Free Alchemists Corporation

Knowledge is a flame — brighter shared.

The Free Alchemists Corporation — commonly shortened to the FAC or Free Alchemists — stands as the most renowned alchemical institution in the Thierry Free States. Founded in Serendale, it rejects the traditional secretive alchemist-guild model in favor of open knowledge, collaboration, and innovation for public good. Their philosophy is simple and radical: alchemy should improve everyday life, not be hoarded for power or profit.

Where other guilds restrict knowledge behind oaths and vault doors, the Free Alchemists publish formulas openly, train apprentices regardless of lineage, and even host public demonstrations where failures are as celebrated as discoveries. Their labs smell of citrus solvent and burnt rosemary, walls covered in chalkwork equations, botanical sketches, and scrawled warnings such as Do Not Open This Without Asking Mara First.

They push boundaries with enthusiasm—sometimes too much. For every successful breakthrough like smokeless lamps or fast-acting healing tonics, there are tales of self-folding laundry that won’t stop folding, inks that develop sentience, and crops that grow aggressively affectionate vines. Imperfection rarely discourages them; it fuels them.

At their heart, the Free Alchemists are a cultural movement as much as a guild. Artists collaborate with chemists, engineers with hedge-witches, and scholars with street inventors. Debates are loud, experiments explosive, and the results—when they work—can transform entire communities.

Philosophy & Values

The FAC is built upon five core tenets:

Independent. No noble house or corporation owns them. Funding comes from donations, public grants, and wildly successful product patents they later release to commons.

Creative. Innovation is encouraged, eccentricity expected.

Experimental. Fail fast, fail loud; success grows from ashes.

Dynamic. Research changes weekly. Projects pivot mid-sentence.

Open-source. All discoveries are published freely after initial field testing.

Their motto, frequently painted across laboratory doors, reads:

Products & Breakthroughs

The corporation focuses on practical alchemy, especially that which elevates daily life:

• Smokeless lamps powered by alchemical salts.

• Pest-resistant crops, a boon to farmers across the Free States.

• Biodegradable inks beloved by scholars (and hated by archivists).

• Paper-drying reagent used by writers, bookbinders, and romantic poets.

• Atmospheric deodorizers solving tavern problems since 1821 AF.

Notable “Mixed Result” Projects

• The self-sweeping broom that chased cats out of town.
• A tonic intended to cure procrastination, which instead caused 36 hours of relentless productivity followed by 14 hours of sleep.
• Color-changing garments that respond to mood—unfortunately too accurately.
• The infamous Bread That Feels Emotion, now a local delicacy and ethical debate.

The public loves them for it.

Structure & Membership

Unlike aristocratic guilds, the FAC has no master-apprentice hierarchy. Instead, they operate as collaborative cells:

• Researchers lead projects by merit, not lineage.
• Bursars handle grants and patent releases.
• Open-Lab Apprentices rotate between projects.
• Civic Alchemists bring innovations to towns directly.

Membership is diverse—idealists, scholars, refugees from stricter guilds, hopeful tinkers, even a few reformed smugglers who now invent ethically.

Applicants need passion and curiosity, but no pedigree. The entrance exam famously includes:

“Show us something you made. It need not work — but we must see wonder in it.”

Reputation

Across the Thierry Free States, the FAC is seen as a beacon of progressive alchemy. Nobles consider them unpredictable. Traditional guilds call them naive. Common people love them — their work lights homes, heals wounds, and makes life a little stranger and brighter.

Serendale itself champions them, proud of its role as a hub of academic freedom. The city’s skyline glitters with FAC chimneys and rooftop gardens growing experimental herbs.