What is Alchemy? [Alchemy Students]

by **Rayage** on June 2nd, 2012, 2:47 am

Summer 1, 512 AV

It has been a while since he had been in this room, but he remembered it like yesterday. A nuits memory was far from perfect, but a place like this is hard to forget. The smell of the room, the energy of learning permeating the room… He had the joy of teaching the basics of alchemy, starting from the beginning. To the nuit this was both good and bad. Good in that he could shape the foundation of the kind of alchemy his students practice, bad because, well, they were all idiots as much as Ray was concerned.

Stepping over to his desk, which lay waiting for him in the upper left hand corner of the classroom, he crossed to it, hands picking up the stack of paper which he had amassed and prepared for this day. Cutting across the class he started placing the papers on each and every seat available. Every place was matted by the rather formal paper the nuit was handing out. It was his classroom, and he would be setting the rules. If the students didn’t care to follow them, then they would quickly be pulled from his class. This paper would be the class Syllabus. Ray, having the amount of time he does, thought out every class and every lesson. He had everything planned out and everything was being set up.

Crossing the class in rows he went up the room. The rows were placed in a semi-circle all surrounding the giant chalk board that covered the facing wall. The board was black, and it was spotless, not one chalk mark remained. Finishing up the job the nuit paced to the front of the class, his smell was being attempted to be hidden by various perfumes, and picking up the piece of chalk he wrote in big letter s on the board “Alchemy 101”, the name of the class.

Afterwards he set the chalk down and paced the front of the room waiting for the students to come in. As they would trickle in one by one he would greet them by having them state their name so he could make a list and compare it to the one he had received from the University towards those who had signed up for the class. He had no idea why students wont show up at the class they paid money for, especially on the first day, but he held his hopes as he looked at the long list of names. Who knew alchemy would be such a popular subject? He scanned the list before setting the paper down on his desk and taking a seat behind it. Now all he had to do was wait.

He took a minute to let the class settle after as many as he thought would attend showed up. Standing up, he gave a big grin to everyone, ”Welcome,” he stated, ”Welcome to Alchemy 101. I am Rayage your professor of Alchemy.” he said, waiting a moment to let that information absorb in.

”On the desks in front of you, you will find a Syllabus of the course, but before we get any farther I want to ask a question to all of you.” He looked out into the class, being sure to stare into each and every persons eyes, ”What is Alchemy?” he asked. ”Feel free to answer, just don’t interrupt each other.” he warned.

OOC :

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 21st, 2012, 9:19 pm

Tock was never one for following other people's schedules.

She came from a city where leadership was limited, at best, to on the job union leaders and other crucial roles. Most everyone else did what they wanted, when they wanted. The only authority she had ever known there was her father's fists. Fear had kept her in line, but that fear was long behind her.

Respecting the rules and authority of a place like the University was a foreign concept to her. She just didn't see what the big deal was. She paid to be here, so that alone should give her the right to do whatever the hell she damn well pleased. As it was, she was tired of all their stupid rules, like, 'Don't climb on the statues,' or, 'Don't make lethal Automatons.' Pfft! What was the point in making an Automaton that couldn't kill people!? A girl needed to be able to defend herself, after all.

So since she wasn't one much for rules, a rule like, 'Don't be late to class,' was especially hard for her to follow. She ended up oversleeping on what was meant to be the first day of her summer semester, and didn't realize what time it was until she woke to the morning sunlight streaming on her face from the window. She snorted, rolled over, and glanced out the window, her tired mind slowly churning as she thought about how high in the sky the sun was. Then after a moment's delay, she pushed herself up with a start, finally remembering that she had someplace to be.

* * *

Some time later, as the Professor was already talking about the syllabus and addressing the class, Tock came rushing in. She got there just in time to hear the words, 'Feel free to answer,' but she hadn't heard the question. So she just hurried back towards the rear of the class, hoping he wouldn't notice she was late.

by **Wrenmae** on June 28th, 2012, 4:13 am

Wrenmae had almost stayed up the entire night in anticipation of his first class. He'd checked his supplies, made sure everything was ready, and still found himself hours from sunrise. His nose still hurt, the splotchy bruise more than visible on his face. Satevis, his neighbor, had helped, but it seemed that more recovery was necessary for the injury Tock had left with him. So he tried to avoid the stares when he entered the Alchemy classroom, looking down at his books as he took a seat.

