Solo For What Ails Ya

An unemployed Symenestra looks to improve his lot in life.

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The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.

For What Ails Ya

Postby Davarin Zuharik on October 7th, 2020, 3:01 am

5th of Fall, 520 AV


Davarin reached the top of the staircase with relative ease, the irony of one of the most important buildings in the city for the sick and ill to be able to access also being one of the hardest for them to reach not lost on him, and yet it spoke to the health of the people here that it had stood so long where it was. He considered the building for some time, staring up at the imposing structure with some trepidation. Though he had been recommended to inquire about work here, it didn't make it any easier to do. Run by a Symenestran or not, he doubted anyone in Khalea would have willingly accepted healing from his kind, and though he'd devoted a good portion of his life to educating himself for this exact purpose, the inner cowardly voice suggested relying on the path of least resistance and doing what his family expected of him.

He spat off to the side when that thought entered his mind, his face contorting into a grimace of hate and self loathing. Never. Never would he condemn someone to that. With a curse he took the last few steps to enter the foyer of the building. His golden eyes very quickly adjusted to the change in light, and in his nervous state began flickering over everything, trying to see without absorbing unless something became relevant. He immediately registered the multi armed receptionist tensing as she saw him enter, as well as a younger woman who had been talking to her that subtly shifted into a better position, even as he was looking elsewhere for other threats. It was his estimation that the receptionist was just sacred, but the other woman was trained defensively and was prepared for a fight, and he reminded himself to seem less threatening.

As he began to cross towards the pair, he lifted his hands out of his cloak, exposing his belt and the lack of weapons there. He lowered his hood and scarf in the same motion, shaking the light dusting of rain that had settled upon the fabric away, and kept his hands visible as he came closer. The Symenestran knew precisely what they were worried about, and did not intend to give them any cause to fear him directly. They of course would wonder, was he a fraud, an infiltrator? Was his purpose here nefarious? There was little he could do about that without showing them. He smiled, keeping his fangs as concealed as possible, as he came within speaking distance.

“Fair morning. I was told this is place to heal, and as I have some skill in the art was hoped to be given a job. I know herbs a bit, and can treat wounded good.” He paused, smirking slightly. “Sad to say, my bedside way suffers because of my Common, among others.”

The two glanced at each other, seeming to relax slightly, but not entirely. The receptionist cleared her throat first, and spoke to him in a tone he correctly interpreted as vaguely disdainful. The other merely watched him, her body seemingly prepared to move. Dav didn't concern himself, he had no hostile intentions here, and between his own training and the Flux he was sure he could at least escape harm should it come to that.

“Yes, I can see how your Common would affect that. I suppose since it's not up to me you should speak to the head doctor. She's with a patient right now but will be down shortly. If you go sit over there, and don't touch anything, I'm sure she'd be... delighted to speak with you.”

Her smile was much less than sincere, but he knew better than to point out that while his common was only passable, his ability to read people was not defunct as a result. With a smile and a slight inclination of his head to the pair of them, giving a closer look to the other girl as he did. He could have mistaken her for his own kind, but even though she was pale she wasn't pale enough. He sat himself on a bench, and waited.
Davarin Zuharik
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For What Ails Ya

Postby Davarin Zuharik on October 7th, 2020, 3:02 am

After some time a woman descended the skyglass stair, following a man nursing a heavily bandaged arm. She had a few short words with him, and another with her receptionist, before turning to face him from across the room. Her expression was a mix of reserved surprise, curiosity, and something he couldn't quite place but equated to the look he might have given his dinner before he bit it for the first time. She spoke another quick word to her staff before gesturing for him to follow and heading towards the stair. Davarin rose, folding his cloak over his arm, and doing so. The pale woman watched him closely as he walked by, and he thought he sensed a faint whiff of magic as she did, but nothing harmful happened and her expression changed from mistrust to confusion. He returned her glance briefly, before taking to the stair and losing sight of her.

He was shown into an office, small and neat, but efficient, and a chair was indicated for him to settle on. Only then did she speak to him. In perfect Symenoan, a surprise to be sure.

