[West Wing] I's got a green thumb!

[Kaeson Dakano]

63rd Day of Spring, 512 AV

Kaeson wasn't exactly known for being on time, but after his meeting with Professor Dodkins Kaeson felt much more inclined to get where he was expected when he was expected. Plus, Kaeson hadn't scheduled a meeting with his herbalism teacher and had hoped to catch her a couple minutes early so as to explain why he hadn't shown up to class until now.

Making a careful note to check the classroom numbers as he walked by, Kaeson read them aloud so as not to miss classroom 112. "109...110...111...112!" Kaeson exclaimed, looking through the window he added,"Looks like I'm the first one here, too!" clearly pleased with himself. His confindence was short lived, as Kaeson found the door locked when he tried to turn the handle. "What the...," Kaeson said. "I...I'm here on time." he said, his voice quivering in panic. "Maybe...maybe it's a push door?" Kaeson thought, beginning to smile at his foolishness. Of course it was a push door, Kaeson had been pulling the door, so OBVIOUSLY it was a push door. Duh. Turning the handle and pushing the door, however, still left Kaeson outside the classroom. "Ok, so it's not a push door. Or I guess it could be. Whatever it is though, it's still locked."

Maybe it's the wrong classroom?," Kaeson thought. While Kaeson was almost one hundred percent sure...well, at least eighty-five percent sure he had the right classroom, he opened his pack and began to dig around for his class timetable. It read:

West Wing, classroom 112, Herbalism -- Gardenia Rose

Back to the classroom door, Kaeson sighed and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor. "I knew this was the right classroom, and I KNOW I'm here on time," he mumbled to himself. Sighing again, Kaeson closed his eyes. Resting his hands above his head, Kaeson focused on his breathing, trying to calm himself down and focus.

...
"Excuse me? You alright, laddie?"

Kaeson eye's blinked, wondering for a brief moment what he was doing in the university. Not bothering to look around, Kaeson replied, "Yeah. I'm fine...*yawn*...just fell asleep, nothing to worry about." Kaeson started to get up when the voice replied,"It may not be a problem for you, boy-o, but considering myself the professor of the classroom you are currently blocking, I would go about considering my lack of access to my own classroom a problem.

[Kaeson Dakano]

"You're my herbalism Professor?" Kaeson asked, clearly confused. He supposed the woman to be in her late sixties to early seventies, not that old age was a unique trait amongst the university's teaching staff. It was the woman's appearance that had Kaeson doubtful. "It looks like she dragged where ever she came from with her..." Kaeson mused as he casually looked over the woman in front of him. Branches and grass stuck out from an untidy bun of silver hair on top her head. Her pants seemed to have accumulated a thick layer of dirt and mud, and her entire self seemed to be covered in...pollen? Kaeson thought.

"'Course, I am." The woman curtly replied, adding, "Why else would I have the key, boy-o?" Then, the woman pushed Kaeson aside muttering something about today's youth and opened the door. Looking at Kaeson, she asked,"You planning on coming in anytime soon, laddie? Class is only a couple of minutes away."

"Wait, what? But you're over a bell late?!" Kaeson exclaimed.

[Kaeson Dakano]

Kaeson followed Professor Rose into the herbalism classroom. Immediately as he entered the classroom, Kaeson made note of the change of smell. Kaeson had taken notice to how clean the university was kept and, while he had considered Professor Dodkins' office a little too clean, Kaeson had assumed that the professors of the university tended to keep their work spaces maintained. Seeing Gardenia Rose's classroom made him rethink this idea entirely. There were no visible desk, only the odd wood formation that Kaeson supposed were ought to serve as desks. Various plants grew in a seemingly random fashion, or what Kaeson supposed the way the plants would have grow in nature, it was the sheer smell of the room that hit him first. Rosemary, Sage, and other scents unknown to Kaeson flooded his nose, leaving him somewhat overwhemled.

