Belende "Bell" Svalk's page

The smell of parchment and ink filled Bell's nostrils as she made her way inside the tower. It mingled with the smell of the fresh pasties in the basket Bell carried, creating one of her favorite scents.

Having been built decades ago by a world renowned scholar Estrod, the tower was filled with books and scrolls on all manor of topics. Having passed away a few years ago, the tower was now used by several scholars for their experiments and research. The smell of parchment and pasty was invaded by the pungent odor of whatever alchemical concoction Professor Jecklstein was working on this time. "Hello Professor! Another fresh batch of pasties." Bell called out as she walked into his lab.

The chemical odor completely overwhelmed her senses, and though she was loath to enter the lab, she was beginning to suspect her weekly pasties might be the only thing the frail old man ate. "Hmm, oh yes come in come in my dear!" The old man nearly shouted in response. "I'm working on something marvelous, absolutely marvelous!

"Oh, and what would that be?" Bell responded as she cleared a spot to place a plate in the cluttered laboratory.

"I have no idea! That's what is so marvelous!" The old man was positively giddy.

"Okay well...just don't forget to eat."

Of course, I course! I wouldn't forget a 5th time! Or would it be 6th? Doesn't matter!" Professor Jecklstein burst into laughter, though Bell wasn't sure why. Nor did she wish to endure the smells any longer.

Several more visits went roughly the same. People didn't really talk about it, but scholars were really bad at taking care of themselves. All of them seemed too busy in their various pursuits to eat or clean. At first she hadn't believed the talk that Estrod had died of simple food poisoning, but now she could hardly believe that they all hadn't already suffered similar fates. Still, it gave Bell the opportunity to access rare texts and ingredients for the low cost of food and a bit of cleaning.

Finally Bell arrived at her true destination, the garden laboratory of Master Herbalist Tenzekill Zatqualmie. The old gnome was centuries old, her pink hair deeply tinged with the bleaching. Tenzekill sat hunched over a withered plant, her latest experiment on how the soil of the deeper world wound effected plants. Bell took in a deep breath of the medicinal smell of herbs. Basically the opposite smell of Professor Ecklstein's lab. "Any progress Master Tenzekill?"

"Impeccable timing as ever my dear, I could use a break and a snack. Not nearly enough progress, not nearly enough. I'm confident that if that blasted hole to the abyss is ever closed we'll be able to bring some life back to the land. Unfortunately I'm also confident it will take far too many human lifetimes for far too little results." The gnome hopped down from her stool and graciously took a pastie from Bell's basket. "Acidity has been a complete waste of time Mmmmthatsgood...But it didmmm....mmbut the issue of mmnitrogen...."

Tenzekill didn't bother to let her chewing interrupt her rant. "Terrible table manors, that's another thing people don't talk about." Bell thought to herself as she struggled to follow the gnome's speech. Still, the gnome had forgotten more about herbology than Bell figured she would ever know, so even half heard conversations were full of useful knowledge. Not to mention Bell always returned home with a basket of seedlings and a new book or three. "Nitrogen...that's what adding wood ash to the soil provides right?"