Amadicia's Travels: The Adventures of a Neophyte Poulticepounder (an Apawthecaria adventure)

Amadicia's Travels: The adventures of a neophyte poulticepounder

A Novel, by SoloRPGAdventurer

Chapter 1 — Fortuitous Meetings

  Pax had ambled through the Bristley Woods for enough years to earn the greying fur that peppered his snout. The rest of his dorsal coat remained a bright auburn that sometimes matched the twilight sky at the right temperature of the season. His previously silky black paws were now scarred in many places, an occupational hazard of any well travelled animal.

The aging fox met many other poulticepounders over the years and always tried to help out when he could. Not that he was always even tempered nor did he even pretend to always be correct or very knowledgeable and come to think of it, over time the things that he was not began to accumulate. What he could say was that imperfect though he was, the fox did have his tricks and tried to do the right thing when he could and that was enough for him. So when he could, he would help out other poulticepounders because there were enough secrets in the world that healers in the same line of work hardly needed to keep things from each other too. In that vein, the latest project that Pax had taken on was the education of young newt Amadicia.

Each poulticepounder started in their own way, but each beginning shared some similarities. Some story or person or event that often made a good anecdote, but rarely was it the full truth. This is one of Amadicia’s stories: She was a newt with black skin decorated with a bright red vein that gave her an appearance of slow moving lava flowing down a volcano. Newts were carnivores, but they could eat other things and Amadicia found she had a taste for some herbs and vegetables when insects were less plentiful or even in addition to her usual diet.

She started gathering ingredients because she enjoyed new flavors. Her guardian and uncle, Muo had first noticed Ama’s facility in gathering and asked her to collect sage and salt crystals to help season their insect stew. She did it much faster than he could and so it became her job in the household, to collect ingredients for meals. This freed up some of her ba’s time to engage in his vocation of collecting and repurposing bright-colored stones. So he consequently became more productive, earning comments from other villagers and attention in turn came back to Amadicia and her quickness in gathering herbs. 

Her skills progressed enough that her skillful collecting became common knowledge in the wetlands area where she lived. When local animals had a need for some ingredients that they had difficulty with or were not particularly inclined to fetch themselves, she was asked for and so she began to exchange for trinkets in the process of learning her new calling.

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Pax the fox always liked to chat when there was time. People often asked about his name and sometimes mentioned another Pax they knew, because it was a fairly common fox name, but the why of it was anyone’s guess. Perhaps popularity was its own reward, maybe there was a more famous Pax at one point that started the whole thing. He thought that fox parents just chose names pretty much like everyone else, with a hope and a prayer, picking something that sounded good or might be aspirational.

Today the fox had time to chat with the village tavern keeper, because the day’s cases were done early and an early supper with some conversation was a nice way to wrap it up. Suzy, the kindly badger tavern keeper did not talk about Pax’s namesake, but did pass on some pieces of news around the town. It seemed like this year was an earlier Spring with the snows melting and migrating residents coming in sooner. The early season put a strain on local resources until vegetation and food grew more plentifully. There was talk about allocating more resources toward building a larger underground larder for the town to help with smoothing out the late winter crunch in food. Then Suzy remembered:

“Pax, there’s a young newt girl in the village that seems to be a natural for your line of work, maybe you should meet her.”

“O, you don’t say, She has an apptitude for healing?” The fox perked up his sensitive ears and wiggled an eyebrow.

“I don’t know about healing, but little Amadicia is great at gathering and I understand that’s a big part of your profession.”

“You understand correctly, Suzy. I’ll have to keep an eye out for this newt, what’s her name again?”

“Amadicia,” Suzy repeated and Pax noted it in his journal. They chatted at bit more and the badger had to attend other guests. The fox finished his meal and turned in for the night.

So Pax found the little newt on her travels gathering flowers and berries, and they got to talking. He initially hired her to gather some local ingredients, then on the way back to the region some weeks later, was impressed by the accuracy and quickness of her inventory enough that he asked her to travel for a while with him as he made his rounds.

She agreed in theory, but first had to go see her uncle and ask permission which he most certainly would agree to, she thought.

