Apothecary

The apothecary is a specialized shop which sells potions and reagents.

Description
It is the shrewd apothecary who mixes strange chemicals and produces the formulas to create potions which have various effects when consumed. Some potions have a beneficial effect, while others cause harm. Apothecaries are experts in growing and preparing herbs and reagents for use in magic and offer a broad yet often incomplete selection and some apothecaries have better facilities for importing than others.

These occult shops are quite interesting to visit. Their oddly decorated shelves are often strewn with vials of strangely colored potions, queerly glowing staves and scepters, and a cornucopia of herbal and mineral reagents useful in the mage's work. Climate and terrain have a lot to do with plant availability and the consequent variable prices. Their availability will vary from town to town, so the travelling mage will want to make special note of those things offered in the places they visit. Prices can very significantly, as one reagent can be very common and therefore cheap in one region, but scarce and expensive in a different one.

Many apothecaries due to their field of work also specialize in research of chemicals and other substances in order to understand their workings.

Age of Enlightenment
As reagents were not needed during the Age of Darkness and magic need satisfied in the magic shop, specialized reagents shops only appeared in the Age of Enlightenment, starting with Ultima IV. During that time, these shops offered all reagents except for Nightshade and Mandrake Root. Curiously, all reagent sellers were blind women and payment was based on an honor system. Naturally, shortchanging the reagent-seller had severe consequences for an aspiring Avatar's virtue. These shops had changed little by Ultima V, although by then, all reagents (albeit not all in the same shop) were available for purchase and the owners were no longer all blind.

Interestingly, by the time of Ultima VI specialized mages seemed to have taken over the market. While now officially called apothecaries, reagents now only were sold by specific mages - and the occasional individual like Zoltan who ran his own business. Potions weren't yet included in his offerings.

Age of Armageddon
By the time of the Age of Armageddon in Ultima VII, the corruption of the ether by the Guardian had forced the apothecaries to give up up on selling reagents. Due to the dwindling reagent market, they concentrated on the potion trade instead. Reagents were now only available from various independent mages. At the behest of the government, the apothecary in Britain under Kessler during this time was also involved in researching the dangerous Silver Serpent Venom and its effects.

The ravages following the Great Cataclysm shook the market by the time of Ultima IX. Various individuals sold potions during that era, but due to magic having been disabled, the demand for reagents had gone down. As a result, only three real apothecaries were left, those run by Nico, Phillipa and Elena.

Other Worlds
On the Serpent Isle, each of the three cities developed their own form of apothecary. While the herbalists Harnna in Monitor and Delphynia in Fawn specialized on selling various reagents, the only real apothecary was located in Moonshade, run by Pothos, the only individual who also sold potions. The mages themselves were unwilling to sell reagents.

On Pagan, the practice of selling reagents and potions was virtually unknown - little wonder considering the secrecy of the magic schools. The individual Mythran was the only person willing to sell reagents and created healing potions in his free time.