esotericas

"Oh!" Exclaimed a gleeful Haeseni Alchemist, upon discovering the pamphlet. "Oh, I must write them at once. We will have the grandest sorts of collaborations, I just know it." She sat down posthaste, and set to penning a note to this 'Cunimund' fellow.

"You know," said an Alchemist, fiddling with a pen. "On one hand, the accusations of a man too afraid to even enter Valdev ought not to be taken very seriously. On the other hand, no man who quotes from scripture so extensively can ever truly be trusted." She looked to one of her taxidermied rabbits, which only stared at her with blank eyes, and did not provide a response. She frowned. "Fair enough. I do like Fabian. Dear Virgil is so..." Her lips pursed. "So unimaginative. Really, he could have made his accusations with much more flair. Probably would have worked better, too." Having decided which side she would take (and she always took sides,) the Alchemist set out to write a letter...

VOL. 5 A RECOUNTED TALE EX OFFICINA ALCHYMISTAE -= ҉ =- ANY ALCHEMIST OF TRUE experimental nature will know and understand what effects the imbibement of varying Alchemical substances may have upon their mind. None whatsoever is so remarkable in its nature as the flower called Ponderlot; I spent years in my youth exploring the subtleties of its effects and recording my memories of the experiences. Many of the journals in which I did this have been lost to age, time, and travel, but the Exodus that brought Mankind to Aevos has caused me to uncover some of them, and I saw fit to form one of these into a readable account. -= ҉ =- I dried the herb underground for three months and then brewed it into a tea, consumed nightly before bed. On one remarkable night, where my notes the following morning were coherent enough to be worth telling, I dreamed I was in a garden. It was the garden of the lord God and the lady Nature, and the garden was the world. In the garden, God sewed the seeds of existence, and watched while Nature watered them, fertilised them, and sheltered them from harm, so they might grow hearty and strong. The garden grew from the wooden slats of an ancient wagon, and as I peered over the wagon’s edge, I saw below me the Ouroboros, the Time-Serpent; it held its own tail in its mouth and so had no ending and no beginning. The garden-wagon rode eternally across the Serpent’s unending back, and with every turn of the wagon’s wheels, seasons passed in the garden of God and Nature. I then turned back to the garden and perceived before me a maiden and a young man at her side. The maiden was clothed in white with the rounded stomach of a mother, though there was a youthful purity and innocence to her pale face, and she wore a crown of willow branches in her golden hair. The young man was of the same youthful age, clad in the worn armour of a soldier and with a sword hanging limp at his side. I saw at once that they were Life and Death. I asked of them, “What is this place?” and Life told me that I had fallen out of the world, and found myself among the heavens. Death concurred, and ushered me to the wagon’s edge once more. Below me, above me, and to all sides, I saw a field of stars in their truest forms; those only available to astronomers, in their multi-colors and differing sizes and shapes. Death told me, “These are all the souls of the world,” and plucked one from its content resting place in the sky. He crushed the star in his palm and it screamed a scream of anguish and terror, before falling silent as it was made to dust. The lady Life then took the dust in her own hand, and pushed it back into the heavens, sewing a new life in the place of the old one. My heart was filled with mourning for the suffering of the star, and of the soul it held. I felt an understanding within me then, and nodded to Life and Death. Life then handed me the crown of willow from atop her head, and Death gave to me his sword. When I asked them of the purpose of their gifts, I was instead approached by the lady Nature, as liaison for the lord God. She took me by the hand and removed me from the cart, leaving me to stand atop the back of the Time-Serpent. “You will know what you must do!” called the lady Nature as the wagon receded over the curve of the Serpent’s back. I placed Life’s crown atop my head and raised Death’s sword at my side. I then began to walk, traversing the great unending road of scales that lay before me, until I came upon a gate of Obsydian stone. This gate I knew by name, and so I called its name and it opened for me. A great pain overtook me, and I knelt within the gate for some time, before gathering myself and carrying on. I eventually came to a gate of white marble, and found its name inscribed on the stones below it. Again, I called its name and the gate swung open. I found I was twinned, and walked both on the inside of the Serpent’s stomach, and on its scaly back. I came to a third gate, etched from ruby stone. The name of this one I found half inscribed on the blade of Death’s sword, and half on the branches of Life’s willow crown. I called this name too, and the third gate allowed my passage. I soon arrived at the head and tail of the Serpent, and I watched as the wagon receded beyond the curve of the Serpent’s back. I removed Life’s crown from my head and raised Death’s sword at my side. The Serpent gazed at me with empty black eyes that reflected all the souls of the cosmos. It spoke to me in an Aetherial voice, though it said no words, and instead conveyed my task to me through emotion alone. I understood it and laid the willow crown on the Serpent’s back. I took the oil from the bark and spread it across the scales to numb the pain, and then drove Death’s sword through the Serpent’s body, breaking it in half. As Time was broken, I was left frozen and unable to move. The Serpent grabbed me in its now-empty mouth and rent me in half as I had done it. As it made to swallow me down its bleeding back half came into my grip and I found myself able to move once more. I grabbed on sharply for fear of falling to my death (though I had long since lost all sense of up or down) and then I heard a sharp bell-like ringing in my ears. I perceived myself to wake up then and instead of finding myself in my own body, I found myself to be the Ouroboros. I was at once greeted with all the knowledge of the universe, with all the sights that the great Serpent called Time sees, but as my feet no longer lay in God’s garden, I was forbidden from ever again touching the world I had left. The wagon rolled over my head–the Serpent’s head–and it was then that I truly awoke, my ears ringing with the rattling of the wheels far above. I was ill throughout the mourning, and of sour temper from my unsteady, unhappy rest. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ SIGNED, Her Ladyship, Court Alchemist of Hanseti-Ruska, Celestial Trustee, His Excellency, FABIAN OTTO KORTREVICH Grand Lord of Hanseti-Ruska Her Royal Majesty, AMAYA MILENA Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣

Alasdair remembers predicting this about twenty years ago, and thanks God that he wasn't the one who inherited the cousin-marriage genes.

SPECIAL EDITION IN SEARCH OF BRIGHT MINDS EX OFFICINA ALCHYMISTAE PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR 489 E.S. -= ҉ =- he roads of Valdev hum with life. As my childrens’ generation comes into their roles ruling over Haense, their progeny take to the streets, filling them with gaiety and laughter; the city is revived from its icy slumber, as is my Office within its Courts. These children are as many and as varied in nature, wit, and character as their parents are. It is no doubt that somewhere within the halls of Canondom’s most populous nation lies the next bright mind; a diamond among the coarse stone of its peers, in need only of refining. he Office of the Alchemist extends an invitation to the youth of Haense to put themselves forward, should they seek this refinement, by means of a wardship under the Alchemist. This wardship bears no promise of Alchemical tutelage, and comes with an expectation of true willingness to work (and work hard) on the part of the ward; both for the Alchemist, and for the sake of the ward’s own growth and development. For this reason, the wardship will be awarded to a deserving youth (or youths), between the ages of five and twelve, that the Alchemist deems to have the most potential. he ward will be trained in scientific study, natural philosophy, Alchemical philosophy, writing, the social sciences, etc. They will work with me as I write for my publication, and be expected to produce high-quality, intelligent writing of their own, alongside other quantifiable measures of their effort and development. or those wishing to volunteer themselves, or wishing to volunteer on behalf of their children, I can be found at the address below: y decision will be subjective and holistic, and parents are advised not to attempt to instruct their child on how to answer questions, converse, etc. It will provide them little aid. – LADY ALCHEMY Preference will be given towards Haeseni children, but the youth of all Canonist nations are welcome to apply, if they wish to. Wardships are not open to constructs, adults, etc. A wardship will not promise future Alchemical training. Age requirements are malleable, and can be adjusted in the case of a particularly remarkable child, but applicants significantly above or below the recommended ages will most likely not be considered. o be good without knowledge is to be weak. To be knowledgeable without goodness is to be a danger. It is only when these faculties are united that we may truly serve Mankind. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ SIGNED, Her Ladyship, Court Alchemist of Hanseti-Ruska, Celestial Trustee, His Excellency, FABIAN OTTO KORTREVICH Grand Lord of Hanseti-Ruska Her Royal Majesty, AMAYA MILENA Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣

Alasdair sat outside the house with his own child, where he could enjoy the sunshine, and the children's screams were only entertaining background noise, and nothing to tear one's hair out over.

