crop-growing.
~ The night after the second day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with conflicts, hunting, promises, contests, competitions, debates, honor, men, physical accuracy, courage, and ways of leading.
{ a note was scrawled in the margin "First half of potentials book." }
~ The night after the third day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with crafting, forging, trickery, irony, justice, vengeance, intelligence, inventing, discovering, communicating, divinations, and self development.
~ The night after the fourth day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with wealth, poverty, money, physical strength, speed, championing, and righteous war.
~ The night after the fifth day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with pleasure, painting, sculpting, writing, acting, music, massage, support, endurance, partnerships, incense, nurturing, beauty, women, luck.
~ The night after the sixth day of each week be for cutting and preparing plants having to do with the elderly, dying, sickness, funerals, buildings, property, wills, executions, diseases, and pests.
When ye have finished working with the plants ye have cut, place each result in an corked glass bottle, label it with herb name, cutting month, and region where it grew.
~~~
Creating Qi Accumulators
For purposes having to do with: fertility, work, money, business, advancement, crop-growing, healing diet, conservancy, stewardship, markets, construction, progress use Bistort, Cedar, Cypress, Fern, Honeysuckle, Horehound, Jasmine, Mandrake, Pine, Sage;
For purposes having to do with: education, memory, theories, analysis, divination, communicating, travel, writing, groups, hierarchies, coordinating, discipline, addiction use Acacia, Anise, Benzoin, Comfrey, Elder, Eyebright, Hazel, Lavender, Mistletoe, Nutmeg, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Spearmint, Thyme, Wormwood;
For purposes having to do with: success, sex, conflict, law, protection, courts, reeves, inquisitors, competion, hunting, finding, chance, agility, transformation, empowerment use Alder, Basil, Carnation, Celandine, Cinnamon, Clove, Garlic, Holly, Juniper, Marigold, Nettle, Oak, Pepper, Rosemary, Rue, Saffron, Thistle, Vervain;
For purposes having to do with: love, friends, partners, allies, affection, agreements, rest, beauty, recuperation, meditation, healing, spirituality, emotion, intuition, clairsentience, family, inheritance, ancestors, childbirth, comfort, fishing, and swimming use Apple, Ash, Burdock, Camphor, Catnip, Cucumber, Gardenia, Geranium, Hawthorne, Heather, Hops, Meadowsweet, Myrrh, Periwinkle, Rose, Violet, Willow;
To make, identify the plants that have the extra Qi, choose the purpose, put in thy working chalice either one handful each of three different dried plant-parts with extra Qi in them,or one Tablespoon each of Primary Essence of such plants. Mix thoroughly, add either 3.5 cups of annhydrous alcohol (if ye had put in handfuls), or 7 Tablespoons annhydrous alcohol, decant into a dark colored bottle to digest for two weeks (shaking in the dark once a day, keep away from Sunlight, children, and cats). Proceed to derive a Triplessence, using a gold-washed alembic. Decant into a colorless bottle and expose to the light of the full Moon for three nights in a row. Decant into and keep in a dark-colored bottle. Use to annoint the tools to be used for thy purpose, or to annoint thy hands, thy forehead, the base of thy throat, the center of thy chest, or some combination.
After you have made and used three Qi Accumulators from each of the four categories, proceed to making the Comprehensive Qi Accumulator. Choose three plants other than Saffron from each of the four categories, put one teaspoon primary essence each into thy working chalice, add three teaspoons primary essence of Saffron. Mix well and proceed to deriving the Quintessence. Annoint an object, gemstone, or container that ye want to have a lot of Qi in, expose to Moonlight on nights of the full Moon, take to large gathering of mortals who be expressing passionate emotions together, or allow this object to be the target of projected Qi. To access the Qi in it, hold it and become passionate about the behavior which ye are about to engage in.
Producing annhydrous alcohol: distill brandy to 180 proof, carefully add one part in 20 Cerulean Clay, allow to sit in an dark area for about an hour, and decant the colorless liquid into a storage container. Decant the remaining mud into a small pot and at low heat, simmer until it all dries out again. Keeping the pot contents away from humidity and water, grind into a powder and put in a sealed container to be reused.
Deriving essences:
Primary, put an amount of the dried and ground plant material into a darkened glass container with 11x as much annhydrous alcohol. Let it digest for two weeks, shaking lightly in the dark once a night (keep it away from children and cats). Pour contents into thy allembic and gradually heat, taking the temperature up to no more than 40. Seal the cooled distillate as Plant-Name Primary Oil Essence. Put the remaining contents into a fire-proof pan and put on high heat until they are dry and burned. Grind them, put them into 33x as much pure spring water, and allow this mixture to seperate. Pour the liquid off and discard. Gently heat the remaining mud which had fallen until it is dry, and grind into a powder. Seal into a container as Plant-Name Primary Salte Essence. Store these parts seperately away from Sunlight, children, and cats for three weeks. On a night of the first quarter or full Moon, in a dark laboratory, carefully combine the Primary Oil Essence with the Primary Salte Essence. The result is the Primary Essence.
