The Poisoned Pestle
Excalibur | The Lavender Beds Ward 13 Plot 7
Seven Hells
I gently closed the door behind me and surveyed the beautiful entryway. The soft rumblings of what I presumed to be a bubbling cauldron echoed from the basement. Dozens of violas sat across the way which was enough to distract me from my original purpose of coming here. I smiled and with quill in hand, I circled the room to jot down my observations.
Ah, one of these.
I felt a draft coming from the bookshelf in the room. Trick bookcases are a personal favorite of mine! Having stopped to scribble a few words into my journal I could now clearly hear the commotion coming from down below.
“Here goes nothing!” a voice cried which was followed by deafening silence.
My head tilted in curiosity and I inched forward. For once, my inquisitive nature led to my downfall…literally. A burst of warm air flung the hidden doors back in my direction. The shelf rattled violently from the event and several compendiums fell to the ground including me. As the air settled, the scent of roses, smoke, eucalyptus, and Raubahn’s right arm danced in a circle around my head.
“Seven hells,” I muttered. I reclaimed my journal amongst the pile of tomes and questioned my line of work entirely. After a moment to regain my composure, I sheepishly proceeded downstairs.
The Apprentice
I was greeted with a colorful sight. A wide array of tonics, vials, ingredients, and peculiar concoctions lined the walls and back of the room. The cauldron I suspected to find was indeed present and bubbled incessantly. The air had finally cleared leaving a pleasantly sweet aroma unlike the rude awakening just shortly prior. A trickling fountain and stained glass window not only contributed to the aesthetic but offered a touch of tranquility to this gorgeous apothecary.
Customers were spread about the floor and seemed to be dealing with their own afflictions including a teary-eyed Viera who just couldn’t stop crying. I approached the counter and was greeted by the wonderful apprentice, Solana. She took her time with our interaction and thoroughly explained how things worked including the various products they offered. It was at this moment I realized The Poisoned Pestle was no ordinary apothecary.
Pick Your Poison
The site was clear and concise despite having several offerings and product types. If you are looking for something particular that isn’t available on the menu, the staff will actually work with you via RP to create what you’re looking for!
The goods sold here are not just for those limited-time afflictions or RP prompts as I like to call them. There are services for those who wish to work some of these effects or ailments into the continuity of their stories such as tattoos and clinical services.
Choose Your Own Adventure
I felt like a child in a candy store. On a personal level, this was something I always wanted to see. A training ground of sorts for story-telling. During my interview with Doku, owner of The Poisoned Venues, we shared our love for RP and being able to create a story around different effects and magical properties. If you’ve ever been to a place that allowed you to /random 20 with a particular menu item, just imagine an entire venue built around that concept.
My eyes were locked on Mishu, the frustrated Viera who was still crying. “I’m not sad, I just can’t stop the tears!” she shouted. I turned my head back to Solana. “What did they have?”
The Demonic Tonic
⚗️
The Demonic Tonic
🧪
The Demonic Tonic ⚗️ The Demonic Tonic 🧪
DESCRIPTION:
Strange and bubbly, not even Doku is sure what will happen when someone consumes it. Pick this one if you're feeling adventurous.
As if getting knocked off my feet and watching someone cry for fifteen minutes straight was not enough, I decided to roll the dice. Why not? It was decidedly my last day as a journalist anyway.
Solana prepared my tonic with care and I hoped to at least chug it quickly so I wouldn’t have to taste it.
That did not happen.
The black sludge-like concoction slowly poured out of the bottle. The things we do for a good story, right? I will say the result was not at all what I expected!
I spent the rest of the evening smelling like chocolate cake and lemon curd. At one point Mishu even stated they suddenly had a craving for chocolate. It was at this point I began to perspire which enhanced the chocolate aroma and needless to say I took my leave shortly thereafter.
The Poisoned Pestle
Doku is the proud owner of two venues! The Poisoned Pestle and The Poisoned Grotto. The Poison Grotto is actually Doku’s first venue. It is a bar and lounge venue, open every Saturday, and started where Poisoned Pestle is currently!
