Log note, Alchemy, Plant, Perpou:

 

Experiment #1 — DAY ONE

Direct water extraction. Failure. Negligible extraction noted at the end of the predetermined 72 hours. Color grading only observed a sliver of color reduction (one grade down) from purplish-pink into a lighter purplish-pink. [Appraisal] showed the resulting product to simply be a perpou-water.

[App/N] Perpou Water: Water containing a slight amount of dissolved perpou, has a minty and peppery taste.

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Attempt to concentrate Perpou via boiling (standard 100 °C/ 1 atm) resulted in loss of potency, determined by the change from Perpou Water to Minor Perpou Water.

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Chemical compositions suspected to be more non-polar. Next experiment should incorporate ethanol as the preferred solvent of choice. (Note: look for more non-polar solvent availability; acetone, n-hexane, or ethyl acetate —although ‘current situation’ seemed only allow for ethanol/methanol mix).

Experiment #3 — DAY THREE

Direct ethanol extraction. Failure. Similar color grading to Experiment #1 was observed, confirmed by [Appraisal]. Suspected cause: obtained highest concentrate of ethanol (Gailen) conjectured to only contain 10-20% of that absolute ethanol. Commissioning specialized equipment for pot distillation.

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Sketch design (mock-up/runic composition):

Rune makeup #1 : Heating Rune, controlled to 78-85 °C for 7 hours cycle. NEED to control temperature range. SEARCH tome.

Rune makeup #2: Freezing Rune, controlled to 10-15 °C for 7 hours cycle. NEED to control temperature range. SEARCH tome.

Rune makeup #3: Pumping mechanism for cooling water. SEARCH tome.

(Proof of concept REQUIRED)

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Experiment #3.1 — DAY SEVEN

Operational qualification. Failed. Multiple leakage were found on the bottom side of the equipment (Main Tank). Returned for repair. (Dependency warning: Search for alternative vendors. PAW downgraded to BB)

Experiment #3.2 — DAY TEN

Operational qualification. Failed. Temperature EXCEEDED predetermined range. [Lesser Temperature Read] differentiation determined to be capped on 10 increment integers. [Heating Rune] process temperature updated to 80-90 °C, [Freezing Rune] updated to 10-20 °C.

Root cause analysis discerned temperature spike as the cause of the problems. The spike was caused by mana influx the first time the pebbles activated, charged, and/or changed. A temporary solution was to established a dwell time until temperature observed to be constant (70 ± 10 °C for five sequential minutes).

Experiment #3.5 — DAY TWELVE

Operational qualification. Passed. Equipments were found to had no further leakage and able to maintain the required temperatures as determined by [Lesser Temperature Read] for 7 hours process cycle (thirty minutes range sampling)

Pebbles now CATEGORIZED since weighing determined to be an inefficient use of the personnel time. (Long term: search the method of using dust (powdered pebble) as a power source.)

The category determined by their relative size to the most common of sizes (mode instead of mean) sold on the market (Inner, Ar’endal). The average of mode (27 of 100 samples) determined to be ONE STANDARD PEBBLE, hence SP.

SP would be used in half-integer units (e.g 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, etc.) with 1 SP determined as the amount of pebble required to constantly maintain [Heating Rune] at 100 ± 10 °C for 1 hour, [Light Rune] of 50 lux for 8 hours. [Freezing rune] of...

Experiment #3.5.2 — DAY THIRTEEN

Performance qualification skipped. Personnel rest for the remainder of the week.

Experiment #4 — DAY FIFTEEN

Concentrating ethanol attempted. Success. Obtained 50 Litres of concentrated ethanol. Final concentration unknown, all process detail CATALOGUED on note #42A. The resulting product stored in three separated water-proof barrels (as advertised by local [Finemaker Cooper]. Finalized vendor grading pending.)

Until concentration could be determined by a more precise method, process #42A ASSUMED to create 96.0% ethanol (pure ethanol).

Experiment #5 — DAY SIXTEEN

3 x 24-hours, water-alcohol maceration attempted. The following ratios were used:

1. 75:25
2. 50:50
3. 25:75
4. 0:100

All done in a pilot batch of fifty grams powder and...

EXPERIMENT #5.1 — DAY NINETEEN

Minute by minute [Appraisal], hence MbM [Appraisal] ADOPTED as QC standard procedure (refer to note #25 SOP - Quality Control) on all critical process steps (determined in a case by case basis and tabulated-maintained on note #48. Current version was #48.02. Changelog should be highlighted in title table.)

