Zeltiva University - The West Wing
4th of Spring, 512 AV
The West Wing was phenomenal, a remarkably exquisite testament of pre-valterrian architecture. The carvings that riddled the walls and pillars that supported the corridor were too intricate for a mere pair of human hands, they seemed to be more of the work of six pairs, all at once, and polished off with magic. The arches, and the way they bent and curved, it just seemed so impossible, so other-worldly. It was all so foreign to Erudite, completely and utterly foreign; it was like entering an entirely different city, with a completely different architectural style and culture. It almost made her wish for the ability to turn back time and see how things used to be. It must've been glorious. But, it was best to save the admiration for another day, as today was her first class at herbalism, and she was not in under any circumstances allowed to be late.
She arrived rather early, as the classroom had only three students and not even a single teacher. She stalked the marble floors with utmost care, as if one false move would cause an explosion. The room was just as beautiful as the hallway, with the same carvings and accents peppering the walls and ceiling. The designers must've given so much care and attention into making it the way it was. The walls were a remarkable pristine white, and the floors were polished and gleaming, mirroring the mahogany desks and the well-dressed patrons that sat behind them. She peered down and examined her face and admired how crystal clear it appeared, and how well the ground projected her own image. No one could blame her, as they all were profusely doing the same. A small wooden stage was propped up by the front of the classroom, with the desk attached to it filled with various pots, pans, and jars of different shapes and sizes. A myriad of planted herbs, flowers, and miniature fruits were propped up by the open windows, giving the entire room an aromatic, intoxicating scent.
She took a seat at the very front, hanging her backpack upon one of the hooks attached to the side of her desk. The academy was well-equipped with everything a student could ever need, it seemed. She found herself next to a human, a redheaded male with striking green eyes that had an unusual sparkle to them, as if they had gold nuggets melded into them. She hadn't been able to look at the pair behind her as clearly, but one of them appeared human as well. The other, however, had a distinctive tan that contrasted with her bleached hair and sea-blue eyes.
"Svefra," she noted, though she could be wrong. Her clothing was not like their's. Erudite dug her hand into her hooked backpack and fished out her quill and sealed up inkpot, placing it neatly onto her desk before digging out her medical journal. A sea of students swarmed into the classroom and before she could examine them as they entered, they had all taken a seat. Apparently she and the handsome redhead were the only ones excited for the lesson, as the other students filled up the back and kept the very front row empty. The redhead seemed to notice, as he turned to Erudite and smiled. He was rather charming, that he was.
"Is this your only class?" he questioned, his tone both polite and friendly. It was amazing that he'd seen through the Konti's aloof facade.
"I'm taking medicine, as well," she replied with a beam. The redhead's eyes widened with surprise and awe.
"I expected that," he smirked, probably due to the fact that she was a Konti, "I'm taking gardening and botany, along with this."
Erudite nodded politely, turning to face the front desk as she found that the teacher had come in. "That's quite nice," she murmured, as the man placed a pair of textbooks on the desk's flat surface.
"Good morning," he stated simply, as he rummaged around the desk drawers for something unknown to the rest of them. He was a rather aged man, with hair that grayed around the sides, but ceased to be along the top of his head. He wore copper-rimmed spectacles, and grew quite the amount of stubble upon his chin and jaw. But his stately clothing were enough to merit him respect and caution.
"Welcome. My name is Henry M. Aldernay, but kindly refer to me as professor Henry, or even just professor, I'd appreciate it very much," he turned towards the plants by the windows and urged the class to view them.
"Now, let's not waste any time. Herbalism is simply the study of the medicinal properties of certain herbs and plants. These herbs and plants are what aid our doctors and healers alike in curing or assisting their patients. Now, there are five ways to utilize an herb for medicinal purposes," he had the low, garbled voice of an aged man, but it was strangely endearing. He positioned a few containers onto the center of the desk, which was left empty, save for his tattered textbooks.
"You have a tincture, an infusion, a decoction, first and foremost. And then, you have grinding, and using the plant as a whole," he lectured, as he continued to place objects onto the front of the table. Erudite immediately scribbled down the information onto her journal.
"Now, I strongly suggest that you all read about these in detail in the library, as my demonstrations can only do so much," he chuckled, and the rest of the class smiled, "experimenting on things on your own is well and good, too."
