Alchemy

Zeth

New Member
Alchemy is a broad term but usually involves changing one thing into another. In Morrowind Alchemy is crafting potions and posions from raw materials. In Full Metal Alchemist alchemy transforms one object into anothe via magical means. So the question I ask is this. Is Alchemy really a form of magic?
 
Taken from Dictionary.com

al·che·my /ˈælkəmi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[al-kuh-mee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -mies for 2.
1. a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
2. any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.

The first definition is the real-world use of Alchemy. The second is for fantasy type settings.

When I play a game, I usually think of alchemy as the creation of potions. But instead of the alchemist using his own magical power to imbue power into the potion, the alchemist manipulates the latent power in the base materials. For example, wolfsbane is a plant common in werewolf mythologies. An alchemist would probably take wolfsbane and a few other materials and try to create a potion which could cure lycanthropy. However, he would not be able to cast a spell or anything on his own, although I imagine many wizards start out as alchemists before they learn to use their own magical powers.
 
Alchemy 109

Alchemy is a catch-all. It can be both.

Alchemy is a very advanced science/magic, and essentially works on every level of existance/in every elemental form.

The making of potions or transmutation of physical objects into others would be Material Alchemy - in real-world terms, this would have been the mnaking of potions and turning Lead into Gold. Usually not considered to be the most divine form of the art.

Otherwise, Alchemy is essentially the turning of something into something else, of taking something base and solid and ascneding it into something holy. The true process of alchemy was taking a base soul and turning it via the mean into an Enlightened Soul. This process was very detailed and used a -lot- of symbology, including the symbol of turning lead into gold. Such points as Death of the Intellect (or Conciousness) to give rise to the SuperConciousness (True Self) and things of that sort.

The information is out there if you're really curious, but...

It can easily be transferred into a fantasy setting. I'd suggest a splitting of the art of Alchemy into 2 or 4 Subschools for fantasy, one being Material Alchemy, that being the creation of objects and potions and things, and the other either being a catch-all for divine alchemy, perhaps the crafting of one energy into another kind or changing a spirit into some other, more advanced form, or even giving boons to the alchemist in several ways. Real life alchemical lore is a rich pot of info.

Later,
Magus
 
Alchemy is a branch of Transmutation. That encompassases spells like Transmute Flesh to Stone (Which I use, of course) and the like. =)
 
Why don't you just break out actual texts on alchemy, you know it works better, or should I do it myself? Although it will be much posting.
 
If you wanted to document magic systems of Ayenee, the wiki would be best the place to do it.
 
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