While the collective smell of the various herbs and plants originally got his attention, the floor is what really interested Kaeson. Looking down, Kaeson inspected what he thought to be..."dirt?" he whispered to himself. The floor seemed to be made of a loose, earthy material opposed to the cool marble that adorned the rest of the hallways in the university. It had a wet smell, although it wasn't an unpleasant one. To Kaeson it smelled like a freshly watered garden. "Professor Rose, I was --," Kaeson started, only to be interrupted by the professor. "No need to be calling me professor, laddie. I've always found it too formal for my liking, I go by Gardenia." Kaeson smiled at the old woman, glad to have a teacher so...easy. "So unlike Professor Dodkins," he thought to himself, still smiling.

"Anyway, Gardenia," Kaeson began, smiling at the informality of the situation. Aside from a few rules Kaeson kept for himself, he had never been one to enjoy the rules and regulations of a strict society. Kaeson much preferred Gardenia Rose's informality to Professor Dodkins sense of formality. Kaeson continued, saying, "I just signed up for your class and I was wondering if there was any assignments I could do...maybe something for me to catch up with the class, y'know?"

"Never been one for giving out assignments, but I do suppose you should familiarize yourself with what we've covered," Gardenia paused, thinking of a solution. "Well...suppose I...," Gardenia started, thinking aloud,"Yes...yes...it would depend of course on him...,"Gardeia said, clearly stuck in her own world. Quickly she glanced over Kaeson and asked,"You ever study herbalism before, boy?"

[Kaeson Dakano]

"Well...never in a formal sett-- eh, I mean never in classroom. I've just picked up the odd trick here and there." Kaeson said. While it was true Kaeson had never studied herbalism in a classroom, growing up with one of Syliras' most practiced herbalists hadn't exactly left him ignorant of the healing tradition.

"Alright then, let's put you to the test, laddie!" Gardenia said, grinning. Kaeson frowned, protesting,"What?! No, I -- I haven't even studied...I wouldn't pass!" He wasn't ready for a test, by any means. Sure, he might be able to identify some of the plants in the classroom, but wouldn't be able to actually do anything with them. Kaeson had only memorized the uses of the most common Sylrian plants, and he hadn't seen any plant he had known as he walked into the classroom.

"It's nothing to worry about, just a couple of questions that should show just exactly how many tricks you've picked up, eh boy-o?" Gardenia said, and looking right at Kaeson she added,"So, you ready?"

Kaeson nodded, even though he was quite sure he wasn't. Kaeson sighed, thinking,"Nothing ventured, nothing gained[/],".

"First question, to the best of your ability, define herbalism," Gardenia said, smiling. Kaeson blinked, not believing his luck. "[i]I hope all the questions are THIS easy," he thought to himself, his confidence growing. "Herbalism is the study of the medicinal properties of plants and their extracts." Kaeson smiled as he answered the question, he was right and he knew it.

"And the use of those properties," Gardenia added to Kaeson's answer. "What? Wait, I mean of course. I thought it was impl--," Kaeson tried to excuse his answer, but was quickly interrupted by Gardenia,"If you don't say it, it don't count, got it? While herbalism IS study of the medicinal properties of plants and their extracts, it is also very importantly the USE of those medicinal properties." Kaeson nodded, and waited for the next question.

"Second question, name three of the routes of administration commonly used by herbalists?" The professor asked.

Kaeson nodded, collecting his thoughts together, he wasn't about to get this one wrong on a technicality. "One, tisanes which are hot water extracts of herbs," Kaeson said, adding,"Like tea, tea is a common form of a tisane," Kaeson continued, saying," Two, Poultices. Which are herbs that have been dried and crushed, only to be applied topically with water. And finally...," Kaeson paused, thinking. "And finally, Syrups. Which are extracts of herbs made with syrup or honey." Kaeson smiled, he had left no room for error.

Gardenia, seemingly satisfied with Kaeson's answered, moved on to the next question,"Last question, please define wild crafting,". Kaeson shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He knew he should know this....it was on the tip of his tongue.

"Isn't it a sort of gardening, or something? Yeah, that's it, isn't it? It's like gardening, but in nature." Kaeson replied.

