Alchemy Profile

The following profile defines the use of the Alchemy Origin in accordance with the ARIA Reality system.
Origin Template
Omnessence Fundamental
Paradigm Elements
Incidentals
Omnis

Origin Template

Nature Non-sentient.   Alchemy is based upon the use of Mana in the form of Alchemical Potential Omnessence (or PO).
Form Mana in material form (Alchemical Potential Omnessence)
Genesis Created.  Alchemical Potential Omnessence is an expression of Geozan existence.
Connections Related.  Alchemy is related to both Mana and Runes.
Orientation PO is not sentient, and therefore has no orientation.
Relations None.
Origin Notes Those who can work magic only through Alchemy are generally known as Alchemists or sometimes Herbalists.  Although Mystics can use Alchemy to assist them in using Mana, they are not generally called Alchemists if they are capable of shaping Mana directly.
Back to Top

Omnessence Fundamental

Conventions
Primary Trait Charisma (Willpower)
Affinity (see Resistance)
Inanimate affinity varies by material
Province
The Omnessence Province of Alchemy is fairly flexible overall.  Alchemy is closely related to both Mana and Runes, and is usable by both Mystics and Rune magicians with Alchemical Lore, as well as by Alchemists.  Alchemy is powerful in the Archetypes of Destruction, Divination, and Transformation, and in the Organic, Matter, Spirit, and Will Dominions, but is very weak in the Creation Archetype.  Alchemy exceeds Mana in Transformative capability, as well as in its ability to affect the Spirit or Will Dominions.
Archetypes Dominions
Conjuration 5 Flux 6
Creation 1 Organic 8
Destruction 7 Matter 8
Divination 8 Reality 6
Manipulation 5 Spirit 7
Transformation 9 Will 7
Province Aspects The ratings listed above are for the Alchemical forms of Alchemical substances.  Utilizing the Mystical forms of substances adds one to the value of all Archetypes and Dominions (Although any one substance will still have only one Configuration of Potential Omnessence).
Province Notes Although the Alchemy Province as a whole is fairly powerful, no one substance or process is capable of achieving all that Alchemy can do.  A variety of processes and a plethora of substances are required to fulfill the potential of Alchemy.
Back to Top
Availability
Category Limited
Manifestations Alchemical materials possessing Potential Omnessence.
Availability Varies according to specific material and region. 
Back to Top
Amount
Category Finite
Aspects Recyclable.  As alchemical materials are used, more are created by Geoza.  Such replenishment is neither purposeful nor predictable. 
Amount Levels 5 - Alchemical materials are not super-abundant, but neither are most truly rare.
Access
Category Freely Accessible
Aspects Gathered, either by the Alchemist herself, or by someone with some knowledge of Alchemy or Herbs.
Method Physical
Ease of Access 1 (Completely Accessible)
Access Time varies greatly, as do actual methods of gathering, buying, mining, etc., according to the specific material.
Access Facility 0 (Potential Omnessence cannot be directly accessed - it is only usable through Alchemy or Runes)
Notes Alchemical substances are measured in units called Fasa (Jalani word meaning "receptacle" or "measurement," singular Fasa, plural Fasas).  This term has no fixed meaning in terms of volume or weight, or even of Alchemical utility (i.e. Omnessence).  One Fasa of Amber could be much smaller than a Fasa of Woundwort, for example.  The term merely indicates an amount of the material sufficient to process through standard Alchemical techniques.  See the notes on Alchemical Processing.
Back to Top
Storage
Category Inherently Stored
Capacity According to the specific PO of the material used.
Aspects Potential Omnessence, by its very nature, is a stored commodity.  Alchemy merely adapts the form of storage for the purpose of the effect.
Back to Top
Omnessence Nature
Category Dynamic (Unique)
Limitation Aspects All Alchemical effects are Natural: fire can be doused, materials will wear out, etc.
Notes Unlike its cousin Mana, Alchemy is a fairly predictable and reliable form of magic.  If the preparation is correctly performed, the effect will be as expected.  If not, the effect may simply fail, or it may be different from what was intended.
Back to Top

