Glasswares [Solo]

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on October 11th, 2011, 7:17 am

5th Fall 511AV

Serrif wasn’t really all that worried about the test with Lym today. He knew she meant well by it. However what he didn’t know was what she expected him to have learned. This fact was what was making him uneasy. He knew he could pass a general test or skillset test on the glassware. He remembered most if not all of the details. But reading something in a book and then re-enacting it were two separate things. Yes one did usually help the other. But you never knew honestly what you were made of until you tried to exhibit the skills you were supposed to have learned. He knew he remembered everything. And well he was sure he could do anything if not everything she would ask of him.

As usual Serrif found his way to Lyms lab. It was early; but as was habit he knew Lym would be there. And she was. He could tell by the sounds of her work as he approached. She was setting out glassware…likely for his test. He liked practical tests. And he knew that Lym was a practical woman. Her method of teaching was direct and exactly what Serrif wanted. He needed direct instruction. He wanted practicality; because he knew that practical was what he would be facing out in the real world if he ever left Mura. But he knew he would one day. So he needed to glean all the knowledge he could from this isle while he was here. And the best way for him to do this was to be practical and realistic in what he needed to learn. He knew he couldn’t learn everything and anything. So he had to be selective; because there was just too much knowledge out there.

The library was a sure sign of this. The Order had collected one of the most impressive collections of medicinal books he believed to ever exist. He had no trouble finding anything; and if he ever did have trouble it was because of the plethora of information not the absence of it. He could never search through all of these books and find ever relevant bit of information. So he was selective and read only what he needed for the time being. He did research ever now and then but only for specific reasons. Only because he knew he wanted to know more about a certain subject. Sometimes he hunted down random knowledge he read about elsewhere. But he knew at the end of it all he had to be practical or he would never learn enough to be useful. Knowledge was like a maze, sometimes the objective was just to reach the end without turning and exploring every last possibility. He didn’t have the luxury of exploration, he didn’t have the seemingly endless youthful Konti lifespan that these women were graced with.

He entered the lab and Lym nodded. “I hope you are ready Serrif.” She said as she motioned to the glassware laid out before her on her workspace.

“As ready as I can be from reading your notes alone.” He answered as he watched her and then moved to her side of the table. He was beginning to wonder just what she had planned for him. But he would find out soon enough. There were all kinds of ornate glassware laid out on the table. Some simple and others more complex. But everything he had read about in the book was indeed here. All of it and some more. This was indeed going to be an all-inclusive testing by Lym. And well he believed himself to be ready.

“Good” Lym said as she then backed away and made his first challenge. “Now make me two condensers out of what you see before you, keeping in mind that I will be boiling a medium amount of liquid at a high temperature.”She would now watch and see what he had really learned.

Serrif looked at what was laid out before him. He knew one unit could be formed using the retort and a rounded boiling flask. She he made that unit up easily and set it in the table. Carful again not to break anything or damage any glassware. He could only begin to estimate the cost of these items. The second unit wouldn’t be as easy. He knew he needed a rounded boiling flask. But he also knew that she wanted to boil at a high temperature. So that meant she needed glassware that was a little thicker than normal. In fact he would want to use the thickest rounded flask he could find. He believed that by feeling weight he would be able to determine this rather easily. So he began looking through the rounded flasks until he found one that met his standards. The thickest glassware was easily found and he chose it. Now he would need a connector preferably one that was slanted at more of an acute angle so that the liquid made by the condenser would easily drip out of it into the collector at the end. He selected the appropriate joint and then attached the condenser to it as well. Finally at the dripping end of the condenser he placed a normal triangular flask. He stood back for a moment and well he liked his work.

And so did Lym. She nodded “Yes you have it correct. Now I believe it is time to show you how to use both of these stations.” This was one of the many reasons Serrif loved working with Lym. Practicality. Most classroom teachings would stop here, but no Lym wanted him to make something with it. Make this knowledge his own.

