I've written about Alchemy previous here and here. This is an unofficial "part 3" to those.
There is a formula, a substance, a creation known by many names. It is called the Antimonium, Ignis Filius, or the Divine Quintessence. This is the crown jewel of alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone, the Great Work. It is the mark of a true genius, the barrier that separates the talented from the truly Great.
The Philosopher's Stone is often misunderstood as an item that can transform base metals into gold. This is not it's true purpose, this is the public facing reason for creating one, but this is an illusion designed to ward off the unworthy. No, the Philosopher's Stone has a far greater purpose- to transform pale, feeble, mortal flesh into shining, incorruptible, immortal gold. Those who consume the Philosopher's Stone become the gold they desired- they are destroyed and arise purified, demigods in a world of flesh.
The Creation of the Stone:
The process of creating a Philosopher's Stone is the most highly guarded secret in all of Alchemy, so while there is much speculation on how to do it and even many recipes, formulas or methods of how to do it, most do not produce the genuine article.
Stage 1: Nigrado
The first step in the manufacturing of the Philosopher's Stone is purification of the proper mixture through the Black Sun. This process is called Nigrado, meaning "black" or "blackening". This creates a Nefera Stone.
Nefera Stones are dissolution and anti-creation made physical. They have the power to unmake objects or creatures.
Abilities:
- Each Nefera Stone starts with a number of Stone Points (SP) equal to 1d20+10.
- By holding a Nefera Stone, a creature can invoke it's powers and fire a ray of energy from the stone. The user must spend SP to achieve this result. For each SP spent, the object acts as if it aged one year and takes 1d4+SP damage. If the passage of time would cause the item to break down or degrade, it may take more damage or be more damaged, as per the Referee's Discretion.
- If a creature is targeted, the user must make a successful attack to attack a non-helpless creature. Any creature hit must save. The creature who fails the save takes 1d4+SP damage and ages X years, where X is equal to SP. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and does not age.
- Each SP spent is expended and cannot be recovered.
What happens if you consume it?
You either die in agony, age till you become an old man and then die or dissolve into muck. There is no good outcome here.
Stage 2: Albedo
If the proper process is continued and no errors are made, the black Nefera stone will be fully purified and become an Albedo, or an Abal Stone. Unlike the previous stone, this is a fountain of restoration. Albedos are often misidentified by the uneducated or the ignorant as "panaceas", magical stones which if swallowed, can cure any disease. This is not technically wrong, but it is a waste of an incredible tool on a basic problem.
Abilities:
- Each Albedo Stone starts with a number of Stone Points (SP) equal to 1d12+10.
- By holding an Albedo, a creature can heal wounds, cure diseases and remove corruption.
- For each SP spent, the stone restores 1d4 HP. A Horrible Wound can be removed by spending 1d4 SP. A non-magical disease can be cured by spending 1d3+1 SP. A magical disease can be cured by spending 4 SP. A damaged body part or corruption of the flesh can be purged by spending a number of SP as determined by the Referee.
- Each SP spent is expended and cannot be recovered.
What happens if you consume it?
You are instantly restored to full HP. All corruptions within your flesh are banished, all diseases cured, all ailments obliterated. Any missing appendages regrow as if they were never lost and any prosthetics or transplanted organs are changed into your own flesh, identical to what you had before they were put in.
Stage 3: Citrinitas
Further continuing the process of the Great Work, one will find that the Albedo gradually changes to a clear, yellowish color like that of jasper. This is the next stage, referred to obliquely as "yellow". These stones are often referred to as Citrite or Alchemical Gold. These stones possess the "supreme" power of alchemy, the transmutation of lead into gold.
Abilities:
- Each Citrite Stone starts with a number of Stone Points (SP) equal to 1d8+10.
- By holding a Citrite Stone, a creature can transmute one substance directly into another.
- To do so, the creature must make a d20 roll based on a DC assigned by the Referee. They must spend at least 1 SP to trigger this transmutation.
- For each SP spent, the user may add +X to his d20 roll.
- Each SP spent is expended and cannot be recovered.
Guidelines for Transmutation:
- It is much easier to transmute a material into one that similar to itself, whether conceptually or literally. For example, transmuting lead into gold is easier than turning water into glass.
- Transmuting a material into one of the 10 Essences is easier, especially if that Essence is related to that material.
- Transmuting one of the 10 Essences into another of the Essences is extremely simple.
- The 10 Essences cannot be reduced further or broken down. They are the basis of all Alchemy.
What happens if you consume it?
You will be transmuted into something random, probably something relating to humanity's alchemical nature, such as water or fire. Either way, you die.
Stage 4: Rubedo
If you have reached this stage, you have achieved the culmination, the final climax. As the colors change, the Black of Night is banished, the Wane light of the Moon is surrendered, the Golden Dawn bows down, for the Crimson Sun has risen. The power of transcendence has been embodied in physical form. The Great Work has been accomplished.
Abilities:
- Each Philosopher's Stone starts with a number of Stone Points (SP) equal to 1d6+10.
- It can perform any task a lesser Stone can (see above).
