Step one: Grind the elfroot into a paste...

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Adelaide & Whoever wants to attend
WHAT: Potions & Poultices 101
WHEN: Harvestmere 28, morning
WHERE: The Garden
NOTES: As advertised the day before.



Set Up

As promised Adelaide had a large kettle brewing of a simple black tea. It wasn't much but it was hot and it was bitter- sugar, honey, and cream weren't exactly in ample supply but there were a few jars of donated jam and honeycomb donated by the kitchens and patients. Her own supplies for potions and poultices are laid out on a makeshift table. To one side her apprentices finish writing out and folding instructions- basic recipes for healing poultices, salves, potions- and the principles behind simple healing spells. If you could throw a fireball, you could heal a cut. Anything more complicated took greater study but the basics? Should be well known.

Behind and looking somewhat uncomfortable but, well, present, Bruce stood minding the bundles of herbs, handing out what was needed. While not a mage the surgeon was trustworthy and, honestly, needed to get out more.

During

It was simple enough. Adelaide went over the information on the cards handed out by her apprentices, demonstrated the proper techniques for grinding, mixing, layering the poultices and brewing for potions. They did not have as many kits for the brewing as they did for creating poultices, but they should have enough for those with an interest to learn or to help. After going through those Adealide would motion the mages that wished to learn more of basic healing off to one side to walk them through the theory, using some of the not quite so injured patients to demonstrate. Volunteers, all- she was careful in her instruction and thorough above all else- the last thing they needed was anyone getting injured from an attempt at healing.

After

Packing everything away in the afternoon to return to her tent, Adelaide was available for further questions, commentary- or criticism if something seemed poorly done, presumptuous, or overly curt.

Comments

[el_tybs]

With the little that she's taught me already there has been much improvement. She's a remarkable person.

[A tilt of the head.]

Am I making you uncomfortable? Sorry, you just... don't seem like you want to be here.

[amygdalae]

[Bruce is quick to shake his head at the question.]

Ah--no, it's not you. [Another smile, this time one much more apologetic.] I'm just not good with large crowds of people.

[el_tybs]

Ah.

[Sam nods at that, taking a moment to look around. There aren't a huge amount of people here, but he supposes it would be large enough for certain people. Like Bruce.]

I guess that explains why I don't see you out very much. Skyhold does have quite a number of people.

[amygdalae]

Quite a bit.

[More than Bruce himself is used to.]

I usually just attend to the people who need my help on a one on one basis. [Its easier to speak and communicate when its just one person.]

[el_tybs]

You do everything yourself? No help or anything when you're treating people?

[Not that he doesn't think Bruce is capable, but he's used to even the most skilled of people needing an assistant or other.]

[amygdalae]

The things I do aren't that hard.

[He can pretty much handle it himself.]

[el_tybs]

No, but I know patients can be difficult at times.

[It's said with a pout and one side of his nose wrinkling upward, remembering kicked one time. The memory is lost though when Sam looks at Bruce curiously.]

Are you going to be showing us anything today?

[amygdalae]

They're usually difficult because they're worried and uncertain. Once you take the time to explain and elaborate, they're much better.

[He gives a smile, which then quickly fades away at the question as he frowns instead.]

I don't think so. I wasn't really given any indication that I'd be involved in this until earlier.

[el_tybs]

Hm. Still doesn't help if they're jumpy about magic though.

[A smile! and it disappears just as quickly as it had shown up. Perhaps he should have waited to ask that.]

Oh.

[Lady LeBlanc is rather sneaky it seems.]

Well glad you could join us either way.

[amygdalae]

I just hope I won't be in the way.

[He's just not going to add how out of place he feels. For more reasons than what they think and then some.]

[el_tybs]

[Sam grins at that.]

You aren't in the way. At least you're a lot less out of the way than I am. I keep bumping into people and things.

[amygdalae]

There are a lot of people constantly moving around. Sometimes I find it hard to not bump into anybody myself.

[Its as much of a comfort as Bruce is able to give.]

[el_tybs]

Ah, well then. Something else in common. Bumping into people and helping others. Shame we didn't meet sooner.

[He honestly has a lot of questions, but Bruce certainly doesn't look like he's up for an extended talk.]

Have you met any of the newcomers? The one's that showed up a couple days ago?

[Sam asks anyways.]

[amygdalae]

You mean the...? [He makes a vague hand gesture here, one that probably doesn't mean anything but the implication is there nonetheless. The rifters. The strange people who didn't seem to be from anywhere in Thedas at all, despite how some of them seem to be.]

[el_tybs]

[Sam repeats the hand motion.]

Yeah, them. I've met a couple in person already. They're... something.

[amygdalae]

I've spoken to some of them too. They're... [Bruce pauses and tries to find the most suitable word he can think of to describe them in general.] They're different.

[...yeah, that's the best he could do.]

[el_tybs]

[He chuckles at that.] Yeah, it's hard finding the right words for this kind of thing.

Do they all have that mark on their hands?

[amygdalae]

[At least he understands, which is the good and important thing.

At the question Bruce nods.] From what I've seen.

[el_tybs]

Hm.

[He's quiet and thoughtful for a moment.]

That announcement yesterday... they specifically told mages not to talk with them. What are your thoughts about it?

[amygdalae]

[Ah, yes. That announcement. Just thinking about it had Bruce sort of cringing internally.]

I understand the idea why he felt it was needed. [Bruce tries to word this as tactfully as he can. As--rough as the Knight-Commander is Bruce does understand that the man is only doing what he thinks is right.] But without understanding there won't be any progress, either.

[And not letting the mages talk to them is really not the way to go about this.]

[el_tybs]

[It sounds like Bruce has the same issue as he did with the announcement.]

He's setting down the law, which is needed, but... it also seemed like a choke hold. Caution is definitely necessarily, and they might be strangers in our world, but we've definitely alienated them. We might have more issues then Mages and Templars fighting each other.

[amygdalae]

We have enough problems as it is. Causing more won't help matters any more as they are.

[And too much will break this entire organization. Which is the last thing that anybody needs right now.]

[el_tybs]

Agreed. We don't need to divide everyone more.

[There isn't any right answer, but that certainly had caused a wedge.]

[amygdalae]

The best we can do, I think, is to try to explain to them our position. Even if we understand the caution, they won't.

[And then perhaps they could figure out something from there.]

[el_tybs]

I've already talked to Alayre some about it. They have the best interests at heart, but... the execution wasn't done very well. It's going to take a lot of compromise on everyone's part before any of this gets settled. And that's if anyone is willing to put hurt feelings behind them.

[Everyone had gone through a lot and asking them to put things aside was a lot to ask for.]