"Now, a tincture," he began, taking out a large glass jar and two bottles of clear liquid. "A tincture..." he turned and walked towards one of the plants and plucked out a few leaves, "is an alcoholic extract, taken from the leaves of an herb."
He returned to his desk and placed the leaves inside the jar. He placed a pale ceramic bowl and measured out a cup of one bottle's liquid, and five cups of the other. "First, you mix together a cup of water, and a five cups of alcohol," he began to stir the mixture with a glass rod as he spoke, "and place the resulting mixture into your jar of leaves." And he did so as he instructed it.
He brought the jar up to his ear and began to shake it profusely, "keep them in the jar for up to two or three weeks, and shake them often, to maximize the concentration."
The redheaded man raised his hand. "Yes, ah, what is it?" the professor brought the jar down to address the student's inquiry. "Would it always be one part water, and five part alcohol?" he asked, tilting his head towards the side as he spoke.
Erudite gazed at him with curiosity, "what a good question," she thought. The professor was obviously pleased, as he grinned at the boy and turned towards the class. "Don't let me pick a favorite on the first day," he joked, and the class replied with a chuckle. "No, not necessarily, but this is how it normally works for most herbs. I can't tell you how many there are out there, with even more measures for their tinctures," he remarked with a dreamy sigh.
"Next up, we have infusion," he began, as he brought out an iron pot. "We primarily use steeping to create an infusion, and for those of you who don't know, that is simply the act of submerging a part of an herb into water, oil, or alcohol, depending on what the plant dissolves quickly into."
He filled the pot with water and added a couple of dried berries into it. "And that is simply it! The nutrients, the plant in its entirety, is dissolved into the liquid over a period of time, and that is what we use," he poured the liquid out and onto one of the empty jars, "but you must use dried ingredients, always, do not forget that."
Erudite continued to eagerly jot down notes as he spoke and demonstrated. The man was brilliant, straight to the point, and very concise. Clearly, he was eager to teach, and very much happy to. Herbalism was his pride and joy.
"Decoction," was next, and the iron pot remained the center of attention. He brought out stems, roots, and barks from one of the desk drawers as he continued on with the lecture. It was quick, speedy, but did not cause any stress or discomfort. This man was an experienced lecturer.
"It's another form of extraction that occurs from herb to liquid. Quite similar to infusion really, though we do not make use of dried ingredients, ah, and the water, only water, must be boiled," he brought out a steaming pot of water and poured it into the iron pot. How he had garnered the thing, they were unsure. He must've been rather skilled with magic, as well.
"How did he do that?" the redheaded whispered, moving towards Erudite to voice his interest. The Konti merely shrugged in response.
"Stems, roots, leaves, barks, you could use practically anything of a plant for this, though, it is uncommon compared to the rest," one by one, he placed the ingredients that he'd brought out into a mortar and pestle, and began to crush them.
"You'll need to thoroughly mash your ingredient, or ingredients, before incorporating them into the mix. For you cooks," he gestured over to the faces that lit up at the word, as he stirred the mashed ingredients into the pot, "this is the same as creating bouillion or stock, from meat and vegetables." The cooking students grinned at the familiar concepts, while the rest raised their eyebrows.
"Now," he cleared his throat, "that's all you need to know for the first three. They are the most precise and complicated forms by far, while the other two..." he trailed off, as he walked over to the window and grabbled a few more pieces of leaves from a plant, immediately placing it in his mouth and chewing it. The entire class leaned away from the man and wore sour faces, though the professor only grinned in satisfaction. "Are quite simple," he finished, as he spit the chewed up leaves into a little bowl. Sharp gasps were all emitted in unison.
"The fourth, is simply grinding a herb until it is practically grain or powder. Sometimes, you will need to moisten it up a bit, and you could either incorporate some water in there, or chew it up, if you lack some." He brought out a few mounds of stems and began crushing it with the mortar and pestle.
"The fifth, if you are wondering, is simply using the ingredient as it is. Some leaves work their magic by just making contact on the skin or by just being ingested," he tilted the finished product towards his audience, and they leaned in eagerly. The stems were crushed into the finest powder they had ever seen.
The old man winked and and set the previous containers and materials aside. "I'll teach you lot how to grind properly another time. For now, a short break, as I prepare our next discussion."
