Alyssandra<br/><br/>“Ah so the sleeping potion is for you.”  This was somewhat unusual, but not unheard of.  Nodding and mumbling under her breath Alyssandra suck off to the rear of her home where she kept her reagents.  Mentally estimating the man’s weight and strength she measured out a small amount of fine grey powder onto a set of fine metal scales.  She transferred an equal three linen pouches.  Setting this aside she removed a single, dense cylinder of something fibrous and foul-smelling; taking the cylinder she clipped two large discs of the end and wrapped them in a linen square as well.  Looking over her arrayed ingredients, a small vial of red glass caught her eye and would not let go.  “I may as well,” she said to herself and picked it up.  Grabbing the linen packages and the vial, Alyssandra returned to the sitting room.<br/>“Take this,” she handed the man the pouches of grey dust, “with liquid, an hour before you wish to sleep.  Each one will keep you asleep for a maximum of 12 hours.  Do not take more than one packet at a time – or you may never wake up.  Swallow this,” she handed him the envelope containing the disc, “immediately before you go to sleep.  Try not to eat anything before, or the effect may be reduced.  The elixir soaked into this capsule will slowly be extracted by your stomach while you sleep, allowing you to be fully alert upon waking.”  She made sure the man had the instructions memorized before continuing,<br/>“Your love potions will need time to brew.  Due to the individual nature of the subject, as well as their short-lived potency items of this sort are unpredictable, and I cannot keep such things in stock.  I can have your friend’s finished by this time tomorrow, the dose for the priestess will take an extra day – it is far harder to fool a woman in matter of love than a man.”  She paused, not sure whether or not to continue.  Curiosity won out.  “Alternatively, I happen to have something ready-made that may be of assistance,” rather dramatically she produced the red vial.  “This is a very rare liquor I bought at great cost from a warlock from the East.  While it has nothing specifically to do with Love, a single drop mixed with one’s evening wine will produce some quite spectacular effects.” She paused dramatically.<br/>“The imbiber of this fluid will be dropped into a state of mild euphoria making them, how shall I say, incredibly open to<em>suggestion</em>– along with other, less notable side effects.  Highly amplified sense for instance," this last was thrown in, almost an afterthought, but she was sure her customer understood her meaning.  "Now, I would never even think of offering this to one such as your friend outside; it takes… tack and wit, both of which I deem you to have, Sir, to successfully manipulate one under the effects of this serum.  Of course, there is great risk – many, especially those of weak will, never recover from the effect…”  Alyssandra trailed off, keeping the vial plainly in the man’s sight.  Suddenly she snatched it back.<br/>“What do you say?” she asked, a wicked grin unintentionally spreading over her face.<br/>