Just a Simple Brewer... {PRIVATE}

Byahrri set down the baskets of copperleaf roots and stems down on her main alchemy table. Her place of residence was well tucked away in the Veronum forest to protect her goods from thieves and bandits, though her storefront was not far from the main highway through the woods. Those looking for Byahrri would have little trouble finding her, while wandering vagabonds and degenerates would never know she was there. Although considered a mistress of the dark arts, she was quite in touch with nature and had bent the area to her will, creating a subtle pathway to her merchant's tent. She was halfway between the Kingdom of Anamoire and the Sulphen Mines.

She set to grinding the roots in a mortar and pestle while the stems were set to dry. These ingredients acted as catalysts to wildly enhance the effect of some brews, but were toxic unless treated. There was no lack of pleasure in her work. From the mundane to exotic, Byahrri relished the craft and sale of potions to those who both needed and desired them. After examining her remaining wares, she took notes of what was absent. More infertility and digestion potions. She mused to herself, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes. Looking around at her silent brewery, Byahrri sighed. Despite being visited by customers regularly, the loneliness of this life was beginning to wear on her.

The north and east facing walls were both lined with herbs, minerals, spices, tinctures, salves, and nuts. The freshly ground catalytic roots would need to rest in a bowl of simple vinegar to nullify the basic toxins. The resulting taste was awful and masked all other flavors, but none would complain about the taste of an infertility potion. The stems were on a wooden rack near the fireplace. Once dry, Byahrri set them in a grinding mill. Only once turned into a powder would it be of use. She uncorked a bottle of Dryadic Spring water. Only the highest quality ingredients would suffice. Despite the name of the water's source, she'd never met a Dryad there. The possibility of meeting one weighed on her mind with each walk to the spring. To find a sister of the trees would be an enchanting experience, surely.

Her kettle whistled, and Byahrri poured the water over both a mix of powders and minerals, and over a cup of tea. The warmth of the fire, tea and steeping potion ingredients still could not warm the coldness she felt in her chest. Her title and her location were enough to ensure of long life of seclusion. Byahrri rested her chin on her knuckle, musing about the days, months and years to come. She glanced down at the arcane tattoo on the back of her hand. She'd needed it to steady her fingers. As a girl she was clumsy, often dropping bottles and vials, bowls and buckets. She dwelled on the tattoo on her neck, an adjustment to her voice to make her sound smoother and more confident. Before it she'd stutter when nervous, forgetting her words mid-sentence. Without the falsehood of magic, Byahrri considered herself unappealing. She'd managed to remain principled and not alter her appearance in any way, but was now considering the possibility of making herself more attractive. She was not an unappealing young woman to begin with; she was lithe, soft-featured, gifted with smooth, clear skin and free of scars.

As her mind went adrift, her tea became cold and the potion mixture needed to be reheated before brewing could begin. The digestive aides were set in small kegs with fragrant herbal leaves while the infertility brew was set in bottles with yeast to ferment. Once fermented, they would need to be reduced of alcohol, which she could conveniently distill for her tinctures. Even knowing it was a bad practice, she poured out her tea and assembled the herbs for an uplifting drink. The somber thoughts following her gatherings needed to go, so Byahrri quickly swallowed the hot mixture. A small sense of euphoria set in and her eyelids became heavy. She returned to her bedroom now no longer lucid enough to take note of the emptiness of her large bedding. Tomorrow would be a better day, hopefully.