4th of Spring, 512 AV
The West Wing was phenomenal, a remarkably exquisite testament of pre-valterrian architecture. The carvings that riddled the walls and pillars that supported the corridor were too intricate for a mere pair of human hands, they seemed to be more of the work of six pairs, all at once, and polished off with magic. The arches, and the way they bent and curved, it just seemed so impossible, so other-worldly. It was all so foreign to Erudite, completely and utterly foreign; it was like entering an entirely different city, with a completely different architectural style and culture. It almost made her wish for the ability to turn back time and see how things used to be. It must've been glorious. But, it was best to save the admiration for another day, as today was her first class at herbalism, and she was not in under any circumstances allowed to be late.
She arrived rather early, as the classroom had only three students and not even a single teacher. She stalked the marble floors with utmost care, as if one false move would cause an explosion. The room was just as beautiful as the hallway, with the same carvings and accents peppering the walls and ceiling. The designers must've given so much care and attention into making it the way it was. The walls were a remarkable pristine white, and the floors were polished and gleaming, mirroring the mahogany desks and the well-dressed patrons that sat behind them. She peered down and examined her face and admired how crystal clear it appeared, and how well the ground projected her own image. No one could blame her, as they all were profusely doing the same. A small wooden stage was propped up by the front of the classroom, with the desk attached to it filled with various pots, pans, and jars of different shapes and sizes. A myriad of planted herbs, flowers, and miniature fruits were propped up by the open windows, giving the entire room an aromatic, intoxicating scent.
She took a seat at the very front, hanging her backpack upon one of the hooks attached to the side of her desk. The academy was well-equipped with everything a student could ever need, it seemed. She found herself next to a human, a redheaded male with striking green eyes that had an unusual sparkle to them, as if they had gold nuggets melded into them. She hadn't been able to look at the pair behind her as clearly, but one of them appeared human as well. The other, however, had a distinctive tan that contrasted with her bleached hair and sea-blue eyes.
"Svefra," she noted, though she could be wrong. Her clothing was not like their's. Erudite dug her hand into her hooked backpack and fished out her quill and sealed up inkpot, placing it neatly onto her desk before digging out her medical journal. A sea of students swarmed into the classroom and before she could examine them as they entered, they had all taken a seat. Apparently she and the handsome redhead were the only ones excited for the lesson, as the other students filled up the back and kept the very front row empty. The redhead seemed to notice, as he turned to Erudite and smiled. He was rather charming, that he was.
"Is this your only class?" he questioned, his tone both polite and friendly. It was amazing that he'd seen through the Konti's aloof facade.
"I'm taking medicine, as well," she replied with a beam. The redhead's eyes widened with surprise and awe.
"I expected that," he smirked, probably due to the fact that she was a Konti, "I'm taking gardening and botany, along with this."
Erudite nodded politely, turning to face the front desk as she found that the teacher had come in. "That's quite nice," she murmured, as the man placed a pair of textbooks on the desk's flat surface.
"Good morning," he stated simply, as he rummaged around the desk drawers for something unknown to the rest of them. He was a rather aged man, with hair that grayed around the sides, but ceased to be along the top of his head. He wore copper-rimmed spectacles, and grew quite the amount of stubble upon his chin and jaw. But his stately clothing were enough to merit him respect and caution.
"Welcome. My name is Henry M. Aldernay, but kindly refer to me as professor Henry, or even just professor, I'd appreciate it very much," he turned towards the plants by the windows and urged the class to view them.
"Now, let's not waste any time. Herbalism is simply the study of the medicinal properties of certain herbs and plants. These herbs and plants are what aid our doctors and healers alike in curing or assisting their patients. Now, there are five ways to utilize an herb for medicinal purposes," he had the low, garbled voice of an aged man, but it was strangely endearing. He positioned a few containers onto the center of the desk, which was left empty, save for his tattered textbooks.
"You have a tincture, an infusion, a decoction, first and foremost. And then, you have grinding, and using the plant as a whole," he lectured, as he continued to place objects onto the front of the table. Erudite immediately scribbled down the information onto her journal.
"Now, I strongly suggest that you all read about these in detail in the library, as my demonstrations can only do so much," he chuckled, and the rest of the class smiled, "experimenting on things on your own is well and good, too."
