The Newt and Demon

5.36 - The Holy Modifier

A group of elves had produced a series of drums, varying in size. They beat a steady rhythm near a blazing bonfire, joined all around by the citizens of the alliance. Theo watched the festivities as they spread from the towns square. It took little for Broken Tuskers to celebrate and he was happy to see the elven refugees joining in. The normally stuffy, protocol-driven peoples from Tarantham were coming out of their shell. While it had taken time, the first wave of those migrants had integrated fully.

Gaels name was on everyones lips. Perhaps it was just the elf following a series of rules, but the result of the negotiations had sent his name to a place of honor. Theo felt the sterile thoughts creeping into his mind, driven by his increased Intelligence. A spark of warmth battered the icy ideas away, drawn out of his chest by the Tarahek bond. He pushed away everything else, desperate to focus on the celebration at hand.

Come dance with me, Tresk said, emerging from the shadows.

Theo held a hand up, shaking his head. Not again.

You. Woman in the shadows, Tresk said, jabbing her finger at nothing. Dance with me.

Sarisa emerged from her own gloomy shadow, a smile playing across her face. Lets do it.

No one had taught Broken Tuskers how to dance. Theo winced as he watched whatever it was that Tresk and Sarisa were performing. He sipped his cup of Rivers mead, allowing the warmth to spread from his belly. The edges of his nerves dulled as Salire took a seat next to him. While she didnt say a word for quite a while, her presence was comforting. Of all the things he had helped build in the town, her rise as a Drogramath Alchemist had been impressive.

That Hallow Ground modifier finished fermenting, she said after a stretching silence.

I almost forgot about it.

It might make a new weapon for the undead.

Theo nodded in response, taking another sip of his mead. He never really loved the mead. This batch wasnt as good as the last one he had tried. Something like sour honey mixed with watered beer. He suspected thats exactly what it is. After another long silence, another came to sit on the log the alchemist was resting on.

What a day, Alran said, groaning into a seated position on the log. I didnt think anyone still had spies in Qavell. Leave it to the elves, huh?

Ill drink to that, Theo said, toasting his spymaster. Do you think the empire is being honest? With their promises, that is.

Yeah. They write their contracts in blood. So long as we follow it to the letter, were good.

Shouldnt you be partying, Theo? Salire asked, blowing out a frustrated breath. It's all work with you.

You brought up the essence modifier, Theo said, wagging a disapproving finger at her.

Yeah but alchemy is fun. Politics are boring.

She wasnt wrong. Theo liked to shuffle the boring parts of managing the alliance to his administrators, leaving him free to do as he pleased. His mind and desire drifted away from the celebrations, landing squarely on his lab and the experiments within. The alchemist rose, nodding to his budding student as they departed from the party.

Theres a problem with modifiers, Theo said, leading the way south toward the lab. You can use a first-tier modifier with a second-tier potion, but you run the risk of blowing yourself up.

As with everything in alchemy, Salire nodded.

Theo let silence fall between them as he thought and walked. The third floor of the lab was cast in bright sunshine, driven by the mid-afternoon sun outside. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of stale ingredients and failed experiments. That acrid scent smelled more like home than anything he could imagine. Salire had understood the assignment and ran off to assemble a selection of first-tier potions to start their experiments. He waited expectantly for her to return, and she withdrew a notebook with the intent on writing his waxing ideas.

Creating second-tier modifiers is more about mana control than anything. Theo gestured to the fermentation barrels. The purity of the fermentation determines how well it runs through the stills. We cant rely on high-quality ingredients to make up for our lack of skill.

Salire wrote that down.

To make a first-tier modifier, we just run the fermented liquid through the stills. How do we make second- and third-tier modifiers?

Same process as regular essences? Salire asked.

Theo nodded. Ive only ever made second-tier modifiers, and Im worried about how it will bind to the enchanted dilution.

Salire nodded, scribbling her notes. Thats why youre worried about the purity of the modifier essence. It might not bind.

Exactly.

Theo transferred the contents of the fermentation barrel to a still, adding a catalyst and setting the heat. The unrefined, fermented modifier juice seemed temperamental. As a property, Hallow Ground seemed unwilling to become a modifier. But between the level of the building, the alchemists growing willpower, and the quality of the equipment within the lab it couldnt resist.

Ive been trying to figure out how to define will, Theo said, double-checking the latch atop the still. He had decided on what willpower was in this world, but it was important to test his student. As much of a mockery of the system that was. What do you think it is?

Salire looked up from her notes, a flash of fear spreading across her face. That expression devolved into confusion and she clicked her tongue. Tenacity?

That was my first thought. Strength of will. Then I observed something about alchemy. Specifically when starting the stills on a batch. How do we know which property the still will extract?

Intent.

My thought is that willpower is manifested intent.