VOL. 1 -= ҉ =- I T1, COMMON. [ NON-COMBATIVE ] SYNOPSIS Aesthetic floating stuff potion. BASE 1 measure Aqua Vitae INGREDIENTS 1x Separation 1x AIR: Grace 1x Slowness INSTRUCTIONS 1. Vigorously shake Aqua Vitae, until frothy. 2. Sprinkle in 1x Separation and 1x AIR: Grace. 3. Shake again, and then let liquid settle. 4. Bring liquid to a boil, mix in 1x Slowness. 5. Cover and allow to cool, then paint onto desired objects. DESCRIPTION When painted onto the underside of an object, the Buoyancy Brew will allow the object to float passively in the air. Unless pushed, the object will remain in place indefinitely. If pushed, the object will gracefully drift in the direction pushed, for a distance of up to one block. If repositioned in such a way, the object will again remain in place. Due to the gentle nature of the potion, only objects weighing less than 10 lbs will be able to remain in the air. Objects up to 30 lbs will float for up to three hours, before gently drifting to the ground. This potion will only function when applied to stationary objects, and will do nothing when painted onto any sort of living being. In water, Buoyancy Brew will be twice as strong, aided by the already-buoyant water beneath. This means that treated objects 20 lbs and under will float indefinitely on the surface of the water, objects above 20 lbs will float for three hours, and objects 60 lbs and above will sink. REDLINES 1] Strictly non-combative. Objects treated with Buoyancy Brew will fall to the ground upon entering combat. When combat ends, the potion will work again, but the objects must be returned to their places. 2] Nothing treated with Buoyancy Brew will be capable of harming people, objects, or anything else. No throwing things at walls, pushing floating things in the way of people, etc. 3] Objects over 30 lbs will not float at all. Objects 10-30 lbs will float for three RP hours, or the length of an RP encounter, to the player’s discretion. Objects under 10 lbs will float indefinitely. The same goes for the corresponding weights in water. 4] Objects may float at any height, so long as the player is capable of reaching that height to place them. 5] Buoyancy Brew does not make objects follow the Alchemist. They remain in place unless moved. 6] One measure of Buoyancy Brew is enough to treat one surface of an object, 1 block x 1 block in size. The height of the object does not matter, as long as it fits within weight requirements. 7] No ST signature required. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ II T2, COMMON. [ NON-COMBATIVE ] SYNOPSIS Glow-Ink but with options. Lots of options. Maybe too many? BASE 1 measure Glow-Ink & ½ measure Aqua Vitae or 1 measure Nightglow & 1 measure Aqua Vitae INGREDIENTS 3x Life 2x Endurance 2x AETHER: Vigour OPTIONAL 1 measure dye 1x Dark 1-8x Endurance INSTRUCTIONS 1a. For Nightglow base, mash 1 measure Nightglow petals into paste. Boil 1 measure Aqua Vitae. Add paste into Aqua Vitae, let sit for 10 minutes. Strain paste out, and use resulting fluid as liquid base. 1b. For Glow-Ink base, mix ½ measure Aqua Vitae into 1 measure Glow-Ink, use as liquid base. 2. Heat liquid base to low simmer, not quite a boil. 3. Remove from heat and mix in 3x Life and 2x Endurance. Cover and let cool completely. 4. After cooled, sprinkle in 2x AETHER: Vigour. 5. [ Optional ] In any order, while cool: Add 1 measure of dye to change colour. Add 1x Dark to make the ink glow in light and dark. Add 1x Endurance to add 1 year of life, can be done up to 8 times while brewing. 6. Re-heat potion to low simmer before use. DESCRIPTION Taking advantage of the unique nocturnal luminescence of the Nightglow flower, this potion produces an ink specially designed to be used on flesh, although it is also capable of functioning as a normal ink. The base recipe will glow at night or in the dark for 2 years, before fading to a dull blue ink. If dye is added, it will glow and fade to the colour of the dye, excluding black, where it will instead glow a deep violet. In its standard form, Nite-Brite Ink is invisible during the daytime or in bright light. If Dark Symbols are added, the tattoo will glow in both the light and in the dark. (If made with Glow-Ink, the Dark Symbols are not required, and the ink will glow regardless of light levels.) Endurance Symbols may be added during the latter brewing process to increase the lifespan of the ink, up to a total length of 10 years, with one Symbol adding one year. Should the user wish to extend this lifespan further, they can inject Endurance Symbols directly into the inked body part, to the same effect. This will extend the ink’s glow indefinitely. One bottle of Nite-Brite Ink provides enough ink to tattoo ONE body part out of the following: Head Torso Left or right arm Left or right leg Injection of extra Endurance Symbols only applies to one single body part, and must be performed for each individual one. VARIANT: INVISIBLE INK If the user chooses to dilute the Nite-Brite solution with one measure of Aqua Vitae, and use it to write, the Nite-Brite Ink will slowly degrade over time. Once the ink has dried, it will last two OOC days. After the first day, the ink will only glow in complete darkness. After the second, the ink will be completely invisible, as if it was never there in the first place. OOC time of writing must be specified on letters written with Invisible Ink. REDLINES 1] Glowing tattoos will never provide enough light to see by. 2] The light from glowing tattoos can be entirely masked by a single layer of fabric, though at the player’s discretion, a faint glow may show around the edges. 3] Nite-Brite ink, when not treated with the extra Dark Symbol, will be completely invisible in daylight or bright light. When the glow fades, however, it will become visible again and appear like normal ink. 4] Nite-Brite Ink can be used in both Magical and Mundane tattooing, to the same effect. It is not Magical in itself. 