"Now, a tincture," he began, taking out a large glass jar and two bottles of clear liquid. "A tincture..." he turned and walked towards one of the plants and plucked out a few leaves, "is an alcoholic extract, taken from the leaves of an herb."
He returned to his desk and placed the leaves inside the jar. He placed a pale ceramic bowl and measured out a cup of one bottle's liquid, and five cups of the other. "First, you mix together a cup of water, and a five cups of alcohol," he began to stir the mixture with a glass rod as he spoke, "and place the resulting mixture into your jar of leaves." And he did so as he instructed it.
He brought the jar up to his ear and began to shake it profusely, "keep them in the jar for up to two or three weeks, and shake them often, to maximize the concentration."
The redheaded man raised his hand. "Yes, ah, what is it?" the professor brought the jar down to address the student's inquiry. "Would it always be one part water, and five part alcohol?" he asked, tilting his head towards the side as he spoke.
Erudite gazed at him with curiosity, "what a good question," she thought. The professor was obviously pleased, as he grinned at the boy and turned towards the class. "Don't let me pick a favorite on the first day," he joked, and the class replied with a chuckle. "No, not necessarily, but this is how it normally works for most herbs. I can't tell you how many there are out there, with even more measures for their tinctures," he remarked with a dreamy sigh.
"Next up, we have infusion," he began, as he brought out an iron pot. "We primarily use steeping to create an infusion, and for those of you who don't know, that is simply the act of submerging a part of an herb into water, oil, or alcohol, depending on what the plant dissolves quickly into."
He filled the pot with water and added a couple of dried berries into it. "And that is simply it! The nutrients, the plant in its entirety, is dissolved into the liquid over a period of time, and that is what we use," he poured the liquid out and onto one of the empty jars, "but you must use dried ingredients, always, do not forget that."
Erudite continued to eagerly jot down notes as he spoke and demonstrated. The man was brilliant, straight to the point, and very concise. Clearly, he was eager to teach, and very much happy to. Herbalism was his pride and joy.
"Decoction," was next, and the iron pot remained the center of attention. He brought out stems, roots, and barks from one of the desk drawers as he continued on with the lecture. It was quick, speedy, but did not cause any stress or discomfort. This man was an experienced lecturer.
"It's another form of extraction that occurs from herb to liquid. Quite similar to infusion really, though we do not make use of dried ingredients, ah, and the water, only water, must be boiled," he brought out a steaming pot of water and poured it into the iron pot. How he had garnered the thing, they were unsure. He must've been rather skilled with magic, as well.
"How did he do that?" the redheaded whispered, moving towards Erudite to voice his interest. The Konti merely shrugged in response.
"Stems, roots, leaves, barks, you could use practically anything of a plant for this, though, it is uncommon compared to the rest," one by one, he placed the ingredients that he'd brought out into a mortar and pestle, and began to crush them.
"You'll need to thoroughly mash your ingredient, or ingredients, before incorporating them into the mix. For you cooks," he gestured over to the faces that lit up at the word, as he stirred the mashed ingredients into the pot, "this is the same as creating bouillion or stock, from meat and vegetables." The cooking students grinned at the familiar concepts, while the rest raised their eyebrows.
"Now," he cleared his throat, "that's all you need to know for the first three. They are the most precise and complicated forms by far, while the other two..." he trailed off, as he walked over to the window and grabbled a few more pieces of leaves from a plant, immediately placing it in his mouth and chewing it. The entire class leaned away from the man and wore sour faces, though the professor only grinned in satisfaction. "Are quite simple," he finished, as he spit the chewed up leaves into a little bowl. Sharp gasps were all emitted in unison.
"The fourth, is simply grinding a herb until it is practically grain or powder. Sometimes, you will need to moisten it up a bit, and you could either incorporate some water in there, or chew it up, if you lack some." He brought out a few mounds of stems and began crushing it with the mortar and pestle.
"The fifth, if you are wondering, is simply using the ingredient as it is. Some leaves work their magic by just making contact on the skin or by just being ingested," he tilted the finished product towards his audience, and they leaned in eagerly. The stems were crushed into the finest powder they had ever seen.
The old man winked and and set the previous containers and materials aside. "I'll teach you lot how to grind properly another time. For now, a short break, as I prepare our next discussion."