Pursuant to note #25 SOP - Quality Control, personnel REQUIRED to have a full mana capacity on the experiment day.

Result: The third ratio (25:75) were determined to have the highest concentration of Perpou possible with the following [Appraisal] reading:

[App/N] Greater Perpou Solution: A mixture containing essences of perpou. Consumption will promote awakeness for at least 2 hours. Consumption will restore stamina slightly. ([Alchemy] in the cost of increased hunger).

EXPERIMENT #5.2 — DAY TWENTY

Pot distillation apparatus refurbished to concentrate perpou. Low boiling of 60 °C was used and the vapor constantly vacuumed. Viscous extract obtained after twelve hours with the following [Appraisal] reading:

[App/N] Greater Perpou Concentrate: A concentrate containing essences of perpou. Each drop will promote awakeness for at least 1 hour. Consumption will restore stamina slightly ([Alchemy] in the cost of increased hunger)

EXPERIMENT #5.3 —DAY TWENTY ONE

Tincture preparation SUSPENDED.

ACCIDENT REPORT: A spark of mana was introduced to the concentrate by the personnel (#22 Personnel Safety amended to account for fatigue. Scoring chart to be created at later date).

[Mana Sense’s] observation observed a tinge of spell formation (geometric) inside the finished product and intuits of knowing flooded the personnel (recorded in note 2.E —Magical Knowhow). High possibility for this event to be correlated and amped with and by [Alchemist] class.

OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED. Decided to sideline four-fifth of the viscous extract for further experimentation.

Personnel asked to pay attention to the sign of successful spellwork formation.

Experiment #12.4.2 —DAY FORTY

Controlled manaspark introduction of 3 SC jolt. (SC standards were determined by the lowest possible mana to be sparked on one occasion. Value may change over time as personnel finesse increased (look at note DL 1.3, DL 1.15, and DL 1.25 —day logs). Thus the standard value REQUIRED to be remembered in personnel memory.

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Safety shower SHOULD be installed on the immediate reach of personnel. Yellow-spectrum mana introduction (see note #11.2 —Appraised Magic Items) possessed an explosion hazard with splash effect resembling those of caustic liquids. Coat crystal’s ground with brown-spectrum for controlled dampening (proportion to be determined at later date).

Starting with a smaller pilot batch at ten safety factor dilution should be immediately taken under advisement. Figure delayed reaction process in matter...

Experiment #12.4.3.3.7.1 —DAY FORTY SEVEN

Stability protocols were established with aim of maintaining at least 90% of potency. Shelves-life target was set for one month after packaging.

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MbM [Appraisal] confirmed variance of temperature show no discernible effect until -20 to 80 °C. Beyond that rapid potency, loss was observed at 5% per degree per minute. (Need to be confirmed). Temperature variance on the packaging itself—

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Experiment #12.4.3.3.7.1 —DAY FIFTY TWO

Mana flux continued to become a problem, particularly in high difference gradients. Isolating ambient mana was noted as the main stability basis of good packaging...

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1. Erwee waterskin induced immediate color change. MbM [Appraisal] determined loss of potency.

2. Leat wood bottles were degraded within a half-hour of storage. Multiple micropuncture were observed.

3. Stone containers express no noticeable visual change. MbM [Appraisal] shows no observable difference.

4. Glass containers as predicted were totally inert. However as the only source was [REDACTED] of the experimenter, scalability possesses a problem. Currently, glass containers only used in manufacturing process.

Two months and a ragged young man later, his exhausted self sat on the stool by a long table. His eyes were drooping, each blink flared with red and sting.

Still, it was finally over. Done. Well, not done-done. He needed to commission the working container specifications; the required polishing, the pre-treatment —all the stuff that Mrs. Doobley would charge another five golds for ‘adaptation fee’.

It was worth it though. For the row and row and row of stone bottles in front of him. With a trembling hand, he popped out one of the brown, bubbling cork. Feeling it hard-soft bounce.

Putting the cork aside, he rose his other hand, allowing tendril by tendril of mana enveloped —encompassed, the whole glowing ensemble; purplish-pink with tinges of sparking yellow.

Holding his breath, he muttered the word of power, willing the familiar blue screen to manifest itself. Confirming that—

—he had created magic.