5] One bottle of Nite-Brite Ink is enough to tattoo one portion of an MC skin, as listed above, regardless of tattoo size. Multiple separate tattoos can be made on the same body part, using the same bottle of ink, if they are performed within the same RP encounter. If they occur during different encounters, they must be performed using multiple bottles of ink. 6] Nite-Brite Ink will not show up when inked underneath fur or hair, and can not be used on non-flesh body parts. 7] It may be used as a dye on cloth, fur, hair, etc., where it will function the same as usual. One bottle of Nite-Brite Ink is enough to dye one garment or object, or one limb’s worth or hair or fur. Endurance Symbols can be added after brewing, but they can not be injected once the object has been dyed. When its allotted time runs out, the object must be re-dyed. 8] The Invisible Ink variant will still glow in the dark, and be invisible in the light. All items created with this variant must specify their date of creation and date of expiration. 9] No ST signature required. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ III T2, COMMON. [ COMBATIVE & NON-COMBATIVE ] SYNOPSIS Exactly what it says on the tin. Potion for looking at stars, and potion for looking at nothing. BASE 1 measure peppermint tea INGREDIENTS 2x Dark 1x Clarity 2x Connection 1x Reduction 1 measure honey OPTIONAL 2x Blindness INSTRUCTIONS 1. Brew tea according to preference. Keep at a boil throughout the potion-brewing process. 2. Sprinkle in 2x Dark, mix thoroughly. 3. Mix together 1x Clarity and 1 measure honey in a separate container, then slowly pour into tea. Do not stir. 4. Add 2x Connection and 1x Reduction. Stir thoroughly, until the potion becomes a murky purple-black. Serve hot. 5. [ Optional ] For Total Darkness variant, allow potion to cool and then sprinkle in 2x Blindness. DESCRIPTION A simple brew, designed to carefully alter the drinker’s vision. When consumed, Stargazer darkens the drinker’s vision considerably, and specifically dulls extremely bright lights down to a dull glow. This allows the drinker to see the world as if during nighttime, even with the sun high in the sky. When under the influence of this potion, the drinker will be able to view the heavens in intense detail, as if during the clearest night. Any harsh, bright lights will not bother their eyes, and they will be capable of looking straight into the sun without fear of damage. This does not, unfortunately, protect them from the damage of bright flashes of light, however, and the drinker will still be stunned by any light that would normally stun them. The peppermint base of the potion, designed for taste, often leaves the drinker feeling physically slowed or sleepy, although still mentally sharp. Stargazer can be treated onto transparent materials, allowing a user to look through them and see the world with the same effect as above, without suffering the physical lethargy. This can be used to create ultra-powerful telescopes, sunglasses, or for aesthetic decoration. Notably, drinkers of this potion will be able to see more stars than usual, and occasionally see them in places they do not exist. Objects treated with Stargazer will be the same, and will appear almost akin to a portal to the cosmos - solid black and speckled with stars - when viewed from a distance. VARIANT: TOTAL DARKNESS [ ST - SIGN ] The standard base form of Stargazer bears no effect in combat, save for lowered visibility due to the darkness of their vision. If the brewer adds in two Blindness Symbols after the potion cools, however, the potion will now completely blind the drinker. Their vision will begin to dim on the first emote after drinking, leaving them with a visibility of 4 blocks in every direction. By the second emote after drinking, the drinker will be completely blind, and unable to see anything at all. They are then immune to the stunning effects of any flashing light, or any sort of visual illusions or hallucinations. The blindness lasts for two emotes after this, and then the drinker’s vision will return, making the potion last four emotes in total. This blindness does not grant the drinker any sort of supernatural senses of hearing, smell or otherwise. Unless they are trained in fighting blind, or have already-heightened senses, they will likely be unable to track the movements of others. Stargazer and its Total Darkness variant can be cooked into food, hidden in other drinks, or otherwise disguised, but a distinct flavour of peppermint will persist regardless. In the Total Darkness variant it will taste bitter, enough to make the eyes water, turned sour by the extra Blindness Symbols. Both potions can also be consumed via injection, which bypasses the potion’s flavour. The potions can not be administered long-range, or simply through skin contact. The entirety of each brew must be consumed for it to have any effect at all. Otherwise it does nothing. REDLINES 1] Stargazer and the Total Darkness variant can be applied to others without OOC consent. Potion items must specify which variant they contain. 2] Total Darkness, when treated onto objects, will function the same as normal Stargazer. 3] When fully blinded by Total Darkness, the drinker will also feel a vague sense of restfulness. This will encourage them against fighting, but can be mentally bypassed by any who choose to. This lethargy does not affect their combat capabilities. 4] Drinkers of Stargazer will still be affected by the usual stunning effects of any flashing lights, regardless of source. Stargazer does not lessen these effects whatsoever. 5] Learning Stargazer or Total Blindness grants the Alchemist access to both recipes. 6] Total Blindness surpasses all means of sight, Magical and Mundane, but has no effect on extra senses adjacent to sight, like those of Seers. It does effect things like sight-related Alchemical potions, vivification, etc. 7] Stargazer does not require ST signature. Total Darkness does. -= ҉ =-

