Alchemist

Alchemical Training: It takes many years for some to acquire the knowledge to properly use Alchemy as a standard practice. This can be done through schools or apprenticeships under an Alchemist to gain an understanding of it.   Registration: In most regions, Alchemists must be registered by the state or other parties to allow them to practice the craft. Doing so without one can easily cause trouble for them, as most materials they use are controlled to avoid abuse.

Most Alchemists live in obscurity, often creating medicine and potions with what knowledge they have. Those who desire more knowledge will attempt to master their craft by performing more difficult recipes and making discoveries through alchemy. Those who reach this point can become Grand Alchemists in the courts of nobility and other groups that use their expertise.

Much of their payments come from the performance of their services when using their Alchemy, which are often regular payments in coins, but they have been known to take rare ingredients and books as payments as well if it will help them advance their practice.

An Alchemist is in a unique position because they can access rare materials and ingredients and make the best potions and medicine money can buy. Yet those seeking to study further will often attempt to transmute metals and enhance the body to extend their knowledge and influence. Not to mention, the respect of your peers is also lovely when few people can reach such feats normally.

Alchemists were created to bring about advancements in science, improve society by combating diseases, and enhance the understanding of the world around them. This allowed them to expand knowledge through their crafts and studies to the public to heal, improve, and empower.

Those who practice Alchemy are considered to make an honest living and have helped people with many problems over the centuries. They can be found in all levels of society, often depending on the skills they give to the social classes they serve.

Alchemists are found in much of the world, but mainly in Human-dominated regions where they were created.

Makers of Wonders

  For much of known history, Alchemy has had a significant effect on those who use its craft and those who use items created from it. Yet the founders of such art date back to ancient times in the confines of the Eastern Lands, where mystics and scholars attempted to unlock the hidden secrets of the natural world and beyond. It allowed them to become respected healers and teachers of knowledge to whoever wanted to learn. This practice soon led to deeper studies in metallurgy and biology through experimentation and chemistry, leading to the foundations of Alchemy. It would bring about the golden age of Alchemists as they deeply understood the alchemical process, allowing them to achieve legendary feats rivaling magic.   Many would find ways to prolong their lives with elixirs and retain their youth as they continued to advance their studies as long as possible. Vast libraries were created to teach future generations and improve upon their work in the sciences with each generation. With their medical knowledge, sickness and disease had all but vanished, and life seemed all the better. The greatest of these achievements would be the Philosopher's Stone, which could alter any metal into any form to suit the owner's needs, or even living things. Yet some found it never to be enough and sought to cheat death by achieving the ultimate goal of immortality, no matter the cost.  

Fall to Greed

  The more power that the Alchemists acquired, the darker their ambitions became, as the desire to conquer death became apparent amongst the highest of their profession to the point of madness. This was not their only problem, either, as many who knew how to create Philosopher's Stones began to use their selfish desires to become incredibly rich by making everything into gold or creating chimeras to sell as exotic pets and war beasts. The people who once prospered under the wisdom and healing soon began to fear them for what they had become, leading to fear and paranoia of what they were willing to do to achieve their goals. This eventually caused many to chase away any Alchemists from their settlements to avoid their madness. Then it would happen, with the Eastern Lands falling victim to their homeland wither away and be consumed by an endless desert, forcing many to flee to the coast for safety.   The desert engulfed the once great libraries of knowledge that gave the Alchemists their power, and many began to blame them for destroying their land and killing many of them and their expertise with them. Forcing many to flee like everyone else, often disguising themselves to avoid harm until they were safe, with what little knowledge of Alchemy they could save. Those who had fallen to madness would refuse to leave as they became dependent upon the power Alchemy had given them, and perish in the tombs of their own making, like all others chose to stay. While this may seem tragic, with centuries of knowledge lost and its many wonders, it was for the best, as the power given to Alchemists was too great for any man to wield. Allowing those who survived to start anew and escape the corruption that poisoned their minds.  

Rebuilding What Was Lost

  When the cities of the east were finally built along the coast, Alchemists started over again with little they had to offer. It would take many years for them to be trusted by the people who still remembered how twisted they once were, but with their knowledge lost, they became like everyone else. Many of them struggled to create the potions that they once had, and many would become isolated from one another, leading to the founding of the Alchemical Schools, with each one focusing on specific aspects of Alchemy to regain lost knowledge. Decades later, these schools would interact with one another once trade and travel were established to share what they had learned to better the people's lives. During the age of exploration, Alchemists would also travel to new lands to bring their skill to others and teach them to spread their arts further.   In much of the known world, Alchemists have become a common sight and a part of everyday life. They are used in one form or another by every walk of society. This does not mean they are the same everywhere, as organizations mainly controlled by them can be found in many different parts of the world. In the Eastern lands, the Houses of Enlightenment have a loose union in the city states, holding the oldest records on the subject. The Western Lands, the Association of Sciences is the center of progress in the West, and the Dark Continent, having the Pact of Mending, a group dedicated to aiding anyone in need by combing Alcehmy with magic to new heights. All other parts of the world associated with Alchemists are scattered about in their local areas or have no presence. This has often made these individuals some of the more open-minded individuals in the world, using knowledge of the world to aid in bettering others around them.

Alchemists always require books to make their potions just right, as well as alchemical tools and other types of equipment.

An alchemist always needs a variety of ingredients to do his craft, which can include everything from powders to organs.

Laboratory: Varying in size and resources, the laboratory is an alchemist's pride and joy, with flasks and jars filled with all sorts of things. A vast collection of books can also be found in them, filled with recipes and research notes. Something is always being made in there, and the place has the most peculiar smells and sounds.

Restricted Materials: Due to the materials needed to make some of their potions, vendors will often sell them because they are too dangerous for most people or lack use for such items of interest.   Patronage: Some Alchemists, if they manage to catch the interest of some wealthy people, will help fund their work or spread their efforts to allow them to better succeed in their studies.

Alchemists could end up killing or injuring themselves if they mess up the recipe for a potion or interact with an unknown substance. It is common for Alchemists to have a trap above their work table full of dirt to snuff out any flames that come from the potion in progress.