Solo Infusions of knowledge

[Ivana]

81st, Fall, 515 AV
Ivana had paid for the class the night before, cringing a little at the cost. She supposed it was worth it, though, and the woman at the desk's explanation of the free schooling for under sixteen's at least meant that Ky would still get a good education. This class, herbalism, was the third room down the second corridor, and Ivana opened the door and cautiously peered in. Fifteen or so faces peered back at her. When she stepped in, door closing in a way that had to stir the air around her, several of the men grinned. A woman at the front rolled her eyes, and Ivana grinned at her brightly, moving to take the seat by her side. "Hello," she said. "I am Ivana."

"Marissa," she introduced herself, eyebrows raising minutely at, Ivana assumed, her accent. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No. I come from across the... large water?" she knew the word, she'd heard it a thousand times when they sailed, but it eluded her memory in the moment.

"The sea?" Marissa suggested.

"Sea. Yes. Thank you." Ivana opened her mouth to ask if Marissa was born in Lhavit, and also how she had braided her hair because the elegant twist of honey-blond atop the woman's head was beautiful, when the door opened and the man Ivana assumed was their teacher walked in.

He had a presence. A stern one, the sort that did not brook talking. Ivana and Marissa shared a mute look, a silent promise to continue their conversation later, then turned their attention to the man.

"Herbalism," he began, "is as much a gift as it is a danger. The right herbs, administered in the right way, at the right time, can save a life and stop a heart. They can be used as food, as medicine, to create, to kill." He held up a hand, in it there was a tall green stem with delicate bell-shaped flowers of a pearly white colour hanging off it. "This, as I'm sure you'll all know, is a lily of the valley." Ivana glanced at Marissa, who was nodding. Opening her newly-purchased book to the thirpage and pulling out a quill, she wrote neatly in Arumenic:

Lily (of the valley): native to Lhavit. Tall green stem, white bell-shaped flowers

"What you might not know is that this particular plant has medicinal uses. Like the foxglove, it can slow an unsteady, too-fast heart, and strengthen its rhythm. When administered to the eyes, it can soothe swelling there." He paused, likely for effect but it gave Ivana time to finish scribbling down what he had said.

Uses: heart problems - too fast, unsteady, unstable rhythm (same as foxglove). Eyes - soothe swelling

"Also like the foxglove, it is highly poisonous. The same plant - the same parts[ of this plant - can kill just as easily as they can cure. That's why dosage is so important. Anything can be fatal if you have too much of it, especially medicines."

Dangers: can be fatal (like foxgloves). Dosage important ( )

Ivana left a small blank space to include the dosage in question, but the teacher moved on without going into further detail. She would have to look it up herself, later.

"Likewise there are plants that are edible in some places, but the rest will kill you. Arrowgrass, which is found near marshes and beaches is almost entirely poisonous, except for the seeds, which can be roasted or dried for food. When other parts are ingested, breathing becomes difficult, potentially enough to kill. Although only when the plant is dry - provided it has adequate moisture, it isn't toxic."

Diligently, Ivana copied it all down.

OOC Note :

3GM for blank book
5CM for quill
3 GM for 3oz of ink
deducted from ledger

[Ivana]

The teacher stared at the class as quills scribbled hurriedly across paper, everyone catching up on the notes. Marissa, sat next to Ivana as she was, kept stealing silent peeks at Ivana's writing. Had it been in Common, Ivana would have assumed the other woman was copying her. Even as it was she wondered if perhaps she knew Arumenic. But no, then Marissa would have almost certainly recognised her accent.

"Your first assignment," their teacher said, "involves the batonal herb. Has anyone used them before?"

Marissa's hand rose and their teacher nodded at her. "I've used it in cooking, sir. It's a spice."

"That's its most common use, certainly. Anyone else? No? It can be made into a hot infusion against internal pains and discomforts. Stomach aches and the like. Very effective, easy to make and soothing. That's what we'll be making first today. The equipment's at the back, everyone take one of everything except the herbs, and return to your seats."

Ivana obeyed. Judging by the amount of equipment, their teacher hadn't been lying about the assignment being easy. There were spoons, knives, bowls, a mortar and pestle, and a large variety of herbs and leafy green stuff that she, as instructed, left alone. Ivana returned to her desk with her arms overflowing and immediately set about arranging her collection once she had put them down. Once it was neatly ordered, she looked back up to see that the majority of the class had likewise returned to their seats.