Chapter 2 — Saying Goodbye

“What’s this ba?” Amadacia asked her adopted father after he agreed to her short trip. He had given her a hug and solemnly presented the stone to her with two paws.

“A good luck charm, a blue river stone to find your way back home with. You know the custom.”

Villagers often gave a travelling gift to those leaving on a trip. Muoroath, the older newt with green skin, was like a father to young Ama. He would miss having her around. It was a short trip and but a few weeks long at most, but the Bristley Woods could be dangerous so any little benefit that would stack the odds would ease his mind some.

“I will miss you little one,” whispered the older newt as looked down at his ward.

“Come on, ba, it will be a short trip of a couple weeks, three at the most. No need to get so sentimental.”

“I know, Ama. Just humor your ba. It’s difficult to see a child move on.”

“OK Ba,” she agreed and hugged him again before licking away a tear and picking up her rucksack.

This was Amadicia’s first extended trip away from home. She had of course travelled to surrounding areas with her ba, but never by herself or with anyone else. It felt wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

Chapter 3 — Odoak

The trip would start from Odoak, ‘Old Oak’, or the Forest City, where poulticepounders gathered from some distance to socialize and exchange recipes and techniques. It can be a lonely journey on the road. Travelling companions did not always make for good company as anyone who has slogged for several days in the rain will agree, unless you’re a newt, in which case the rain is actually a welcome thing to blunt the dryness of land travel. But for most animals, even if solitude is welcome for a time, society draws them together. Poulticepounders are no different and enjoyed getting together with others to converse and share stories.

Great oaks anchored the city in neighborhoods with several levels of interior meeting spaces carved into them. Smaller trees supported the many hanging bridges that formed a busy expressway between the larger meeting spaces. The great city was organized in three dimensions, a feature that flying creatures or tree dwellers often found much less disorienting than ground or mud-dwellers, like the fox and newt. The birds and bats would land where-ever they pleased, changing levels easily to conduct their business. Walkers used the convoluted stair and ladder systems which were clearly built up impulsively over the years without any regard to central planning. This was a nightmare for anyone in a rush or who did not know their way. But Ama found the sounds and smells to be incredibly stimulating, happy to follow the flow of claws and paws whichever way they went and let Pax nudge her periodically toward a market clearing.

Social Encounter day 1 — Market day

Amadicia sampled a new beetle dish–curried in a sweet and peppery sauce and served on a piece of banana leaf. It excited her to try a new taste. She endeavored to remember the exotic taste so that she could recreate the flavors when the occasion for cooking arose. The old fox smiled at her excitement and remembered some of what it was like to be in Odoak for the first time. After lunch, it was time to ply their trade. There was always work for a healer, especially in a busy town like Odoak. All they needed to do was make themselves known and animals with maladies would find them.

Today’s case was a cool forest cat that found them shortly after they set up a table in the market square. Although feeling unwell, her coat remained sleek. She moved with all the elegance and poise of royalty, if just a little more subdued than one would expect her usual pace would be. 

“Amikoj, saluton! Purrrr... yes you healers, just the friends I need today. I feel so unwell, no? You really must help me out. This situation just cannot stand.” She needed something to clear her congested nose and lift her spirits. It had been a few days of fevers. She had soaked through her blankets with night sweats and felt dreary all the time. It was a classic case of: Dullsweats–[Lesser 9 time, Breath 1 Senses 1 Joy 1].

The good thing was that the forest land in and around Odoak itself contained many ingredients ripe for the use of anyone that had the inclination and knowledge to seek and find them. Pax and Amadicia set to work looking for ingredients with the requisite alchemical natures. The first item they found was wild garlic. The fox pointed the fragrant plant out to his student.

“Wild garlic is abundant during the spring months in the forest and its stem, when crushed, provides a potent enhancement to one’s air [breath 2],” Pax commented with his scholarly voice. Let’s take an extra sample while we are at it. They prepared the stems with mortar and pestle, storing the crushed wild garlic in small jars that were then secured to the sides of Ama’s storage bag, to avoid damage during travel.

