Eberous "The Mad Doctor"'s Story

There was a buzzing in the air followed by a voice that seemed to vibrate in and of itself "Bombs are the weapons of assassins, guerrilla fighters, terrorists. Lowly servile types who fight out of desperation...". A tall red slim root-like creature in a professor's coat walked in making it's way towards the teacher's desk "I like that! The quality of pure brute force can never be overlooked in warfare". The creature resembled that of a large sweet potato or turnip and took the seat at the teacher's desk. Rooting through the drawers and pulling out some papers which it laid out across the table "Personally I'd rather use one of those new mortar all the generals are so hard over but that might just be preference".

"Those take too long. Hand thrown bombs are mearly to hold off the enemy until what we are going to test is set up, and in case of emergency. We are no generals and have no reason to bother with some weapon we aren't working on ourselves." Requin replied with a supisious glare. He could never tell whether or not he should bother with rarely dealt with species.

Requin's tail wrapped around the leg of the chair even tighter as the straudeku sat down. He always had this feeling around this being that it would try to take his blood, or try to pluck off his scales. Neither of these made Requin all that more excited to see it. Of course, Requin had been wrong before, but that usually ended in something exploding in his face.

"I do believe we're not talking about the same thing. The device I was referring to was this" The straudeku said pulling an odd looking flintlock from behind the desk "I mostly use it for sport but you're welcome to it so long as you don't damage it...or you know. tell anyone I carry such a crude thing. Reputations and image retention and all that garbage. Surely you know that dance well enough by now". The straudeku started sorting through the papers and writing in a notebook seeming to ignore the trio.

"I have always found swords and more direct explosives far more relable and less likely to take your hand off. Plus, I have to dilute my explosives to near non-existance for it to work for me. It also does not send out a large enough round for us to use it in our particular aplication. We need something that can be packed with fire." Requin replied, pushing the weapon back to the straudeku.

"Your dance is no different from anyone's in this college. Only difference is for how long we have been dance."

(Sorry, WOW cable decided to turn off our cable instead of the neighbor across the alley)


"You have three days." She said firmly, crossing bright green bare arms across her chest to give her words some finality. She was used to getting her way, it came with her heritage coupled with her personality. Athir had once queried aloud if perhaps she gave off a pollen that had some sort of affect on her classmates and for his rash words was ostracized by most of his fellow classmates for days. Whether this proved him correct or not depended on who was judging. Since then, if he had any misgivings about his classmate he kept them to himself.

At the appearance of the Straudeku, she went quiet and her expression grew faraway. That race was the closest relation hers had amongst the Champion races and familiarity frequently brings forth contempt. The way the other survived, via plantlike means, was similar to her own despite her own race considering themselves the more elegant of the two. They had also opted for an opposite route, integrating themselves and seeking to dominate human society rather than secluding themselves away. In fact, until quite recently when the human Church of the Ascended had gained so much power, Queensblood has occupied a lion's share of the rulership position in Cantherdron.

"Professor." She said with due formality and turned toward the two others. "I am going to ensure our preparations are in order." She left without another word, the air filled with a faint scent of violets in her absence. Athir breathed out and stood to bow his head respectfully.
"Professor." He resumed sitting then and listened to the other two compare weaponry, biting his knuckle as he considered and pondered. He waved away the talk of reputation with a click of his teeth.

"Results are everything, the weapon is intriguing Professor but I am leery of things we have to lift. The cannon and fire bombs are good ideas because the cannons are on the ground, we just need aim. The bombs are light. We do not have soldier's here, but other mage students. I am worried about the weight. Requin, can I help you get the fire bombs done in time for the ....journey..north." He said the word with some reluctance to his voice yet. He glanced toward the Professor.

'Did you hear sir? They must have taken Tolbrook over the winter, it was found empty. Limial wishes to go north, test our weapon in the local climate to ensure it will work next fall. I am against the idea for ...safety sake but she has a point about ensuring the materials can withstand the wet." When he spoke to the Professor, it was with respect in his tone. He was from a strongly hierarchical society, it came so natural.