"More or less," Gardenia said. "Well, it seems like you some grasp of herbalism, enough to keep you from drowning anyway."

[Kaeson Dakano]

Kaeson, along with several of his classmates, was now curiosly looking at several of the potted plants that he had helped Gardenia bring in before class had started. Kaeson had tried asking her what the plants were, but Gardenia wasn't having any of it. "'If I was to tell you what they were, boyo, there really wouldn't be a point to coming to class, eh?'" Kaeson had originally frowned at her answer, but supposed there was some truth in what she had said.

Looking back at the minuture forest they had brought into the classroom, Kaeson smiled as he realized that while there were at least 14 plants, all of them were the same plant. Kaeson noted the deep green, feathery leaves all the plants shared, but it was the smell that gave the plant away. A deceptively sweet and spicy aroma wafted off the leaves, fooling Kaeson for all of two seconds.

Almost immediatley he remebered the smell from his youth in Syliras, as well as the extremely bitter taste that accompanied the alluring smell. His grandmother had often given a syrup made from the yarrow leaves as treatment for colds, and the taste, or the smell was not something he would soon forget.

Clearing her through, Gardenia began the class with a question, "Now, can anyone tell me what these plants are?"

Kaeson's hands shot up, and he said,"They're all the same plant. It's yarrow."

Gardenia smiled, and then followed with another question, "Good. Now could you tell us some of the medicinal properties of the plant?"

[Kaeson Dakano]

"It can be taken as a syrup, a remedy for colds?" Kaeson said uncertainly, while he knew his grandmother had administered yarrow syrup for colds and flu, he was exactly sure why. Gardenia nodded encouragingly, seemingly hoping Kaeson would expand on his answer. Kaeson, not wanting to dissapoint his professor, continued saying,"Uh, I suppose you could also use it for a bad cough?"

Gardenia sighed, "Yes, yarrow syrup could also be administered for cough though it is not neccesairly recommended." Looking to the other students, she asked,"Can anyone tell me why this is?"

A girl with short brown hair tentavely raised her hand, and said,"It can cause severe allegeric reactions, making the skin hypersensitive to sunlight."

"Very good, Murei, now if we were to apply yarrow topically.."

...

Kaeson massaged his wrist, tired of all the writing. They had covered every possible use fo yarrow, from exernal to internal, Gardenia had even covered yarrow in aromthearpy. Happy to be done with class, Kaeson gathered his things in his pack, only to be called over to the yarrow plants by Gardenia.

"You up to planting some yarrow, laddie?" she asked, Kaeson sighed, managing a smile and said, "Sure, why not?"

"Right, this won't take long, it won't," Gardenia said, and then showed Kaeson what to do. "You see those holes back there?" she said, indicating some freshly dug holes in the back of the classroom. Kaeson nodded, so Gardenia continued her explanation, "It's right simple it is, just grab the yarrow by its base, pull it out, put it in a hole, and cover the plant up with some dirt, ok?" Kaeson nodded and did just that.

A few minutes later, all 14 yarrow plants had been planted. Gardenia thanked Kaeson for the help, reminding him he would need to volunteer at the unfirmary before semester's end. If he wanted to pass her class.

[Arcane]

Rewards and Treasure! Experience Points +1 Meditation +1 Observation +1 Writing +1 Herbalism +1 Gardening Lores Gardenia Rose the Herbalism Professor Gardenia Rose's Lack of Punctuality Yarrow Syrup: Remedy for Colds Yarrow Syrup: Possible Remedy for Coughs Yarrow: Possible Allergic Reaction (Skin Hypersensitive to Sunlight) Miscellaneous None. Comments I can't give you lore for aromatherapy for yarrow unless you actually mentioned it in your thread, since a passing glossing over does not count, unfortunately Still, all these information is all new to me and I find it rather intriguing. I hope that in further threads you can include more detail. In order to gain more points in Herbalism you actually have to make stuff... application of the knowledge. Merely listening to lectures will only earn you lore. Let me know if you have any questions