"Everyone settle down. Good. Herbal infusions are not to be confused with herbal infused oil - which in turn should never be treated as normal oils. Herbal infused oils are used as massage oils, and as a basis for creams and salves. They are, in essence, a staple for medicinal creation. I'd urge that you try making them in your own time. Herbal infusions are similar to teas, although the herbs we use are chosen more for their medicinal uses than for their flavour. Does anyone know the other difference between teas and infusions?"

Again, Marissa's hand rose, and, after waiting to see if anyone else would offer anything, their teacher gestured at her. "For infusions the herbs are left in for several hours, instead of a few minutes. That way more of the herbs' nutrients are infused."

"Good. I don't suppose, young lady, you also know the difference between those and a decoction?"

"I..." Marissa tailed off, glancing at the room full of eyes, all locked onto her. When her gaze flickered to the side, Ivana beamed at her supportively when their eyes met. "Decoctions are infusions with hard roots and barks - ingredients that mean they have to have longer to be left in the water so you boil them. I think."

"You're absolutely right. Now, there are two types of infusion. Hot and cold. Some herbs work best for the latter, some work best for the former. There's no general rule - you need to know each individual herb to know which to use. Infusions are often made with more than one type of herb. This can be either for taste or for the herbs' properties. Remember that combinations might create something completely different, not just blend the two. Never mix ingredients you haven't used before."

He paused. "That said, today you'll be doing just that." A ripple of laughter spread across the room. "There are books at the side of the room. Page four is hot infusions, which is what you'll be doing today. Batonal is your main ingredient, but feel free to mix it up a bit with the other options at the back. You can play it safe by sticking to one of the recipes in the book, or experiment. Remember: with herbalism, less in generally more. Too many herbs will simply confuse the pallet and produce unwanted, and potentially dangerous, side effects. Off you go."

Being on the far end of the row, the books were almost within arms' reach of Marissa, and all the woman had to do was slide to the edge of her chair, reach out and pluck one - and after a brief hesitation a second - out of the pile. Ivana smiled widely when Marissa slid the second across.

Page four, their teacher had said, and Ivana quickly thumbed through the stained, occasionally torn pages to get to the one she wanted. The book was a simple read and easily laid out, with the occasional too-long word that Ivana either guessed at or skipped. The 'hot infusions' section started out with an introduction that explained, as their teacher already had, what infusions were for and what they did. Then there was a list of equipment and, next to it, the instructions for creation. The page after contained a list of different ingredients, their properties and possible combinations, as well as suggestions of general additions to make. Honey, apparently, made the taste sweeter, while a little peppermint could disguise almost any bitterness.

Given Marissa's point that batonal was a spice as well as a herb, Ivana assumed it wasn't bitter. All around her people were returning to the back and collecting the pieces of green then returning to their desks. Ivana stayed where she was, staring at the little lines of ink in the book even as she heard Marissa head off and then come back. The other woman peered over at her, with a look of concern.

"Hey, are you all right?" she asked in a whisper. When Ivana turned to look at her, she blushed. "I mean, uh. The reading. Do you need help with it?"

Oh. Ivana shook her head. "I can read mostly. The longer words are a bit confusing though." She gestured at the herbs Marissa had brought. "Which one of those is batonal?"

"What? Oh. You don't have that where you're - it's this one." She picked up a plant with very round leaves and a distinct, pleasant smell. Ivana had a good look and decided not to mention that there may well have been some where she as from, but considering her only education stemmed from what she read and what her tutors - and by that she meant her parents' slaves - deigned to teach her she wouldn't have seen them anyway. "Do you need help with the herbs?" Marissa continued quietly.

"I think I will make this," Ivana said, tapping the page with her finger. It was one of the three batonal recipes, a simple one with just one other herb, chamomile. "What does it look like?"

"Chamomile's - well there're different types, actually. Wild and garden chamomile are mostly used, but the garden one's probably better. It's got white flowers, bipinnate leaves - uh," she glanced at Ivana "the leaves are sort of divided, spread out. It's - he's got some actually, over there." Ivana followed Marissa gaze and locked on to the plant. "Do you see it?"

