Daggat moved the Dragon behind his Knight. Alfred raised an eyebrow at the move and considered the next move.

"I think it's too risky, socially," Alfred said. He levitated one of his Soldiers a square further, putting the Dragon in danger.

"Eh, who cares about that? I think it's his best option. If we can pull it off." Daggat said. He took a piece with his Mage piece. Alfred could take the Dragon, but that would open him up to checkmate in three moves.

"It is ultimately up to him. As long as you know the risks." Alfred didn't fall into the trap. Instead, he put Daggat's Castle in danger with another Soldier.

"What about Anath? She could become quite powerful with the right evolution." Daggat struck with the Dragon, freeing the Castle.

"The girl needs to resolve her relationship with monsters, first. There is no telling when that will happen." Alfred moved a Knight. Daggat immediately took a Soldier with the Castle.

"Check," Daggat said. Alfred's lip twitched. "Maybe Zuss or Elyndris can help her through it. I'm not good with the delicate stuff."

"Perhaps. Speaking of which…" Alfred took the Castle with the Knight. "What about Zuss? She has options." Daggat took the Knight with his own.

"It's up to her." Daggat shrugged. He considered the board.

"And how is your training going? Elyndris might break through soon, but I am afraid I am not the best instructor. How is the tree treating you?" Alfred slid his Moon Throne across the board.

"He's insufferable. Prone to rambling and stubborn. But, I've learned some from him. Not enough. Tonight I am going to try again." Daggat took the Moon Throne with his Dragon.

"Well, good luck." Alfred moved a Mage into position, then smiled. "Check. Mate in two moves."

"What? Really? I could… no… but, I could move the Sun."

"Then I'd take the Dragon and you'd be defenseless."

Daggat looked over the board. Then, he considered every move he could make. He growled. Alfred was right.

"Fine. I concede." Daggat swiped the board with a hand, sending pieces flying. Alfred caught them with telekinesis. "I thought I finally had you."

"I wish you would stop doing that. And, yes, you are improving. That game was much longer than usual."

"A long loss is still a loss."

"Still, you are close. Soon, You will beat me. You have a… unique way of playing that is hard to counter."

"What do you mean?"

"Most dragon players use the piece as a sword. Using its strength to hunt pieces. You use it to protect your other pieces. It's slower, but harder to counter." Alfred reset the board. "Another game?"

"No… I should check in on the assistant, then head down. Shouldn't Elyndris be wanting another lesson?"

"She will be. We are limited with our tools… so speeding her education along is too dangerous. But, she is close. I can feel it."

Daggat leaned back in the chair. They were in the library. It had become a ritual of theirs. To unwind with a game or two of Kingless every night. Daggat had quickly learned its rules and had taken to it like a fish to water. He wasn't interested in the historical significance of the game or the strategic theories that Alfred tried to explain to him. He liked the battle, a contest of wits and strategy.

He watched the sun through the open window. The snow had melted, allowing more light through. Winter was over and spring was coming in full force.

It'd been an interesting winter. They had eaten game hunted by Anath and Zuss, who competed to see who could catch the biggest game. Zuss was the current winner when she somehow managed to slay a bear. Daggat had almost screamed at her for being so reckless. He chuckled at the thought.

A good chunk of their time has been spent cleaning up the place. Removing roots and repairing holes. It was shoddy work, but it kept the wind out. There was still so much left to do, and they hadn't even started on the surrounding land.

The rest of their time was spent training in one way or another. Daggat read and researched. He lost several nights of sleep getting lost in the seemingly endless knowledge in the library. On some days, he used the training room Klaw had discovered and renovated. Lifted weights, practiced with the spear, went on runs, and generally followed the advice given by one of the tomes. A guidebook for soldiers' health. It was tedious, but he had already noticed improvements. He had even managed to win a duel against Klaw, once.

It was almost time to leave. To go and explore the land and reap its treasures. As soon as he narrowed down his current prey. The best way to gain a mortal soul. The assistant was adamant he found something, or at least found a thread to follow. That was a few days ago.

He closed his eyes and entered his status void.

His assistant had three notepad pages open and was dashing from note to note. Lines connected ideas, dates, and book titles. He was muttering something.

"Hey… Assistant. Everything all good?" Daggat ventured mentally.

"MASTER!" It cried. "I think I found something… interesting."

"Hit me."

"What do you know of the brine war?" The eyeless face zoomed to full Daggat's entire vision.

"Not… a lot."

"We need to change that. I think I found something…"

"What?"

"Hush, Master. I'm busy. Go do your… what was it? Cooking?" It turned back to its notes. Daggat's eye twitched.

"I'll let you get back to it." He thought between, despite the mental communication, clenched teeth.

He left the status void and prepared to head into the dungeon.

