Rosha throws her hands up, “Okay, fine. We perfect our foundation. We go and scout our meridians for every single speck of obstruction. Open every special meridian through careful observation. What does that have to do with Jason’s limited view?”
Courtney, “I think we should all try our hand at alchemy.”
Rosha frowns, “Why? Even if we pick up alchemy in NeoRealm, it isn’t like that would transfer. I know for a fact that here, alchemy is basically half System nonsense.”
Courtney smiled, “The alchemy Skill is mostly System nonsense. That is how people can pump out healing potions that, as long as there isn’t a lingering effect, can heal any kind of damage by healing your HP. A burn on your arm, your guts hanging out, or a ton of paper cuts that finally managed to add up to a point of damage.
“That isn’t how things actually work, of course. Health points? They are completely a System construct, forced upon you. Forced upon reality itself. They don’t make sense given physics and biology. But here? They are reality.
“Except that doesn’t matter. There are poultices and folk medicine galore! Rash from a local plant? They’ll have some sort of paste to spread on it. No HP involved.”
Rosha, “Hedgewitchery? I’ve heard that Skill is capped at Apprentice. There are no journeymen or masters of the craft.”
Courtney smiles wide and moves around to sit next to Rosha. Throwing her arm over Rosha’s shoulder, she pulls her in close and whispers in her ear. “There are no masters, but there are Supernatural practitioners. No Godly or Demonic ones, though.”
Rosha frowns, “They skip two ranks?”
Courtney settles back into her new seat, “They are locked away from two ranks. However, the Deities and even the System can’t lock away, breaking through the master rank. Even if the person doesn’t actually have the Skill at master rank.
“Technically? A novice could break through. That doesn’t happen. Well, I guess if someone irl managed to be masterful with a skill and take that final step in NeoRealm? They could do it, but are you really a novice? That is more like smurfing.”
Rosha waves that away, “Jason is the most Skilled of our group and he is nowhere near masterful, let alone breaking through. What good is hedgewitchery to us?”
Courtney laughs, “Did I ever say we would be learning hedgewitchery?”
Rosha, “But you seem to want to use their medicines?”
Courtney shakes her head, “I was simply pointing out that a hedgewitch is someone with access to potions and medicines that are outside of the classical System-powered Alchemy Skill.
“Remember, I said we should all try our hand at Alchemy. I didn’t say we should go out and find an Alchemy instructor. For one, that is System tainted knowledge. For the other, why bother when we have Jason?”
Rosha, “Well, I remember him specifically saying he didn’t want to do alchemy?”
Courtney, “There is a difference between not wanting to and not knowing how. I highly doubt he got away without learning at least a little alchemy. His cultivation system seems to be quite focused on a holistic approach. As much as he grossed about alchemy and a few other things, I’m pretty sure that comes from a time of being forced to learn those methods.
“And given the fact that his cultivation method at its base is so flexible? Designed in such a way that in an entirely different universe with energies that most certainly aren’t the Qi he remembers? How could the base knowledge of alchemy be any different? You simply have to consider how he can discern the various uses for a herb! That is clearly a part of his alchemic heritage.”
Rosha, “So we get him to teach us alchemy?”
Courtney shakes her head, “You’re thinking small. We get him to properly teach us the entire heritage. Even with how open he has been, there is a clear tendency towards secrecy. It isn’t overriding or anything. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have told us a thing.”
Rosha frowns, “What does everything entail?”
Courtney pats her on the shoulder, “I’ve noticed a few things. Maybe they’re universal or just common in this region of reality? But there are some constants. Well, obviously cultivation isn’t really a thing here. Though alchemy has roots in chemistry and medicine.
“Besides that, though, there are a ton of other great and minor paths. Obviously, this won’t involve all of them, but there are some key paths. For instance, the noble paths. Calligraphy, Painting, Go, Poetry, Divination, and so on. Stuff a noble scion would be expected to have at least passing knowledge of. Though Go is sometimes traded out for chess.”
Rosha, “And of all that nonsense, what do you expect Jason to have?”
Courtney starts to count her fingers. “First, alchemy, obviously. Second, calligraphy. Which leads into third, talismans and formations. Yes, they’re one category. Fourth? Poetry. Fifth is basic wood and metal working for magical purposes. Sixth will be Go and divination. And I’m sure I’m missing some things that will seem obvious in hindsight.”
Rosha, “So, I get the first and fifth.”
Courtney shrugs, “Calligraphy is all about control and intent. Which bleeds into classical talismans as you need good handwriting. Then talismans to formations because they use similar principles. Poetry comes from the fact that people like to use flowery language to describe both the techniques in general as well as the stuff that can’t be directly described. Finally, Go as a game requires a lot of forethought so we bundle divination in with it. Not sure if Jason will, but more than Chess, Go can mesh in there.”
Rosha, “I’m a good hand at chess. What is so special about Go?”
Courtney shrugs, “They’re inherently different games, so we can’t even compare them all that well. They don’t even use the same board like what you get with chess and checkers.
“However, Go is entirely about territory control. There is some of that in chess, but everything about Go centers on the concept. There is no king to capture, you capture territory. I wouldn’t say either is inherently better, but the territory control of Go meshes better with using it for divination. Chess might get you thinking ahead and plotting out where each piece will move, but people are chaotic and don’t have to follow your moves. Whereas Go focuses less on the individual piece and more on trends.”