Sign: Snake
Buffs: Serpent’s Kiss (Romance twice as easy)
Debuffs: Curse of the Unspecified (Start the game with no gender, no name, and no other identifying feature)
Fantastic Breakfast (0.5 days): All prices are 20% better. Earn double EXP.
EXP: 1,237
Alchemy
Coagula (LVL 0, 24 SKP)
Solvé (LVL 0, 19 SKP)
Theoria (LVL 0, 23 SKP)
Botany
Sowing (LVL 0, 5 SKP)
Tending (LVL 0, 10 SKP)
?
Cooking
Fire (LVL 1, 11 SKP)
Water (LVL 0, 11 SKP)
?
Homesteading
Fire Tending (LVL 0, 7 SKP)
Tidying (LVL 1, 39 SKP)
?
Speech
Logic (LVL 1, 13 SKP)
Linguistics (LVL 0, 31 SKP) Ready to level up!
Cajoling (LVL 0, 10 SKP)
Total SKP: 293
Inventory:
Auros: 0
Cards of Destiny: 5 of ?? Discovered
Names: 4
Evengeline, The Pure Snow (Holly)
Vitas, The Wind Thief (Sparrow)
Gillygad, The Stiched-Up Wonder (Pitchfork)
Zinia, The Serpent’s Caress (Snake)
Passive Skills:
(Fire LVL 1) Ignited: The Elemental branch of magic lends this Sorcerer the ability to cook faster using fire. Prepare fried or baked meals twice as quickly. Get burnt less.
(Tidying LVL 1) Dirt Buster: The magical branch of Purification lends this Sorcerer the ability to ‘Bust Dirt.’ Dust and grime accumulate at an infinitesimally slow rate on objects you have cleaned.
(Logic LVL 1) Rhetoric: The magical branch of Entreatment lends this Sorcerer the ability of heightened ‘Rhetoric.’ The structure of your arguments is smooth, regular, and orthogonal. Spirits and people are more likely to agree with you.
Tess came back to the house much later than I expected.
She had sent me to hide, while we were finishing up our shopping in the town square.
I was surprised that I made it back before her, considering the circuitous route I had taken back to the house on Austere Way.
I had spent some time fretting and pacing in front of the fireplace. To keep my nerves at bay, I decided to make myself useful.
The Winter’s Kiss I had set to brew in the Alembic had accumulated in the mason jar overnight. I picked up the jar of the minty-sweet, green liquid. I screwed on a lid and attended to the rest of the preparation.
After the preparation is complete, it is wise to speak the Winter Lady’s true Name over the decoction and then one should Open the properties of the mixture.
Now that I knew the Winter Lady’s name, I could do just as the instructions recommended. I held up the jar and spoke.
“Evengeline, the Pure Snow,” I started, and then decided to improvise, “help me with the quality of this potion!” I finished.
The jar was suddenly so cold in my hands, that I had to put it down on the counter immediately. That must mean it worked!
I was about to draw the symbol of Opening over the mixture, but then I remembered something. When I had unlocked the other Grimoires that Tess gifted me, the lock had shimmered and glowed, and a new symbol was traced over the numbers.
I didn’t know for sure, but I guessed that this might be another sign of Opening. I decided to combine the two symbols. I drew the first symbol from the riddle of many doors:
[https://i.imgur.com/4fTkONF.jpg]
Then the second, from the recent riddle of the magical square:
[https://i.imgur.com/KP5cVWN.jpg]
As I finished, I felt my clothes billow out. Then, I got the message:
Winter’s Kiss
Complete!
+70 EXP
+10 Water (Cooking)
+30 Coagula (Alchemy)
+10 Solvé (Alchemy)
+20 Theoria (Alchemy)
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
That was much more EXP than last time! After checking my character sheet, I remembered that I still had the food buff from yesterday! I had even extended it to one and a half days, after making myself another meal.
And, after the EXP from Winter’s Kiss, I had a bunch of skills I could level up! I could only do one a day, so I would have to choose carefully.
I looked a the rest of the messages I got from completing Winter’s Kiss.
Winter’s Kiss
5 of 10 Quality Points (Mediocre Rating)
Quality Improvement:
Using Fresh Herbs for Simples
Using Even More Potent Opening Gesture
Alright! I got to a Mediocre potion! Looking over the improvements, I was a little confused. I guessed there was an even more potent Opening gesture, that I did not yet know. And, I could always use fresh herbs instead of dried.
But, what was bothering me, was the feeling like I was topping out, and not even coming close to 10 of 10 Quality Points. Even if I learned the right gestures, and put as much fresh herbs in the Alembic as the compartment could fit, would I get to ten Quality points?
I took some time to think it over.
I had three skills that were all related to Alchemy. Maybe if I leveled up one of those, my potions would come out better, with higher Quality points.
Alchemy
Coagula (LVL 0, 54 SKP) Ready to level up!
Solvé (LVL 0, 29 SKP)
Theoria (LVL 0, 43 SKP) Ready to level up!
After finishing Winter’s Kiss, and getting double EXP, I was ready to level up two Alchemy skills! Of course, I could only do one a day.
I decided I might as well level up one, before attempting Dancing Tongue.
I didn’t know what Coagula or Solvé was, but Theoria sounded like it might be Theory. If it was about Theory of Alchemy, would that help me with quality improvement? Or maybe all three of the branch skills would help me make better potions?
I decided to level up Theoria.
Do You Wish To Level Up?