The crushing took some time and spread the fragrant smells into the surrounding spring air. A brightly feathered kestrel flew over to investigate and commented that the two poulticers’ work was quite aromatic, but in a good way.

“I’m Sasha, from around the block and would be glad to trade you for some of that delicious smelling crushed wild garlic–it would go well in my stew. Maybe I can trade you for information about where to find another of your ingredients, as I’m sure you will need something else. (Poulticers always need something else). I do know this area well and can travel quickly to help find whatever you need if it’s anywhere around here I guarantee I’ll locate it.”

“What a fortuitous meeting, Sir falcon, this young newt is Amadicia and I am Pax. We are healers, as you have already surmised. Please do have some of this crushed wild garlic stem with our blessing and in exchange, if you can help us locate a supply of false deathcap mushroom, that would be a fair exchange. We do have need of it to create a mild curative for one of our patients.”

The kestrel was as good as his word and led them direct to a shady grove where a small collection of mushrooms were growing. The duo took some time to carefully identify the potentially dangerous mushroom.

“Ama, do you remember the signs that distinguish a deathcap from a  false deathcap?”

“I believe so, teacher, the naming convention is potentially as confusing as the similarities between the species. The edible ‘false’ deathcap has a brighter red coloration and fewer spores, but the ultimate test is if it makes my skin tingle.”

“Very good Ama, and you have a very useful sense that I do not. Your touch provides some tastelike sensations, but you must be careful in exploring its use as poison may affect you through skin as much as through the mouth, depending on the potency of the poison. Since we both concur that this mushroom is innocuous, let us gather some mushrooms and crush the flesh for the remedy. [senses 1]”

Next the poulticepounders proceeded to find dandelions, which were fairly abundant in the spring, a veritable sea of golden flowers littered the outskirts of the forest city. “We should collect all the parts of the dandelion while we are at it, even though we are only using the flower [Joy 1] for now. The other components (ground roots [Stomach 1], leaves [Fair 1], and brewed stems [Hide 1]) may come in useful later.” Pax commented as they worked.

While they busied themselves with harvesting and preparing dandelions, a rumble rolled through the city. A mild alarm spread by word and sound and the smaller animals immediately knew fear. Sesshomaru, the Odoak bear had arisen from hibernation and was roaming the surrounding lands — an issue for most of the animals present, even if they did not consider themselves prey. Hungry bears were no joke. It would be better for the poulticepounders to finish their task here and move on to avoid any confrontation.

They went around to visit the forest cat's home and prepared her remedy: dandelion flowers provided joy, crushed false deathcap flesh enhanced the senses, and a potent bit of wild garlic provided more than enough stimulation to breath. The newt mixed and gently heated the concoction at the foxes urging, until the mixture began to blend together in a nice earthy orange color. Pax dabbed a claw in and tasted it–wrinkling his brow, “a bit too thick, let’s thin it with some water and it should be easier to drink.”

“Ms. Cat, take this tonight and sleep well. You should feel better over the next few days,” Amadicia instructed her first patient. They exchanged the custom remedy for a trinket.

“Ah, but the day is growing long, amikoj. You will take my hospitality and stay the night. Travel in the morning if you must. There is a bear awake and the bear, Sesshomaru, is hungry this time of year.”

The grateful cat led the poulticepounders to her den and offered up some of her stores for supper. The trio dined on forest cuisine, which the cat prepared from local nuts, berries, and insects.

Chapter 4 — Leaving Odoak - day 2

The next morning, it was time to leave Odoak. The poulticepounder duo bid their goodbye to their generous host and made their way to the forest city's edge. This time of morning, the streets were quite silent when compared to last night's busy market activity. Only a few early rising creatures were yet out and about, but already the smell of fresh bread wafted from some storefronts as bakers put out their first batches of goods. The newt picked up some pastries for the road. She had a fondness for baked goods and did not resist the flakey poof pastry that called her name, or the yummy madeleine cookies with a crunchy cricket glaze, but the chocolate ganache cake would have to wait for another day. Even she knew that.

