The Chronicles of Bael

The Chronicles of Bael Part 10

Clayday, Stasis Week, Sea Season, 1600

Within hours of my Master announcing to Kaldomar, Provost of Apprentices, that I would be taking a leave of absence to assist the Storm Bull expedition, I had a line of sages at my door seeking my favor. The first to arrive was Kalst the Immutable, an alchemist of middling reputation, keen for me to bring him a Scorpion man egg should I chance to discover one. I assured him that I hoped not to, but if I did, I would do my best to bring one back with me. Noting my reluctance Karst promised to teach me how to brew a more powerful healing potion in return for the egg. My capacities in this regard were less than I would like, but the way he said it annoyed me, so I suggested that he would be more likely of a positive outcome should he provide me with the fruits of his labors beforehand. Pleading the high cost of ingredients Karst quickly changed the subject back to the importance of maintaining the egg, or eggs if at all possible, at a comfortably warm temperature.

I ushered Karst out of my room only to find Jalbar the Gaunt raising his staff to bang on my door. I never had quite understood Jalbar's line of study, which may have had something to do with the fact that he was the oldest sage at the Temple of Furthest and seemed quite senile. It took some time for Karst to explain that he would like me to dig up some giant bones for him in the Hollow. He went on at some length about where I could find these bones, but I'd lost interest. There seemed little point in finding something that would prove far too large to bring back with me.

Karst only left when Tallbar the Lascivious stormed into my room demanding as many Ogre penises as I could retrieve. Until this moment I had always had the good fortune to avoid Tallbar's attentions, something that could not be said for many of the female apprentices at the Temple. Tallbar is best described as a theoretical alchemist, largely because none of his experiments have ever achieved their desired outcomes. Indeed, many if not all of his experiments have resulted mild case of poisoning for a number of the fairer apprentices at the Temple.

Now, Tallbar is very rich, which no doubt explains his continued tenure at the Temple, so I expected him to name a substantial figure for the Ogre phalluses, but no figure was immediately forthcoming. He certainly had nothing worth teaching that I would be interested in learning. We stared at each other for a moment in silence, before I suggested that he come with me and procure the items of interest himself. To add to Tallbar's history of alchemic failures, he was also one of the many 'scholars' one finds at any Lhankor Mhy temple who refuse to do any 'field work'. I could see the sudden dawning of comprehension in his face, which quickly turned to fear as I explained to him what the Ogre's might do to him when he tried to remove their penises. He finally offered me five hundred pieces of silver for each; I told him that I would think upon it.