Do it all again using the Primary Essence, take the temperature up to no more than 39, etc. That is the DuEssence. Again, 38, TriplEssence. Again, 37, QuadrEssence. Again, 36, QuintEssence.
Finally Demus closed the book.
...'This is amazingly interesting, I'm not as confused as with that first book, but how would I, where would I, all those tools! I'm not even sure when the full Moon is!'
---'John Thomas did say that this was an Alchemist's tower....'
..."The Garden!"
---'The Garden!'
...'But I can't open the door!'
---'Alchemy uses Qi! Dance and flow some Qi onto that copper plate!!'
In a moment Demus was running for the stairs. Before he started all the jump-recover business, he decided to try Qi-dancing it, and he began a running bound which felt almost like flying up the stairs.
---'Cool! But did I use up all my Qi?'
Demus paused at the top of the 'stairs', & inhaled and felt his -bowl Qi in- refill.
...'Nope. More flows in as I use and let the Qi flow. It isn't "mine".'
Demus soon stood before the door with no handle or knob. He started the Qi Dance again, and as the Qi began to flow up and to his left hand, he turned to touch the copper plate. The Qi flowed away, and the door retracted into the floor.
Stepping forward, Demus met with a broad, green vista. All kinds of plants overgrew their planters, reaching up toward the light coming through a wide crystal, hexagonal dome. Each of the six corners had a brighter crystal in it. At the center was a 7' tall platform, about 80' on each of its six sides. Each of its six corners had a 6' high, 2' wide 'pole' of dark wood with things or 'arms' sticking out of it. In a wondering daze, Demus stepped forward, walking between the planters, avoiding crushing any of the plants. On his slow way to the platform, mist appeared in the air above twice, gently flowing down upon most of the plants. He mounted the 14 stairs slowly. The platform was a canvas-covered pad over wood. Soft steps whispered, but anything else made a 'boom!'ing noise. A half-inch thick layer of mixed pollens was all over the platform. As he walked toward the center, there was an 11' diameter circle with no pollen on it.
...'What's that?'
---'A secret- - door?'
...'How do I open it?'
---'I'm not an Elf. I have no idea. Maybe some pattern of steps?"
So Demus stomped all around the circle, then skipped, tried the few steps of the Supreme Way of Qi- dance that he knew, got tired, gave up and sat down beside the edge. Only to almost fall in as it contracted onto a center pole. After a few breaths, Demus stood and carefully made his way down the spiral staircase. Coming to a flat floor after three full turns, he passed many dark wooden cupboards. He stepped into a room that lit up, showing a wide desk with rolling stool, some glassware, an unlit lantern, and beside it a keg. Walking forward, he moved the keg with his foot. It sloshed. Looking down, Demus could see that the glassware were dark bottles and a weird vessel that got wider away from the opening, whose bottom was covered with gold.
...'What's this?'
---'Probably a "gold-washed Alembic".'
...'So this has everything I'll need? That's a creepy miracle!'
---'Fairy dust is pretty intense stuff!!!'
...'But where's the guy who brought all this stuff together?'
---'Probably dead. Did I see how thick that pollen was upstairs? That takes years!'
...'Won't I get in trouble if I just start using this stuff?'
---'Maybe. But maybe not. Better ask your employer.'
Demus nodded, looked around one last time, and walked back up and out. The aroma in the garden was amazing, and he noticed that it was far larger than the width of the tower from the outside. Quietly, he made his way back out of the garden. The door raised closed behind him. He had Qi, but he didn't feel like dancing down the stairs, so it took him much longer than going up had.
As he came to the main floor, there was a being of glowing mist hovering beside Lord Reldar's statue-like still form. Fascinated, Demus felt himself walking toward them. At about 20' away, she whirled to glare at him, and Demus could see that she wasn't glowing mist at all, that was just her dress. She stood about 5 1/2 feet tall, orange-red hair, bright green eyes. He couldn't tell much about the rest, because of the lacey-misty way that her glowing white dress floated around her. She pointed at him, and then at a wall about 40 feer away. She turned and flew over there. Demus followed. There was a blacker surface on the wall. She pointed and a chunk of white rock floated up to touch the black area, and it wrote:
μ¥μ 'Who R you¿'
... "Can you hear me?" He answered out loud.
μ¥μ 'Yes.'
... "I am Deemoh. I was brought here by John Thomas to work for Lord Reldar."
μ¥μ 'Just like a Gnome to weasel out of a bet! I am Jellica, Lord Reldar's mate. I am a Phantom. We were lovers before he became the war-ending instrument of the Gods, and got his wish to become a living diamond clockwork Wizard.'
... "He wanted that?"
μ¥μ 'Well, he really wanted immortality without having to become a Lich. How long have you been here?'
... "A few days, some of the cupboards are running low."
μ¥μ 'Get used to Lord Reldar not really thinking of pragmatic things. I'll show you to the Purse, and you can use the clockwork wagon to go to Fargone Town and buy supplies.'