The Tournament of Plants and Potions
75th Ashan 720
CHALLENGE ONE
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75th of Ashan: “Tournament of Plants and Potions” In Fensalir, House Namdalen and House Magnus decide to host a tournament. It is meant to serve as a recruitment drive for Ydalir rangers and herbalists, as well as alchemists for House Magnus. Jarl Sebastian Magnus, and the recovered Jarl Samuel Namdalen (who’d spent Cylus poisoned from the assassination attempt in late Zi’da), are both in attendance along with other prominent members of their noble houses.
Herbs and Medicines Challenge One: Identify different unique plants set before the participants. These plants are Melrathi in origin, though a few Outlander plants are also included to create a challenge. Those who identify most of the plants continue to the next challenge.
Alchemy and Potions, Challenge One: Identify different unique alchemical ingredients set before the participants. These range from all over as to where they originate and mostly include powders and reagants. Those who identify most of the items continue to the next challenge.
Herbs and Medicines Challenge One: Identify different unique plants set before the participants. These plants are Melrathi in origin, though a few Outlander plants are also included to create a challenge. Those who identify most of the plants continue to the next challenge.
Alchemy and Potions, Challenge One: Identify different unique alchemical ingredients set before the participants. These range from all over as to where they originate and mostly include powders and reagants. Those who identify most of the items continue to the next challenge.
The tournament of Plants and Potions took place in the city district Springwater. It was at the festival meadow of Fensalir.
The weather had sometimes been rainy during Ashan, but the rains had been warm and brief. Some mornings had been misty and followed by rainstorms. The Melrathi chalked this up to the benevolence of the Induks. It was due to the successful ritual sacrifices in Cylus! The rain was life. The farmers expected the harvest to be plentiful this arc, a gift of food for people and animals. Because a gift it was, a gift from the spirits.
There had also been bright and sunny days. The temperatures stayed at warm, only the mornings and evening being chillier. Now, in the late part of Ashan, there was no doubt that the warm time of the arc had begun. Nature and wildlife were flourishing and life was pleasant. Spring breezes and short rains were still a thing, but the sunny weather was taking over.
Many said that they met Anaks (small spirits) when they worked in the gardens and on the fields or did other things outdoors in spring. According to the stories people told about the encounters they had been nice. Some had also seen Anak be as nice to outlanders as they were to native Melrathi. Somewhat confusing, wasn't it?
Springwater was a picturesque part of Fensalir. There were cottages with gardens, artisan workshops and cosy small taverns. Many crafters lived there. Due to the festival meadow, it was the favourite district of performers and artists. It also attracted gamblers and creative entrepreneurs. The district was lawful (most of the time) albeit it had a reputation for “liberal views”. But, it was nothing like the criminal neighbourhood outside the city proper, Fenmoor.
The atmosphere was lively this beautiful day. The tournament and all the entertainment and business it entailed had a huge crowd. They were from other parts of Fensalir as well as visitors who had travelled here for the tournament. It was like a festival, with food stalls and music and happy people having a good time in the lovely weather. Some were only there to enjoy themselves and took little interest in the tournament. But, to the people who worked with plants and medicine or with alchemy, the tournament was the main reason for being there.
Ashling and Tristan were both going to take part in the tournament. She would compete in the plants and medicine contest, he in the alchemy contest. The betrothed couple had ridden down from Raelia a bit earlier in Ashan. Tristan was new to the city, but it was Ashling’s home town. She had family there (her mother) and friends and acquaintances. Once in a while, she ran into people she knew.
Some seemed a bit uneasy when she introduced them to Tristan. The Fensalir views on outlanders varied, but many were of the opinion that it was best for Melrath to stay isolated. It was best to avoid bad things from abroad. It was possible that some also were outright against outlanders. Those might and even had helped the Aesir and Ragnari to catch and abduct some foreigners back in Vhalar. But, it seemed like Tristan had a way with people. It was easy to like him and he made no offensive social gaffes. It amazed her how well he seemed to blend in and get along with people. Even those who seemed a bit standoffish seemed to thaw up a bit when Tristan smiled and spoke to them. In Raelia she hadn’t thought so much about this. But, in Fensalir it felt important what people thought of her betrothed. She loved him and so she hoped that he would be accepted in Fensalir.
Now, a herald called for attention from the participants. Those had gathered in front of the big tent where the tournament would take place. The tent was a rustic construction of wood covered with dyed cloth in many colours. People who had bought tickets had already taken their seats inside it. So had the Jarls Namdalen and Magnus (who hosted the tournament) and their entourages.
The herald held up a big scroll and began to read the rules aloud. For a start, alchemists would compete against other alchemists. Herbalists would compete against other herbalists. Due to the nature of the first challenge, they would let two people at the time do it in parallel, one of them an alchemist and the other a herbalist. This was to prevent people from cheating by sabotaging their contestants ... but the herald didn’t say more. They wanted to keep up the excitement!
Not so long after the announcement Tristan and Ashling and the other contestants entered the tournament tent. The Jarls sat on impressive chairs on a platform. In front of them, on the ground below the platform, stood two sturdy work tables. They were laden with high-quality equipment for alchemy and herbalism. The table to the right, facing Jarl Magnus and his company, was the alchemy work table. The table to the left, facing Jarl Namdalen and his company, was the worktable for herbalists.
A pleasant hostess explained this to Ashling and Tristan. The girl took time to explain it extra much to the handsome outlander with the dazzling smile. Ashling felt a bit annoyed at the girl and gave the hostess cold eyes. The girl's smile froze a bit and she scurried away to do other things than smarm for Tristan.
Ashling looked at the Jarls. They said that Namdalen wasn’t healthy. It might be true. Right now he looked unaffected. Both Jarls looked very powerful. They wore full official regalia to show their positions as heads of noble families of Melrath. Their entourages were also dressed up. The tournament was a serious affair and not a countryside spectacle.
The audience behaved like it was a countryside spectacle though. They cheered when Tristan and Ashling and the others entered. The pleasant hostess came back to organize things. The girl wanted to ingratiate herself with the beautiful Tristan so she put him first in the line of alchemists. Ashling, being from Fensalir and well known there managed to take the first place in the line of herbalists. Jarl Magnus rose and announced the first challenge in alchemy people fell silent. The tournament began and so, Tristan and Ashling took their places in front of the worktables.
The first challenge in alchemy was to identify four different unique alchemical ingredients. These would range from all over Idalos and mostly include powders and reagents. Each contestant would get a personal set of ingredients to work at, so it would be impossible to cheat, Tristan would get one point for every ingredient he would identify correctly. It meant that he could get at most four points if he would succeed with the identification of all the ingredients. If he would fail at them all the points would be zero. So, he could get 0-4 points depending on how well he would do. They hoped that was clear!
The five alchemy contestants who identified most of the items continue to the next challenge.
“But first, my good man, please introduce yourself!”
A scribe sitting on a stool at a small table, beside the big carved wooden chair the Jarl sat in, would note Tristan’s name in a ledger. Servants stood ready to bring forth the ingredients to identify. The alchemy challenge would begin as soon as Tristan had made his introduction. Once Tristan had completed his part, Jarl Namdalen would take over, announce the plants and medicine challenge and put Ashling to work.