VOL. 4 ARS FRAGMENTI EX OFFICINA ALCHYMISTAE BEING, BY NATURE OF ITS NAME AND ITS WRITING, A PROPOSAL FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLS AND THEIR NATURES, AND SELECTION OF ADVICE AND OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE INVENTION OF NEW POTIONS. -= ҉ =- “TO GRASP THE INVISIBLE ELEMENTS; TO ATTRACT THEM BY THEIR MATERIAL CORRESPONDENCES; TO CONTROL, PURIFY, AND TRANSFORM THEM BY THE LIVING POWER OF THE SPIRIT – THIS IS TRUE ALCHEMY.” he Symbols of Alchemy are perhaps the most poorly understood element of the Alchemical process, despite being the inherent first step in all Alchemical creation. Indeed, the great struggle of Alchemy is not struggling to puzzle out esoteric recipes, ancient texts, or philosophical ramblings. Most frequently, it is the sheer drudgery of learning by rote the names and natures of each of the thirty-eight known Symbols. This learning leaves a budding Alchemist with a myriad of unanswerable questions: What in the world is the difference between Coldness and Freezing? How do I know which Symbols to use in my potion? How do I avoid accidentally burning my eyebrows off? ll these were queries that came to my own mind during my Alchemical education, and they were questions that never received proper answers. In a chaotic, obtuse, and abstract art, the Symbols seemed the least logical of all. As I begin the education of another set of students, and witness their confusion, I am once more reminded that the Symbols are just that–chaotic, obtuse, and abstract. I intend here to organise them, in hopes of providing an angle from which Alchemists may consider them. I by no means imply that this method of organisation is somehow Truth; only that it is an attempt to make sense of the truly, fundamentally nonsensical. [!] READERS LACKING IN ALCHEMICAL SKILL WOULD FIND THE MAJORITY OF THE MISSIVE TO BE DIFFICULT TO GRASP, WITHOUT THE HONED MIND OF AN ALCHEMIST. THIS DOCUMENT CAN NOT BE USED TO IMPART ALCHEMICAL KNOWLEDGE ONTO CHARACTERS WITHOUT AN [F.A.] I f we are to categorise the un-categoriseable, we must first determine the categories into which we are sorting things. In the context of the Symbols, we will make use of one category pertaining to the outer nature of the Symbol-Pair (henceforth referred to as a ‘Pair’), and one category pertaining to the inner nature of the Pair. For the sake of clarity however, we will begin by establishing a list of the 19 known Pairs. They are as follows: 1) SUN AND MOON he first category, the external, describes whether the effect of the Pair is active or passive. These have been ascribed to the Sun and the Moon respectively, honouring their differing roles in the lives of Man. Sun-aligned Pairs can be associated with masculine energies, active effects, and the metals Gold, representing power and wealth, and Iron, representing strength and tenacity. Moon-aligned Pairs are associated with feminine energies, passive effects, and the metals Silver, representing intuition and wisdom, and Copper, representing desire and prosperity. There are also three Pairs that fall between, beyond, or outside of this first category, due to their all-encompassing natures. These Pairs are associated with the Stars, though their broad natures leads to little definite meaning to ascribe to this category. The ☉Sun-aligned Pairs are: Balance–Instability Burning–Freezing Connection–Separation Courage–Fear Endurance–Curtailment Peace–Rage Strength–Weakness Swiftness–Slowness The ☽ Moon-aligned Pairs are: Agility–Impediment Clarity–Blindness Grace–Rigidity Growth–Reduction Heat–Coldness Purity–Poison Sound–Silence Vigour–Lethargy 2) EMOTIONAL AND MATERIAL he second category, the internal, determines whether the Pair acts on the Emotional Sphere or the Material Sphere.1 This stands largely as guidance for the Alchemist in the creation of a potion, and bears minimal symbolism or meaning of its own. For example, an Alchemist wishing to halt movement may use the Material Slowness or Curtailment, but an Alchemist wishing to halt thought may use the Emotional Blindness or Silence. These distinctions are imperfect, however, and should not be taken as absolute, concrete fact. Above all, it is the Alchemist’s intentions that determine what her inventions achieve, not the materials she puts into them. The Emotional Pairs are: Balance–Instability Clarity–Blindness Connection–Separation Courage–Fear Heat–Coldness Peace–Rage Purity–Poison Sound–Silence The Material Pairs are: Agility–Impediment Burning–Freezing Endurance–Curtailment Grace–Rigidity Growth–Reduction Strength–Weakness Swiftness–Slowness Vigour–Lethargy 1] See FTO vol. 2 for a full explanation of the Spheres. 3) TRIA PRIMA he three Pairs not listed here are the same as the ♃ Star-aligned Pairs described above, those being: Life–Death Light–Dark Order–Chaos hese Pairs are too broad in nature to fall under any specific category. Although Order–Chaos may be considered Emotional, and Light–Dark Material, Life–Death is all-encompassing. These three Symbols are tied to the Tria Prima, a set of substances once believed by ancient Alchemists to be the materials with which the Creator formed the world. The Tria Prima, and their associated Pairs, encapsulate the following: 🜔 Salt | Light–Dark The essence of all things. Purification, crystallisation. The body; physicality, flesh. The Material. 🜍 Sulphur | Order–Chaos Consciousness, thought. The soul, the spirit of life. Evaporation, dissolution. The Emotional. ☿ Cinnabar | Life–Death Also called Mercury. Change in state; between solid and liquid, between life and death, between body and soul. The spirit of the Alchemist. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ II his information, while perhaps helpful on its own, is intended to be put to use in the invention of new Alchemical brews. As such, I feel that I ought to elaborate on my own experience attempting to invent recipes, and how this organisation of the Symbols might aid the process. RECIPE CREATION n my own experience with Alchemy, the first Symbol added to a potion most often describes the general intended purpose or effect, which is then clarified by the later Symbols. The Alchemist ought to consider whether her desired effect is Emotional or Material, and then select her starting Symbol based on that, clarifying the specifics of the effects with the later additions. On top of this, intention is central to Alchemical creation. Throwing Symbols together with no planning beforehand will almost always end in failure. The wise Alchemist decides and writes her recipe before beginning, even if she does not fully comprehend what its effects will be. POTION FAILURE he time will come in every inventive Alchemist’s life when she makes some colossal mistake, and her genius new brew explodes in her face, or turns to sludge before her eyes. In my own experience, the exact nature of the failure depends on the primary Symbol, and it generally aligns with the categories laid out in the beginning of this missive. Emotional-Sun brews seem to escalate the brewer’s emotions to excessive heights, often to the point of tears, hysteria, or other similar outbursts. Alongside this, or perhaps as a side effect, the brewer is often greeted with great bouts of nausea or stomach pains, as the brew turns to a vapour and poisons the air of the room. Emotional-Moon brews often congeal into a paste or lump at the bottom of their container. Although it at first seems harmless, the sludge will re-liquify, and fill the room with yet more noxious fumes, occasionally causing the brewer to spontaneously fall unconscious hours after completion. Material-Sun brews, to put it simply, explode. Though they do not explode to such a degree as a failed Blasting Potion, these brews still pack enough force and heat to cause significant damage to laboratory equipment. Beware flying shrapnel, and wear eye protection. Material-Moon brews become highly corrosive, often bubbling over the rim of their intended container, or eating through it entirely. These, too, are highly destructive, and can destroy a fortune’s work of equipment, furniture, or mahogany floors. Tria Prima brews, from what I have seen, simply evaporate, leaving no trace and no observable side effects. CLOSING THOUGHTS t is my hope that this information aids budding Alchemists in their studies, and helps to inform potential inventors. I do not intend this to be taken as Truth, as stated in the beginning. Instead I hope that it will provide a new perspective, and potentially useful information, that will encourage debate and conversation, as well as invention. o be good without knowledge is to be weak. To be knowledgeable without goodness is to be a danger. It is only when these faculties are united that we may truly serve Mankind. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ SIGNED, Her Ladyship, Court Alchemist of Hanseti-Ruska, Celestial Trustee, His Excellency, FABIAN OTTO KORTREVICH Grand Lord of Hanseti-Ruska Her Royal Majesty, AMAYA MILENA Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣

Manon Yvaine is a hauchmamej??!??!?!?! ( Galina waits patiently to be born )

Alasdair cradled his infant son, utterly enamored with the odd child. Ramsay bore little resemblance to his father, save for a pair of large, ocean-blue eyes. The third generation of such, in fact...

TAVERN AND INN FOUNDED 482 E.S. “And I have given unto you the wine of sacrament, and the wine of merriment, and I have promised you the world and the Skies.” –Canticle of Temperance, 3:6 --==+==-- [ TEAS & JUICES ] [ 2 MINA ] The Bard n' Bottle keeps a rotating store of house teablends; including traditional black, herbal, and spiced varieties, with the samovars ever-changing. Ask at the bar for your preference, and with or without honey. [ 2 MINA ] A fruit drink preserved from ripe-picked orchard-fruits; apples, oranges, rhubarb and peaches making for a tart, rounded flavor, sweet and sharp on the tongue and tasting as if fresh. Cuts of fruit are left in the bottom of each serving, to be eaten with a spoon if desired. [ 3 MINA ] “Hot honey” or “sun-drink;” honey, stirred with hot water until like tea, well-spiced and sometimes with a small jar of fruit preserves for mix-in. A recommended choice for those seeking to fend off the creeping cold of the North, as its sweetened warmth courses through core and heart alike. [ 3 MINA ] Coffee, a relatively new import to the Dual Kingdoms, is nonetheless a common request among the industrious folk of Valdev. The Bard n’ Bottle prepares it somewhat like the more familiar tea: finely grounding the beans along with a handful of spices and bringing them to a thick foam, just shy of a boil. It is then served black unless the patron requests otherwise. [ HOUSE BREWS ] [ 3 MINA ] A mead which pours a deep, deceptive wine red. Brewed with juice from wildberries, namely strawberry and raspberry, this honeywine is both tart though of course sweet, with a light, even flavor. Served at the Bard n' Bottle chilled, by the bottle, with a bordeaux glass. [ 2 MINA ] A dark ale, its scent lightly peaty, like damp earth; but its flavor a rich, deep malt, sweet like caramel, warm and toasted on the palette. This particular ale is made with an elaborate extraction process to intensify the sugars of its base grains. Pours a clear umber, with a full, cream collar of foam. Served at the Bard n' Bottle by the flagon. [ 2 MINA ] A light ale with a similarly light taste; with a dry, clear taste, remarkably crisp. It has a slight grainy flavor at its finish, with a slightly citrusy final note; not quite lemon, not quite orange. Refreshing, and accordingly best had ice-cold. Pours a clear yellow-gold, with a low, white collar of foam. Served at the Bard n' Bottle by the flagon. [ 3 MINA ] A black-glass bottle, mottled with bronze gilt, harboring the most traditional of Haeseni drinks: Carrion Black. This potent, historical booze goes down smooth on the tongue with a burn in the throat, and a course of warmth fit to fend off the fiercest Northern winter. [ 3 MINA ] A deeply herbal liquor; its base of wormwood, distilled until potent, then distilled again in copper, bottled in an emerald glass. This particular brew has notes of minty, floral hyssop upon the nose; then, a deeper bite of the licoricey anise and grassy fennel. Best served as a drip; or poured, then with water dripped over a sugarcube, which if done correctly will both sweeten the liquor and turn it a pleasant, opalescent mint green. [ 3 MINA ] A deep amber bottle, swirled with cast, cresting waves in the glass. Aged in an oak cask, this rum pours as a deep gold, richly spiced with imported cinnamon and allspice, a citrusy twist of fresh, sweet orange, and a deep finishing note of true vanilla. Best served to the patron’s preference; be it neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. A rum as aged and flavored as this rarely needs a mixer, though the Bard & Bottle often serves it with a candied curl of orange peel. [ 3 MINA ] A clear glass bottle, its contents a cheerful amber wheat-whiskey. With a more delicate spice-blend and deeper notes of rich vanilla and fresh citrus, this classic Ayrikiv brew is as flavorful as it is potent. It goes down smooth, though, with only a slow-lingering burn down the throat and a lingering kiss of sweetness on the back of the tongue. Best served to the patron’s preference; be it neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. Sometimes served at the Bard n' Bottle in a smash; with lemon, mint leaves, and simple syrup. --==+==-- --==+==-- [ APPETIZERS ] [ 3 MINA ] A house-made croissant, fluffy and golden brown, served with a brie spread and sour cherry-cinnamon preserves. A nicely composed balance of light; rich; creamy and tart, perhaps as a morning starter or a midday pick-me-up. [ 3 MINA ] A house-made croissant, fluffy and golden-brown, served with a crumbly goats’ cheese blended with fresh chervil, dill, and parsley for a fresh, savory spread. Well-suited for an afternoon bite or later day snacking. [ 3 MINA ] Shred cabbage; carrot; sweet apple; and red onion with a creamy dressing and fresh dill makes for a distinct salad native to many home gardens of Hanseti-Ruska. Crisp and light; sometimes topped with a sliced, hardboiled egg. [ SOUPS & STEWS ] [ 6 MINA ] A traditional, hearty stew of roast onions; leeks; potatoes; carrots; and, of course, distinctive red beets. This particular recipe is a deep red, swirled with lighter orange, seasoned to a savory depth and topped with a scoop of sour cream and fresh-cut dill. Served with a roll on the side. [ 3 MINA ] An ever-bubbling stew, its heart of game meat and vegetable scraps, kept perpetually boiling and restored throughout each day in the Bard n' Bottle Kitchens. The result is a filling concoction; unpredictable in flavor, but reliable in nourishment. Served with a roll on the side. [ MAIN DISHES ] [ 6 MINA ] Hand-pies, stuffed with potatoes, onions, cabbage and shred beef-roast; shining with a butter glaze, and generously seasoned for a spice to warm the body. An ideal walkabout meal while perusing the shops and sights of Valdev. [ 6 MINA ] River trout caught fresh from the icy waters surrounding Valdev; rubbed with salt and garlic, fried in hot oil until the skin is crispy; sprinkled with garden-fresh parsley and, at last, topped with a slice of lemon. Served with potato pancakes, also fried until golden brown, and grilled leeks in a cream sauce. [ 6 MINA ] Chicken, spiced and slow-roasted with baby onions and whole garlic cloves; then finished by searing in a pan with housebrew cider and sauteed apples, with a full pad of butter added to make for a rich, creamy sauce. Served with oven-roasted rosemary potatoes and grilled leeks. [ SWEETS ] [ 3 MINA ] A particular trick of pastry; a hollow sponge-cake, filled with a tart wildberry jam and served with a dollop of sweet cream. [ 3 MINA ] Seven layers of thin puff pastry make this little personal cake, sandwiching a sweet filling of honey and sour cream in this little cake; encrusted with a caramel crumble, rich and smooth on the tongue. [ 3 MINA ] Imported chocolate melted in milk, served with a hearty dollop of whipped cream, topped with marshmallows - little puffs of sugar derived from the mallow root-sap - and sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon.

While unpacking old trunks filled with treasures, Manon Yvaine came upon a set of jewelry, gifted at a previous Godunov marriage, some decades before. Smiling fondly at the sight of her old handiwork, Manon set the items aside. House Godunov needed, she felt, some relics of its own.

Alasdair Baruch, son of his father and bearer of his sins, stood at the seaside. He had not heard the news of the King's leaving until it was too late, and so he stood and watched the waves, imagining he might see the ship on the horizon. "I loved him," Georg had said, when a teenaged Alasdair had asked of his father. "I loved him more than anything." There was a piece of his father still lodged in Alasdair, something his mother, his uncles, they all saw, and they all hated. It was the piece of him that spoke to fish, that had odd, ocean-blue eyes, that could not be too far from the water, for fear it would kill him. When Alasdair first heard the news, that piece of his father had cried out inside him. It was not Alasdair's own mourning, at the loss of the strange, enigmatic King, but his father's joy. What was left of the man, anyways. That piece of him, it drew itself out of Alasdair's soul. It dragged him to the ocean, to the shores of Aevos, where he himself had never set foot and yet where Alasdair crumpled to the ground, and wept. Finally, Valdemar could rest. Finally, they would be reunited. -=+=- It was some time before Manon Yvaine allowed herself to think on the matter. Georgie–he'd been Georgie for fifty years now, as she explained to every face that gawked at the nickname–had had a good run of it, she thought. Privately, Manon hoped he would find what he was looking for. Who he was looking for. "It's like love is a lantern," Val had explained to her. "And it shines on people. But mine- mine only shines on him." Twenty years before that hushed, tear-filled conversation, Manon had made her first friend in Haense. A dark-haired boy who introduced himself as Georg, who liked her doll, and who gave her a gold coin. They'd met during an execution, and Georgie had picked the thing up after the Auctioneer passed, and offered it to Manon. She wondered if he wasn't the reason she'd stayed. At least at first. "The princes, they were like brothers to me," Manon had explained once. To whom was lost to time and memory and more important things. She had sat with him on her unmade bed, while Georgie confessed he did not love the girl who loved him. She told him to be true to himself, and honest as he could rightly be. Even then, she'd had an inkling. "We," Georgie had declared, just that evening, "Are family in the spirit of the mind." Manon had laughed, and agreed. She wondered now if he knew he would be leaving. She hoped that the seas would be kind to him.

Not even yet a twinkle in her parents' eyes, Galina Georgina Godunov already seethes at the newborn Barbanov's theft of her beloved middle name.

"Holy shite," said Alasdair, Roslin's dear baby brother. "She's finally marryin." He noted down the date, sure to be there to support his sister.

"It is," The Alchemist mused, "The pursuit of transcendence that drives our growth. I did write an entire paper on it. Though-" She set down the letter, and slipped out of her humble apartment. "I really ought to get him to write for me. Two minds are always better than one, especially such a bright one." She strode down the street, and then underground, to the home of the letter's author. "Friend, dear-" The Alchemist called from outside his door. @Wholesome_Thomas "I do understand that the written word is a superior medium to the spoken one, but I'm a very short walk away. Perhaps come for tea some time, and we'll chat?"

