Konrad Rubyheart, Consulting Alchemist (Petrichor 365)

Down an alley off tanner’s row, there is a two-story building that leans perhaps a bit more than it should against its neighbor.  There are no windows on the ground floor, only a stout, bronze-bound door and a sign that reads “Konrad Rubyheart – Consulting Alchemist – No Timewasters” (The last part has been recently added in a slightly different color of paint.)

Entering into the shop floor, it is a tight space with shelves full of various dried and preserved materials, both animal and vegetable in glass jars of many sizes.  The store is lit by magical light, no open flames around the alchemical items!  A stuffed crocodile is suspended from the ceiling, it is slightly dusty, and wearing a slightly less dusty tricorn hat.  Behind a counter in the back, there are even more jars of more exotic materials along with potion bottles labeled in Rubyheart personal code.  In the back half of the building in his lab, which is carefully organized and again with notations in his personal code.  The actual mixing area in its own small brick shelter in case of . . . mixing accidents.

The upper level is his living quarters, which are well enough appointed, and a small library.  It is a bit messy, as befits a bachelor, but not unclean.  It is lit by natural light through windows that are iron barred (the iron being coated in an anti-rust treatment) and magical light at night.

Konrad Rubyheart himself, as may be intuited from his name, is one of the Ruby Dwarves.  He has come to Petrichor to take advantage of the new plants and other things and see what new mixtures can be made from them.  Konrad hopes to make a name for himself, and a fortune, here and then return home and start a family.  Konrad is hoping that his clan will send him an apprentice but until then, he is on the lookout for a likely lad or lass to serve as his apprentice.

Konrad is a younger dwarf, only in his fifties, and quite comfortable around people, which makes him a good salesman when he chooses to be.  But as one of the few accredited alchemists in Port Imperial, he has an edge in the market.  Soon after setting up his shop, he established good relations with the Imperial bureaucracy and provides magical mixtures to them and the port guard which makes most criminals reluctant to try robbing the shop, though he also has mechanical and alchemical defenses, as one cannot be too careful after all.

In appearance, he is of average height for his people, with black hair with red highlights that he wears quite short, his beard is also closely trimmed and decorated with red cut crystal beads braided in.  Konrad’s eyes are a deep red-brown and partly hidden behind work glasses (made of alchemically hardened glass that will not shatter).  He dresses practically but well, happy to display his wealth in a tasteful fashion and when not actively working with alchemical mixtures, he wears rings on all his fingers.

Konrad is happy to buy exotic materials from venturers but he prefers to exchange them for alchemical goods, he expects people to bargain and will always start with a low bid.  On occasion, when he hears of an unusual substance, he may hire venturers to seek a sample for him, in these situations, he will provide containers to pack it in and probably detailed instructions on how he wishes it gathered and stored.  He also collects small decorative pottery vessels, not to use, but simply to enjoy,

Notes: Konrad has shown up once or twice in play, exchanging potions for rare and unusual materials.

Petrichor 365 – Port Imperial.  Previous Entry: Fort Ajzure   Next Entry: XXX

Photo apothecary’s workshop by Lisa Yount found on skitterphoto and is in the Public Domain.