“I'm told you're seeking employment? Is that accurate.”

“Yes, most of my education has been in other things, but I have taken to the healing ways and found them a worthy and enjoyable use of talents.”

“And what education and talents would those be?”

He had already observed enough of the blood in her to recognize a half blood, she must have known a thing or two of the culture as well. Davarin grimaced slightly, half closed his eyes as he expected to be struck, and began to speak.

“I'm the eldest son of my web. However I take no pleasure in Harvesting, and as such have been told to leave return when I have been successful at it or not at all. I don't intend to return. Since then I have spent most of my time focusing on healing and herb lore.”

Her eyebrows jumped, and she looked the youth up and down in a new light. She scribbled something on a piece of parchment resting on her desk and nodded in a satisfied manner.

“Very well. I want you to start in the pharmacy. There are herbs there that we need processed. Later I will come and get you to assist me with a patient I'm expecting.”

He began to stammer out something appreciative, but she shushed him with a gesture of her hand, and merely lead him out of her office and to the stairs. She then directed him to where he would be working, and went over to the reception desk to chat with her colleagues. As for himself, Davarin found himself alone, looking at a table covered in very sophisticated instruments, a few books, and facing a chalkboard with a list of jobs scrawled across it in very lovely writing. With a grunt, he glanced at the books, and seeing that they were basically guides to basic remedies as well as recipe lists, decided to figure out what he could.
Davarin Zuharik
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For What Ails Ya

Postby Davarin Zuharik on October 7th, 2020, 3:03 am

He knew that Lhavit people were fairly healthy stock, but even one strong as an Okomo would be lain low by a fever. After a bit of searching, he managed to ferret out the stored precursors, and did a quick inventory. Very few of them were fresh, and even less of them he could identify much less refine. He was no poisoner or philterer yet. But damned if he couldn't figure a thing or two out. He quickly came across some relatively healthy Bulboru roots, and with an almost manic glee began working them with a mortar and pestle.

Once he had reduced them to a fine mushy pulp, he scooped the contents into a press, and squeezed the life out of it, draining all he could into a bowl. He then put it back into the mortar, added a few drops of water and went to town on it again, pressing it into another bowl. He would repeat this until the fluids ran clear, disposing of the last pressings, along with the thoroughly drained root pulp. He then combined the bowls of liquid into one, mixed them, and strained the liquid into vials. He labelled the stoppers and set them aside, before turning to face the rest of the table.

Symenestra that he was, he knew fully well what use a sedative could be when faced with something unpleasant, and if his eyes weren't deceiving him there was a good portion of harvested poppy milk in small oilcloth packages. Though the gummy substance could be used as it was, it was unrefined this way. He flipped to the pages regarding it in the books he found, and combined what he had learned about making poppy scrapings into a liquid with what he found there. One such method was mixing a refined product from the poppy with a sponge or cloth and applying it during surgery, and while he knew he wouldn't be able to refine the poppy that far at his skill, he would file that knowledge away for now.

He satisfied himself by breaking the poppy gum into equal portions and wrapping them, as well as a vial of the substance one used to further liquefy it so it could be brewed into tea, in smaller oilcloth packages for easier use later. This would at the very least save some time if the doctors needed poppy tea, or even fever reduction.

He didn't recognize many of the other ingredients or didn't know how to process the ones he did, but he made a point of organizing the table a little better and grouping the ingredients properly. He would then spend a good portion of his time poking through the books, trying to learn what he could about the herbs that were beyond his grasp. It was slow work, but he learned some names and concepts, just not ones he could use at his level of ability.

Not long after, Alessia came to check on him. She looked at the table before him with curiosity, and pointed an inquiring finger at the vials of Bulboru and Poppy tar.

“Fever reduction and poppy tea, broken into usable portions. I'm sure people employed here that can make it more useful than me, but at very least I can make quicker for them.”

She made a small noise in her throat, like she thought that wasn't a terrible idea but didn't want to admit it.