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on October 11th, 2011, 4:43 pm

Lym moved and from a basket grabbed a few mushrooms. Serrif recognized them from one of her books. They were used to make a sedative, if they were the mushrooms he was thinking of…She laid them on the table and then grabbed another couple mushrooms that looked exactly the same. Serrif was curious immediately.

“One of these will make a sedative, and the other will kill you if prepared the same way as the sedative mushroom. Observe them closely.” She instructed.

Serrif observed the mushrooms tumbling one of each around in his hands. They looked the same, well they appeared to be the same mushroom. They were the same size, shape, color and even had the same spotty pattern on the top of the hood of the mushroom. As he rolled them around one of the mushrooms was rubbing off a dull yellow pollen onto his hands, the other was a white pollen. “Is the only way to tell them apart the pollen dust?” He asked as Lym then answered.

“Yes, well the only way to tell before it is too late. The white one is safe as a sedative and for eating, the yellow is not.” She said grabbing the poisonous one and setting back in the basket it belonged in. “Both grow in the same places at the same rate and even look the same. You have to handle them in order to know for sure which is which.” She then moved back to Serrif’s side and took a vial from off a shelf.

“We are going to avoid using the retort, they are ineffective and well pretty wasteful if you have the other setup Serrif.” She then set the vial down and cleared the retort setup off of the table to allow room.

“Now to start the reaction we will need a way to pump water through the condenser.” She sorted through some drawers and produced a small waterproof leather sack with two ports on it. She filled this sack with water and then hooked tubes to the condenser. She squeezed it gently and water flowed through the tubes and into the condenser.

“This will work fine.” She then set the little bag down and removed the boiling flask from the network of glassware Serrif had set up. She then instructed Serrif further.

“You will need to take about three decent sized mushrooms and break them up by hand and place them in this glass.” Serrif did just that and broke up three of the good non poisonous mushrooms and placed the pieces into the glassware boiling flask.

Glassware :

“Good now that vial contains a weak acid that will release a gas that we need to condense. No heat required here. So pour the acid in and then get to working the water for the condenser.” Again serif nodded and poured the acid in. Almost immediately Lym hooked the flask back up to the network and Serif began pumping the water sack sending cool water through the condenser. It didn’t take much time for a white hazy smoke to appear from the boiling flask. It then worked its way into the cooling condenser.

Serrif kept pumping slowly so that the water would stay cool. And after about three minutes his hand was getting tired. But he did notice that smoke would pass into the condenser and a clearish liquid would pass into the finished triangular flask. So the condenser was indeed doing something…as long as it wasn’t leaking. But the tubes were on tight and secured so he assumed what was coming out was indeed finished product. He kept pumping water through the system having to change hands every now and then to give one a rest. This continued for another five to ten minutes before the reaction stopped completely. The acid had turned black in color designating that the reaction was indeed over.

“Believe it or not the way to dilute this so it is safe to discard is to mix it into a fifty fifty water and milk mixture with twice the liquid as is in the vial. It neutralizes the acid.” She pulled over a bucket and Serrif measured out milk and water in equal parts pouring them into the bucket. The leftovers were added and then Lym continued.

“We now need to filter this mixture. Active charcoal is best and I do have some.” She said as she pulled out a few lumps for Serrif to look at. They were indeed lighter than normal coal. “Now we set a few of these in a straight tube and pour our finished product in one end and out of the other comes our filtered product.”

Glassware :

Lym and Serrif assembled the glassware tower and then put coarse filters on the top and bottom. Fine filters wouldn’t be needed as the only thing the filters would need to catch were bits and pieces of the active charcoal that broke off. Then the cylinder was filled with individual pieces of active charcoal filling it. After this the finished liquid from the first process was poured through the tower and would come out filtered and completely clear at the bottom in the triangular flask.