Students filed in beside him, lounging into their own chairs. Wrenmae took the syllabus in front of him and glanced it over. The name Rayage seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall from where. In fact, Alchemy as a whole seemed oddly familiar although he could swear he'd never studied it before. More mysterious, more confusion.

It gave him a headache. Sitting back in his chair, Wrenmae glanced around the room. He didn't recognize anyone right away, not till the teacher strode to the middle of the room, summoning the attention of the class. The storyteller sat up straight in his seat, eyes wide. He knew this man. Knew him somehow...but from where? The word 'nuit' unbidden, rose to his mind. How could he know that? How could he possibly know that?

Pointedly, he averted his gaze to the syllabus, following the teacher's words along the page. His heart had begun to pound, a beating cacophony filling his ears with blood. Despite his most concentrated efforts, delving into his mind was yielding nothing. He knew this one, but from where?

And then he posed the question.

Almost without thinking, Wrenmae raised his hand.

"Alchemy..." he started, pausing as Tock burst into the room. He caught her eyes for a moment, looked pointedly away, and continued, "Alchemy controls the force of change. Most things in this world are stagnant, or change only in expected ways. Life grows old and dies, metals turn to rust, flesh decays, and all thread unravels. Alchemy is the magic controlling the force of transformation, unlocking..." He paused. Why did he know this?

Wrenmae swallowed, "Unlocking unlimited possibilities."

by **Wil** on July 1st, 2012, 1:29 am

Wil was the quiet and studious one of the group, ignoring all the commotion of the other students around him, ignoring everything but the teacher, and the blank book in front of him. The teacher was the one who would give him knowledge, and the book in front of him is what would absorb the knowledge. That was all that mattered. He couldn't really write, but he could draw, and drawing would have to get him by for now. Simple symbols would do. Wil was the medium between Wrenmae, and the late girl. While one was early and one was late, Wil walked in exactly on time, right as the teacher was about to take the role. He gave his name in a soft and clear voice, took his seat quickly, and then sat there quietly until the teacher began.

As the teacher began to speak, Wil listened attentively. The late girl had not bothered him, nor did he regard her in the slightest bit. Being late wasn't really a bad thing. There would still be things to learn. He was usually on time as a rule, but only so he wouldn't miss anything. Not because he was someone who always had to be on time. He had met those sort of folk before. They kind of annoyed him.

At the question, he paused his own thoughts, pondering. He ran a hand through his curly black hair, his blue eyes flickering with light, the orbs a near-white shade of the blue color. He waited to hear what some of the others would have to say, expecting Wrenmae to speak first. The fellow looked all too eager to be here, and to be involved. Like he had guessed, Wrenmae soon spoke up. Wil nodded in agreement, and offered his own ideas after the man had stopped speaking. Wil's voice was quiet, just loud enough to be heard, a near monotone.

"Not unlimited. Perhaps near unlimited. But there are rules. Even though it is magic, it is World magic. There is science. Logic."

by **Rayage** on July 1st, 2012, 2:07 am

The nuit waited in anticipation to hear what the students had to say about Alchemy. Could anyone pose an answer which might satisfy him? Most likely not. These novices couldn’t tell a fount from a filter if it was marked on the very floor outside the alchemy circle. He scuffed to himself listening to some more outrageous answers. They all were pathetic. Even the man who talked about unlocking unlimited possibilities was a fool. He was no fan of being paraphrased that badly.

Crossing his arms he stalked the classroom, pacing up and down in front of the class ‘listening’ to the babble that was coming from their mouths. He had a long ways to go with them, and he sighed thinking of the thought. ”What is Alchemy?” he repeated himself, asking the question for those stragglers who were just now entering the classroom. ”Miss,” he called out, pointing out Tocks late entry, ”Please stay after class for a minute. Id like to talk to you privately.” the nuit left it at that. He would deal with ‘being late’ after class. Even if she made it, she was still late, and it was all a matter of respect. If she wouldn’t respect him by showing up on time, especially classy on the first day of class, then they would have to talk. It wasn’t worth his time, nor his classes time to lecture about that right now.

