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

During

[fleurdesel]

One taught as they were taught- as far as Adelaide knew this was the easiest and best way to get the most out of one's elfroot. Finding yet another Dalish in attendance did leave her curious enough to wander over, peering at Beleth's work. "Is it done differently in your clan?"

She knew precious little of the Dalish save those she had met here, but they were rumored to be quite effective herbalists and healers. As well as wild. she mustn't forget wild.

[arlathvhen]

Wild, some would argue, is a designation people give to others that they haven't broken. Haven't tamed. The Dalish will never be broken, so the humans will always call them wild. Let them think what they want.

Beleth looked up when Adelaide came over, hesitating at the woman's question. While brewing an elfroot potion was hardly an ancient elven secret, she wasn't sure if it was wise to divulge all the same. After a few moments, she looks down to the elfroot in her hands. "Not a whole lot is different. We cut our elfroot up before beginning to soak it in the distillation. And take longer." That seemed innocuous enough to reveal, at least.

[fleurdesel]

Oh dear- was it improper to ask? Was it offensive? All the books in the spire, all the students she taught and mentors she'd worked under and not once had she ever considered them anything other than healers or mages- none of them had been Dalish. None of them had an opinion.

That seemed a terrible oversight. She was about to beg pardon when Beleth spoke, some of the anxious tension winding out of her. Ah. Good. "That would offer a more potent brew and be a more efficient use of the elfroot now that I think of it."

[arlathvhen]

She nods, then in the interest of this whole working together thing, and since Adelaide was kind enough to offer this, points to a section of the instructions. "However, your distillation liquid. It's also different, but I think that it would work better than ours. It involves materials that would be harder for us to get access to, but it would probably get more of the elfroot out as well. Combined, they might make an even more potent brew."

Pel or Ellana might know more. She'll ask Pel later what she thinks about it. Beleth wasn't nearly on the level of other people here, at least with healing potions. "...Will you be doing other classes? With increasing, ah. Knowledge."

[fleurdesel]

"Shall we attempt to mix one with a combination of techniques and test the results?" That seems like the wisest course to be certain, a little of both may offer something better than their individual techniques on their own. All in the spirit of Cooperation. Adelaide makes a note off to one side and begins preparing a fresh batch of the distillation and fresh elfroot, motioning to Beleth. "How small is it cut?"

A beat passes. "I intend to, yes. Before this I was a teacher, it offers me some sense of normalcy and it is something most people should know. Mages are not always an option for healing. A properly made potion or poultice is the difference between bleeding out on the road or making it to see a surgeon."

[arlathvhen]

Adelaide's offer is met with a nod, and she takes out her dagger, taking the elfroot and beginning to cut it into pieces roughly an inch in size. "Usually, you make them about the size you would for herbs that you would throw into stew." As she explained, she continued to dice it, working carefully but with efficiency--No point in showing off and getting a finger taken off.

"That's a good idea. That's why I know--I'm not one of the best in the clan, but when you're a Hunter, you hunt whatever game you can find--And plenty of it wants to hunt you right back. No one wants to be stuck with a wolf bite on their leg, a mile from camp." She nodded along. It seemed that there were some similarities between the Dalish and the outside world, after all. Not that it was very...unusual. But still, it was something.

"If you do more of these, I'll come. As I said, I'm not one of the best. Basic potions are all I can really do, but considering what we're going up against, it'd be nice to be able to make stronger potions."

[fleurdesel]

Adelaide motions one of her students over to observe and write out the new instructions as Beleth slices- as soon as the notes and rough sketch has been made they scurry back to where the rest had been working to add the changes to the stack of cards to be handed out. Sometimes it helps to have a few extra pairs of hands by way of apprentices. Sometimes it makes for more trouble than it is worth but for the moment? It is worthwhile.

"The basics are enough if they are known by many. Depending on interest and need I may expand beyond the basic poultices and potions but for now? This will be the extent of them. Instruction and repetition. The best way to learn is to do it over and over until it's second nature- much like anything else."

[arlathvhen]

Beleth looks slightly surprised by the apprentices, but makes sure to help them record whatever they needed. She tilted her head at Adelaide as the woman explains, and nods. Kind of a shame that she wouldn't be doing more lessons on things that were more complicated just yet. She continues to go about working on the poultice, nodding at her words.

"That makes sense. If I'm interested, do you know if there are books about it...? Skyhold has a lot of books, doesn't it?" Far more than any Dalish clan held on to. She's browsed the books once or twice, but it looked like most of them were about the Andrastian faith--something that Beleth admittedly had very little knowledge of, but she was perfectly content with the amount that she did know.

Indeed if she forgot all that she did know, she wouldn't shed a tear.

"If, um. That's alright...?"

[fleurdesel]

"If you'd like individual lessons on more potent or complicated potions and poultices- I can make time for you." It wouldn't be so difficult, the bulk of the injured and ill had slowed to a trickle in the past few days. The worst of it were smaller cuts, bruises, coughs. Nothing that needed a spirit healer's touch. This she could do easily.

"Or I can help you find the books that would be most informative. Finding anything is a bit of a trial, as you've found. Everything is muddled together with religious texts throughout." Finding what the girl would need might take a day's work, or it might take an hour. It depended on the Northern mages that seemed to take up residence there. "It should be fine. I see no reason it wouldn't be."

[arlathvhen]

"Oh--I wouldn't want to trouble you." Beleth said quickly, ducking her head. "I mean, I wouldn't mind--Well. I'd be pretty pleased to have the chance, but if you have more important things to be doing, I'd rather you prioritize them...if that makes sense?" On one hand, she didn't want to feel like a nuisance for the other woman.

On the other, it'd save her from having to dart around the Tevinter that had taken up residence in the library.

(Krem was different.)

"But, ah. As long as you're fine with it, I wouldn't mind. I can repay you...I often collect herbs while I'm out scouting. I can give you a portion of them. Or if there's anything rarer that you need, I can keep an eye out, and ask the others on my team."