Alchemistry

Alchemists manufacture wondrous materials from existing ones, are capable of manipulating the properties of Alkahest itself, and mix myriad miraculous potions. Alchemistry requires 100 XP in Mysticism and 100 XP in Chemistry; it does not require a Minor Merit to pursue.

Alchemistry

History

Alchemistry, like the other Practices, is an ancient art borne from the denizens of Ælphyne. For this reason, its exact origin point has been lost to time, but notable practitioners of all Fae races have pushed its limits for tens of thousands of years. From them, it has spread to any habitable Plane.

Alchemistry has seeped into almost all of Antarok's developed civilizations, though there are some places which shun it for the dangers it harbors through fission reactions. Some more primitive nations mired in superstition buck against the Practice on the basis that it is considered sacrilegious.

Mystical Creations

Concepts

Alkemicals

Pure and highly reactive chemicals derived from one or more forms of Alkahest. Given Qualities or Expressions, and stored as they are. Alchemists prefer to work with Alkemicals; mundane reactions from standard materials are often more complex and harder to alter, but not impossible. Chemists see Alchemistry as complicated; Alchemists see chemists as overcomplicating things.

Identity

Identity is another word for chemical, specifically referencing the form Metaphor has taken. There are no atoms nor underlying structures akin to chemicals on Antarok. Merely, everything has an Identity tasked within the context of its Metaphor, with Alkahest being the least muddled identity of the material. All Chemistry processes may be altered by influencing Metaphor.

Khmeia

Khmeia refers to the laws governing Reagents and Mediums which Alchemists must navigate; they are the reagents used in Alchemistry, studied and recorded in a Khmeic Formulary. Each use is unique to the soul of a given Alchemist to convey functionality and must be independently discovered, with the only commonality between them being the potency (equivalent tier) of Metaphor within. This means that the stinger of a CR5 Mæntyger might be a Mastery-tier Catalyst to one Alchemist, but a Primer to another.

Fieldcraft, Deepcraft, Terra, and Draoidh are excellent skills for sourcing Reagents. Once they have a source, an Alchemist may ration out the material for reuse.

Reagents

• Catalyst: A reagent which contains a desired structural quality or Gramarye ability.
• Binder: A reagent which changes the Identity of a medium to be permeable and open to reaction, for instilling multiple Infusions.
• Primer: A reagent for bridging between mediums, altering the properties of a material or stabilizing it into micro-covalent structures that conduct the affect.
• Inhibitor: Slows the speed of a reaction - for modulating the speed of an ability or controlling how long a Buff should last.
• Condenser: Materials which heighten the power of an ability or are used in the condensation of Alkahest are referred to as Condensers.
• Directive: Directives are used for adding logic to materials; usually these are Passive qualities which hinge upon ritual, contact with blood, being damaged, celestial phenomena like being beneath a moon or the sun, or coming into contact with a Metaphor. The Glyphics of Ensorcelling can receive information from these as well.
  • Nullifier: Nullifiers stop a reaction when their Directives are met, undoing a Potion or an ability.
• Sealant: A reagent which causes the material to resist further reaction.

An Alchemist may begin play with up to 3 known Khmeia in their Khmeic Formulary for every tier of skill they are. Please notate this on your PC's CS.

Mediums

Alkemicals and Khmeic Reagents come in all sorts of Mediums.

• Liquid: A medium frequency of matter where particulates/Metaphor are closely packed but can move past one another, with a fixed volume but no fixed shape.
• Gas: A high frequency of matter where particulates/Metaphor are microscopic in size, widely spaced and move freely, with no fixed shape or volume. Gases are easily compressible and have low density.
• Earth: A natural material composed of minerals. Common types include granite, limestone, marble, and sandstone. May also include soils.
• Metal: A category of materials that are typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity.
• Light: Crystals together with Luxium may be used to create light which transfers the power of an ability to that which it shines upon, often dependent on a Conditional.
• Organics: Any substance sourced from a living creature.
• Powder: Any substance dried out and crushed into fine, dry particulates.

Fission

• Fission: - Fission is the consequence of overloading Alchemistry reactions, creating splashes and explosions of toxic and acidic Alkemicals which might poison, burn, cause a rash, transmute the skin with aesthetic changes, or even create cancer resistant to arcane treatment.

Chemistry Processes

Preparation

Preparation of reagents or mediums for separation and reaction. Not an exhaustive list.

• Smelting - Ingots are easier to work with than ore, but properties reactive to the smelting process might be lost.
• Desiccation - Drying out flora.
• Grinding - Crushing materials down to grains or powder.

Separation

Processes for separating reagents into new materials or changing their Mediums.