No one else liked going into the dungeons, which was fine with Daggat. He had spent some time cleaning up the place. The giant root monster was broken apart and burned. Most of the roots were still clinging to the wall. It was difficult to remove. But, it didn't hurt anything at the moment, so he let it be.

Daggat had almost killed Klaw when he learned how he defeated the woodsman. They had lost a potential wealth of alchemy ingredients. Now, all he had was some clippings from the Lady, Victor's heart, and a lot of white powder to make more alchemy with. It wasn't a lot.

He had hoped there might be some monsters to hunt down nearby. But the only monsters in the territory were imprisoned here. They were in the process of becoming abominations, so the party agreed it was best to kill them. Elyndris took care of that. Unfortunately, it was not enough experience to level all seven of the party. They needed a lot to level. In theory, they would need around 20 to 25 kills of equal level for the party to gain a level as a whole.

He considered staggering the leveling. All experience going to one person, then to the next, and so on. But, he would need to manually do that and he could also see the complaints and jealous looks already. Best to stick to what was most fair.

Daggat ignored the stench of rotting wood and stagnant water as he entered his laboratory. He didn't have a lot of equipment either. Just a few pieces of glassware and a broken oven. He could still make fire and boil things on it, but it wasn't as useful as it could have been.

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"Oi, tree! Wake up." The large tree with golden bark was sleeping. It always slept. Daggat looked at it in the face.

After a moment, he lit a small fire. When he had flames, he brought one in contact with the tree.

The face twitched. Then the nose wrinkled. It snapped it's eyes open.

"Oh… stop, stop, I am awake."

"Yeah? Good. You ready to tell me what you know?" It'd been weeks of trying to get information out of the tree. It's stubborn. But, he'd been working at it. "I have a proposal."

"Just go, goblin. I do not wish to spread what I've done." It said.

"Oh, stuff it. Listen, I've read about you. Talked to your kid. Cut the sad orc shit. I know what you really want."

"I have all that I wanted. Immortality."

"Yeah? How long is that immortality going to last? As long as it takes a tree your size to fall, that's how long."

"Enough with the threats. What do you propose? Speak it and get it over with."

"I am willing to, occasionally, be your hands. I know you have more experiments rattling around those knot holes. Bring me in, and we can try them out. We both profit. See?"

"It's… too dangerous."

"Bah, what do you care? I'm just a goblin. Listen, Tree," Daggat knew the tree had a name. But, he refused to use it. Partially out of disrespect, he didn't like the tree, and partially because he wanted to separate it from the monster that made Victor. "Work with me, and we might find a way to transform you into something more… convenient."

"You mean… legs?"

"Sure."

"Do you mean that?"

"Sure," Daggat said in the same tone. The tree mumbled to itself for a bit. "Of course, the alternative is lumber."

"Gah, fine! You win, goblin. What do you want to know?"

Daggat let out a long breath. That took way too long. He had tried bargaining, debate, and trickery. Most of the time was spent trying to find a way to wake the damn thing up without actually hurting it. So far, the bit of fire was the best method.

"Alchemy. I just need to know how it actually works."

"Hmm… very well. What do you know of the subject?" The tree's tone shifted to that of a teacher.

"You mix stuff in liquid, then sprinkle the white powder on it. After some time, which can be sped up with heat, it transforms into a potion. The effect of the potion changes based on the essence used and on who drinks it. Something to do with self-perception? That's all I've figured out."

"So you have dabbled in the art. But you do not understand the science." It mused. "We will start from the beginning. Do you have a pen?"

"Mind codex."

"Oh, well done." The tree said with a hint of surprise. "Alchemy is the science of infusing a subject with essence. This process changes the subject's being, into something else. This is done with a catalyst and infused ingredients."

"Subject is a person, right? Whoever drinks the potion."

"In some cases, yes. But, there are other types of subjects. Metal, wood, leather, and cloth can be altered to produce alchemical materials. Essential for the highest levels of enchanting. Mortals and monsters are common as well, in potions as you said. More advanced alchemy can infuse essence into other subjects."

"Such as?"

"That is too advanced for you, at the moment."

"Just give me something to aim for. To write down so I can keep it in mind as I learn."

"Very well. Energy, country, and… performance."

"How… does any of those make sense? I can understand the other bits. Drink the potion or maybe dip something in the potion? But energy? PERFORMANCE? An entire country?"

"Energy requires infusing essence with a source of energy. Fire or electricity are common. It can create unique forms of energy with unpredictable effects. That is not a science I follow. Performance I know very little about. It is ritual-based and requires the boiling or burning of alchemical crafts. Its effects are… ethereal. You must find someone else to teach you that art. As for a country, that I even know less about about. I know it requires months to years of diffusing alchemy into the land itself."

"Right, so, what, I light a potion on fire to infuse fire with it?" Daggat already had ideas in mind.