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on October 15th, 2011, 2:37 pm

Serrif watched as the liquid filtered through the charcoal. If he hadn’t read about this even being a possibility he never would’ve tried it himself. The liquid filtered through the tower little by little and then eventually ended up in the bottom of the tower in the flask. The liquid going in was a little cloudy compared to the liquid at the bottom that was so translucent that it was almost nonexistent. There was nearly half a flask of liquid going in and then in the bottom there was slightly less than half so much that it was noticeable by his keen eye but he knew that there were some people that wouldn’t notice this change in liquid. It also didn’t have much of a smell to it but it was indeed a process.

“Now that it has been prepared…we have something very important to do Serrif.” She said as she then motioned to a small sitting couch and had him sit. She then poured a vial of the finished substance in one vial and a small amount of the unfiltered product in another vial.

Serrif sat and watched her pour the liquid in the vials. The couch she had him sitting on was almost like a small bed. It was extremely comfortable to even sit on. He stretched some and then continued to watch her. The vials had differing amount of liquid in both of them; the finished liquid vial had a small amount in it and the unfinished vial was almost full. Lym came over and sat beside him handing him the two vials.

“It is important to know why every step is important Serrif. I can only think of one way to do this Serrif and for this you need to look at the two.” She said.

Serrif looked at the two and began to really compare them in his mind. The unfinished liquid was cloudy almost there was a small amount of milk in the clear liquid. It also seemed to have a higher viscosity as he turned the liquid around in the vial. The finished liquid was completely clear almost like it wasn’t even there in the glass vial. It was also thinner than the other unfinished liquid. He then smelled the liquids and the unfinished liquid had a pungent and almost musky smell to it. However the finished liquid had almost no smell to it at all but there was a very light musky smell to it. He couldn’t tell how the two would taste but he knew the more finished liquid would likely taste better than the unfinished one.

“Now, I told you that dosing was important here. I measured out what I will need to put someone of your size under. The two measures in the vials you have now are those measures.” She stood and then took the finished liquid from his hand and set it aside. “Now, take that measure and make sure to lay down. It may be slightly unpleasant. There is a bucket on the floor if you need it, you likely will.”

Serrif didn’t like the sound of needing the bucket. He knew he would much rather have taken the finished liquid. He was unsure as to if he would want to do this. He watched Lym and was trying to see if she was really serious or not. And he judged by her face and stature that she was indeed serious. He sighed and then downed the vial of the unfinished liquid. It was very distasteful to his palette. It tasted musty and was extremely hard to swallow. His stomach was almost instantly upset when the liquid hit it. Good thing he hadn’t eaten a whole lot this morning. He felt dizzy and he laid down with Lym’s guidance.

“Unpleasant isn’t it?” Lym said as she gently wiped some of the sweat off of his forehead with a cool damp cloth. He was feeling distant now, and his stomach was churning. This was very unpleasant. His vision was blacking and darkening at the edges. He then picked up the bucket and dry heaved whatever stomach contents he had into it. His body started to shake some as it numbed. Lym helped him set the bucket down before he dropped it…His vision went and he was down…

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on October 15th, 2011, 4:33 pm

The effects of the medicine were harsh but effective. He eventually woke up several others later on the couch. He immediately noticed that his limbs ached horribly and his stomach was still upset. He opened his eyes slowly and noticed he had a horrible splitting headache. His vision was still blurred and the sunlight hurt them as well. Lym was there sitting in a chair next to him. Watching him intently to make sure that nothing absurd happened while he was down. He ached all over and moaned as he came to. “That was far more unpleasant than you said it would be.”

She smiled then gently helped him come to. “Here this may help you come to.” She said as she sat back.

He drank the vial and well there were no immediate effects but after a few minutes his stomach did feel a little better and was soothed a little. But he was still relatively miserable. He struggled to sit up and then spoke again to Lym. “That was…” he then sighed and ran his hand through his hair trying to sooth his nerves.