• Sublimation - Subliming one substance from two.
• Evaporation - Separating solids which do not sublimate in a solution.
• Filtration - Separating solids and liquids in a mixture.
• Sieving - Separating powders and liquids with a sieve.
• Chromatography - Separating liquid or gas compounds in a solution based on their differences in solubility.
• Crystallization - Evaporating or cooling dissolved solids into pure crystals using a crystal nucleus. Popular among gnomes.
• Distillation - Separating liquids in a solution
• Condensation - Separating vapors (gases) from and back into liquids with a retort.
• Fractional Distillation - Separating miscible (dissolved) liquids.
• Extraction - Separating immiscible (undissolved) liquids using a separation funnel.
• Magnetic - Separating magnetic materials using magnets.

Reaction

Various reactions may convert or alter Alkemicals.

• Oxidizing - Adding air
• Reducing - Removing air
• Electrolysis - Introducing a current of Luxium to induce reaction in otherwise non-reactive materials.

Alchemistry Products

Alkatology

Alchemists may tune Alkahest to a specific Metaphor, or else combine it into a specific tier. They use chemistry to condense it down into its higher forms.

Shifting Metaphors costs SP; please see the price list for details.

Potionmaking

Alchemists may create elixirs conferring either any Active or passive ability from a Flora Magic, Beast Magic, or Mineral Magic Gramarye to their imbiber. Full consumption of the potion confers one use of Active abilities, whilst drinking less of it may 'downcast' the ability. When conferring a Passive ability in this way, it will last a brief amount of time.

For example, if you drank half of a Master-tiered potion, you could downcast it to Expert, drinking a fourth would confer Journeyman and so on.

The duration of passive potions is dependent on the tier of Khmeic Reagent used for this purpose.

• CR1 - 5 minutes
• CR2 - 30 minutes
• CR3 - 1 hour
• CR4 - 6 hours
• CR5 - 12 hours
• CR6 - 1 day

Infusion

Alchemists may Infuse the Passive ability of any Flora Magic, Beast Magic, or Mineral Magic Gramarye into a material. This will grant the material a half-life, which will fade over time. They may also change the structural or material properties, such as applying the aesthetics of Steel to Wood create Woodsteel manipulable by Flora Magic. As a rule, a material will always be one Medium at a time, derived from the base material.

The duration of Infusions is dependent on the tier of Khmeic Reagent used for this purpose.

• CR1 - 1 hour
• CR2 - 6 hours
• CR3 - 12 hours
• CR4 - 1 day
• CR5 - 7 days
• CR6 - 1 month

Mutagenics

Alchemists may create special Mutagen, which are a form of Gramarye that changes the biology of the one receiving it. Unlike other Gramarye, Mutagen have an acclimation phase where they penalize the subject until they are mastered.

Tiers of Mastery

Novice

Just starting out in their Alchemistry endeavors, Novices will most likely be taught the basics through observation or more academic methods beneath the watchful eye of another.

• Khmeia:
  • A Novice Alchemist may discover and use simple reagents from CR1-3 Fauna and Minerals.
  • A Novice Alchemist may use Mediums.
• Alkatology:
  • A Novice may not condense Dust into Slivers.
  • A Novice may convert Aetherite Dust into other Metaphor Alkahest.
  • A Novice may not yet convert other Metaphor Alkahest Dust into Aetherite.
• Potionmaking:
  • A Novice Alchemist may create potions conferring Novice abilities or passives.
• Infusion:
  • A Novice Alchemist may create CR1 Alkemicals.

• • They may only add 1 Infusion when creating Alkemicals.
  • This costs 1 gram of Dust belonging to the appropriate Metaphor.

• Mutagenics:
  • A Novice may not yet apply Mutagenics formulae.
  • A Novice may not yet invent Mutagenics formulae.

Apprentice

When working beneath another, Apprentice is usually where the budding Alchemist will begin to practice more independently.

• Khmeia:
  • An Apprentice Alchemist may discover and use reagents from CR1-3 Fauna and Minerals.
  • An Apprentice Alchemist may use Mediums.
• Alkatology:
  • An Apprentice may condense Dust into Slivers.
  • An Apprentice may convert Aetherite Dust into other Metaphor Alkahest.
  • An Apprentice may not yet convert other Metaphor Alkahest Dust into Aetherite.
• Potionmaking:
  • An Apprentice Alchemist may create potions conferring up to Apprentice abilities or passives.
• Infusion:
  • An Apprentice Alchemist may create up to CR2 Alkemicals.

• • They may only add 1 Infusion when creating Alkemicals.
  • CR2 Infusions cost 3 grams of Dust belonging to the appropriate Metaphor.