VOL. 3 AZOTH, ALKAHEST, AND PANACEA: THE GREAT WORKS OF ALCHEMY. EX OFFICINA ALCHYMISTAE BEING, BY NATURE OF ITS NAME AND ITS WRITING, AN EXPLORATION OF THE MAGNI OPI: THE AZOTH, AND ITS COMPONENTS, THE ALKAHEST AND PANACEA, THEIR NATURES, WHAT THEY REPRESENT, AND HOW THOSE THINGS MIGHT BE INTERPRETED. -= ҉ =- INTRODUCTION: THE CONCEPT OF THE MAGNUM OPUS lchemy, at its most fundamental, is the process of pure transformation. The Alchemist takes her Material reagents, breaks them down to their simplest Emotional parts, and then reforms those parts into an entirely new Material creation.1 This is the cycle the Alchemist operates in; she neither creates, nor destroys. The inherent value of her creations does not appear out of the Æther, it comes in her intelligent shaping of her raw materials. Towards what end, then? Many Alchemists work for money, they produce weaponry for militaries: oils, explosives, treatments for gear. Many others produce Alchemical works in order to heal, or protect. These Alchemists are productive Alchemists. Their works are made to be used, and to serve functional purposes. But alongside them operate creative Alchemists, who pursue a different goal: invention for the sake of invention. lchemy was once an art with a single, coherent purpose: for the Alchemist to create her Magnum Opus.2 As with much of Alchemy, the Magnum Opus is a conceptual work, not a physical one. There is no one object or brew that is the Magnum Opus. Instead the goal is simply this: to use Alchemy to become Divine.3 Fundamentally, to achieve the Magnum Opus, an Alchemist must somehow use Alchemy to create value, instead of simply transforming one thing to another. This is, of course, entirely contradictory to the transformative nature of Alchemy, but it is in that contradiction that the Magnum Opus obtains its mystique and desirability. Although the Magnum Opus has no concrete nature and its meaning is entirely dependent on the views of its creator, the traditional Magnum Opus takes the form of the Azoth;4 the metaphorical summation of the journey the Alchemist went through in order to create it. How this Emotional concept manifests itself, should an Alchemist ever create her own Magnum Opus, will of course be entirely dependent on the Alchemist herself, and on the transformations enacted, both on her and on her creation. Traditionally, the Azoth is formed by combining two other Magni Opi; the Alkahest, the universal solvent, and the Panacea, the universal cure. 1] For a full explanation of the three Spheres and their purposes, see From The Office vol. 2, ‘A Foray Into Alchemical Philosophy.’ 2] Flexio, meaning Great Work. 3] Divine in the sense of transcending the Emotional or Material Spheres, not regarding any relation to God or other extra-real entities. See From The Office vol. 2, ‘A Foray Into Alchemical Philosophy.’ 4] Azoth as a name for the Magnum Opus may initially appear confusing: why assign a second name, when it is already called the Magnum Opus? Simply put, the Azoth is the product of achieving the Magnum Opus. It is a symbol of that achievement, akin to a trophy given for winning a competition, although obviously of significantly greater importance. Alongside that, any one may refer to any creation as a Magnum Opus, Alchemist or not. It is not a term that refers only to Alchemical creation. Azoth is thus used exclusively as an Alchemical term, for the sake of clarity and specificity. I he Alkahest is the first half of the Azoth, and thus the first step in the project of its creation. In the literal sense, it is the universal solvent, a fluid capable of dissolving anything it touches into its base components, without any change occurring to the fluid itself. In the case of, say, metal alloys, the material would simply separate into its component base elements. In the case of something like an Alchemical reagent, however, the reagent would be instantly broken down into its component Symbols. In this sense, the Alkahest is representative of the Alchemical process of Extraction.1 It is here that the impossibility of the Alkahest as a Material creation becomes obvious. Fundamental to Alchemy are the laws of Science,2 and in this case, the First Law of Thermodynamics, which states that the total energy in a system remains constant, although it may be converted from one form to another.3 The process of Extraction–and of non-Alchemical dissolution of matter, of course–requires energy, and produces waste. Physical energy is input in the breaking down of reagents, alongside the application of heat and inclusion of ingredients such as Aqua Vitae, salt, and distilled water, to name a few. Herein lies the impossible, creative nature of the Alkahest. (Not, of course, creative in the conventional sense, but in the sense of relating to creation.) To enact change without producing waste or consuming energy is scientifically impossible. f course, Alchemy as an art works almost entirely in symbolism, metaphor, and allegory. The Alkahest should not be examined as an actual solvent then, but as a benchmark of progress that the Alchemist must reach, as she strives towards her personal Magnum Opus. It is a step in the Alchemist’s journey to personal transcendence; to self-actualization, achieving her fate. From this perspective, the Alkahest is an achievement of disassembling, of separating; perhaps the good from the bad, the useful from the useless, or simply of separating different things from one another. Alongside separation, the Alkahest represents a preparation, a gathering of resources, maybe, or of wits. Collection. It seems on the surface a destructive act, but it is only destructive in that it is separative. Now, as evidenced by its creative nature, a true Alkahest is impossible to achieve; that is what makes it an aspect of the Magnum Opus. However it is in the attempt to separate without waste that the Alchemist approaches the Magnum Opus; and that is a Great Work in itself. 1] If the Alkahest is interpreted as a literal creation, how might it deal with elementally aligned reagents? Does it ignore elementality? Does it always Extract the reagents with their corresponding element? What about the reagents that are aligned with two elements? How could a fluid be intelligent enough to judge? 2] The laws of Science only affect denizens of the Material and Emotional Spheres, and thus do not apply to such things as Aengudaemons, Voidal magics/entities, or God. 3] Often simply referred to as ‘conservation of energy.’ Stated in full here for clarity. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ II here the Alkahest is the universal solvent, the Panacea is the universal cure; a second miraculous fluid, rumoured throughout Alchemical history to be capable of curing disease, healing wounds, and even granting the drinker immortality.1 The Panacea and the Alkahest are in many ways opposites; where the Alkahest disassembles, the Panacea re-forms. Similarly, the Panacea is equally impossible. Just as there is no scientific way for an Alchemist to perform Extraction without using energy or producing waste, there is no scientific way for injuries to be healed without consuming energy either from the body, or from an external source.2 Transparently, the Alkahest and the Panacea are not direct opposites: they serve inverse functions, but in entirely differing contexts. That said, the Panacea might well be applied in a similar context. Just as the Alkahest corresponds to the Alchemical process of Extraction, the Panacea can be connected to the latter half of Alchemical work: the act of Recombination, wherein the Alchemist assembles her creation with the raw materials she obtained during Extraction. Alkahest separates, Panacea reforms. n this way, the allegorical, symbolic meaning of the Panacea can be found. It is the second step in the Alchemist’s journey towards her own personal transcendence, wherein she takes the rubble left behind from the destructive Alkahest, and reforms the pieces into something new, and something superior to what was before. It could be said to be harder to achieve; self-destruction is easy, self-healing less so. It is a process of creation, of assembly; of looking at one’s raw materials and deciding what one will do with them. Some might claim that the Panacea is somehow more moral that the Alkahest, that desiring to reassemble is superior to desiring to disassemble, but just as the Alkahest is the first step, and the Panacea the second, there can be no healing without destruction first. The Alchemist can not achieve her Magnum Opus, her transcendence, without first breaking herself, and then forming herself into something new. 1] Some tales of the Panacea name it as a solid object instead, and call it the ‘Philosopher’s Stone.’ These have been dismissed due to their lack of explanation for how a stone might be able to cure injury, whereas a fluid like the Panacea could simply be imbibed. 2] In this case, this applies to Divine magics as well as Material or Emotional methods of healing. All power must come from somewhere, and magic is no exception. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ III inally, we come to the Azoth; the Magnum Opus itself. So far, the precise nature of the Azoth has been left vague; this is simply because the nature of the Azoth is vague. In the way of most Alchemists, knowledge is valued high above any other currency, and it is not uncommon for Alchemists to obscure truths, in order to protect their information. In this case, I believe the truth was obscured in order to avoid the possibility of Alchemists trying to pursue the literal Azoth, which puts them at risk of falling to the temptation of false life, of confusing productive self-focus with selfishness; because the few definitions for it that I have found have been unsatisfying; and due to the fact that whatever the Azoth is will depend on the transformations that are enacted in the previous steps, and on the Alchemist herself. That said, I will present my own concept of it, since the historical one lacks any real coherency. he Azoth is birth, or re-birth. Through the harrowing processes of the Alkahest and the Panacea, the Alchemist enacts great change on herself, and on her creation. The Azoth is the final result; the new soul, cleaned of imperfections and superior to the previous one. The Azoth may be the creation of true new life, without the taint of parental influence that comes with birth;2 the direct creation of a new soul. Alternatively, it may be the purification of the Alchemist’s soul to the point of unrecognizability. It is the final step that must be surmounted for the Alchemist to obtain her transcendence, and thus it is entirely impossible—just as creating new souls is impossible. The created soul of the Azoth is beyond Mankind’s natural state of mortality, freed from the separations of race or creed.1 It is the pursuit of the impossibility of this Magnum Opus, this pure Divine creation, that leads the Alchemist to personal change, and growth for the better. 1] Mankind used here to mean Descendantkind. We are all children of the four brothers of Man. 2] When a child is created by the natural means, their soul is created by taking pieces from those of their parents. It is not ‘pure’ in the sense that it is not entirely new. CLOSING THOUGHTS s stated a multitude of times throughout this article, the Azoth and its components should never be interpreted in the literal; this description is no invitation to destroy, to pursue Divine magics, or to attempt to create life outside of the usual means. Instead, it is intended to act as encouragement to pursue growth, reinvention, and discovery. The Alchemical in and of itself invites the soul to transform—for the descendant to climb beyond their greatest potential. o be good without knowledge is to be weak. To be knowledgeable without goodness is to be a danger. It is only when these faculties are united that we may truly serve Mankind. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ SIGNED, Her Ladyship, Court Alchemist of Hanseti-Ruska, Celestial Trustee, His Excellency, FABIAN OTTO KORTREVICH Grand Lord of Hanseti-Ruska WITH WRITING ASSISTANCE FROM, Her Ladyship, ALEKSANDRA MILENA VAS RUTHERN Assistant to the Court Alchemist of Hanseti-Ruska, ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣

The Alchemist smoothed out her freshly-published missive, and smiled to herself. Finally, she thought, I've gotten the damn job. Now, it was time to get to work. After sending out her faithful automaton to deliver the flyer, the Alchemist set down to write a few letters.

SPECIAL EDITION IN SEARCH OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND SCHOLARS ALIKE EX OFFICINA ALCHYMISTAE PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR 480 E.S. -= ҉ =- ith the announcement of my being given the title of Court Alchemist for Haense, and the ascent of my current pupils to the rank of Master Alchemist, the time has come for me to take on new students. his time, I will ask that prospective students do not bring the objects I requested in my previous flyer on the subject, but instead that they simply come prepared to show me their skills in reasoning, philosophical thought, etc., and that they be prepared to demonstrate some sort of noteworthy talent or accomplishment that they believe will give me insight into their interests and character.1 Potential students may not seek advice on the matter of what to say or present, for the sake of ensuring that the character they present to me is a genuine reflection of their nature. fter the demonstration, we will speak one-on-one, and I will gauge the applicant’s suitability for my course of study. Those who wish to be involved with my teaching or my publication but do not wish to learn Alchemy may still join the members of the Office, address below. s Haeseni Court Alchemist, it is my priority to educate the Haeseni youth; ideally applicants would be between the ages of ten and thirty. Age and nationality will be determining factors in my decision, however if a student falls outside these categories but still catches my eye, I will not reject them. longside the search for students, The Office of the Alchemist is searching for Alchemists to employ, especially in herb-gathering and potion research, and we are searching for scholars and educators of all sorts who may wish to give lessons as hosted by us, or to write for the publication. Non-student positions will be paid in proportion to the amount and nature of labour done. Please direct inquiries regarding any and all of the following to The Alchemist at the National Geographical Society, until an office is established in Haense. – LADY ALCHEMY 1] I acknowledge that students are coming to me to learn, and may not yet know much of these subjects. However, I will be screening students not only for initial skill, but also their aptitude & potential. That said, background and age will be taken into consideration, and students will not be discriminated against for lacking in knowledge. o be good without knowledge is to be weak. To be knowledgeable without goodness is to be a danger. It is only when these faculties are united that we may truly serve Mankind. ddress all letters & inquiries to the following: ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ SIGNED, Her Ladyship, His Excellency, FABIAN OTTO KORTREVICH Grand Lord of Hanseti-Ruska ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣

"Nice!" Says a member of the Celestial Trust.

"Dear God," prayed a harrowed Ayrikiv, from a tent at the edge of Savoy, "Dear God, deliver us."

[!]AMIDST SHOWERS OF RAIN ONE SPRINGTIME AFTERNOON A FLYER FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE STREETS OF VELETZ AND KAROSGRAD. IT BEARS NO NAME OR SIGNATURE. THIS, OUR WAR: THOUGHTS FROM A MAN WHO ONCE CALLED HIMSELF ADRIAN. efore I begin I wish to say that these words are my own. They are my own thoughts and memories and opinions. The inaccuracies are mine and I have not been compelled to write this except out of my own feeling that I should. I also wish to say that I take no side in this war that plagues Humanity. Neither side is wholly just nor is either side wholly unjust. I have not fought for either side and I do not intend to except to protect the ones I love. hat I think the Haeseni and the people of the Canonist Leagues do not understand is what Adria once was. I do not comment on what it is now because I can not say what it is now. But once Adria was something I had not thought possible. I was born in Haense and lived there for my early childhood. When I was a boy I left my home and settled in Adria. The people of Haense were to me much like the northern climates: cold and unwelcoming. Adria was nothing like what I had known. It was a home to the wayward people of the world. I was not shunned for being without a home instead I was given a home and a hot meal and offered work and protection before they even knew my name. The people of Adria were not haughty political nobility. They were the tavernkeepers the street children the soldiers the merchants. The children of Adria were devout in their faith and in their love for each other and for their home. It was a place of futures not of pasts. Ancestry and bloodlines and history were irrelevant what mattered was what lay in front of us. t was not paradise though and I do not claim that it was. I faced cruelty and danger and manipulation. I was encouraged to swear oaths I did not understand and saw more pain than a boy my age should have to. But there was nothing I did not see there that the children of the Brotherhood of Haense do not also see. Adria was just as much a place of abuse and suffering and pain as Haense once was. But it was warm and friendly and hopeful and it had a future when all Haense had was a past. have not lived in Adria since Duke Heinrik seized power from the King of Aaun. I do not intend to return. I speak for many of the once-Adrians when I say that the change Duke Heinrik wrought was not change his people wanted. In the years I lived there I watched the place I had started to call home become a place of fear and danger and control. Friends were forced from their homes and executed for crimes undeserving of death. I have seen this same suffering this same pain on the streets of Haense. Holy men spilling blood on blessed ground. Fathers killing daughters for the crime of feeling what I felt when I was a boy: that Adria was a place that wanted them when nowhere else did. I have watched Adrians take prisoners and threaten execution they have slain members of the church. They have forced people to speak against their will and spread lies for their own image their own gain. write all this to remind you Canonists and you Adrians that before we are Haeseni or Adrian or Petran or Minitzian or anything else we are GOD’s children. We are one race one people and to spill the blood of our enemies is to spill the blood of our brothers our sisters our mothers our sons. o ask either side to halt their attacks is foolish because neither side will accept that they have done wrong. But blood spilt for an unjust cause is blood spilt in vain. LIFE IS GOD’S GREATEST GIFT TO US AND HE WATCHES ALL OF US AND HE SEES HOW WE WASTE IT. can not attach my name to this document because I know there will be people who try to silence me if I do but I plead that you listen and that you understand.