"Don't give me that look, teacher. I paid with my share of the trinkets and what is the point of visiting a city if not to enjoy the delicacies?!"

"Fair enough, Ama, Odoak does have excellent bakeries, but do pace yourself. We have more road to travel before returning home and I would hate to roll you the last few kilometers."

They then travelled south over a river and paused as the came over the bridge. A group of sleep lizards were basking in the sun and brewing some tea. The lizards beckoned the poulticepounders over.

“Come sit with us for awhile and share a cuppa. Fellow travelers need to take care of each other.” The invitation was friendly enough and Amadicia was not yet used to travelling long stretches, so they sat and talked, getting some possibly useful gossip about Odoak. Poulticepounders are careful not to engage in idle spreading of rumor during the process of their work, but they were at the end of the day people just like everyone else and people liked to talk.

“You may think that the most dangerous thing around must be the great bear of Odoak, but no, it is the beaver. More specifically, a particularly political beaver by the name of Bertha. Do not get on her bad side. She is friendly enough in passing, but every rumor has some truth to it and I would stay away from that crew if I were you. Her enemies have been known to have unfortunate accidents.” The newt looked at the older fox to gauge his opinion. They would tuck away this nugget of information for the future. Returning their cups and thanking the gracious lizards, they proceeded along the forest path and enjoyed the cool spring weather.

Chapter 5 - A badger in need

A way into the forest, they came upon an oblivious badger, digging next to a tree. The beast was a bit larger than Pax and had fierce looking black and white facial stripes that made her eyes look masked. Amadicia made her way a few paces to the badger’s left and cleared her throat to avoid startling her.

“Ahem, miss badger. We are poulticepounders doing our rounds. You seem to be in the middle of something, but might we trouble you for some information about these woods and if anyone about would need services?”

The badger paused her digging and looked over. “As a matter of fact, I could use your help. I have need of some home defense. You see, my sett has been vandalized recently. While I was out hunting a few nights ago, some creature caved in the entrance and terrified my cubs. What can you do to help me protect my home when I am not around to fight?” The badger grimaced and the two smaller creatures took a defensive step back. 

“As a matter of fact,” Pax commented, “we may have just the idea. A Safety Stench [Lesser–10 time, Senses 1 Nerves 1 or Instinct 1] is quite a useful brew that would project the scent impression of a behemoth and frighten off all but the most intrepid of invaders.”

“That sounds lovely... provided it is not intolerable for us as well...”

“Oh you needn’t worry about that, your senses would adjust to it quickly. It is a repellent only for strangers that are not expecting the sensory assault. With your bidding, we will begin to gather our ingredients and prepare the concoction. It will last for about a week, but we can brew enough for you to touch it up for a few weeks more as you see fit.”

“Very good, that is a temporary measure, but perhaps I will come up with something more permanent in the meantime. Maybe the neighborhood watch idea will get more traction at the next woodland meeting.”

The poulticepounders noted their store of dandelion parts were not useful for this purpose and would have to consult their tomes of ingredients. Toad poison would be a good ingredient for defensive purposes, but was not available in this area. Behemoth bits would be more common, particularly bear urine–boiled, which would make a particularly repellent scent to most beasts of this region and should suit this use perfectly [Senses 2]. For the instinct quality, behemoth bits of a different sort, in particular, their musk would apply an added effect [Instinct 2]. This combination should provide an especially potent deterrent against anything smaller than a bear, which is basically everything else in the woods.

As expected, with Sesshomaru rambling in the area, bear bits were not terribly difficult to come by, but the inherent danger in gathering these items were not lost on the small animals. It made their hearts pound and gave the young newt fuel for many nightmares when she first scented the bear urine. Ama's  terror continued while she gathered bear scented dirt into vials while wondering how far away the great beast was. 

"Teacher, is it always like this? I don't think I ever want to collect bear urine again in my life!"

"It is a foul scent indeed, to us and hopefully to most of the badger's enemies as well."

But as unpleasant as it was for them, it would be even more so for any unsuspecting invaders to the badger’s home. They took solace in the idea that powerful ingredients required a sacrifice to gather.

Summer