The nuit listened to everyone speak on the subject and chuckled to himself, ”It seems that we have a variety of opinions. “he said noting everything which had been said, ”You all have just answered the question in Alchemy which cannot be answered.” he announced.

”What is Alchemy?” he stated again, as if trying to prove a point, ”That is the question will lead all alchemists in different directions.” he nodded, ”Yes, it cannot be answered, clearly defined by on definition because it is unique to every practitioner.” with that said the nuit went and contradicted himself, ”However,” a wary finger of caution went up into the air, ”for the sake of this class we will define Alchemy as such:” he said going to the chalk board, picking up the white chalk, and placing the tip of it on the board, broad stokes ensued as he wrote in a lettering he was sure everyone could see. As he wrote he said it out loud, ”Alchemy is the process of change in which the transmutation elevates the targeted object to a higher state of being through the opening of many doorways.”

Turning from the board he looked over the class, ”It is as much as science, bound by its many rules, as it is an art, which with enough creativity any boundary can be surpassed. There is Logic.” he nodded, ”Logic is indeed there. It follows everything we do as alchemists, but” he said, ”if you look at Alchemy purely through the eyes of Logic you will be missing a big part of the whole picture. Can anyone tell me why?” he asked not really expecting an answer, though one of his goals was to generate a good discussion through asking these kinds of questions. It seemed even the Professor was getting a little off track.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on July 1st, 2012, 4:22 am

Tock plopped down in her seat, and when the Professor called out 'Miss,' she looked around in confusion and then asked, "Me?" She didn't understand why he needed to talk to her privately. She hadn't done anything wrong (at least, not to her understanding, as she didn't see the big deal behind being late). She shrugged it off and figured it wasn't any big deal.

She didn't pay much attention to the rest of the class, until she saw him. She glared at him, her hand clenching into a fist. What was he doing here? Just two days ago, he had kissed her without permission, and in front of a whole group of people, no less. She had been publicly molested and humiliated, and now he was sitting in class, acting like he had any right to be there? What the hell!?

She was about to march over to him and throw him out the door when the Professor started talking again, and she remembered that she was in class. The Professor probably wouldn't like it if she threw one of his students out on his smug arse... though maybe if she raised her hand first?

She raised her hand, still focused on the question of whether or not she could get Wren kicked out of class (the University had to have rules about students molesting other students, right? Maybe she could get him expelled...), when the Professor asked another question. Crap, she thought when his eyes fell on her. She hadn't been paying ANY attention. What had he asked? Now she was stuck having to answer.

She didn't know the first thing about Alchemy. She didn't know anything about the process, or how it worked. So even if she had heard the question, she wouldn't have been able to give a good answer. So she just replied, "Ain't ya s'posed ta tell us 'at? You's the teacher..."

Laughter spread around the class, and Tock cast a glare at them. Fine, if they were going to make fun of her, she'd go ahead and teach them a thing or two.

Whatever the question was, it must have had something to do with Alchemy and how it worked. She opened her mouth and said, "If'n we done does 'er yer way, we's jus' done gonna been 'asin' the same stuff what you's got, aye? Like what when I done learnt Animation, ol' Archimaneus, 'e done said, ''Is's serious business, an' ya can't done been screwin' 'round alla time!'" she mimicked the old wizard's nasally voice, scowling the way he always used to at her. "An' I done told 'im, 'Look, I's 'ere what ta learn 'ow ta does it, but I ain't done gonna does it yer way, cause I done gots my own stuff what ta build, aye? So's as ya jus' gotta done teaches me the process an' stuff, an' what I'll been done my own stuff wit' it.' An' 'is's the same thing," she shrugged, "what wit' the Alchemy. Ya can done tells us ''Is's 'ow she is,' and done 'spect us fer ta do 'er 'at way. O' ya can done teaches us the tools an' the ways, an' lets us does our own stuff, aye? 'At's what I's gonna done. She's like an art, aye? Ain't gotta just be done one way, what wit' one process. Like my Granddad always done said, 'Ya can build a 'ouse from the ground up, o' ya can does 'er from the top down, long as ya don't mind livin' in an upside down 'ouse!'" Another flurry of laughter crossed the room, and Tock grinned.