"Not even twenty, and she's on the Council," mused Alyona's mother as she read over the announcement, from wherever a woman of her disposition might read such things. A dark bedroom, perhaps, or an underground laboratory. "It's like I said. She will outgrow Haense, long before she reaches the age at which most would grow into it." "Attagirl."

VOL. 2 A FORAY INTO ALCHEMICAL PHILOSOPHY EX OFFICINA ALCHYMISTAE BEING, BY NATURE OF ITS NAME AND ITS WRITING, AN INVESTIGATION INTO AND REFLECTION ON THE CONCEPTS OF THE MATERIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND DIVINE, AND THEIR NATURES IN RELATION TO LIFE, ALCHEMY, AND MAGIC. -= ҉ =- PREFACE: ALCHEMICAL ALLEGORY & THE CONCEPT OF THE SPHERES lchemical allegory is the use of symbols and narrative in order to relate Alchemical processes or philosophy. A hero’s journey of growth and change may symbolise the fundamental change that occurs during Alchemical processes. The idea of the Spheres is allegorical and stands as a tool for perception: one of many lenses through which an Alchemist may choose to view the world, according to her needs or her values. The Spheres are not to be interpreted as literal or concrete. Instead, they stand as symbols to provide meaning to Alchemical processes, and to guide the actions of an Alchemist. he three Spheres of existence represent the world in which all Descendantkind lives. The Material is the Sphere in which most Descendants focus their lives, whether that be on satisfying the senses with indulgence, campaigning for political power, or accumulating wealth. Pervading invisibly through the Material Sphere is the Emotional Sphere: the Sphere in which emotion, souls, and the mind reside. Scholars, artists, philosophers, and Alchemists all direct their attentions on this Sphere instead, by interpreting and engaging with the abstraction it holds. Third and encasing both the previous is the Sphere of the Divine. Not Divine in a religious sense, but Divine simply to mean transcendent. The Divine Sphere is home to all things beyond the inherent scope of mortality: Aenguls, Daemons, Spirits, the Void, and the Creator. While the Material and Emotional Spheres are readily available to the Descendant, the Divine is (or should be) entirely separate from mortal existence. Mages of many varieties, plane-walkers, and priests all engage with the Divine. I he most tangible Sphere is that of the Material. It is the home of the senses, of solidity, of objects. The Material is experienced through the five senses: touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound. As is the case with denizens of the Emotional Sphere, those of the Material are wholly mortal, and are subject to the cycle of birth, life, and death that all mortal things are subject to. Not only Descendants, but animals, plants, the ground beneath one’s feet–all of Material existence is made and destroyed and re-made as the wheels of time turn endlessly. he core inhabitants of the Material Sphere are ones lacking proper souls, both organic and inorganic. Plants, animals, fungi, yes–but also soil, water, stone, metals, gemstones. With few exceptions, in the case of things like Aurum and blood, these inhabitants are restrained to the Material Sphere. t is the unique gift of Descendants to exist simultaneously in both the Material and Emotional Spheres, bound by both their soul and their body. However because a Descendant’s perception is mainly done via the body and the five senses, the Material is the primary lens through which a Descendant experiences the world. It is through their effects on the Material Sphere that an ordinary Descendant might perceive the existence of the Emotional or Divine Spheres. hat is not to say that the Emotional and the Material are entirely separate from one another. Both the body and the soul exist somewhat between the two. Just as wandering spirits may put a chill into the air, or feelings of anger can cause a body to physically heat, the inverse is true as well. Aurum and blood are Material objects capable of interacting with the Emotional, through their interactions with the Material body. his is one core distinction between an Alchemist and any other Descendant: through years of study and practice, an Alchemist is capable of perceiving and engaging with Alchemical Signs and Symbols without aid, despite said Signs and Symbols being by nature purely Emotional. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ II he Emotional Sphere is home to not only souls, but metaphor, creative thought, feelings, symbols, and other abstractions. Many aspects of the Emotional Sphere are confined within the Material body, but yet others are entirely outside of it. Beyond the internal experience of feelings, thought, and other such things, the Emotional Sphere’s influence on the Material is one much more subtle. It is the unnameable quality that separates life with all its beauty and triumphs and ugliness and sorrows from simple blank existence. The lack of a soul, and thus the absence of connection to the Emotional Sphere, is what separates false lifeforms from true lifeforms, be those undead, mechanical, or something else entirely. ust as the Material world has its own unending cycle of energy, the Emotional does as well. Given the Material existence of most Descendents, this energy remains largely separate from the Material Sphere, however some mages choose to interfere with the Emotional plane to tap into this power. Those mages get their power not from Aengudaemons or the Void, but from something residing in the Emotional plane, be that by harnessing the souls of the dead, harvesting from the blood of Descendants, or any other of the potentially myriad means. I do not claim to know of them all. nlike those mages, the Alchemist does not take from the Emotional, to serve their own gain. Instead, by Extracting Symbols from her reagents, an Alchemist is transforming them from Material to Emotional, and then harnessing the abstract, vague nature of the Emotional to shape the Symbols into whatever Material brew she wishes to create. longside things such as psychology, the arts, and other studies that unite the Emotional and Material, Alchemy is one of the few pursuits which engages the full spectrum of Descendent experience. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ III lthough the Emotional and Material Spheres may exist alongside one another, the Divine is wholly separate. If the Emotional and Material were the air and water that form clouds, the Divine would be the sky in which they floated. It surrounds and encapsulates the world as we know it. ot strictly Divine in the religious sense of ‘from or of God, or a god,’ the Divine Sphere is instead Divine in its fundamental separation from the mortal. It holds any and all forms of existence that transcend the other two planes. By nature harnessing this Sphere is forbidden to Descendants, as the Descendant existence is tied wholly to the Emotional and Material. Those who choose to ignore (or perhaps in their minds, surpass) their nature and attempt to subject the power of the Divine to their will are frequently unstable, and this use and abuse of Divine power can so often lead to the corruption of both the body and the soul. he residents of the Divine are those above mortality, beyond the cycle of time. They are forbidden both the benefits of life, as well as its detriments. To be Divine is to forgo pain and pleasure, joy and sadness, life and death. t was by Divine hands that the mortal world was shaped, and it will be by Divine hands that it is destroyed. CLOSING THOUGHTS reiterate that these concepts of Material, Spiritual, and Divine are concepts alone. Do not interpret this as claims to their existence, but instead as an exploration of their meaning. Instead it is through understanding the Material and Spiritual that one might come to understand what Alchemy is, and by understanding the Divine to understand what Alchemy is not. o be good without knowledge is to be weak. To be knowledgeable without goodness is to be a danger. It is only when these faculties are united that we may truly serve Mankind. ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ ⊢–––––––––––––––––= ҉ =–––––––––––––––––⊣ SIGNED,