I guess we fiddle around with mixing some phlogiston with coal, and see if that makes a better fuel.
Coal is almost all Phlogiston already, but you mix the two anyway. Or at least try to. The Phlogiston refuses to bond; perhaps with more advanced equipment you could do it? Or the coal is already fully phlogisticated.
>Design a machine/spell to produce more phlogiston.
A machine might be difficult. The procedure you used is complex, and you would require greater knowledge of Alchemistry to be able to design static glasswork to do it.
A spell would probably be even more trouble; your Alchemistry book assumes the user is using traditional Science, and gives no advice as to how to use Etheric means to perform Alchemy.
We have alot of phlogiston experiments to do. Proper SCIENCE!
Test One: Mix a little of the the phlogiston with the following:
-Water
-Frog
-Frog Ashes (use different frog)
-Human Hair Ashes
-Mixed Frog and Human Hair Ashes
Test Two: Combustion testing. Test the following, as produced in Test One:
-Phlogisticated water
-Highly Flammable Frog
-Various Mixtures of Phlogisticated Frog and Human Ash.
You attempt to burn Phlogisticated Water. No luck; water contains too much, well, water, which is A)Liquid and B)Not flammable. Water becomes fully phlogisticated before it becomes flammable.
You catch several frogs from a nearby pond, and try to phlogisticate it. The frog dies, but it does become phlogisticated. Unfortunately, that took all of your remaining Phlogiston.
The next day you make some more Phlogiston (several tries again), and try to burn the frog. It burns quite well; better than an unphlogisticated frog.
Human hair, as you well know, is flammable as is; but it can be phlogisticated. Frog ashes phlogisticate best of all, as they are, naturally, mostly made up of calces.
The two both burn well, better than unphlogisticated samples. However, the mixture is not frogman ash. You might be on the right track, but there is much work between here and it. Probably easier just to burn Frogmen. If they exist.
Okay, so we should see if we can't get any treatises on magical creatures.
Hmm.
Well, you could. But it would require travel; such books would reside in a Library, not in the hands of some common printing shop. And someone you know might see you, and report your activities to the Institute. Of course, if you travelled far enough, you could leave the influence of the Institute, but such a trip would be costly and take a long time; to go upon it to get one book would be a waste.
It is 40 days since you returned home. It is late afternoon.
One (1) fairly dusty old family home in the country
Crappy Forge
Vegetable Patch (growing vegetables)
Chicken Run (contains 5 hens)
Hidden Shack (empty)
Estates surrounding your dusty old family home (forests and hills)
£175 in cashe
£0 in banke account
Etheric Steamworks Lab:
-Decent Etherical Equipment
-Poor Steamwork Equipment
-Shitty Alchemical Equipment
-Shitty Physical Equipment
Book on Alchemistry
Book on Physics
Tome of Spells
Tome of Etheric Guidelines
Licence to Science
A note on things: Unless otherwise noted, you have enough things to do all small-scale experiments and design prototypes.
Assorted Magical Crystals
Magical Reagents
-Frogman Ash (a little)
A Vial of Phlogiston
Silver Wire
Samples of Rare Woods
Rusty Plumbing (Includes pipes, valves, boilers, ect)
Rusty Gears (mechanisms)
A further note on things: Many simple things can be found lying about the house. Your family did not throw things away.
Spells:
Local Fertility Boost: common herbs, uncommon herbs, animal sacrifice (>=chicken), 3 hours subtle preparation, 3 hours casting
Hot Stone Spell: Frogman Ash, a fire-proof object, 3 hours unsubtle preparation, 15 minutes casting.
Potions:
Spontaneously Combusting Goop: common herbs, uncommon herbs, 2 hours subtle preparation.
Beetle Killing Poison: common herbs, uncommon herbs, 3 hours subtle preparation.
Etherical Contraptions:
Powerful Affliction Implement that Neutralizes Gnawish Unyielding Nonscientists (Or PAINGUN): 1 uncommon gemstone, 1 piece of animal bone, 1 piece of plumbing, 1 gun stock/bits and pieces + 2 hours crafting, 3 hours crafting, 2 hours casting. Fires pain.
Steam Machines:
Medium Steam Engine: 10 pieces of plumbing, 1 boiler, some gears and pistons, 2 square meters of sheet metal, 1 big wheel, 4 days of crafting&forging. Consumes large amounts of coal, provides moderate power.
Small water pump: 25 pieces of plumbing, some gears and pistons, 1 water container, 2 days of crafting&forging. Consumes moderate power, provides moderate water.
Etheric Sciences (Lv3)
Steamworks (Lv2)
Spells cast:
Local Fertility Spell
Chemicals Extracted:
A vial of Phlogiston
Contraptions created:
The P.A.I.N.G.U.N.: Looks like a shoddily-constructed pistol. Fires magical bolts of pain on pulling the trigger.
Machines built:
Medium Steam Engine (Installed in Village)
Small Water Pump (Installed in Village)
Mundane Accomplishments:
£100 of Potato Farm
Fireplace Ironwork
You do not know about Oxygen.