“It was, now do you understand how important it is to be exact in what you do. You hold people’s well being in your balanced hands. You need to take your time in what you do. You need to be exact. Don’t take shortcuts Serrif, you could harm someone.” She said as she observed him further. He was coming around nicely; but she knew he had to be miserable.

“You aren’t lying Lym.” He said still trying to compose himself. He still felt horrible but in the very least he thought he could stand now. But he would remain on the couch for a little longer. He still felt sick, and pretty weak.

“This is honestly horrible.” He said as Lym smiled and laughed a little as she watched him.

“Yes, like I said this is the best way I could think of to show you. I could always just tell you. But it is important to know what you are prescribing to our patients.” She handed him a glass of water so he could start hydrating himself again.

Serrif drank the water and then thought through what had just happened. It seemed that the cloudiness in the unfiltered mixture was likely impurities that could and would cause undesirable effects in the body. He continued to sip on the cool water and it helped him feel better even though his body was swarm and sweating a little right now. The stone floor felt cool and wonderful on his bare feet. He was still gathering himself from his dosing that Lym have him. It seemed like it was a heavy dose but it had indeed been just enough to put him under. He was slowly gathering himself as senses finally started coming back to his legs and arms. His sense of vision was coming back too as well. He gently stretched and tried to smile. He gently ran his hands again over his face and he then again sipped more on the cool water Lym gave him.

“Lym, so what now?” He said as he looked to her and was still trying to think about what had happened to him.

Lym smiled and sat beside him. “Gather yourself, when you feel better we only have a few things to do.” She said as she watched him.

She envied how strong he was on the inside. Even though he was horribly poisoned and she had dosed him with a horrible sedative he stuck it out. He was together trying to hold himself together. He was internally strong and very driven. She was proud of him. She knew he would do a ton of good once he left here and headed out into the world again. He needed to do well, she knew that from the first day she met him. She knew she could release him into the toil and he would stand his ground firmly. He would embody everything a healer has ever been and would ever be. He had potential, so much that she knew she couldn’t keep him here. He wouldn’t do enough good here among her people.

He knew this as well, but still hadn’t admitted to himself. He thought he could still be here in Mura with the woman of the White Isle. He thought he could grow old here with them, and maybe fall in love with one that would actually love him back. But he was beginning to think that that was more of a distant dream than anything else. That he would be alone if he stayed here. He needed to be among his own kind. Mura was a good first stop after his slavery escape. There was no better place for him to be then right here in Mura for now. He knew that he needed to heal, and he had found that healing here. He had picked up skills that he knew he could use. He was driven to excel. And he could and would do just that.

“Are you feeling better?” She asked Serrif as he exhaled and inhaled quietly; it seemed like he was gathering himself very well now.

by **Serrif Von Chatlyn** on October 16th, 2011, 11:23 pm

“Define better Lym.” He said with a smile as he continued to take a mental stockpile of how he felt.

His arms and legs still felt distant from his body, and ached horribly. But he thought if he had to he could stand up, but his legs felt shaky just supporting his weight sitting when he leaned forward. A dangerous bit of proof that he indeed had to be careful when administering medicine. He could imagine that someone who actually needed the sedative. If someone who was weak was introduced to this unfiltered medicine he was sure it was more than possible for them to die. Also even afterward if had to put someone down the effects of the sedative after any procedures might kill them. He was gaining a higher appreciation for what he did now. Why it was so very important to be on the spot and exact.

He knew now that everything he did held a very strong weight to it. Skipping steps or cutting corners wouldn’t be allowed if he wanted to actually save lives. This lesson wasn’t taken lightly by him. He knew that if he was going to be a healer he would have to love his art. He would have to make every measurement and every medicine his highest priority. It wasn’t enough to just simply make medicine and suggest things for people to do to help improve themselves. He didn’t know what he would do if he was supposed to help people and instead he ended up killing someone in the process. Medicine and the making of it was obviously a delicate process, one that he was going to have to be very exact with. Because in the world of medicine poisons in small amount could even be medicines.