LEGAIA: I can't imagine running two venues let alone one. I'm always curious about that turning point in someone's mind to say "I want to open my own venue!" What made you decide open The Poisoned Pestle?
DOKU: After we moved The Poison Grotto to a bigger location, I wasn't sure what to do with my personal home once it was empty. At first, I tried to keep it as it was, just in case there was a night when I wanted to return to the smaller location. That… did not happen. Fast forward to the start of 2022 and the first anniversary of the Grotto was around the corner. I had been venue hopping a lot since I was on break. However, I ran into a couple of venues that had items for purchase that would have you /random for an effect.
🔥 That lit a spark in me.
I decided I wanted to do something similar, but base a whole venue around it. I wanted to keep it with the theme of 'poison' so I wondered how I could possibly build a venue out of that word and fun effects. So then potions and alchemy came to mind. And thus Poisoned Pestle was born, an apothecary specializing in high-quality and 'experimental' potions.
LEGAIA: During my own adventures, I encountered the same thing. The occasional strong ale that could knock you off your feet depending on how low you rolled or the alchemical kind of concoction with a random effect.
You've created the perfect environment for practicing RP and experimentation. It's the ultimate writing prompt generator.
DOKU: Thank you! We encourage RP skills of all levels at both venues, so there's a little something for everyone. Some of my favorite things to see at Poisoned Pestle are when people new to RP come into the shop just to see what it's about; they want to know what the experimental potions are about. They'll buy it and act out the prompt and it's great to see. If they like it enough they'll bring their friends the next time and then... well, multiple people taking experimental potions at the same time leads to a very entertaining night.
LEGAIA: Smelling like chocolate cake and lemon curd was both wonderful and cursed. Did you create all the afflictions yourself or are they improvised?
DOKU: I would say both! All /random results fall into a certain range that determines what you are afflicted with. However, for one such effect as the Odor one you received, we make up a scent on the spot. From what I recall, you received… Odor: Good effect.
That means there is a bad version, which also would have been thought up once rolled!
LEGAIA: What was the best "custom" order you or your staff have ever received?
DOKU: I would say the best "custom" order was for someone that wanted a weekly prescription for fantasia, but it had to be tailored to their specific needs for personal reasons. They ended up giving Solana, the apprentice, a flesh sample that I (Doku) would need to analyze in order to create the potion for them.
LEGAIA: I have never seen anyone offer checkups or tattoos before. Can you go into these offerings for those that may not know what those services entail and how it works?
DOKU: Both are relatively new to our services. Even though a lot of attention is on experimental potions, The Poisoned Pestle is still an apothecary where people can go to buy remedies. Lore-wise, most of the staff have experience in healing; some have more than others. Our head medic was brought onto the staff right before clinic services were offered. The clinic is another way for Poisoned Pestle to help people, whether they need a health check or have their injuries seen to.
As for tattoo services, Doku has some tattoos of her own and they're a fun service to provide for others. There are three types of tattoos to choose from!
Normal, Enchanted, and Seals.
For example, someone may want their tattoo to be enchanted to change colors or move around; and they may want a seal to protect them from the cold or perhaps to seal something away. This service is time-consuming, as it involves a consultation and then the tattooing itself. If the shop doesn't have a lot of staff on hand, tattoo services are not available, but folk can also schedule an appointment during the shop's off days and hours. I should add that we don't use needles, for those that are squeamish!
You are the owner of two venues and the Poisoned Pestle has just reached its 1-year anniversary. From a venue owner's perspective, is there anything you'd like to share?
DOKU: As long as you're having fun, then running the venue is always going to be a good time. If you have days when not a lot of people come into your venue, don't get discouraged! Sometimes days just go like that. Do something on the side if you need to. As for lessons learned, the biggest one would be that if you need to take a break from running the venue for a bit then take a break. Roleplaying will always be there waiting for you to come back, so take care of yourself first.
FUN FACT!
❗
FUN FACT! ❗
Did You Know?
Doku also displays potions at her desk in real life! As time passes, the collection grows bit by bit. Maybe Doku can open an apothecary in real life soon!
