Nevin had prepared to write as soon as Sketch took the first potion. The normal signs of the influence of the drug were in clear evidence - almost as soon as he drank it, the story-teller began to move sluggishly, his limbs drooping as he moved. It was almost like watching a person try to wade through molasses, as the other man slowly, methodically swung his legs up onto the bed. He almost seemed to collapse backwards, his body sagging onto the bed as the tension vacated him. Sketch didn't even twitch when Nevin stood up and moved over to him, tossing the blanket onto the man before returning to his seat and resuming his observation.

There was some evidence of dreaming, even with the medicine in his system. That was interesting, and it indicated that whatever was affecting the man had a strong enough hold to work on his physical body, not just his mind. He noted that there did seem to be some discrepancy - Sketch didn't immediately enter the dream state, but once he did his eyelids began to move rapidly, his face twisting slightly. It wasn't... terror, which indicated that it was not the normal nightmares -

Nevin sat bolt upright, his eyes wide when Sketch woke up and asked for the stronger dose. The man unstoppered the next vial and downed it, and immediately collapsed back onto the bed, vial clutched loosely in his hand. This time, the orator did not enter into a dream state - there were a few twitches as his body shot right past that stage of the sleep cycle but nothing more. Nevin meanwhile was writing furiously. Waking up that abruptly should not have been possible - the medicine, even at the low dosage that Sketch had taken, was enough to keep a fully grown man down for at least six hours. Sketch had been asleep for fifteen minutes. Nevin was currently frantically writing, running calculations through as he tried to figure out what would happen now.

Even if the medicine had been temporarily negated, Sketch had taken more and gone right back to sleep. The current level was not enough to be an overdose - he was still well below that line - but he would likely be out for at least ten hours at this point. Nevin had intended on giving him a neutralization agent between the doses so they didn't amplify each other's effects, but he had taken the next vial so quickly that Nevin didn't even have time to think about it, much less have it out. He had, after all, not expected the man to be awake for hours yet. Cobalt. Nevin slipped back to his shop for a few minutes, grabbing some stimulant potions and food before returning. It wouldn't do to fall asleep during the observation period, even if it did run longer than he had intended.

Potions ready to go to keep him awake, Nevin settled in to watch, running through alchemical formula and taking notes as he passed the hours away.

I figure from here we can start moving towards the mine, maybe have a post or two where they stop to get food on the way.