RP Stories/The Blackmoon Potion

 Deep in the forests of Hodenwold, Jira poured over her books for what must have been the thousandth time, checking and rechecking her calculations. She had only one more day before preparations needed to be ready - but getting it right was of utmost importance. The potion Sairus  asked her to prepare was a tricky one - if brewed correctly, and consumed on a night of a black moon, it would grant immense strength and power to the drinker. If brewed incorrectly... Jira dared not think of the consequences. But Sairus had insisted, so she checked the recipe yet again to assure herself, muttering under her breath as she read.

 "After the liquid boils, add three chamomile hearts.. yes, got that.. two teaspoons of dried dittany.. yes, that's in... four ash grass pods.. good.. three blisterwort caps.. blisterwort - where's the blisterwort gone? Ryker!" She called out to the young man sitting by the fire. "Ryker, can you get some more blisterwort from the garden for me, please?"

Top of Form

 Ryker groaned as his aching muscles protested in the cool air. using his sword he pulled himself to his feet and limped over to the wooden hut Jira was working in. "What does it look like?" he called back sulkily already missing his place by the crackling fire.

  Jira chuckled in spite of herself - of course he'd say that. "They're the mushrooms with leathery brown tops with the spots around the edges, and white stems - should be in the back left corner of the garden." She thought that'd be enough information, but then she hastily added: "Use the gloves! Or your hands will stink for an hour!"

 Grumbling to himself Ryker pulled open the thinly lashed together wooden gate, his eyes searching for the blisterwort his mentor required. As he made his way to the back corner of the garden the loamy smell of rotting leaves and moist dirt assailed Ryker's nose making him retch. Kneeling down to brush his fingers in the foliage Ryker spotted the brown topped plant poking through the soil. Rushing over to them not wanting to be in the stinking garden any longer Ryker pulls the blisterwort from the ground forgetting that the smell of the pungent plant would cause his hands to smell for the next hour. Closing the gate behind him, Ryker made his way to Jira's hut calling "I think I've got them." Pushing his way through the thick furs hanging in the doorway Ryker throws the stinking toadstools next to Jira.

 Jira looked up from the workbench and saw the dark stains on Ryker's fingertips - and promptly facepalmed. "If I'd have asked you for thorny spiddal sticks, would you have remembered the gloves then?" Sighing, she carefully navigated her way around the cauldron of simmering liquid, and grabbed a small jar of salve from her satchel. "Here, clove and mint salve - rub that on the stains... it'll still smell, just not as bad now. And as a bonus, it'll keep your hands warm."

 Waking from his evident intoxicated slumber, still sitting at the chair he had passed out in the night before, Sairus muttered "Eugh!, What's that stench? did someone forget to get rid of last week's lunch?" Before getting up and stumbling back onto the ground.

 "Sorry I forgot gloves." Ryker muttered sulking at his blunder. Glancing at Sairus's motionless body in confusion, "how many times has he done that this week then?" Ryker says to Jira while laughing.

 Quickly getting up and brushing himself off, Sairus wondered what the two had been up to while he slumbered "What are we cooking today Dreamwalker?" he asked. ignoring his pup's comment.

 "The Blackmoon potion... the one we were discussing before you decided to take a... ahem.. tasting tour... of my wine cabinet." Jira carefully chopped up the blisterwort caps and added them to the cauldron, which was slowly turning from a clear liquid to a light blue. "As long as all goes to plan, it should be ready for tomorrow."

 "Ahh, so you're going through with it?" Sairus grinned before sitting back at his chair to sharpen his sword.

  Jira bent over the workstation, her face obscured by her hood. She didn't reply for some time, but her knuckles whitened as she held her chopping knife tighter... it was obvious that suddenly, she was not her usual happy self. At last she muttered under her breath - "Only because I have to, Sairus."

  "Wait what's a blackmoon potion?" Ryker asks warming his hands over the steaming cauldron.

  "In theory, something to give us a boost when we need" Sairus sighed, clearly something wrong.

<p class="MsoNormal">  Jira took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. "In theory, yes - unlike most lunar spells which focus on the full moon, the Blackmoon potion works by amplifying the power of the new moon. But tomorrow's new moon is rare - not only is it the second new moon in a month, it's also the closest to earth it'll ever be for the next year."

<p class="MsoNormal">  "This just sounds complicated. I'm going hunting" Ryker said groaning. Scratching the back of his head he walked out of the hut leaving Sairus and the Dreamwalker in his wake.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Bramble walked into the tent grinning proudly, face covered in blood. She skips over to Sairus and drops two dead rabbits in his lap. Bramble looks around the hut and notices the seriousness. The proud grin runs into the look of a confused child. "Geckgeck?" She turns to Sairus as if asking what's wrong.

