Still at the Hollow, but finding liquid fire was more of a challenge. I came across a shop run by a squirrel, selling all sorts. I traded the letter of the Dark Ruler for a stout basket. It's just better that way for everyone involved.
Commencing with playing Apothecaria. Following on from the Apothecaria Intro.
Apothecaria solo - intro | start | finish
Disclosure - I'm a DriveThru RPG affiliate
Getting Started with Apothecaria
apothecaria start | journalling | journal entries | village notes
Continuing on from the Game Intro.
Apothecaria is an easy to play game with a straightforward game loop of get a patient with an ailment, identify the reagents needed, gather them and cure the patient and get paid. As you get more experienced the game adapts, with more difficult ailments to cure and new areas to explore.
The game loop has journalling prompts built into it when gathering reagents, and people to interact with via the patient, terrain events and people of the village.
There are also upgrades to mess about from a gaming point of view. Plus opportunities to be more tactical with your time if that's what you want to do by spending extra time in the village or gathering reserve reagents.
For journalling there are your day to day events from gathering reagents, plus the people to interact with in the village, current and former patients and anyone else you wish to bring in. The festivals at the end of each season provide a rhythm to the world and sense of change in the year
There is also more of a story if you wish to pursue it, finding out what happened to the witch before.
I had an recent Interview with Anna Blackwell where we touch on Apothecaria and other solo games.
But...
Problems with Journalling
apothecaria start | journalling | journal entries | village notes
I've struggled to get enthusiasm for this actual play so far.
The game is fine, the issue is more that I'm not enjoying journalling so much. I had a similar issue with English Eerie.
I'm find getting started, and writing up the results. But I'm lacking the spark or excitement that often comes from playing other games solo.
Toward the end I took a bit more control and did a time skip to the end of a season to experience a Festival.
It's also a motivator to go and do some research on how to go about journalling better. Find out how others enhance the experience! Find some techniques to enjoy it more when you're in different moods and maybe ways to vary it.
Journal Entries
apothecaria start | journalling | journal entries | village notes
Continuing on from Initial Journal Entries.
Journal of Girvan, Witch of Eastlow Down
Entry 4, First Week of Spring
The Mountain is an old, haunted place. Pixie loves it there and she led me to a place we found cynic ivy. It was growing from an old statue, that turns out to be an old golem.
I think I've got a project.
Entry 5, First Week of Spring
Today I went out to the shores of Meltwater Loch, hunting for slime-shell. Pixie lead me to an old wreck, with an old chest which I dragged ashore. Inside were many old letters, addressed to a king who lived hundreds of years ago. I put them back for another to find.
Nearby was also some slime-shell.
Entry 6, First Week of Spring
My first cured patient! Crushing the nest scraps, I added the raw slime and then stirred it in with the boiled ivy to create Pixie's Punch.
Malcolm is cured of his thirst and largely oblivious to the world
Notes - Pixie's Punch [Blood, Cold, Infection, Magic, Parasite, Senses] - Reputation 6, Silver 20
Second Week of Spring, Entry 1
Been fixing up the statue a bit, up at the mountain. Today I met Rhys, an actor who has a nasty ailment called Cludgie Mouth. His breath smells like a toilet and I'm working on a cure. I think he annoyed a bog goblin.
Notes - Cludgie Mouth - Curse 1, Infection 1, Timer: 6
Second Week of Spring, Entry 2
Up at Hero's Hollow I found the ghost goo, but also one of the Faerie nobles. Kerwyn, the Dark Ruler of the Underlands has been trying to court Maeve, one of my sisters, without any luck. I told him I'd be no help as my sisters never listen to me.
He got so angry I agreed to carry a letter to her!
Second Week of Spring, Entry 3
Still at the Hollow, but finding liquid fire was more of a challenge. I came across a shop run by a squirrel, selling all sorts. I traded the letter of the Dark Ruler for a stout basket. It's just better that way for everyone involved.
Soon after I came across a puzzle in a room. There were a number of upturned goblets and I had to guess which one the apples was in. Luckily Pixie could fit under a couple and let me know the right one to pick. Beyond was some liquid fire.
Second Week of Spring, Entry 4
My second cure is Fireghost Tonic, which cured the breath of Rhys. It's a simple recipe, adding raw liquid fire to boiled ghost goo.
Notes - Fireghost Tonic [Curse, Infection, Parasite, Spirit] - Reputation 7, Silver 40
Third Week of Spring, Entry 1
Managed to get up to the golem statue again. Pixie likes it up there.
A traveller stumbled in today. Beatrice is a scholar with allergies and sneezing after being in the woods. Checking the last witche's notes, it's Pollen Pox.
Gonna need me some pixie fur and gull-drake guano at the Mountain. And while I'm there will look out for candy rock, to sweeten my tonics. My sisters say people pay better for the sweet potions, but take their lessons from the foul ones.