• Mutagenics:
  • An Apprentice may not yet apply Mutagenics formulae.
  • An Apprentice may not yet invent Mutagenics formulae.

Journeyman

Though they Journeyman is certainly competent and capable of creating myriad Alchemical wonders in their own right, they are still prone to plenty of fission-related faults.

• Khmeia:
  • A Journeyman Alchemist may discover and use reagents from CR1-3 Fauna and Minerals.
  • A Journeyman Alchemist may use Mediums.
• Alkatology:
  • A Journeyman may condense Dust into Slivers, and Slivers into Shards.
  • A Journeyman may convert Aetherite Dust into other Metaphor Alkahest.
  • A Journeyman may not yet convert other Metaphor Alkahest Dust into Aetherite.
• Potionmaking:
  • A Journeyman Alchemist may create potions conferring up to Journeyman abilities or passives.
• Infusion:
  • A Journeyman Alchemist may create CR3 Alkemicals.

• • They may only add up to 2 Infusions when creating Alkemicals.
  • CR3 Infusions costs 9 grams of Dust belonging to the appropriate Metaphor.

• Mutagenics:
  • A Journeyman may apply Mutagenics formulae.
  • A Journeyman may not yet invent Mutagenics formulae.

Expert

Expert Alchemists are professionals often in possession of their own workshops. Cooperation with others is certainly not required at this point, though it is often considered wise; having another present makes any Alchemical mishap easier to deal with.

• Khmeia:
  • An Expert Alchemist may discover and use reagents from CR1-4 Fauna and Minerals.
  • An Expert Alchemist may use Mediums.
• Alkatology:
  • An Expert may condense Dust into Slivers, Slivers to Shards, and Shards to Crystals.
  • An Expert may convert Aetherite Dust into other Metaphor Alkahest.
  • An Expert may convert other Metaphor Alkahest Dust into Aetherite.
• Potionmaking:
  • An Expert Alchemist may create potions conferring up to Expert abilities or passives.
• Infusion:
  • An Expert Alchemist may create up to CR4 Alkemicals.

• • They may add up to 3 Infusions when creating Alkemicals.
  • CR4 Infusions cost 27 grams of Dust belonging to the appropriate Metaphor.

• Mutagenics:
  • An Expert may apply Mutagenics formulae.
  • An Expert may not yet invent Mutagenics formulae.

Master

Master Alchemists are capable of creating truly marvelous wonders of Alchemistry.

• Khmeia:
  • A Master Alchemist may discover and use reagents from CR1-5 Fauna and Minerals.
  • A Master Alchemist may use Mediums.
• Alkatology:
  • A Master may condense Dust into Slivers, Slivers to Shards, Shards to Crystals, and Crystals to Spheres.
  • A Master may convert Aetherite Dust into other Metaphor Alkahest.
  • A Master may convert other Metaphor Alkahest Dust into Aetherite.
• Potionmaking:
  • A Master Alchemist may create potions conferring up to Master abilities or passives.
• Infusion:
  • A Master Alchemist may create up to CR5 Alkemicals.

• • They may add up to 4 Infusions when creating Alkemicals.
  • CR5 Infusions cost 81 grams of Dust belonging to the appropriate Metaphor.

• Mutagenics:
  • A Master may apply Mutagenics formulae.
  • A Master may invent new Mutagenics formulae.

Grandmaster

Grandmaster Alchemists operate at the pinnacle of performance, often developing a Dominion of their own catered to optimizing and improving their craft.

• Khmeia:
  • A Grandmaster Alchemist may discover and use reagents from CR1-6 Fauna and Minerals.
  • A Grandmaster Alchemist may use Mediums.
• Alkatology:
  • A Grandmaster may condense Dust into Slivers, Slivers to Shards, Shards to Crystals, Crystals to Spheres, and Spheres to Globes.
  • A Grandmaster may convert Aetherite Dust into other Metaphor Alkahest.
  • A Grandmaster may convert other Metaphor Alkahest Dust into Aetherite.
• Potionmaking:
  • A Grandmaster Alchemist may create potions conferring up to Grandmaster/Ascendant abilities or passives.
• Infusion:
  • A Grandmaster Alchemist may create up to CR6 Alkemicals.

• • They may add up to 6 Infusions when creating Alkemicals.
  • CR6 Infusions cost 243 grams of Dust belonging to the appropriate Metaphor.

• Mutagenics:
  • A Grandmaster may apply Mutagenics formulae.
  • A Grandmaster may invent new Mutagenics formulae.

"It is often said that an Alchemist is an adventurer's best friend; odd jobs posted by Alchemists for various reagents are the underappreciated lifeblood of any competent traveler's income." - Remark overheard between merchants

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