"That is one way, yes. You must craft the alchemical creation with the purpose of using it to infuse fire. Then light it. It works best with alcohol or oil as a base. But, this is a tangent and far too advanced. Let's go back to the basics."

"Okay, I have a few questions though. The big ones."

"Ask."

"Right, so, when two people drink the same potion, they get different results. Why?" Daggat was writing everything down into a note, ignoring the frantic assistant.

"Alchemy is a science of perception and expectation. When you brew a potion, your expectations are placed within. How you view the world affects how the potion works."

"Is that why the potion made with warg bits turned my allies into wolf hybrids?"

"Indeed. It is a flaw with most amateur alchemists. They see 'warg heart' or 'unicorn horn' and assume their potion will relate somehow to wolves or unicorns. This is a trap. Once a potion is made, its recipe cannot be unmade."

"That's unavoidable, right? Can't just switch that off. And what about the different effects? I still brewed the potion for both."

"When someone drinks a potion, their self-image is blended with the alchemist's worldview. A man who sees himself as a warrior will tend to become monstrous and deadly. But those who see themselves as, say, a performer, might become beautiful and agile. Depending on the essence used." The tree wriggled its nose as if to scratch an itch. "As for it being unavoidable, there is a method for consistency."

"I'll have to think on that… its a lot to understand. What is the method?"

"The Society of Alchemical Scholars and Scientists. It is a global organization that discovered a way to unify the alchemist's experiences."

"And what did Sass discover?" Daggat asked. The tree harrumphed.

"It's the Society of… oh never mind. We developed a scientific method for distilling and classifying essence into its purest forms. When working from such material, you step away from the fanciful. Then, you apply rigorous, detailed, and specific practices. Every aspect of the craft is theorized and studied. All of this information is within a vast tome we developed. Once you have read this tome, memorized it, and practiced its techniques over and over until the alchemy becomes methodical, not artistic, only then can you begin working true alchemy. Clear, concise, and repeatable results."

Daggat looked at the tree with a horrified expression. That sounded like torture.

"I'll pass on that. I like to work loose, you know?"

"I do not recommend it. I broke protocol once… it was what started this whole mess."

"What did you do? Forget a measurement?"

"No. Let this be a lesson for you. I overloaded my first wife with essence. Her spirit couldn't handle it. When the spirit is no longer sure of what it is, then it is an open door. Not only can it cause one to lose their mind, but in rare instances, a demon might inhabit the body. This is what happened with my wife."

"Ah. Is that why there is a daily limit on potions?"

"Indeed. Do not break it. Some can handle two, but most cannot. It is not worth the risk. Three is… guaranteed."

Daggat stood up. He could only take so much of the tree at once, and he had plenty to think about.

"Good lesson. Lot's to think about. We'll talk again." He turned to leave.

"Next time, simply knock to wake me."

"We will see."

Daggat left the Tree and the lab. It was getting late and he wanted to get an early start in the morning. His research was coming to a climax, he could practically feel it.

Daggat

True Name: Daggat Soul: Monster Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size] Genbloom: goblin [ +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Scavenger; Small Size]

Monster Level: 8

Attributes (0/6): Strength: 11 Dexterity: 11 Constitution: 11 Intelligence: 20 Will: 10 Charm: 12

Feats: Encounter: True Angel Ability: Mighty Intellect Act: Fledgling Alchemist Knowledge: System Knowledge Act: Devotion [Layered feats] Act: Usurper Act: Touch of Death

Skills(0/4): Alchemy: 1 [Source: Fledgling Alchemist] System Aptitude: 1 [Source: System Knowledge] System Assistant: 2 [Perk: Semi-sentience] Mind Codex: 1 [Synergy: Mental notes + Copy Tome] Party Leader: 1 [Source: Usurper]

Notable Natural Skills: Literacy: Apprentice

Biotraits (0/8): Base size: Small [Source: Goblin] Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin] Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin] Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin] Hypnotic Gaze [Mutations: Dominating Gaze, Mesmerizing Gaze] Temperature Resistant Skin [Synergy: Fire Resistant Skin + Cold Resistant Skin] Scavenger [Source: goblin] Death Sight [Source: Touch of Death] Increased Pain Tolerance Hypervocal chords

Transformations: Drakeheart Form: +2 strength +2 charm Extreme Temperature Resistant Scales [Synergy: Fireproof scales + Temperature resistant Skin] Fire breath

Night Stalker form: +2 strength +2 dexterity Dark vision [Night Vision Enhanced] Deepen Shadow

Other: Variant: +10 Intelligence Skill potions used: 1/5

Notable Gear: Strange pure-white sword shard Spear of Bracing 2 Mihr Contracts

Party Loot

Magic Gear: Inkbeast Scroll (Serpent) Assassins Ladle

Wealth and holdings: 15k+ Gold 5k+ Gold worth of treasure Titanfell Manor

System Resources: 5 Tokens (+5 from Anath) party tracker Experience Recycler

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