Third Week of Spring, Entry 2
Back at Moonbreaker Mountain I found a shrine with pixie fur. Pixie got all excited here.
The shrine is only a set of panpipes tied to a strangely shaped rock. I think there are moonlit dancers here, with all manner of beings.
Third Week of Spring, Entry 3
I pushed myself searching for candy rock. Couldn't find any lower down, so kept pushing higher and higher until I met a glittering dragon.
Instead of eating me she told me about a constellation of stars called the Sky Whale. The story of a whale and a turtle, who carry worlds on their backs, spreading people throughout the skies. Three fey beings chase them, but never catch them.
On the way down I found some candy rock, but then Pixie found some more trouble. A sphinx blocked our way down a valley and challenged me to a riddle.
I hate riddles but my sisters love them.
It was about a mammal that swims, but not in the sea. The Faerie are playing some kind of game, but I answered with the Sky Whale anyway and there was a grumpy sphinx.
Further down the valley I found some gull-drake guano.
Third Week of Spring, Entry 4
My third potion is Whale's Dust. Crushed the pixie fur along with the guano, then boiled it all and added the sweet rock to finish it off.
Beatrice was off her rocker, cured of her pox but hyped with energy and happiness. She was also generous in her thanks!
Notes - Whale's Dust [Cough, Lungs, Rash, 4 Sweet] - Reputation 8, Silver 76
Fourth Week of Spring, Entry 1
One of the villagers has Dragon Sickness, starting to hoard trowels and sickles. Annoying for everyone!
I got onto this one straight away, taking my new coracle to Blastfire Blog to find coffee cap. A strange denim-clad crocodilian was rude to me, offering a lift on their fancy flying boat.
I managed to lose them pretty quickly, after picking up some coffee caps. But I had to chase after Pixie and came to a ruined palace with surgeon sap. I met the Crownless King, who told me of a kingdom that was once here, linked to the Sky Whale and my golem statue.
The Faerie are still watching me..
Fourth Week of Spring, Entry 2
My latest concoction is Beetlejuice. Mixing raw surgeon sap with the crushed coffee cap, then boiling it all as it takes on a purplish colour.
Maud has now stopped collecting garden tools, looking for beetles instead.
Notes - Beetlejuice [Burn, Sweet 2, Senses, Wound], Reputation 9, Silver 30.
Note - Here I took Anne Blackwell's advice and made the game my own.
Thirteenth Week of Spring, Entry 1
I found my journal again! I'd lost it and not made the time to get a new one! But Pixie found it for me again under a rock in the garden.
I've treated a few villagers for Pollen Pox, and Beatrice has been back a few times, asking many questions. My sister Jennifer came to visit for a few days, giving me advice. And nicked some of the moon lotus I was growing in the garden.
The villagers have accepted me now, and seem to respect my cure making abilities. The golem has been repaired and I sent it off to search for some reagents. One of the villagers has named it Whalebait
Now we're getting ready for the Flower Festival.
Notes - Reputation 21, Silver 30, Store of Reagents - sea beast saliva, candy rock, moon moss, vampire venom, amethyst antlers, moon lotus.
First Week of Summer, Entry 1
I went to the Flower Festival with my neighbour Eowyn, but we had an argument about tulips.
I got pronounced the Flower King and got very embarrassed. There's a crown of flowers but I gave it to Whalebait to wear instead.
Highlight was getting pies at the baking contest.
Second Week of Summer, Entry 2
Back to work as a visiting ratcatcher called Wolfgang has caught Dwarven Lung. He won't be catching many of our rats until it's dealt with.
I'll be up the Mountain again, after glacier moss and gull-drake guano.
Whalebait has been set to get on with renovations, like a nice new basement hollow. Will probably take them up to Sunrise Celebration to get done.
Village Notes
apothecaria start | journalling | journal entries | village notes
Witch
Our reluctant village witch is Girvan, who has been posted to Eastlow Down. He has a ladybird familiar called Pixie. And a host of sisters who are mostly witches.
Currently Intermediate (Reputation 21) with a Coracle and a Golem Helper.
Others
- Beatrice, upbeat travelling scholar
- Eowyn, neighbour who knows more about gardening than Girvan.
- Kerwyn, Dark Ruler of the Underrealms. Trying unsuccessfully to court Maeve, a sister of Girvan.
- Malcolm - guide, healed of Thirst
- Rhys, village actor with big dreams
- Sisters of Girvan. Mostly witches, all dismissive of him. Include Jennifer, Maeve, Merraid
- Whalebait. Repaired golem who wears a the garland of the Flower King.
Finishing Up
Less to think about than most actual plays of RPGs.
Looking forward to trying out own tables and having more of a feel for the Banner and Badger.
