Alston

Stub-class article · First seen: s07 · Last seen: s24
Alston
the Whisper Coil dwarf
Portrait of Alston.
Character
StatusAlive
First seens07
Last seens24
FactionWhisper Coil Emporium

Alston is the dwarf with shaved blonde hair and “these very shifty eyes” [8] who runs the Whisper Coil Emporium, a small healing-potion shop beside the Black Hollow Market in Umbrafall. He sells healing potions at 50 gold each and pays testers for his experimental brews, which he mixes with biogloom. Harvo got the better of him in session 7 by trading mushroom and creature samples for five potions, a deal the DM called a rip-off of the shopkeeper [16], and in session 11 he finally gave his name and handed the party a black potion he could not identify [38]. In session 24 the DM, without naming him, restates the terms of that deal: the party’s discounted potions were for testing the black potion, which was never tested [7][25].

Overview

Alston is the dwarf proprietor of the Whisper Coil Emporium, a small potion shop near, but not inside, the Black Hollow Market [4]. It is where the party buys its healing potions in Umbrafall: he charges 50 gold apiece [5], mixes experimental potions with Biogloom, and pays for testers in discounts and free potions. He gave no name in session 7, when he was only the shop’s dwarf; in session 11 he introduced himself as “good old Alston” [6]. The black potion he gave Caelumn comes up again in session 24, when the DM, who does not name Alston, says it was never tested [7].

Appearance and demeanour

He has shaved blonde hair and “these very shifty eyes”, and “kind of looks around a lot” [8]; he glances about for a crowd that is not there while Vasquez drinks his brew [9]. He is touchy about being talked down to (“You don’t need to talk to me like I’m an idiot”, [10]) and giggles to himself over a bargain [11]. By session 11 he is a hands-on alchemist, “busy kind of mixing and finding out what each component does” [12], cheerfully careless about safety: he cannot remember what he put in a potion and does not know what the new ones do [13][14][15].

Relationships

  • Harvo: outbargained him in session 7, and is the customer the DM said had “pretty much just ripped off the shopkeeper” [16].
  • Hugo: claimed years of custom at the shop; Alston did not remember him and said he had opened “just last month” [17].
  • Vasquez and Ruin: the two who tested his brews, Vasquez in session 7 and Ruin in session 11 [18][19].
  • Caelumn: haggled with him over potions and was handed the black potion [20], which the DM says in session 24 he never tested [7].
  • A local of Umbrafall: the strictness of the Church of Light “clashes a little bit with my Umbrafall heart”, he says [6].

Disposition towards the party

Commercial, and friendlier on the second visit. In session 7 he treats them as customers to be charged, and does not know Hugo from a stranger [21]. In session 11 he takes them back as customers [22], warns them off Aurelia, and invites them to call on him again for potions or to test more of his brews [6]. He is also quite willing to profit from them: he offered a lower price for a sample of Caelumn’s blood, which Caelumn refused [23].

Notable quotes

“I opened just last month.” — Alston, [24]

“if I can get this to the market holy shit I’m gonna be rich” — Alston, [13]

“feel free to give good old Alston a call” — Alston, [6]

“I have no idea, but it can’t be good.” — Alston, [15]

“That was the entire deal that you got some health potions at a discount because you were going to test out this potion on yourselves or someone else.” — Nick (DM), [25]

History in the campaign

Session 7: Maelis Falls, Vasquez Captured

Main article: Session 7

Hugo led the party to the Whisper Coil Emporium for healing potions [26]. The dwarf charged 50 gold each, 250 for five, and offered the five for 150 if someone would test an experimental potion mixed with Biogloom [5][27]. Vasquez drank it and began shedding glowing bubbles that popped with a soft sound [28][29]. Meanwhile Harvo offered a bottle of mushroom and creature samples from the mission for the five potions; Alston agreed, took the stuff and giggled to himself, but the DM said Harvo had “pretty much just ripped off the shopkeeper” [30].

Session 11: Owlbears and the Soulbinder

Main article: Session 11

After Ruin’s failed theft at Starpoint Secrets put potion prices up, Terry’s notes took the party back to the Whisper Coil [31][32][33]. Alston offered a healing potion to whoever drank a bluish experimental brew; Ruin did, and was paralysed for about ten minutes and left with a level of exhaustion [34]. The promised potion went to Terry [35]. The party declined his concentrated-Biogloom brew [36], and Caelumn bought two healing potions at 49 gold each [37]. Alston gave his name, warned them off Aurelia, and handed Caelumn an untested black potion to try on someone else [38].

Session 24: The Knight of Smoke

Main article: Session 24

Alston is neither seen nor named, but his deal is restated. Out of resources in the fight at the sealed door, Caelumn asked about “a black potion” he carries, and the DM answered “You never tested it.” and “That was the entire deal that you got some health potions at a discount because you were going to test out this potion on yourselves or someone else.” [39]. Caelumn recalled only that “there was side effects or something”, and a History check to remember more returned “You don’t remember” [40][41]. He ended his turn without drinking it [42].

Status

As of session 24. Alive, presumably still at the Whisper Coil Emporium in Umbrafall; the party has not seen him since session 11. The black potion he gave Caelumn is untested, as the DM said in session 24 without naming Alston, and the party has not reported back to him as promised [43][7]. A black potion of unknown effect was in Caelumn’s hands in session 19, which the DM’s remark in session 24 suggests is the same one [44][25].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 7, line 1093-1205: First meeting; experimental biogloom potion drunk by Vasquez; Harvo trades samples for five healing potions.
  2. ^ Session 11, line 555-690: Names himself Alston; offers Ruin a healing potion to try a paralysing brew; sells two potions; gives a black experimental potion.
  3. ^ Session 24, line 100-108: Caelumn asks about "a black potion"; the DM: "You never tested it." and "That was the entire deal that you got some health potions at a discount because you were going to test out this potion on yourselves or someone else."; a History check: "You don't remember".
  4. ^ Session 7, line 1093: Inline citation.
  5. ^ Session 7, line 1110: Inline citation.
  6. ^ Session 11, line 672: Inline citation.
  7. ^ Session 24, line 101: Inline citation.
  8. ^ Session 7, line 1095: Inline citation.
  9. ^ Session 7, line 1173: Inline citation.
  10. ^ Session 7, line 1197: Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 7, line 1201: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 11, line 565: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 11, line 626: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 11, line 656: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 11, line 676: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 7, line 1205: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 7, line 1115-1118: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 7, line 1181-1182: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 11, line 590-599: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 11, line 663-678: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 7, line 1115: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 11, line 565-572: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 11, line 664-667: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 7, line 1118: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 24, line 103: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 7, line 1093-1095: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 7, line 1150-1152: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 7, line 1157: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 7, line 1182: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 7, line 1196-1205: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 11, line 503-506: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 11, line 534-543: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 11, line 555: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 11, line 589-619: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 11, line 642: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 11, line 646-662: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 11, line 663-669: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 11, line 672-678: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 24, line 100-103: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 24, line 106: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 24, line 108: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 24, line 112: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 11, line 680: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 19, line 1415: Inline citation.
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