“Well. Assistant Mirron is going to be choked that you rearranged his workplace, but I have no complaints. Come, I'm expecting someone.”
Davarin Zuharik
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For What Ails Ya

Postby Davarin Zuharik on October 7th, 2020, 3:05 am

Just as they arrived at the front a human man came limping in through the door, supported on either side by his colleagues. As the trio hobbled towards them, Alessia crossed her arms and gave the man a cold look.

“I told you, if you weren't careful you were going to fall off of that roof. Gentlemen if you would take him up the stairs, the first door on the left. I will be with him shortly.” She turned back to Davarin. “Stubborn oaf likely has a protruding fracture. I want you to go get me some splinting supplies, one of your little poppy tea packages, a crutch, and a few of the mild painkillers from the storage over there.”

He resisted the urge to salute, and ran off to do what she asked, before clattering up the stairs and into the suite. He passed the two men on the way, both of who gave him poisonous looks but still got out of his way. He thanked them, but only got a growl in return. Upon entry into the room, the man looked up at him, and cursed.

“I don't want that-”

“That what?” Alessia interrupted him “He's no different than me. Now shut up and let us treat you. Poppy tea please.”

Davarin quickly mixed the ingredients, heating water in a kettle over a small brazier and stirring the mixture. He offered it to the man gently. Upon closer inspection he was older, weathered looking. There was a large bloodied spot steadily spreading on his leg.

“Please careful. It's hot. Drink quickly if you can, it tastes foul.”

The man glared, and then began to drink while still glaring. Watching his eyes water at the heat and wretched taste was amusing, but Davarin only expressed concern as he took the cup from the Lhavitian. He then offered the doctor a length of the splinting wood. He knew what came next. She took it, and shoved it lengthwise between the man's teeth.

“Bite down on this. I want you to wave to my assistant when your fingers start to tingle.”

Davarin watched as she used a small knife to cut away the clothing around his leg. He had a protruding fracture alright, but not the worst he'd ever seen. Symenestra often had to contend with broekn bones due to their fragility after all. He glanced up as the man lifted his hand, and cleared his throat to catch her attention. She looked at the leg for a brief moment, before looking to her patient.

“I want you to think about the last time you saw a white Okomo.”

His features clouded, both with poppy and heavy thought, and he didn't seem to really notice as she took hold of his foot. Davarin casually moved to his head and put weight on his shoulders. As the man looked at him, confused, curious, and cautious, Alessia pulled and twisted slightly. The room resounded with a crack as the bone set, and the man let out a muffled and pained scream, trying in vain to sit up as Dav held him down, tapping gently into the Flux to lend himself the strength to do so. After the struggles subsided, the Symenestra moved away, one plucking the splint material from the human's mouth.

“That was. Dirty.”

“It was. Davarin, control the bleeding please.” She would set about stitching the injury closed before turning to him. “I'd like you to dress the wound, and splint the leg please. Send him down when he's recovered. And you old man, not a harsh word to my assistant or you'll need the other leg fixed too.”

Dav nodded, retrieving some bandaging from the table nearby and setting to work. He kept from applying pressure directly to the break as best he could, and soon the bleeding had stopped. The human had dozed off from the tea, and Davarin found he could work in relative peace if he ignored the snoring and occasional sharp intakes of breath that meant he'd poked a nerve. Soon he had closed up the last knot on the bandages, and laid the splint along the sides of the leg. He bound them there above and below the break with a bandage, applied stiffening materials, and sat back to examine his work.

Once it set the man would be fine. Based on the dose he'd had, Davarin estimated he'd be asleep for an hour, and he descended the stair to advise the doctor. The other medic had vanished, and it was just Alessia and the receptionist by the desk. Both gave him an appraising look as he approached, but it was definitely less scornful than he anticipated.

“He's sleeping, will be for some time.”

Alessia nodded.

“Fine. You start tomorrow. I want you here an hour after first rise. Officially you're my new junior herbologist. Now beat it, Rasika want to berate me for hiring you and I'm positive she'll explode if she doesn't start soon.”

So Dav left, a little tired from the course of the day, but happy and employed. Hopefully he could fit in here.
Davarin Zuharik
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For What Ails Ya

Postby Oralie on March 15th, 2022, 12:43 pm

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