Ivana nodded and thanked the other woman.

"It's no problem," Marissa said, and sounded as if she meant it. The two shared a smile, then Ivana hurried over to the almost deserted back and grabbed a good amount of the two herbs, then returned to her desk.

She turned the page back to the method, and smoothed it out. It was time to begin.

[Ivana]

The first step towards making a hot infusion is to put your water on to boil. As this may take some time, it is advised to start that before preparing your herbs. You should have approximately one cup of water per three teaspoons of herbs.

The water was already being heated by the stove, with students carefully ladling it into their bowls when they were ready. Check, thought Ivana, and she moved to the next point.

The second step is to prepare your herbs. This depends entirely on what you are using, although the rule of thumb is that the smaller your herbs have been cut, the faster your infusion will be ready. Fresh herbs are preferable to dry, as dried herbs can use some of their medicinal properties. Check the back pages for specific details for herbs, and prepare appropriately.

The back pages contained an index of herbs, listed alphabetically and in sections based on location and with brief notes on preparation, uses and the potential to be poisonous. After scanning for her two herbs, Ivana found that batonal could simply be chopped up, but chamomile was just used for the flower heads, which Ivana carefully plucked off, discarding the stalks to the other side of the table.

She picked up the knife and cut the batonal as neatly as she could, aiming to get each piece about the same size, and for that size to be around the same as the chamomile's. If they were a lot bigger, she assumed, the chamomile would infuse faster than the batonal, and so they wouldn't be mixed properly.

The pieces came out...adequately. Ivana supposed that as long as she didn't cut herself it was technically a success. She finished the last piece and scooped the flower heads into the pile. She mixed them around carefully, making sure not to accidentally mush any of it into the table and, once the two were completely intermingled, Ivana awkwardly started trying to fit them onto a spoon to measure. It was likely, she thought a little ruefully, she should have done that first. Three spoonfuls later, Ivana picked up the pot she had collected and moved to the stove. Their teacher stood by it, keeping a watchful eye on the temperature - the water just bubbled a little - and nodded to Ivana when she walked over.

She carefully scooped some of the water out with the ladle and put it into her bowl, filling it about two thirds of the way up. Returning to her desk, Ivana tipped the herbs into the pot and checked the instructions again.

Make sure you cover the pot immediately after the herbs are added. This is to ensure the vapours don't escape, and keeps the infusion warm for longer, allowing more of the herbal oils to infuse.

Ivana winced and put the lid on. A few seconds without probably didn't do any harm, but she quickly scanned the rest of the instructions to make sure she hadn't missed anything else.

Your infusion should be left for a minimum of thirty minutes, but the longer it goes for the more infusion will take place. This does means the medicinal properties of the infusion will be stronger, as will the taste. Consider adding a little lemon juice or milk if it becomes too bitter. Infusions can be left overnight, although one or two hours should be enough (check the back of the book for specific herbs).

Just to be thorough, Ivana flipped back to the back of the book and looked the two up again. Neither required an overnight steep, so she closed it, turned the hourglass upside down and sat back in her chair, relieved that her first assignment had gone, seemingly, all right.

[Ivana]

Ivana was in the process of writing up what she'd done into her book when the teacher called that time was up. Nearly the entire class was finished by then, except for a boy caught at the water. Eyes wide he stared at the teacher, then scurried back to his bench with his pot, water sloshing dangerously.

"Your infusions should be left in general for three to four hours to ensure all the herbs are done," their teacher said. "At the end of the lesson today I'll go round and have a look, and let you know how you've done. You can take them home after, and once they've finished steeping, enjoy."

He walked back to the front of the room. "While we wait, we'll be trying a cold infusion. These are primarily used for herbs that are sensitive to the heat, and take a great deal longer - they will be left covered until morning. Page seven in the book contains the instructions for cold infusions, as before you can either follow a recipe or experiment, but this time I'll leave the ingredients entirely up to you. However, this infusion should be designed to induce sleep and calmness. Go."

Approximately a quarter of the class, Marissa included, made an instant beeline for the back of the room without even looking at their textbooks, and the rest, Ivana included, thumbed their way to the appropriate page and started reading.

