[apoth·e·cary]

Each tree, each shrub, each leaf, each blade of grass-we treat them as our own sons and daughters. And for that, we are loved by the wood.

Deep within the coiling labyrinth of the North Shroud, nestled within the ruins of Gelmorrah lies a ramshackle apothecary known well enough to the locals. Acting as a provisioner and provider of sundries, salves, and teas, the Thorn & Antler has, in its years of business, become a neutral(-enough) safe haven for the citizens of the Twelveswood.Dealing in traditional medicines and curatives concocted from the bounty of the wood herself, Gyokuro has done well to carve himself a niche within the Twelveswood: the Keepers of the Moon who roam the canopies have found the sage and moon daisies stocked to be fresh and bountiful; the medics and healers of Hyrstmill and Fallgourd have found shelves packed high with tinctures and poultices, jars of leeches, vials of emetics, and analgesic teas, and Stillglade Fane has never wanted for shriekshroom caps each passing moon.
And for the odd passer by with a taste for fine teas, only the best are shipped in from Doma each moon.

[deal·er]

Sola dosis facit venenum.
It is the dose that makes the poison.

Though Gridania is known for its pact with Nophica and her gift of holistic and natural medicine, so too is the Twelveswood home to all manner of poisons and intoxicants, and to these Gyokuro is no stranger. Though the cellars of the small apothecary are off-limits to most, any man who dares to ask of blackfish would be whisked away to a private lounge packed tight with books and scales - clearly more a private study than a proper business, but behind closed doors deals are made for poison, drug, and more. What isn't harvest from the bosom of the wood itself is grown and what little can't be grown under close scrutiny can be trafficked in by request; so too can the Raen supply others in moderate quantities, often packed in and marked as bricks of tea to avoid suspicion.It's rumoured the man is often looking for traffickers or desperate waifs willing to sell their bodies to experimentation in exchange for gil.Of course, these rumours are dismissed if brought to the Raen himself.

[𝔤 𝔬 𝔡]

Lions do not have to roar; there is power in silence, confidence, and persistence. Those who work don't talk, and those who talk don't work.

There exists among men beyond a certain age a certain, strange sadness and stoicism, where the circus of life, and the trials and tribulations, ups and downs, housed beneath its great tent become weighted and bare the soul gravid and heavy. It brings a stillness, and a deepness, an appreciation for the mundane and the banal, that seems to slip through the hands of younger generations - a trait that, in truth, ought to be cultivated and encouraged as, though he may not truly understand the joys of rhopophilic calm, a man who is ever in action, unaware of the transience and insignificance of his existence, can bring about much more change and in a way fight back against the slow passage of time in his own way. The significance of mortality and the weight of morality, with age and time, become a quagmire so deep and thick that it can draw a man down and drown him.An aging lion whose maw no longer bares teeth, left to rest in the sun while the rest of the pride hunts for him.

[his·to·ry]

I lived like a man who wanted to die but who had no courage to do it himself.

Hailing now from the outskirts of Fallgourd Float

[psy·che]

In truth, I should be ashamed of my behaviour.
Let's be clear -- I am not, but I should be.

To the public eye, the Raen may appear as cold and indifferent and stubborn; indeed the persona he's honed over the decades is exactly that: a chilly, almost monotone temperament suggests him difficult to rile, though a penchant for picking at others will often lead him to act the gleeful bully when opportunity arises.Layered beneath is a hopeless neophile, grappling at any novel experience he can come across like a lifeline. Greedy fingers will pick and pluck at new findings like petals pulled from a rose and cast to the earth as soon as their novelty has worn away. Adrenaline, much like novelty, seems among the few things that can pull Gyokuro from his stony facade, often drawing him to fighting rings against better chance for a chance to feel. Sometimes, even the mundane and banal can coax him into an adrenaline-fueled uproar.Gyokuro seems to act by a strict moral code, meticulously cherry-picked to afford him some contrived moral high-ground above others, for that sense of pride and superiority seem to drive him through his days.