Paradigm Elements

Preparation
Category Preparation
Aspects Materials (Neutral, Required) The required Alchemical substances are of course required to perform Alchemy.   Additionally, Alchemical apparati are required to prepare Alchemical substances.
Actions (Neutral, Required) The Alchemist must use Alchemical processes in order to extract or refine the substances being prepared.  The details are not particularly relevant so long as the Mythguide feels that the Alchemist has a sufficiently well-equipped laboratory.  Certain powerful effects or rare substances may require more specialized or hard-to-obtain equipment, or the investigation of a new Alchemical process.
Time
Time of preparation is directly related to the Difficulty of the Preparation Trial:
Difficulty Time
0 One Action Interval
1 Five Action Intervals
2 Narrative Interval (Two Minutes)
3 Narrative Interval (Ten Minutes)
4 Narrative Interval (One Hour)
5 Narrative Interval (Five Hours)
6 Narrative Interval (One Day)
7 Narrative Interval (Five Days)
8 Narrative Interval (One Month)
9 Narrative Interval (Six Months)

It is possible to combine the Effect Shaping with the preparation period, if only one substance, in one form, will be used in the effect.  This requires no additional time or Difficulty.  The Preparation Trial and the Effect Trial are attempted at the end of the Preparation interval.

Variation Facility 5 - Preparation can be rushed, but only with difficulty, and at an increase in the difficulty of the Effects Trial.  Similarly, if great care is taken, the difficulty of the Effects Trial will be reduced somewhat.  Note that "rushing" Preparation does not alter the difficulty of the Preparation Trial, but instead alters the difficulty of the Effects Trial.
Preparation Trial Craft: Alchemy (Craft: Cooking or Craft: Brewing might be substituted in some circumstances), based on Intellect.
Difficulty is based on the type and amount of substance:  each substance has a base Preparation Difficulty, which is the difficulty of preparing one Fasa of the substance under ideal conditions in a proper Alchemical laboratory.  Less than ideal conditions or equipment may increase difficulty, and thus preparation time.
Interruption Allowed.  Significant or continued interruptions may affect the quality of preparation, and thus may increase the difficulty of either the Preparation Trial or Effects Trial, or both.
Notes Alchemical substances must be properly prepared in order to be of general utility to the Alchemist.  Although Woundwort may be of some limited use in its "Natural" form (i.e. without undergoing Alchemical preparation), only its Natural properties can be utilized - not true Alchemy.  With proper Alchemical preparation, the Alchemical substance can be refined or extracted to the "Alchemical" form of the substance.  The Alchemical form of a substance is the form most often used by Alchemists, or by Rune adepts or Mystics who are utilizing Alchemical properties.  Further refinement or distillation results in the "Mystical" form of the substance.  This rarified form is difficult to obtain, but very valuable for some advanced uses of Alchemy.
Back to Top
Effects
Paradigm Method Shape/Release - the Alchemist must shape the component substances into the form desired.  When the activation method is employed (drinking the potion, sprinkling the powder, etc), the effect is released from its stored form.
Casting Time 1 OP for release (possibly longer, depending on the specific activation method).
Shaping time is based on the difficulty of the Effects Trial, just as in Preparation, above (use the same time intervals).
Fatigue None
Distance
Base Range Personal or Touch (depending on form and activation method).
Base Area Radius (Slight Scope)
Area Increment One Pace
Duration
Base Interval One Action Interval
Base Duration can be expanded to One Narrative Interval (Moderate to Epic Scope).
Effects Cost
Scope standard
Potency standard
Intricacy standard
Resistance
Passive Base = Aura (Affinity)
Rank = Charisma (Willpower)
   (or by Affinity of material)
Difficulty = Effect Might
Active Counter - can be attempted through any Origin.  If adept attempting to counter an Alchemical effect does not possess Alchemical Lore, increase difficulty by one.
Participation Collective (Limited) - Access and Preparation can include any number of individuals, some of whom may not have any Magical Talent at all (Preparation does not require Magical Talent, only Alchemy Lore and Craft: Alchemy aptitude).
Shaping an Alchemical effect requires Alchemy Lore and Magical Talent, and must be performed by one individual.
Activation may require Magical Talent and Alchemy Lore, but frequently, Mechanisms may allow activation by untalented individuals or others unskilled in Alchemy.
Temper Aspects
Build Possible, but difficult to achieve in practice.
Delay Delay costs one point of Omnessence per Duration Interval.  Most Alchemical effects must use either Delay or Imbed.
Extend Duration Variation Facility 1.
Imbed Imbed costs half the base effect cost for substances in their Alchemical form, but costs nothing for substances in their Mystical form.
Mechanism Almost all Alchemical effects require a Mechanism of some kind (the activation method for the materials involved).   Unless a more intricate Mechanism is desired, there is no cost for this Temper Aspect.
No Passive Resistance Only if Invited (this Temper Aspect is actually an amalgam of Invited and No Passive Resistance).  Cost is 1/10 total Omnessence cost for effect (minimum 2 Omnessence).
Permanence Alchemical effects may only be made Permanent through use of substances in their Mystical forms.  The cost is equal to the base effect cost.
Widen Variation Facility 2.   Scope must include Area (Slight Scope)
Back to Top
Back to Top