"Making fire bombs is easy, excepting two parts. Not blowing yourself up, and getting the liquid, or powder, into the casing. If you really want to help with making them, see if you can't get flint flasks. The fire explosive is quick and easy to make, so I can make as much as you can get me flasks to put it in. Time is not a real concern with them, since that which can't be finished in my lab can be done on my mobile kit." Requin replied to the comment on how long it would take.

No longer thinking on his craft, Requin began to fully realize the recent events. To see Limial leave with haste, and not stick around and be cheery, made him quite uneasy. Something about that rapid of a change in such a static person made his mind switch to 'when is something going to try and stab me' mode. His tail now released the chair and moved to a new position around his waist, looking like a small plate of armor. His hands clenched slightly on the chair as if ready to attack.

"Hrm, I'll have to head into the city for that. I have a robe edge relative who handles that sort of thing." He waved off the minor detail as he was wont to do before biting his knuckle again. He noticed the other wrapping his tail about himself and furrowed a brow before glancing toward the windows high set in the wall.

"I used to know her more, Limial. When I first came here, we became fast friends. She uh..used to befriend the new students, defend us. But she changed about six months ago, got into some kind of project she will not share. She works in that study of hers off the Academy grounds now. I just chalked it up to a ...Queensblood thing. They get older, they get less social. Eventually, they get so old they go to Greenhaven and never come back. " He ate the rest of his honey cake, crunching loudly before opening a disc shaped canteen wrapped in wool and took a deep drink.

"It is either that or she is getting competitive, wants to be a professor. I just want to stay out of her way, get this over with. I did not enroll here to be a soldier, it is not my way ,you know. But I go then and get the flint vials. Do not worry about coin, Yellow Hills people pay each other in different ways. Coin is for outsiders."

Eberous shrugged and returned the weapon to its place beneath his desk "I have my own weapons to manufacture and ballistic weaponry is not my field of study but do feel free to come to me if you are in need of any biological weapons. I happen to have a surplus at this time". He nonchalantly returned to his notes and papers and absently wrote in his little notebook. He didn't seem to mind the exit of the Queensblood nor did he bother to concern himself with her demeanor. He was as reputed, cold, studious, and reserved even in the most tense or dramatic of situations.

"I must get to checking my stock, and preparing the moble kit." Requin said before standing up, finally letting his tail fall, and putting up his hood. He walked a slightly fast pace to the door, opening it while shielding his eyes from the sun. He always liked the night better, but he had reasons to be aware during the day.

Requin walked to his room on the other end of the academy. It took him around half an hour to reach the building that his room was in. Finally recovered from the events of the professer and Limial, Requin took his key and shoved it into the keyhole and twisted. Opening the door, one could see the room.

On the far wall, near the one window, was a spot for a heating and cooking fire. In a crevice about halfway along the wall sat the bed and a small nightstand, with a chest of drawers at the foot of the bed. In an opposite crevise was a alchemy lab along the far wall from the bed. Facing away and towards the door were several shelves filled with ingredents and the tools that didn't normally stay on the lab.

Walking in and closing the door behind him, Requin moved quickly to the shelves. His movements now showed that he was in a place of near perfect comfort as he swiftly checked from shelf to shelf, moving some of the various bottles and jars and bowls to the lab area. Among the tools he grabbed were a morter and pestel, a small dryer, a few flaskes and other temporary storage glasses, some thing glass tubes, and a good portion of fine ground coal, setting it all neatly on the lab table.

"Professor." Athir watched Requin leave and approached the desk. He tried not to get too curious about the other's notations but there was a prying quality to him. His own people had different concepts of personal privacy, he had adapted some to the local traditions but there was always this small voice that told him it was his right to pry. Communal intellectual property and all that.

