Potion Problems starring Epinephrine

[Gryphon]

Epinephrine re-read the letter again, certain that if he just viewed the words one more time they'd somehow change or alter themselves on the page.

 

... in recognition of your skills as an alchemist of the highest note we'd like to invite you to teach at our establishment for the period of a year.

 

"Who'd have thought it", Epinephrine said to himself, "such recognition after all these years!", and he re-read the letter again, certain that there must be some mistake. Surely this was some kind of a trick, but no, there was the signature of the head of the school, and the wax seal indicating that the letter was genuine.

 

"Amazing, who'd have thought it.", he said again, bemused by the shock of getting such a prestigious appointment out of nowhere.

 

~~~

 

A reply scribed with care and delivered with all haste confirmed the appointment and the enthusiasm with which the Headmaster welcomed Epinephrine's acceptance of the appointment served only to convince him that the offer of employment was real and very welcome.

 

It took a surprisingly long time to pack for the journey, and before he knew it he'd run out of time, so he barely had a chance to say farewell to his closest friends before racing off to take charge of his new class, promising all the while that once he'd settled in he'd be back in touch, and he'd visit the Mighty Pen as often as his classes premitted.

 

~~~

 

Upon his arrival Epinephrine was greeted with cheer and smiles. Naturally eager to get to work he asked to be taken and shown his new class.

 

Woe!

 

As an experienced potion maker it was immediately obvious that his students were the subject of far too much poor teaching. Badly conceived potions consumed without care to self preservation had caused chaos in the classroom.

 

Some students were obviously suffering from heavy potion overuse, some exhibiting symptoms of sever depression, others extreme violence. None of the students were prepaired to learn. In short they needed not only a good potions teacher, but someone who could fix up a cure for their troubles...

 

And so he rose to the challenge, Epinephrine set to work...

 

... to be continued ...

 

OOC: This is, after a fashion a legitimate and entirely correct reason for Epinephrine's absence here... Naturally the RL version differs, but only slightly

[epinephrine]

Having been forced to spend several days under the influence of a potent and rather severe healing draught, epinephrine emerged from his bed to consider his new life...

 

He had travelled to the opposite side of the globe after being honoured with an apparently highly sought after teaching position that he was assured would reflect his excellent reputation and credentials. Unfortunately what had met him was rather uninspiring.

 

His students were at best average and at worst, well, "educationally disenfranchised". The istitution itself was run down and underfunded with few resources and a lingering, undefineable smell from the neighbouring markets. It was close to his worst nightmares.

 

The staff were however a welcome breath of fresh air. They at least knew their tradecraft and were stoic in dealing with the rabble that purported to be students. It was really only them that kept him coming back. The students were loud, uncouth, disenheartened and poorly motivated. Their only goal it seemed was to eat their lunch and establish that they were the loudest in the room.

 

Wistfully Epinephrine thought back to his home and many friends. Leaving them had at the time seemed hard but not unbearable. A year had seemed like such a short time. But now the days were dragging and he longed for some recognisable dialouge with a familiar voice or two.

 

And last week he had been struck with the plague, or at least it's closest survivable equivalent and had spent three days at deaths gate struggling to breathe and only semi-concious. Only for his stubborn will to assert that he had more work to do and that it wasn't his time just yet. And he had recovered. Tomorrow he would once again face the mass of unintelligent rabble and attempt to bring at least some light into their otherwise dull, meaningless (consumer driven ) existences.

 

At least his sense of humour was only partially damaged. And only 10 months till he could return home. I wonder if they will rememeber me, he mused. Gryphon, that most excellent of creatures with a fierce loyalty to all his friends. Surely he wouldn't forget. And Mynx, strange though she may appear to others had certainly been kind enough when he had joined the pen. Maybe she too would remember. Perhaps even the Cryptomancer with his eloquent turn of phrase. Ah well, only ten months till he would find out!

 

Until then perhaps another draught to soothe his weary mind before tomorrow....

 

(OOC: Thanks for the emails guys, I am missing you terribly in this bleak country. Can't wait to get back!)