The basic principle of alchemy is "You can't make a sobi purse out of a sow's ear." Or, "Garbage in, garbage out."

Every so often, some witless Daeva decides it's possible to make gold with alchemy. Suddenly everyone wants to study it.

Speaking as a qualified alchemist who's made a study of herbs, their properties, and how they interrelate, I haven't time for such nonsense.

Thank you. You don't have the wide-eyed slack-jawed look of a gold-seeker, so perhaps you are a serious student. If so, I welcome you with open arms.

Beginners need one thing more than anything else--practice! Grind away like a pestle and mortar, and you'll find alchemy reveals her secrets to you a little at a time.

Start with basic elements and work on transforming them. Lesser Elemental Stone is one of the most basic alchemical ingredients.

So gather a good quantity and use the Alchemist's Table next to me to make Lesser Elemental Water. That'll give you a good basic grounding in alchemy.

Lesser Elemental Stone's not hard to find. Just hunt Lobnites, Crasaur, and Sparkies in the Altgard Ice Lake.

Once you've got the bits, the equipment's all right here to brew up some Lesser Elemental Water. Say--what's a nice round number--fifteen units.

When you're just starting out, it's a good idea to bring more ingredients than you expect to use. Novices make mistakes, and mistakes use up resources.

Perhaps I forgot to explain the part where you need to LEARN alchemy before practising it. You won't be able to work even the simplest transformations without a grasp of the basic skills involved.

If you don't agree, I won't waste my breath trying to talk you around.

How's it going? Did you make the Lesser Elemental Water?

It's tricky to do. You shouldn't be upset if you couldn't manage it. Don't dwell on failure! Rise from the ashes with new vigor! That's what an alchemical master would do!

Um. I don't know what you think that is, but it's not Lesser Elemental Water.

What seems to have gone wrong? Did you forget to gather the materials?

Yes...the clarity is excellent, the purity flawless. I think that is enough practice for now.

Do you know, when I first started, it took me weeks to perform that transformation? All I could produce was a sort of orange phlegm. But now I'm a master. If I can succeed, then you certainly can,your character.

Keep up the hard work, and don't be distracted by thoughts of the reward.

1. Make elemental water with Lesser Elemental Stone and take it to Honir.

   Lesser Elemental Water x15

Honir advised that practice is essential to mastering alchemy. Follow his instructions and obtain Lesser Elemental Stones by hunting Lobnites, Crasaur, and Sparkies in the Altgard Ice Lake, then make Lesser Elemental Water.

Honir explained that repeated practice is the basis of eventual mastery in alchemy. Following his instructions, you made Lesser Elemental Water by processing Lesser Elemental Stones, and gave it to Honir to judge.