Master Of None

 "Today is the day! We have pushed through an attack in Genesis and we have the best possible potion materials to put everyone at ease. Running low on mana? Have a mana potion to keep up with your work and skills. Feeling under the weather after recovering from a curse? Have a health potion. Looking to boost your affinity with water to make sure you can defend against any potential danger? Grab an affinity potion. Those are the tactics we need you to use today." Trish stood over a group of young merchants that had been chosen by the alchemy guild. 

"Ha, this is easier and easier the more I listen. We are going to play on fear and keep the sales rolling." One young merchant saw the way they were advertising and knew that this was the case. 

"Yes and no. You are taking advantage of the situation, yes. But you are selling peace of mind. Some people feel they could be attacked at any minute. Some will buy a weapon, others will build a basement to hide in, and some…will buy potions so they can have a fallback. Just because some come to us does not mean all will." Remey made it clear that this was a tactic that many others were using. There was competition. 

"The guild master is right. Listen to her well and you might be able to meet the requirements we need. A contract selling the potions from this guild is on the line. You have ten packages to sell. Good luck." The old master alchemist had been advertising Remey as the guild master every chance he got. It was just as well since she was already known as a hero. 

"I swear, all of them are going to call me guild master every second of the day. You're lucky you're old and breakable or I would teach you a lesson." The attitude that Remey gave back was not enough to deter the old master alchemist. He instead found it hysterical and laughed until Trish shook her head. 

"We finally have our merchants starting sales and you two are messing around. We need to keep the alchemists we have working on portions to stock up. The classes are going to start tomorrow. I will be teaching a course on basic elven herbs. You have yours on the science of affinity potions. We need to be ready." The research that the old master alchemist had been so diligently studying had become the focus of his classes. He felt that doing it this way would expand the guild's reputation and cement his research in to history. 

"I still can't believe that you are just giving up your research so easily. I thought you would hold on to it for dear life." Remey felt that all their work was just being handed away since it was a class. But she did understand the draw it would have to budding alchemists. 

"Well, what if I was to tell you that I have a first version of a fire affinity potion. I will be starting with that tomorrow. Come and sit in before the class you will be teaching." The old master alchemist broke the news of his secret making Trish and Remey were both very interested. 

"Pffft, I plan to be very busy with my class. Every single alchemist that walks in the door will be learning how to go out and find their own herbs whether they have fighting skills or not." The simple goal that Remey had was to make the guild members tougher. They would need to go out and find their own herbs one day, especially if they wanted to understand the environments the herbs come from. The herbalists wouldn't be letting just anyone wander through the fields without experience first. 

"I doubt you will have many fighters. So use the explosive potions and those blinding ones I taught you. If they come from my class then to yours they will see how my herbs and your potions combine. It will be even better if they attend the affinity class and learn hope enhancing a certain affinity can improve the potions they make." Trish was happy with the three subjects since all of them would be able to come together in some form or fashion. 

"Remey, I just helped them drop off those new tools you ordered. I have to say, those dwarf alchemists are professional at creating new tools. I have learned a lot!" Rodney headed out the door and Remey smirked. 

"That was a good kid. He was just working the front desk in the forge building when we met him. But here he is running around as one of the important members of the crafting guild. He even supervises multiple orders and teaches people to deliver them." Trish was very impressed that Remey had connections in a way that got them discounts with the newly forming crafting guild. 

"Ah, they made me a new cauldron just the other day. I had to pay a decent material cost but a low workmanship cost. A very fair deal. Now I have a personalized cauldron just for darkness elemental materials." The old master alchemist had already set his sights on the darkness affinity potion theories he had. 

"Another one? That's the fourth one this week. I think you have a problem. But I want them too." Remey thought this was a crazy expense but couldn't help but admit her own desire.

"Ha! I will have them as busy as much as I can. There are so many new potion possibilities now that I have figured out the affinity potion experiments. So much more to come." The old master alchemist tapped his pocket where his theories were written in a journal. Both Trish and Remey were tempted to snag it from him to read and try themselves. 

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