"This is not to imply this is our plan. However, if we did get you an Ilth, what could you do with it? The Church is offering a high bounty in Cantherdron for one. But they would just string it up, bolster morale and all that. Could we learn from one? They've never been captured before and beside old legends, people are not really sure of what they are. The Queensblood have some art depicting Ilth but even they have never captured them alive. If they really are ...built from corpses like the legends say, does that mean the divine magics would be useful?" He drummed his fingers on the edge of the desk before leaning back to pull his jacket up on his narrow shoulders.
'You perhaps can make time to come ...with us? " The more the merrier but the more also meant the least danger to him.


Limial left them with annoyance on her features, those who encountered her in the halls felt the hairs stand up on the back of their necks, tremors run through their bellies. Athir had not been that far off when it came to understanding Queensblood physiology, it was a spore they gave off, useful in their own society as a form of mass communication. Panic or fear from one could spread rapidly and be useful to prepare for foes. The flowers sprouting from her hair closed their bright pinkish petals in response to her emotions, her almond shaped eyes narrowing as she left the Academy, picking her way through puddles of slush.

She left the blue bricked towers behind her, the high stately walls decorated with the coat of arms of the Academies' numerous patrons, and the banners cracking smartly in the spring breezes. Her own laboratory was a small building with windows tightly shuttered standing in the ruins of a former vineyard, a few greyish vines still clinging to their trellises. The door was covered in a thick tangle of vines with parted with a wave of her hand. She stalked inside to expose a barren and spiderweb strung laboratory, long since abandoned mid experiment. Tools rusted quietly alongside beakers whose contents had evaporated to cloudy precipitate.

She moved past an abandoned dossier of plans scattered like leaves on the ground, the leather binder near rotten at the edges and the parchment crackled and wrinkled as she walked over it toward something glowing at the back of the laboratory, shedding a lurid green light over the walls and ceiling. She drew upon the air, circular runes and swirling spirals before forcing her hands through it to bring life to the spell. A creature of vines and creepers with a body like a low squat rodent arose and sniffed upward toward her.

"Tell them five days. We will be there in five days." The creature sniffed inward and scurried away, leaving its mistress staring into that light and what brought it forth.

Eberous leaned back and chuckled "That's quite a proposition you have there. I do have some interest in the Ilth and I could use an outing...Himmm". The Straudeku got out of his seat and and looked Athir in the eye with his featureless face "Yes I would absolutely love to gain possession of a live Ilth but if you are asking seriously then you must take into account who exactly it is you're talking to". Eberous broke eye contact so to speak "My methods are considered beyond questionable and my results are considered abominations so while I would enjoy accompanying you I will advise you to consider whether or not you are comfortable giving such a valuable dangerous thing to someone like me".

"Well, the value you place on such a thing seems academic, yes? Academic value far outweighs coinage in my eyes, think of the knowledge we could all gain for learning how these...things work. I do have experience with cataloging flora and fauna, perhaps you wish an assistant?." There was an eagerness to him that was dampened quickly when reality dawned on him.

"However, it is remote we shall run across an Ilth, if we are lucky. I believe as raiders, they are long gone by spring. Perhaps, they cannot survive outside cold temperatures. " He found the Professor fascinating and frightening. But like a limitless well of potential, he could see the danger of the depths along with the opportunity for exploration.

"But your guidance would be needed, I think Limial is pushing on a bit foolhardy." He bit his knuckle "I had better get those flint vials for Requin. A shame he isn't human, he could make a great Professor too. I just do not see the Church allowing any Champion races in anymore. Actions down out of fear." He added to the end, he did not entirely agree with their stance. He did not disagree with it either. Seeing how easy it would be for some of these Champion races to dominate humanity, there had to be a line somewhere.

