The Ingredients for Knowledge Content . " First draft ! Remove unflattering ranting about the Master ! " My employment at the apothecary in Wayrest is one of dedication through tireless and thankless servitude . Though my knowledge of ingredients from mountain to meadow is formidable , and my handiness with a blade is revered by the rivals I have scarred or slain , the trickle of debt to the Master and shop owner , magister and alchemist Defessus Lector , continues to be paid . I have been in the Master ' s service ( and put up with his eccentricities and bouts of verbal abuse ) for nigh on fifteen years , but my devotion is still unwavering . My upbringing was inadequate , my father an unknown member of the Lion Guard and my mother a primitive from the Reach . Saved from sacrifice by the Master before my fealty to Hircine was sworn , my curse of birth extends to my Reachman name of Gargrell . The Master is always quick to point out the inadequacies of these primitives ( though he is less circumspect when I approach the subject of my ravaging father ' s loins ) . My youthful anger , which was once channeled into assassinations , thanks ( according to the Master ) to " my barbarian blood , " is now behind me , and I seek wisdom from behind the bowls , jars , and potions as second apprentice of the Wayrest Apothecary . Recently , the death of First Apprentice Evangeline Beanique ( Arkay carry her soul to peace ) has allowed my station at this shop to marginally improve : I no longer am employed at slopping out latrines , carrying the burdensome raw ingredients from trader ' s caravan to storage chamber shelf , and other menial tasks . Now I am left to run the Wayrest Apothecary , usually with the simpleton Bardus , a work - shy nincompoop seemingly conjured at this shop with the singe purpose of providing foreign traders with stories about Breton inbreeding . But acting as apothecary shepherd is but one of two important tasks : The Master requires a further undertaking . I am to create a journal , of which these are the preliminary scribbles . A book useful to the apothecary servant and master alike : a formidable list of ingredients revealed in both drawing and description , recollections of where each is found , and the state they must be presented in for bartering , as well as the usefulness of each component to the alchemist and enchanter . Our shelves brim over with gathered materials from the corners of Tamriel ; a bounty of Mundus within the four walls ( and numerous outhouses ) of the apothecary at Wayrest . Assuming Bardus can read , this text should also serve as a teaching tool so the half - wit learns to provide our customers with accurate ingredients , and not violently dangerous powders that only seem similar to one another : Hall Steward Longinus Attius still launches furious verbal tirades about our incompetence while he visited here ( his vampire dust and frost salts were mislabeled , resulting in a concoction that induced violent uprisings from the bowels and actually worsened his case of ticklebritch ) . Personally , I would have murdered Bardus where he stood , but the Master knows better . Instead , I work like an Argonian slave to keep this trading post in good standing . Aside from scouring our shelves , what better repository of knowledge is there than the traders that frequent this establishment ? The Master ' s powerful standing , our web of merchants from across the provinces , and our system of nimble couriers all conspire to provide a wealth of knowledge , a plentiful supply of even the rarest items , and a worn welcome mat . My Master ' s fondness for moon sugar allows Khajiiti caravans preferential treatment during their bartering . Elven Justiciars come here to gather for their powerful mage masters . Nord hunters arrive to seek Kyne ' s and a cure for yellow tick . And a Redguard merchant burdened with exotic ingredients is always welcomed with open arms . All the awareness of visiting alchemists , merchants , and enchanters shall be imparted ! I jot it all down in this journal , add graceful illustrations , and alter my writings to remove personal feelings . This book is the last change I have to make my Master proud . Second Apprentice Gargrell Sorick The Wayrest Apothecary 2nd of Sun ' s Height , 2E 578 Inside the Wayrest Apothecary