She skimmed the first page, reading over it quickly to make sure there was nothing she should be doing that would need to be left for some time before use, then turned her attention to the next page, which contained a list of possible herbs, and a few suggested recipes. Ivana picked one at random and flipped to the back of the book to check it out.

Connal. This small plant, found in the hills and forests, has a rosette of wrinkled leaves with a velvety underside. From the base of this rosette a slim leafless stem grows, which produces a yellow blossom with a red centre. The dried flowers and roots can be used in either a hot bath to relieve aching joints and wounds, or infused into a tea to induce sleep. For keeping, the plant can be dried and stored.

That sounded fine, and Ivana flipped back to the page for the ingredients, and had a look at the suggested additions. It listed similar ones as before, and this time Ivana, conscious of the warning against overdoing the herbs, decided to add some jasmine as well. According to the book it had a delicate flavour and calming properties.

Decision made, she headed to the back of the room and collected the herbs that looked like the ones she wanted. The jasmine she sniffed, and found the aroma absolutely beautiful. It was one she was sure her mother had used in perfumes before. Satisfied, she returned to her bench.

Marissa smiled at her when she sat down, and Ivana moved so the other could see her herbs. "Connal and jasmine?" she checked, and Marissa nodded. Satisfied she hadn't made a mistake, Ivana turned to the instructions.

The first step is to prepare your herbs. This depends entirely on what you are using, although the rule of thumb is that the smaller your herbs have been cut, the faster your infusion will be ready. Dried herbs should be dampened before infusing. Check the back pages for specific details for herbs, and prepare appropriately. Once prepared, wrap your herbs in a loose, tied cheesecloth bundle.

As per the instructions at the back of the back, Ivana plucked the delicate heads off the jasmine and again ditched the rest of the plant. For the connal she checked the dried clumps she had collected for anything aside the roots and flowers, and found nothing.

"You should have made your selection and returned to your bench," their teacher called. "Good choices for this would have been connal, valerian root, or tolm, although fauxsil would have been an adequate, although far less effective, option. They would all need some sort of addition for taste. Chamomile, jasmine or lavender, for example. Lemon balm and valerian root is an especially good combination. For hot infusions, a particularly calming blend is Pitta tea, a combination of peppermint, sage, jasmine, chamomile, and rosemary.

As he spoke, Ivana quickly jotted down the herbs he mentioned, then turned back to her textbook.

Fill a jar with cold or reasonably cool water, so there is approximately one ounce of herbs for every thirty-two ounces of water, and submerge the bundle of herbs just below the lid of your jar, ensuring that the string tying the cheesecloth is kept outside the jar.

Ivana wrapped her herbs in the cloth, noting its thin, cotton-like texture, dabbing them carefully with water as she did, and tied the cloth with a thin piece of string. She went to the basin at the front of the class the others had been walking to, and found it full of water and ice cubes. She filled her jar about three quarters of the way full and headed back to her table, then added the herbs, the string held firmly between two fingers.

Ivana then screwed the lid on, sat down and wrote up the instructions. She finished just as their teacher called for a stop.

[Ivana]

Ivana stood, patient and calm, as their teacher walked around the room sniffing and tasting the the hot infusions with a frequently-wiped spoon, and making the occasional comment. Beside her, Marissa fidgeted nervously.

When their teacher approached their table, his featured lit into a smile as he examined Marissa's pot. When he spoke his voice was loud and pleased, "a delightful combination of batonal and peppermint leaves, with honey for taste. Peppermint can be tricky to get in the right amount, but this is perfect. Well done. And this one..." he turned his attention to Ivana. "Chamomile. A nice blend, but you could have added a little more. Chamomile has a lovely taste, but the flavour's very delicate and easily masked by others."

Ivana nodded and thanked him in a murmur as he passed. "I noticed nobody used ginger or fennel," their teacher continued. "A wise decision for the former - ginger and batonal do not go well together either as spices in food or as an infusion , and ginger is what we call a warming herb. It generates body heat, which some can find uncomfortable, especially when already in pain. Fennel would have worked well though. Lemon water would help with a stomach ache, and has a lovely flavour. Never underestimate the importance of taste. A sick child might refuse to chew on a bitter leaf even if it'll make them better, but should that leaf be brewed and flavoured to make it sweet they'll drink it up and ask for seconds."