"I'll gladly join you. I think I may even bring one of my experiments in case of any...complications" Eberous said going back to his notes. "As for Limial...she is disconcerning. That may be too harsh but from my experience that much pride only serves to taint academics but then of course that sort of thing is not my field of study" he said as though he were reading a grocery list. The professor put his pen down at Athir's political comment "Perhaps but that is also not my field".

"Experiments sir?" Now the curiosity stirred in his voice. "What manner of experiments?" The need to know hung there, Athir was the nosiest of pupils by far, he had a shameless sense of entitlement when it came to information. He barely realized how intrusive it could be since he felt deep down all knowledge was inherently communal. To hold back, to keep it secret, now that was the rude portion to things!
"I could help you transport it or perhaps if you had some notes I could learn of it some. " He felt the urging to head out the door and pack, obtain the flint vials, or any other aspect of his day fading under the all encompassing need to know. He knew he had to hustle into the city to meet his relative and nothing was simple with such exchanges. Gold was not going to work as currency either, family needed the currency of gifts, compliments, and time. Outsiders would never understand or have the patience for Yellow Hills bartering, it seemed to exist to sap time.
"Or when I am in Cantherdron perhaps I can pick you up something you need? I have to head toward the bakery for a ...cake to pay for the flasks. Then some wine to pay for it. Perhaps gifts for his wife..."

In a large cellar off the side o the school set up to function as a lab the professor was walking past many crates with holes in them pouring scraps from the cafeteria into the tops of them and lighting candles about the way. He was looking back and forth between the clipboard in his hand and the numbers on the crates. he eventually made it to one specialized crate lined with a special reflective material "Hello 209. We're going to be going on a field trip very soon. Now isn't that exciting?".

As the professor was feeding his prize specimens, he may hear some murmuring come from a nearby hallway. The murmuring was accompanied by footsteps and bits and bites of a conversation fade in and out as the steps grow closer.

"...w long?"

"...said they leave in three.....she said we go on day five." There was a scuffling of feet then a glow of a candle illuminated the doorway of the laboratory as they passed.

"When will she be back?"
"She said day six at latest, once she gets rid of the prob..." They continued onward and then at the end of the hallway a key entering an old lock caused a squeak and creak then the groan of an aged door being forced open.




"Fireflower plant, I have seen drawings of those in the botany class. Grow nowhere else from the Draekon swamps, very valuable if you can get a live one out here. I have my guesses your people are not exactly trading in them if they do this." He soaked in the new knowledge, the after effects of the alcohol fading quickly under the light of new knowledge. He cracked his fingers and then shook them out before leaning over the table and searching out each of the ingredients he was told.

"Silverfruit.." He lifted the small bowl and slid it before him then ordered the rest, nodding as Requin spoke. He was careful but moved slower than Requin, he was not as sure of himself with practical explosives. He was a thinker, a planner, and he always relied on someone else to be the builder.

"Do your people use these for self defense? What kind of dangers are in your homeland?" He set a lid on the bowl and began to shake it back and forth, jaw set as he still awaited the worst. He poured two ounces into a flask then and the rest with juice, glancing over and around the room in search of flammable things.

Whatever was in the reflective box spewed a short plume of flame with an angry grunt "We certainly are going to leave a lasting impression aren't we 209?". Eberous poured a special cocktail into the water supply for the creature "Now do develop before you're urgently needed. The last thing I need is to field test an underdeveloped specimen again". Eberous scribbled in his notebook -Purchase larger kennel for 209- .

Eberous had since finished feeding and watering his experiments and was setting up his classroom for his next lecture. He had a few of his experiments set up to be revealed during his speech to drive his points home. He never admitted it but the mad doctor had a flare for theatrics. Aside from that he was making sure every reference that would need to be referred to was already written on the board. He found this more effective for those who took notes and had since made this one of his teaching habits. Once the presentation portion was set he began setting up the work stations which would be needed for his biological alchemy course. His class set and his notes ready for reference the only order of business left was to check this semesters roster for any students he might recognize.