Throughout all of his readings and experiences he was learning that there was a thin and sometimes grey line between medicine and poison. Just like there was an even thinner line between life and death. And he would be the one walking that line; and relying on his skills and his knowledge to help him traverse that line. He knew he would lose people; that despite his hardest trials and skill set he would lose people to death. He knew that he would also reach out a helping hand to people on the verge of death; and help others avoid it completely. He knew that he would have to help people in all kinds of circumstances. And that race, sex, creed, nor beliefs could ever keep him from helping those that needed him the most. He knew in his heart that there were people that would need him that he couldn’t ever hope would be able to pay him back.

But healing wasn’t about making coin; and it definitely wasn’t about status. It was about really making a difference in the lives of those that you touched. It was about walking the tightrope that was stretched between life and death; and somehow helping someone traverse it with you without falling to death. He knew he would have to keep his heart strong; because he was going to take a beating seeing death of all kinds of people. He also knew he would have to keep his body strong as well so that he could fend off disease. His mind would have to be strong because he needed the knowledge that he would use to help many. And his morality would have to be unshakable, because it would be challenged in every way he could ever imagine.

He knew that he would have to be all this and more if he was to make a difference. He would be under scrutiny because people expected great things from a healer; especially one from Mura. But he had learned from the best. And he knew that he had indeed learned much from these women of Mura. And when the day came for him to leave he knew that he would be ready for the challenges that the world presented him with.

“Well then you obviously don’t feel better.” Lym said as she laughed a little and sat at her table watching him. He was a strong man, not delicate by any standards. She wondered in the back of her head if another Konti women had laid claim to him yet. She ushered that thought away quickly as she then picked up a book off her shelf and then flipped through the pages.

“I think I finally understand all of this Lym, I understand the thin line I must walk between life and death. And that my skills will determine which side of the line people land on. That my fortitude and my morality will decide between life and death. And that I will have to be prepared for this eventuality.” Lym smiled while he spoke these words. She knew finally that he actually understood the reality of what he was going to do.

She knew that he finally understood the path he was going to have to walk. That he understood that the path would be anything but easy for him. That he would be challenged almost endlessly at every turn of his journeys. He would have horrible life altering decisions that he would have to make; not only for himself but for other people as well. He would be an extension of the Opal Order even if he didn’t think he was. She had knowledge that rivaled that of healers that had been on the isle for years. She knew that he would do better than many of them as well. That was why she was pulling so hard for him. His time to go out into the world was closer than he first thought. He would be her extension out into the world faster than he could ever have imagined.

“I know that I will have to walk this line carefully Lym.” He said as Lym then smiled.

“You will have to, and people will die Serrif…it happens to everyone.” She said as she then looked at him with a slate serious expression on her face. “You will want to blame yourself, your lack of skills or maybe some mistakes you made. But with life there is always death Serrif it will seek you out and try and break you. But you will have to remain strong and keep your footing.” She closed her book and set it aside.

Her facts were startling and sobering as well. He never thought of it like that but he knew that everything had its opposite. And with life death had to be present. There was always balance in nature. And the Gods would make the balance so; always. So he could try but sometimes there would just be those that he couldn’t save. Some would die no matter what he did. No matter how hard he tried or what he did some would always perish. This was something that he hadn’t seen yet. But he knew that eventually it would happen to him and he would have to deal with it. Exactly how he didn’t know; but eventually someone would perish at his hands. And no matter what he did he also knew he would blame himself no matter what anyone told him. But he couldn’t shrink in fear, he knew he would have to stand his ground.

Requests :

by **Archelon** on October 19th, 2011, 4:03 pm

Thread Award

"Ah... studying, a key facet to what life beholds..."

And the Results!!!!:

Serrif :

Would you like some extra turtle sauce ? :