No death by his hand;
no blatant cheating;
no direct lies

Beyond the veil of ice lies a man shrouded in cognitive dissonance - a man fragile as glass refusing to acknowledge his mortality in preference for grandeur and a god complex.
If he doesn't see it,
if he ignores it,
surely he cannot die.And a man who exists beyond the limits pain puts upon mortal men must surely be a god among them.

[hooks]

Lions do not have to roar; there is power in silence, confidence, and persistence. Those who work don't talk, and those who talk don't work.

Rumours spread like wildfire where gossips act as wayward sparks in an ever-dry field; a wise man keeps his ears open and takes each word with a grain of salt, but those who dig are more like to find riches than those whose dare not touch the spade. Whispers abound on the tongues of outlaws and adders alike in the emerald labyrinth, of a Raen who speaks more through action than word - a man of great talent with medicinal plants, once thought to be a spectre haunting the ruins of Gelmorra. If one were to whisper to the right ears and hear the right tongues in Yanxia, Kugane, Gridania and Ul'dah alike much could be learned...Consider these as plot hooks, rumours to spread in character, or a topic to approach the old apothecary about, but do be warned that misinformation and outright lies are mixed with truth - and if you have an idea outside of this list, or want a bit more information, please feel free to ask!

Text

[ ashvin anselmet ]

Mr. Anselmet? A respectable-enough alchemist, at least as far as alchemists go. He claims to run a discount pharmacy called Second Chances though I've suspicions otherwise - either his product is inferior, he's running some laundering scheme, or he's hemorrhaging money. My money is on the first and last in tandem, I doubt he's smart enough for the second...I might almost consider him something of a rival if his craft weren't such a load of wank. Perhaps if he pursued medicine of more substance than snakeoil and hair-tonics I might hold more respect for him. He'll do as I tell him though. Generally.

• Carrd

[ ebenezer locklear ]

For a while, I thought I had Mr. Locklear nearly figured out. I was, sorry to say, sadly mistaken.
With his truth in the air, I'm unsure how far I can truly trust him, though he's yet to betray what trust I've offered beyond the key ommission of certain sordid details...Still, I find myself drinking with him often enough. A man shows his true face inebriated; if that is true, Locklear is a gentle man...

• Carrd

[ ichiro ]

A unicorn-tailed little brat of a cat with whom I'd only intended to spend a few hours; unfortunately, he found my residence and with it any flaws in the security therein. I'm entirely unsure how, exactly, to get rid of him short of murder as simply telling him to go away and not return has proven entirely in-effective. At least he proves useful once in a while. Usually for letting me in to Ashvin's home uninvited...

• Carrd

• Carrd

[ thorn & antler ]

A little north of Proud Creek, perched upon a rocky, wooded outcrop overlooking, and to a degree encroaching on, the ruins of Gelmorra lies a small, ramshackle hovel serving as something of an apothecary - a home clearly converted into a makeshift shop with walls of rotting wood and well-worn stone braced by racks of tinctures and poultices, salves and herbs set in storage or strung from the rafters to dry. The air within is damp and wet, and so thick with the scent of chlorophyll and peat that it seems to weigh heavy in the lungs. To the locals, the shop has come to be a staple and though its owner might prove to be difficult and prickly, there seems to be an earnest sense of care for those who come in.

• Home
• Key

[ Second Chances ]

Ashvin's bookstore and potion shop, proudly proclaiming itself as discount. While the Raen appears here rarely, it's hardly unheard of for him to visit, usually in the late evening. He is prone to complaining loudly and often about Ashvin's 'sub-par' tea, often insisting he can't possibly choke it down withoiut chasing it with a cookie...Gyokuro has yet to buy anything.

• Key

[ fox's den ]

What began as a stubborn complaint about bar service had since blossomed into an immodest debt paid in service to Kakei. Work as a bartender and informant has proven tolerable enough to the old man, however. He seems content enough on the evenings he works, mixing cocktails with the same sort of ease as he mixes medicine. In a way, aren't they all the same...?

• Cash App
• Key