<p class="MsoNormal">  Sairus had no words to express his confusion other then petting Bramble softly on the head. "You know we have no other way now, Jira, I would not put this burden on you without proper cause." Sairus said while checking the damage on the rabbit's pelts... Calling out to Ryker, Sairus beckoned "Ryker! Before you go, try and find Severin and Godric for me! I wish to speak with them." And with that Sairus corrected his posture into a more relaxed position, noting one of the rabbits was practically inedible. Bramble headbutts Sairus on the chin and purrs before turning and starting to draw random things in the dirt floor of the hut.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Jira watched Bramble draw absentmindedly in the dirt... a bee, a fox, a knife... Slowly, Jira raised her head and looked directly at Sairus. "Look, I just need you to understand the risk that we're taking... even if I manage to purify it correctly to remove the poisonous effects of the amantia and nettlebane, even if I get it perfectly right... you'll only be able to control its power for a few hours at best."

<p class="MsoNormal"> "I won't make the pups go through with it if they don't want to, in the end, this rests on me, not you, just make sure you properly restrain me." Sairus muttered while shaking his head..

<p class="MsoNormal"> "As long as you drink the antidote before time runs out, we won't need to." Despite the reassuring tone in her voice, Jira still cast a glance at the thick coils of rope neatly laid by the door... ready to pack into her satchel for tomorrow night's events.

<p class="MsoNormal"> There was a rustling noise in a dark corner of the hut, lifting he head from her drawings Bramble sniffs, pounces, and brings up her head holding a large squirming rat in her teeth. Bramble wastes no time in breaking its neck and, with that, proceeds to eat it skin and all. More blood smears on her face. Smiling, Sairus gently wipes Brambles face with one of the rabbit pelts, but Bramble recoils, not liking the weird non-filthy feeling on her face, and proceeds to roll in the dirt of the hut.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Despite living with the pack for many moons now, Jira still had not gotten used to the sight of the wild behaviour that was considered normal. Jira simply looked away politely until they remembered that she was there.

<p class="MsoNormal">  "Anyway, how long do we have for me to take the antidote?" Sairus asked sheepishly...

<p class="MsoNormal">  Jira quickly checked her books yet again, flicking a page or two to read the extensive notes she had researched on the potion. "It says you have 4 hours at best... at worst... only 2."

<p class="MsoNormal"> Sairus uttered a groan while looking at the ground.. "Well, it has to be done... where is Ryker and the others? I may as well go looking." Sairus handed the rabbits back to bramble as he got up out of his chair ready to leave the hut.

<p class="MsoNormal"> "Aren't you forgetting something, Splittooth?" Jira said with a smirk, as she held out a bottle of her special hangover cure to him.

<p class="MsoNormal"> "Not today Jira... just this once I think I deserve all I get" He grunted as he shrugged leaving the tent.

<p class="MsoNormal">  "Sairus" Severin called out from the branches of a tree outside the tent "I heard you wished to speak to me". Severin swung down from a branch and softly landed a few yards away from Sairus

<p class="MsoNormal"> "Be ready, tomorrow our strength will be tested" Sairus gestured towards Jira working hard on her concoction.

<p class="MsoNormal"> Severin nodded and walked over to Jira and sat down on a close by chair. "Jira, was there any preparations for tomorrow night you required assistance with?"

<p class="MsoNormal">  "For the potion, no." Jira wiped the sweat from her brow as she added more wood to the fire beneath the bubbling pot. "At this point you just need to make a decision - you know the benefits and the risks of taking this potion - shall I prepare a sample for you as well?"

<p class="MsoNormal">  "I must decline... I think I will be of more use if I remain level headed" Severin repositioned himself on the chair "and we will need a couple off us to restrain Sairus if it comes to that anyway"

<p class="MsoNormal"> "A wise decision... considering the circumstances." Jira glanced out of the window, spotting the moon rising in the sky - a thin fingernail crescent - time was running out. "Severin, thank you for your offer of help... but I'm afraid I must work alone now. I'd suggest you get as much rest as you can... you'll need it."

<p class="MsoNormal">

(( For those of you who missed it, Friday the 31st of January was indeed a super black moon... so the Briarwolves decided to take this RP one step further... Jira brewed some potions (just powerade and jelly) and Sairus did a magnificent job of roleplaying the effects of the potion at half time on Friday's game. Thank you to the men from the North who helped restrain the mad wolf. ))