Theoria Level 1 Grants ‘Pure Substances’ Passive Effect
I answered yes.
Pure Substances!
Some metals are especially luminous. Some hands are more precise than others. These hands shall become sharpened scalpels, made of the most luminous Silver. Higher maximum Quality points possible for all potions.
I scrunched my eyebrows as I read. The skill description did not sound like the others I had unlocked so far. It didn’t make reference to a branch of magic, and the format was very different.
I gathered from the last sentence that now there were more Quality Points possible, meaning I wouldn’t top out at 10, but that this skill wouldn’t necessarily help me get there, and improve my potions.
I shrugged my shoulders. I was making headway into Alchemy, just not in the most direct route that I would prefer.
I put the jar of Winter’s Kiss aside. I couldn’t mail it without Cheerful, and the bird had not yet returned. Without Tess or Cheerful, the house felt lonely. I decided I would make a concerted effort to find Alesiter. I still wasn’t sure what I had done to make the cat shun me, but I wanted to be friends with him again!
I looked through each room, calling his name. I looked in the obvious hiding spots a cat might pick, above cabinets, on shelves, behind and underneath armchairs, but I did not see him anywhere.
“Aleister, really, I’m sorry for whatever I’d done…” I called out to the empty Library, but no one answered.
I shivered, feeling lonely and empty. I wanted to go curl up in my bed, and maybe finally get around to reading Ma Chère, the slim volume which Tess had gifted me. Maybe I could lose myself in a book, and forget the painful feeling of being abandoned by my white-furred friend. Truthfully, the book was never far from my mind. Anytime I had a free moment, I thought about finally starting it.
But, I had chores to do, and I was still outstanding on the assignment which Tess had given me. That should come first, I reminded myself.
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I went downstairs, and decided to play with my meager deck of Cards of Destiny.
I shuffled them, the cards heating up in my hands, and drew one card.
When I flipped the card over, I frowned.
Train to the City
Travel lightly, travel easily. All travel is 15% faster.
That wouldn’t help me today.
I put the cards away, and intending to do more cleaning. Maybe I could get through a decent portion of the Front Room, before the Sorceress returned.
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I was in the middle of carrying a handful of the glass containers filling the shelves of the front room into the kitchen when Tess strode through the door.
She barely looked at me, and instead, went right to the table with her bags. We bought some food, as well as several bottles of wine, for potion preparation. Cheerful had been assigned the task of getting dried Dill for my Dancing Tongue potion.
“What happened?” I trailed after the tall Sorceress like a confused puppy. Were there monsters chasing us? Was there an undead spirit, hot on her heels?
“Someone was following us.” Tess answered, as she put the bags down and sat heavily by the table.
“Who?!” I asked the fear I had felt earlier gripping hold of me.
The Sorceress sighed. “I don’t know.” She answered.
“If you don’t know, how did you know someone was-” I started to say.
“I could sense it.” Tess said
“Was it a spirit? Or some kind of monster?” I asked.
“I don't think so. I think it was another Sorcerer.” Tess said.
Another Sorcerer? That wasn’t nearly as scary.
“D’you think it was Mr. Beaugiron?” He was the only other Sorcerer I knew, so he was my prime suspect.
Tess chuckled. “No, I don’t think it was. He’s not usually so subtle.”
“Then who?” I asked.
“I’m not sure… maybe someone from the Guild.” Tess answered, tapping her finger on her chin, deep in thought.
“Do you think we're in trouble? About my initiation?” I asked. Tess made it sound like technically, after a moot initiation, we were supposed to report directly to Celine City. Instead, we were staying back, so I could work on my skills, before a Board of Guild Sorcerers could examine me.
I felt heat rising in my cheeks. I had thought that my deadline was long and far away, and anyway, the Sorceress would not take me to Celine City before I was ready. But, what if her hand was forced? I would have to re-double my efforts, and learn everything I can!
“No, I don’t think it’s about the initiation.” Tess finally answered. “The Guild does not take that deep an interest in Apprenticeships. They’re usually more concerned that everything was done properly after the fact. Unless the Apprentice is someone notable, they don’t generally check up on them.”
“So, why would someone from the Guild be following us?” I asked.
Tess didn’t say anything. I had the feeling that she had arrived at an answer, but did not wish to share it. I decided to change the subject.
“I haven’t seen Aleister…” I started.
“I’m sure he’s around,” Tess waved her hand, indicating she believed the cat was somewhere in the house, just not here.
“No, Tess, really. I don’t think he’s here anymore.” I said.
She looked at me, her stare a penetrating look which made me feel almost naked.
I was uncomfortable, so I started talking again.
“Will he get in trouble because of the moot? Since we’re making the case that his running away was the reason the initiation failed…” I started to say.
“No, I don’t think he’s raw about that. He won’t be able to do an initiation again but considering I had to sit him down and convince him for hours to participate in the first place, I don't imagine he will be too upset.” Tess said.
“Do you know why he's mad at me then?” I asked quietly.
“No Idea. You two will sort it out, I’m sure.” Tess answered. I got the feeling she did not like discussing emotion, feline or human.
“But I can’t even find him!” I said.
Tess stared at me a moment longer, then, coming to some decision in her blue-curled head, she stood up.
“Aleister!” She shouted, but there was no answer. Her eyebrows scrunched up. She strode out of the kitchen, and I could hear her yelling after the cat.
She would find him, I told myself. Surely, the Sorceress could fix anything.