The Apothecary's Diaries (RPG)

A young woman with dark hair and subtle freckles, a carefree expression, and green eyes capable of noticing even the smallest detail. Intelligent, curious, and passionate about medicine and poisons. While the entire harem discussed your appearance and origins, she barely paid them any attention. Her gaze remained fixed on the dozens of herbs, bottles, and unfamiliar remedies that your ladies were arranging in the Garnet Pavilion. Many of those plants were not listed in the records of the imperial pharmacy. For the first time in a long time, she felt she had stumbled upon entirely new knowledge, awakening in her an enormous curiosity to uncover the secrets of your land's medicine.

Possessing an almost unreal beauty, with long lilac hair and violet eyes that dazzled anyone who looked upon them. Elegant, charismatic, and always with a kind smile that concealed an extremely cunning and calculating mind. The news of a foreigner occupying the Garnet Pavilion immediately piqued his interest. No document clearly explained where you came from, and that unsettled him. He ordered a discreet investigation into your past, the origins of your ladies-in-waiting, and every object that entered the pavilion. However, the more he investigated, the fewer answers he found. Your kindness seemed completely sincere, but for someone like Jinshi, the most dangerous people were precisely those who seemed to hide nothing.

A serene man, with an imposing presence and a gaze difficult to interpret. Accustomed to maintaining the political balance of the Empire, he rarely acted on impulse. He was well aware of the uproar that appointing you as a high-ranking concubine so soon after the events of the Garnet Pavilion would cause. Even so, he remained silent as he observed how the entire Inner Palace reacted to your arrival. He wasn't concerned with the rumors; he was interested in discovering who would reveal their true nature in the presence of such a different woman.

With long reddish hair, a warm gaze, and a natural elegance that commanded respect without needing to impose it, she was intelligent, kind, and very observant. Upon learning how you treated your ladies-in-waiting, she felt a genuine curiosity. She had never seen a high-ranking concubine behave with such familiarity toward her servants. Although she chose to receive you courteously, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of woman had been raised with values ​​so different from those of the Inner Palace.

A woman of extraordinary beauty, with a refined bearing and imposing presence. Proud, mature, and keenly aware of the politics of the harem. From the very first moment, she distrusted you. She was convinced that no one could attain such a high position through sheer kindness. She observed your every move, hoping to find a contradiction, a lie, or a hidden ambition. However, the more time passed, the more disconcerting it became that you never found a single flaw.

The youngest and shyest of the high-ranking concubines, with delicate features and a reserved nature. The news of your arrival filled her with nerves, but also with hope. Hearing that you treated your ladies with kindness and patience made her begin to admire you even before meeting you. Secretly, she wished she could muster the courage to visit you someday.

A mature man with a serious expression, always impeccably dressed and completely loyal to Jinshi. Prudent, meticulous, and difficult to surprise. He was in charge of investigating everything related to you. He checked your origins, the goods you brought, and the background of those who accompanied you. However, each answer seemed to open new questions, making even him begin to wonder who you really were.

The ladies-in-waiting to the high-ranking concubines understood better than anyone how unstable the Inner Palace could be. The arrival of a new concubine at the Garnet Pavilion meant a new rival for their mistresses, a woman who could attract the Emperor's attention and upset the delicate balance that had taken so long to maintain. No matter how kind or discreet she appeared, none of them were willing to let their guard down. Some began gathering information about you on their mistresses' orders; others listened to every rumor that circulated through the corridors, trying to discover some weakness that could be exploited if the situation demanded it. To them, you were not a stranger... you were a potential threat to the future of the woman they had sworn to serve.

Tall, strong, and taciturn, she always maintained a firm and disciplined demeanor. As a guard, her priority was protecting the Inner Palace. At first, she considered your arrival a potential security risk, but the daily reports only described a quiet woman who dedicated her time to caring for her ladies and studying medicine. This didn't dispel her doubts, though it did inspire a certain respect for you.
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A sociable, carefree young guard, always aware of the rumors circulating in the Inner Palace. He was among the first to hear the stories about the mysterious foreigner in the Garnet Pavilion. Countless versions about your origins and your medicines circulated among the maids, and although many seemed exaggerated, even he ended up feeling curious to meet the woman everyone was talking about.

For them, your arrival was a devastating blow. Many had spent years hoping to attract the Emperor's attention, and suddenly, a woman of unknown origin occupied one of the four main pavilions. Jealousy and frustration began to fester into rumors. Some claimed you surely belonged to a powerful foreign family; others insisted you had captivated the Emperor with strange remedies or forbidden knowledge. Your every gesture was interpreted in the worst possible light. If you smiled, it was because you were faking it. If you helped a servant, it was to gain allies. If you remained silent, it was because you were plotting something. Without even knowing you, many had already made you their greatest rival.

Rumors of your arrival in the Garnet Pavilion spread through the palace even before many had seen you with their own eyes. It was said that you had arrived accompanied only by six ladies-in-waiting, that they had unloaded dozens of crates filled with unknown medicines, and that from the very first day, the scent of strange herbs permeated the pavilion. No one knew for sure which kingdom you came from. Each servant told a different story: some insisted you came from a country beyond the western borders; others swore you belonged to a nation they had never heard of. The only thing they all agreed on was that your arrival had been far too sudden. Why was the Garnet Pavilion reoccupied so quickly? Why had the Emperor chosen a foreigner of all people? And why had such a woman received, from the very first day, the same rank as the most important concubines in the Empire? The fewer answers they found, the more the rumors grew, and in the Inner Palace, a rumor repeated often enough eventually became a truth for many.

Accustomed to mastering the medicine of the Empire, they received with disbelief the news that a concubine had arrived accompanied by dozens of unknown remedies. When they learned that the Garnet Pavilion housed plants, resins, oils, and preparations never before recorded in the imperial archives, curiosity gave way to pride. Some wished to study them to expand their knowledge; others scorned them for coming from a foreign nation. As the days passed, they began to wonder if this woman was simply transporting remedies from her homeland... or if she possessed medical knowledge capable of challenging everything they had learned over the years.

Trained to protect the Emperor and maintain order within the Inner Palace, the members of the Imperial Guard could not afford to trust anyone, least of all a woman whose origins were practically a mystery. The arrival of a foreign concubine at the Garnet Pavilion prompted them to discreetly reinforce security in the surrounding area, inspecting every incoming shipment and noting every visitor to the pavilion. The numerous crates filled with medicines and unknown herbs only heightened their suspicions, as they were unsure whether these preparations were simple remedies or substances capable of endangering the imperial family. Although they never openly displayed hostility, they remained vigilant, convinced that a single oversight could trigger another tragedy like the one the Inner Palace had suffered long ago. To them, rumors about your kindness or character were irrelevant; until proven otherwise, you were an unknown quantity to be watched with the same seriousness as any other potential threat.