- Each SP spent is expended and cannot be recovered.
What happens if you consume it?
As long as the Stone remains within your body, you will not age, nor will you be able to be aged magically. You can draw upon the power of the stone to protect yourself from diseases and to repair your body if it is damaged. While you have a Philosopher's Stone within you, you can also resist corrupting influences or things that would alter your flesh.
However, utilizing the power of the Stone will drain it of power until it eventually is entirely consumed. When this happens, all benefits it provides cease and you will become an ordinary person again.
Ageless Alchemists:
When Alchemists achieve immortality, they tend to either last only a few extra decades before destroying themselves through miscalculation or arrogance, or they survive for centuries. They become adept at cloaking their identities, hiding their secrets and blending in with the rest of ordinary humanity. Here are a few of the more famous ones that are believed to have survived for centuries, possibly even to the present day.
1d10
1- Zosimos of Panopolis. One of the most ancient Alchemists, believed to be one of the students of Hermes Trismegistus, who is considered little more than a legend by most Alchemists. He is considered one of the Founding Sons, who helped to lay the foundations for modern Alchemy. He hasn't been seen in many centuries and is widely considered to be dead, though there are rumors that someone who called himself "Mr. Z" was operating in Turkey during the War on Terror, smuggling occult texts and artifacts out of areas where Islamic militants were destroying ancient historical works and sites, however this is likely not the Alchemist in question.
2- Nicolas Flamel. An Alchemist made famous by popular culture, he is said to have brought his wife with him and made her immortal as well. He is believed to be largely retired from great endeavors and has been running an absolutely fabulous pizza parlor in the Southwestern United States with his wife.
3- Cleopatra the Alchemist. One of the four women who could create the Philosopher's Stone in ancient times, she has no relation to the Queen of the same name. This Cleopatra was known for her skill in purifying materials and developing potent poisons. She is supposedly working in Egypt, working to find the Mummy of Nefertiti, as she is convinced that mummy holds some truly profound secrets.
4- Theosebeia. The primary student and sister of Zosimos, she went on to found her own underground order of female scholars, alchemists and astrologers. This became her primary tool for influencing the world and accumulating more knowledge. She was last seen in Rome in 1933, which was where her order was based at the time. That was the last confirmed sighting of her, though a few have reported a strange woman matching her appearance seen in London, where her order has a branch office.
5- Mary the Jewess. A prodigy at the time, Mary was said to have unmatched knowledge and control over metals, able to manipulate them with ease. She used this power to become fabulously wealthy and pursue her own research. The last sighting of her was at the birthday party of a Russian Oligarch in 1995 and she seemed to be very welcome. Whether her true status as immortal was known by him or his guests is unknown.
6- Paphnutia the Virgin. Railed against by Zosimos for her mingling of the supposedly corrupt practices of the Egyptian temples and alchemy, Paphnutia is a void in the historical record. Almost nothing is known about her, though she is said to have been a priestess and perhaps a sorceress as well as an Alchemist. She has not been seen in over a century, but few think her dead. She has a habit of disappearing for decades or centuries before showing up again. Her last known whereabouts were in Egypt and supposedly she was either collaborating or competing with Cleopatra for some prize.
7- Nagarjuna Siddha. One of the more famous Indian Alchemists, he is said to have a unique ability to commune with serpents. He supposedly had the allegiance of the Naga, serpent-men who dwell beneath the Earth and visited the hidden city of Agartha, where he learned from the ancient masters down there. No one has seen him since the British conquest of India and no one has any clue of his current whereabouts.
8- Jabbar ibn Hayyan. The first Alchemist to successfully create life, the homunculus owes it's existence to Jabbar. This is a fact that inspires intense devotion in his supporters and the vilest curses from his critics. Jabbar is said to be still alive and currently resides in Dubai, where he meets with Princes and CEOs. His current goals are unknown but if it fits his usual pattern of behavior, it will likely have dramatic consequences for the world.
9- Stephanus of Alexandria. A soothsayer as well as an Alchemist, he was known more for his divinations and prophecies than his Alchemy, though he was accomplished at both. He disappeared shortly before the destruction of the Library of Alexandria after being accused of stealing a number of rare volumes. Sadly, the destruction of the library and the subsequent chaos meant that no one knows exactly what he worked to preserve. He was last seen in New York City in 1943, shortly before the death of Nikola Tesla. Many blame him for the death of the inventor and some even go so far as to claim that the missing files that the FBI failed to return never entered the custody of the US Government, but were instead stolen by Stephanus.
10- Ge Hong. One of the most ancient Chinese Alchemists, he was one of the pioneers who first explored that unknown land. He is also considered the "inventor" of medicinal Alchemy. The last confirmed sighting of him was in 1949 in Tibet, where he was studying with the mystics of that ancient land. It is rumored that the invasion was partially motivated by a cabal within the PRC's government, which sought to capture Hong and force him to reveal his secrets. If this is true, they utterly failed, which would explain the great hostility China has had since towards practitioners of the occult and Alchemists in particular. There were also spurious reports that he was behind the 1959 Tibetan uprising and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019, though these are unconfirmed.
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