The teacher returned to the front of the room and surveyed the class for a moment. "You've all done well," he said. "Don't forget to bring your cold infusions for me to have a look at tomorrow. That lesson will be on identifying herbs, and if we're lucky we'll be heading outside for that, so make sure you all bring coats." Even as he spoke, loud bells chimed clearly from somewhere. Ivana jumped but the rest of the class reacted calmly, packing their bags and heading off in chattering gaggles. These bells, Ivana realized as her heart started to calm, had to be normal. A way of signifying the end of a lesson, or what the time was.

"You're really not from around here, are you?" Marissa said, lips curling into a half smile.

Ivana blinked at her in confusion. "As I said. I am from -"

"Across the sea, I remember." Ivana smiled back at her, put her paper in her bag and picked up her two infusions, jamming one into the bag with it and holding the other tightly in her arms. "When did you arrive in Lhavit?"

"Two days ago," Ivana said. "Are you from here?"

"Born and raised," Marissa sighed with just a hint of wistfulness as the two walked to the door. She bowed to the teacher and Ivana hastily copied the movement, then muttered her thanks as Marissa held the door open. "I always wanted to travel though. Just never had the time. It must be fantastic to see the world."

"It is certainly interesting," Ivana confessed. "But I wish my reasons for leaving my home meant that I could one day return."

There was a brief silence as the two walked. "I'm sorry," Marissa said at last. "That must be awful."

"It's not - it was not much of a home in the first place," Ivana told her quietly. She wrapped her arms around her infusion tighter, hugging the cold ceramic to her chest.

The rest of the walk before they parted ways was completed in silence.

Ivana arrived at the apartment she currently called home quite a bit later than she had expected. She unlocked the door quickly. "Myra! I'm home!" she called in her native language as she entered, carefully putting the cold infusion on the table before getting the hot one and, relieved that the pot was still warm, poured the liquid into a cup.

"We're in my room!" Myra's voice called. It was a relief to hear her mother tongue, to be able to understand words with ease, not concern that she would mishear or mispronounce. Myra had insisted that they practice Common at every possible moment, but tended to forget to do so if Ivana started a conversation in Arumenic.

Tea in cup, Ivana slipped in through the door that was never locked and smiled at the sight. Ky was snuggled close against Myra's body, eyes closed as the woman rocked him. He blinked awake as the motion stilled and gave a wide grin when he saw Ivana, reaching out chubby arms and waving them towards her.

Ivana put the cup down and accepted the eagerly-given baby from Myra's arms. "That's for you," she said quietly, gesturing at the cup. "I made it today. It's supposed to help with pain."

Myra eyed it doubtfully, but shrugged and sipped it. Her eyes widened. "It's nice," she said, and the surprise in her tone made Ivana laugh.

Her amusement faded moments later, and she rocked Ky in silent until he drifted off again. "You're going to the hospital soon," she told her companion.

Myra shook her head. "I'm fine. We need to save the money."

"You can barely walk!" One misplaced step disembarking a boat had left Myra with a badly injured leg that, while confirmed not to be broken, gave her a lot of trouble. It would have given her substantially less trouble if she had taken the time to rest, but the two had agreed that getting to Lhavit - getting Ky to Lhavit, specifically - before the winter's snow slowed travel down, was far more important. Had it been Ivana injured, she would have said the same. Myra shook her head and, when Ivana opened her mouth to continue to push, she pinched the bridge of her nose and waved a dismissing hand in the air, before taking a large swig of the tea.

They sat in silence for nearly an hour after that, Myra sipping her tea while Ivana rocked her half-brother back to sleep.

[Brandon Blackwing]

IVANA

XP:

• Socialization +3
• Herbalism +4
• Observation +4

Lore:

• Herbalism: Lily of the valley: uses and dangers
• Herbalism: foxglove: uses and dangers
• Herbalism: the importance of dosage
• Herbalism: Arrowgrass: poisonous, though seeds can be eaten
• Herbalism: Herbal infusions vs Herbal infused oils
• Herbalism: Decoctions
• Herbalism: Infusions
• Herbalism: recognizing Batonal
• Herbalism: recognizing Chamomile
• Herbalism: Properties of Jasmine
• Herbalism: Properties of Connal
• Herbalism: Importance of taste

Notes:
Nice informative thread, I liked this one

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credit goes to Adelaide Sitai