It'd been some weeks since the Campaign into Bastard's Grove had stalled, and then retracted, back to ground at Yaralon. Zemos was among those sent back to the city proper. The logisticians and other supply lines were needed to keep the people on the frontlines from failing due to morale, stavation, and other versions that would lead to overall failure of the campaign. Zemos for his part was selected as one of those meant to help select useful herbs, medicines, and other concoctions for the purposes of healing and treatment of soldiers. It was a switch for Kasoria. Normally his medical knowledge was bent toward the swift death of those who imbibed his concoctions. But it was a new challenge, and one that would doubtless improve his poisoning skills, as he learned to overcome the more common antidotes against malaise and disease.
Lisirra would not be pleased, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, sequestered somewhere beyond the mortal plane as she was...
Making happy medicines! I will tell mother I will!
The egg threatened and buzzed in his ear, but Zemos ignored them.
He was at the local herb shop, and in spite of his task to find therapeutics he also had an eye out for ingredients that he could use in his brain child, the weapon that would win the war against the goblins. Goblin Bane toxin. It required several types of deadly poison, in tandem with two wells, which he happened to possess.
He went to it regardless, effortlessly identifying this or that herb, from his extensive knowledge of ingredients found in the field, from Yaralon, through the Eternal Empire, Desnind, and Scalvoris. He had a veritable library of knowledge of the wild ingredients. Many of which were hazardous enough in their own right. But what he truly craved here, was the rare toxin, those born of specific orchids.
Zemos was lost in thought, as he felt he found the right ingredient that he'd been searching for. A large purple/black flower, with a belly at the stem which contained a very virulently toxic nectar. Once distilled and made more potent, it would serve as a deadly base for the Goblin Bane. But he wasn't done there, he'd need also some animal venom to round out the toxicity, preferably something that targeted nerve structures.
So he went up to the counter, still ignoring all those around him, though he had a fly on the wall to discern any shapes moving to assassinate him. He'd grown cautious since the incident two seasons ago.
Little did he expect to find them assailing him here, in the Enchanted Burho, but one could never be too careful. He spoke to the herbologist running the shop, and smiled green at him. "Hello, I was wondering, do you have any insect or snake venoms? Anything of that sort back there? I'm looking for something that targets nerves... perhaps one of your therapeutics, like bee venom?"
The shop owner grunted, and then rifled behind the counter for a bit, as if to search for something to fit the bill.
The fly on the wall then detected motion from the back of the shop, as Zemos' voice rang out. One of the blue-skinned patrons was making a move toward the counter, approaching from behind Zemos...
Before Zemos could draw his punch dagger, the man had a hand on him, and gruffly turned him about. The surprise at seeing a familiar face was all Zemos could do not to shiv him right then and there. It was... "Professor Elgo Mervani!"
"Fancy meeting you here, Maggot." Mervani grumbled, his mannerisms still quite potent even in this balmy environment, in contrast to the frosty nature of his homeland. Mervani's eyes traveled through the ingredients that Zemos had gathered. He quirked a brow, "If I didn't know better, I'd guess that you're shopping for cleansing and therapeutic ingredients? Some sort of antipathic toxin you're concocting?"
Zemos was so excited to see Mervani, having only thought of him a season before, when formulating the idea for the Goblin Bane poison. Now he had him here and.... He wasn't sure if the professor would actually help him with his calculations.
"Professor! It's top ssecret, I cannot talk about it all here, but yes there are medicines for the soldiers in Bastard's Grove! Otherwise... We should go back to my safehouse to discuss, and catch up! How is your lovely wife and daughter?" Zemos asked of the thralls that were Mervani's dead family, which he kept well preserved.
"They've been keeping well enough, although the climate does their flesh no favors."
Zemos bobbed his head enthusiastically, "Yes I would like to see them again, if I may!"
"Maggot, it looks like they have what you're looking for. But yes... I'm intrigued to see what little you've learned."
Zemos hopped on his feet, and then turned to face the shopkeeper, paying for all the ingredients that he'd gathered. The medicines and toxins were all collected and put in a neat basket. Once that was done, he paid for them.