Theo and Salire retreated to a corner in the room. She took a seat while he clicked the knob on the air conditioner, flooding the room with a wash of cold air.

So why do you and Tresk have so much intent?

I havent figured that one out yet. The obvious answer is that we hold a realm. Khahar did some crazy stuff because he held a pseudo-realm. Kept his mind in check, no matter how high he got. Teleported some guys to the moon.

Did he actually teleport them, though? Or did he jump to the moon?

Theo shook his head. Thats above my paygrade.

Theo and Salire went back-and-forth on the topic of willpower, and the extent of Khahars powers on the mortal realm. It didnt take long for the topic to shift to the report given to them by the Tarantham high commander. It should have been impossible for any god to act directly on the mortal plane. Yet Theo trusted what Elmonteir Northwind had told him. The still bubbled away as the pair discussed the topic, coming to a simple conclusion. Khahar had organized things in a way that allowed the alchemist to achieve a Mortal Dreamrealm. Then he cut everyone else off.

But what if someone else was grandfathered into the scheme? Theo asked.

Could be, Salire said, nodding with excitement. But youre confident you could beat a god?

Theo had to think hard about that one. He could likely banish a god, unless the god had some trick up their sleeve. I think were going to have our asses saved by Fenian again.

Why?

Theo cleared his throat. His eyes lingered over the lab, dragging to the spot where the flask had filled to the top. The still was done running and they could begin their experimentation. But this was too interesting not to entertain.

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Khahar ascended the Throne of the Arbiter. Fenian ascended the Throne of the Herald, Theo withdrew a copper coin from his inventory, flicking it over to Salire. Two sides of the same coin. If Khahar is in charge of the heavens, what does that leave for Fenian?

The mortal realm, Salire said, nodding as her face brightened with recognition. How many times is Fenian going to save our butts?

A few more until Tresk and I ascend, Theo said, pushing himself to a standing position.

What? Salire asked, jumping up from her chair. You will not leave Broken Tusk, will you?

Theo shrugged. I doubt it. Tresk said she had a foot on the steps to her throne. But I dont feel like Im on the same continent.

Just dont leave us. Alright?

Theo paused. No one in the alliance was ready for what he wanted to do. Never.

Salire smiled. Any hit of worry drained from her face as she bounded over to the full flask. Her expression shifted, then went slightly sour. Her pale orange half-ogre complexion went slightly paler. What

Theo inspected the modifier.

[Refined Holy]

[Essence Modifier] [Refined Essence Modifier]

Legendary

Created by: Theo Spencer

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Minor Bond)

Alignment Effects:

Resulting modifier will be more effective.

High chance to add an additional modifier to the resulting potion.

Potency of the modifier increased

200 units (liquid)

A refined modifier essence. Add to a complete potion to add the holy modifier. Holy is the essence of life and divinity. It is the direct opposite of death.

Taking a step back, Theo narrowed his eyes on the essence. He had learned about elemental properties, especially in concern to attributes. But he had seen nothing mentioning holy or death elements. After collecting herself, Salire withdrew her notebook again and scribbled away.

This is interesting, Theo said, leaning close to inspect the essence. It was a swirl of pale gold with flecks of intense silver within. Holy Ground had always manifested with a sheen of silver, and it was interesting to see the pure form of it represented with gold. Life and divinity Now what does that mean?

Should we even touch it? Salire asked.

Theo shrugged. Im something of a divine myself.

The flask felt warm from the brewing process, but that warmth spread up the alchemists arm and into his chest. He was reminded of all the times he had stood before gods and the power they radiated.

We gotta make potions with it. Right? I mean, come on!

Theo agreed and moved over to the table of potions Salire had prepared. He let his intuition take the lead, identifying a few potions he thought it would work with. Holy alignment meant the potion would bind well with anything that supported life. The alchemist wrapped his mind around the concept, trying to find a new way to make a weapon. But every path it took led him to see the supportive nature of the Refined Holy essence modifier.

Lets hit the standard stuff first, Theo said, pulling a Healing Potion forward. Salire prepared a vial to accommodate the extra unit of liquid, setting one of her ornate flat-bottomed vials nearby.

Lets do it! Salire shouted.

Theo tipped the flask of Refined Holy into the empty vial, then added the correct amount of Healing Potion. The mixture reacted calmly, mixing together in a swirl of gold and pink. It pulsed with more golden light, filling the already bright room with holy radiance. It calmed down. Both Theo and Salire leaned in to inspect the resulting potion.

[Healing Potion]

[Holy]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Theo Spencer

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Minor Bond)

A healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Instantly restores 175 Health and applies Holy Resonance.

Holy Resonance activates the next time the imbibers health drops below 50%. When this condition triggers, the drinker will restore the same amount of health as when the potion was first drunk.

Two potions. One bottle, Salire said, nodding with approval. Thats just good.