Incidentals

Waste There is no Waste in Alchemy.
Side Effects Some Alchemical substances may have deleterious side effects based on their nature (i.e. hemlock might be useful in creating a certain effect, but swallowing it is still foolish).  The choice of form and activation method employed by the Alchemist may mitigate some or all of the negative effects of the substance (i.e. if the hemlock is reduced to a powder and sprinkled in the air, the user may not suffer any ill effects at all).
Back to Top

Omnis

Geoza has very few Omnis which are dedicated solely to Alchemy.  Alchemists may be found in many Omnis which are associated with either Mana or Runes.  A few that are most prominent among Alchemists:
Academy of Ascendent Sagacity A Karatasan association of both Mystics and Sorcerers which exists as a counterpart to the Sisterhood of Kirsu and is sponsored by the Imperial Karatasan government.
Artificier's Guild (Cremio Artivicatos)  An independent association of artificiers (Mana users who enchant or otherwise craft using Mana).  Mainly limited to the nations of Merochas and Jyvelik.  Some Rune adepts, Alchemists, and Spiritists also belong to this association.
Dwarven Artificiers An independent fellowship of Dwarven artificiers.  Some limited contact occurs between this fellowship and the predominantly human Artificier's Guild.
Fellowship of Alchemical Practicioners (Companjarismo te Alquimicatores)  A Jyvelan organization dedicated to enhancing Alchemical knowledge.  The Jyvelan Princes helped to sponsor the Fellowship in an effort to compete with the Merochasean College of Sorcery.  This effort has been only marginally successful - while the Fellowship has had a tremendous impact on the mystical lores within Jyvelik, its influence relative to the College of Sorcery is still questionable.
Guild of Magical Practicioners An independent fellowship of various adepts of all types in Zur.  This organization is loosely defined at best, and varies in its ability to enforce a unified policy of any kind on its members.
Magesmith's Guild An independent association of Magesmiths (another term for Artificiers) among the adepts of Knur and Laabor.   Extensive contacts and contracts exist between this association and the Artificier's Guild to the south.
Royal Arcane Society (Societat Arcano Regioso)  This association of adepts of all types is sponsored by the King of Belaquin.  They have extensive contacts with both the Artificier's Guild and Magesmith's Guild, although neither of those organizations is allowed to practice openly within the Kingdom of Belaquin.
Szarvas Council A loose confederation of previously independent adepts in Pelos.
Back to Top