It was an excellent potion. Far better than Theo could have imagined from something so simple. There was absolutely no time-limit described by the system, so he assumed the effect would last forever. The system had a way of taking everything literally with their descriptions, so the alchemist had no reason to think that wasnt the case.

People in town are going to go nuts for this one, Theo said, pushing the vial to the side. Which one next? Stamina or Mana?

Salire bit her lip, then nodded to the mana potion.

Mana it is. Here we go.

Salire pushed an empty vial forward and Theo added one unit of Refined Holy. He then tipped the entire Mana Potion inside, tapping the glass vials against one another to get every last drop. The reaction was similar to the Health Potion, swirling peacefully until the gold and blue hand merged together. Bands of gold swirled through the final potion, moving as though stirred by some unknown hand. The pair leaned in for inspection.

[Mana Potion]

[Holy]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Theo Spencer

Grade: Excellent Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Minor Bond)

A healing potion. Drink to restore health.

Effect:

Instantly restores 180 Mana and applies Holy Resonance.

Holy Resonance activates the next time the imbibers mana drops below 50%. When this condition triggers, the drinker will restore the same amount of mana as when the potion was first drunk.

That is awesome, but just the same thing, Theo said.

Im guessing the Stamina Potion would do the same thing. Salire wrote the results in her notes, but seemed quite pleased with the modifier effect. Boring! Lets move on to something more interesting.

Salire slid a Hallow Ground Potion forward. This potion created a banishment circle around the drinker, which would destroy any undead that stepped inside. Taking a potion and modifier derived from the same property typically had great results. Theo pulled the potion toward him, mixing it with the modifier essence and watching the reaction. The silver of the potion mingled with the gold of the modifier, swirling together with more intensity than the other examples. Less violent than most reactions, the interaction between the two was still notable for its intensity.

Lively one, Salire said, getting closer to observe the reaction. When it calmed down, they both inspected the result.

[Hallow Ground Potion]

[Holy]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Theo Spencer

Alignment:

Drogramath (Minor Bond)

Grade: Excellent Quality

Drink to create a zone of denial.

Effect:

Imbiber creates a fifty pace circle around themselves with the [Holy Ground] effect. Undead, ghost, etc creatures may cross into the circle, but will be afflicted with the Holy Judgment effect.

If the imbiber of this potion is aligned with a deity, the souls of the dead will be sent to that realm to await judgment. The afflicted shell will be destroyed.

Oh, damn, Salire said, stepping away from the potion. What does that mean?

Theo had an idea on how to use this, but he wasnt sure about ripping the souls away from the undead and sending them to his realm. He wasnt eager to entertain people who had been trapped in their mortal shells for however long Balkor had bound them. It was a potion that required conversation with heavenly beings. Those that would answer his questions without being silenced by Khahar, that is.

Next one, Theo said, leaving the table and rummaging through his storage crates. The lab always had some Potions of Purification sitting around. Just in case someone from the town got sick.

Are you thinking what Im thinking? Salire asked, bouncing excitedly.

Theo returned to the experimentation table, adding the potion to an empty vial. He poured the appropriate amount of modifier essence in and watched the reaction. It was as calm as the restoration potions, only swirling in the vial and producing minimal fumes in the air. Something about the scent and sight of the gold-white potion gave the alchemist hope. He and Salire leaned in, inspecting their newest creation.

[Potion of Purification]

[Holy]

[Potion] [Modified Potion]

Epic

Created by: Theo Spencer

Alignment:

Drogramath (Minor Bond)

Grade: Excellent Quality

Imbibing this potion will remove most common ailments. Only one effect can be removed at a time. This potion is imbued with holy power, expanding which ailments can be cured to include poisons, physical damage-over-time effects, hexes, curses, etc.

Effect:

Removes most afflictions from the drinker. Can only remove one effect per potion drunk

Hex, Salire breathed, hands trembling as she reached out for the potion.

Theo couldnt suppress the smile that spread across his face. It was obvious from when they started working with the Holy modifier. It enhanced all supportive potions, including curative ones. Their base Potion of Purification didnt cover the wide range of affliction types required to remove the hex. But the Holy modifier took care of that. He also noted the other interesting affliction types it cured, including curses. This would be helpful later, no doubt.

Can I? Salire asked.

That was the whole point, Theo said, gesturing to the potion.

Time to live a frog-free life, Salire said, downing the potion in one gulp. She winced, then shrugged. Tastes like nothing. And Oh! I got a system message! Spits Reverberation is gone!

Hooray!

Salire pulled Theo into a tight hug. She had been plagued by the frogs for so long that he didnt blame her for reacting so strongly. With the strength of a half-ogre, she squeezed him. The pair remained there for some time before she pushed away, the corners of her eyes wet.

Okay, Salire said, removing the sprayer from her inventory and setting it to the side. Now I want to party.