She didn't know whether she'd answered the unheard question, but that was how she felt about the whole thing. There wasn't just one process, one step by step method for anything. A craftsman, or an artist, who knew their trade, they could make whatever they wanted.

by **Wrenmae** on July 2nd, 2012, 4:27 am

Wrenmae sighed as the gaze of the professor passed over him and beyond. Not a correct answer then...what was the point of asking the question? Tock had said it best, further exhibition of her straight-forward manner. Try as he might to recall what had happened the night of the Scholar's forum, his mind came up empty. He didn't remember. He simply didn't remember. He saw the way the students looked at him, tittering back and forth in a thousand tiny interactions, spaced bird sentences that flitted like sparrows. Part of him wanted to ask for clarification, but each time he stepped forward to speak his tongue fell dead within his mouth.

He really didn't want to know.

She seemed fine for the most part, certainly angry, but physically fine. He couldn't have hurt her, but almost certainly offended her. Had he said something in his fugue state? How does one go about apologizing for what they didn't remember? Hello, I'm sorry, I'm an overgiven mage given to bouts of memory lapse? They'd lock him up. Worse, he'd dash any hope of reasserting a positive opinion.

No, best to keep his distance for now.

Rayage had continued speaking and turned to write on the board. Wrenmae followed his strokes, copying them down on parchment with mechanical industry. He considered not raising his hand when Rayage asked another question. The fellow was a strange eccentric, dancing from one idea to the next like an orator but with as much poise as a gargoyle. Personally, the mage felt no question was a correct answer.

But he might as well try.

"Sir?" he shook off the notion to call him 'dead man' or 'Rayage' strange prompting from his subconcious, "Logic cannot grasp all the changes that can be made to a single element or subject. Logic doesn't always operate with the imagination, but without the imagination...Alchemy's true power cannot be utilized."

by **Wil** on July 2nd, 2012, 5:16 am

Wil was not the most observant of people, not whenever it came to something that was outside of his books, his magic, and his studies. So when the emotions flooded the room, a small tension coming between the professor and the student, and a larger tension flooding from the woman student to the other male student... Wil raised an eyebrow, blue eyes dashing back and forth, trying to click the logical puzzle pieces into place. It was an unsolvable puzzle, at least for now. He could understand why the teacher was a bit miffed at his late student, but as for the other source of tension in the room... there were too many blank puzzle pieces, too much of a story that he wasn't aware of. He shrugged, and just like that, discarded trying to figure it out, going right back to the lesson. He focused in on the teacher as he spoke, and if the teacher ever glanced at Wil, he would notice that the young man was really the only one who was super quiet, with a perfect poker face, and eyes that remained trained on the Nuit at all times. He didn't move, he didn't blink, he didn't take notes, he didn't twitch a muscle. He merely watched, listened, and absorbed.

As the girl spoke up, he furrowed his brow, and turned his focus to her. She would receive the same treatment. An almost creepy amount of focus, and a dead stare, with blue eyes flickering as they absorbed the words she spoke. With her though, Wil found himself leaning forward a little more, cocking his head a little closer, working his brain a bit harder. Her accent was incredibly difficult for him to follow, so much so that he wasn't so sure he had caught her point. Soon though, after she finished, the other one spoke up, and that one spoke much more clearly. Wrenmae received the exact same treatment as the others, Wil focusing on him and absorbing each of his words separately.

As the two finished speaking their pieces, Wil slowly let his hand drift into the air, raising a brow as he did. He would wait to recieve some sort of acknowledgement before speaking, his voice soft and to the point. "To the lady and the gentleman... First, I am Wil, for the sake of the discussion. The pleasure is mine." He paused for a moment, letting this sink in, and then he continued. "One would make the point that Alchemy is different for all, and that our own answers to the question of what Alchemy is defines what exactly the art is. Therefor, you could say that each of us practices our own successful form, correct?" He paused again, making sure his words were flowing slow enough to be understood. Sometimes he spoke much too fast, and he didn't want to become garbled. With a small breath, he continued on. "One could say that if you look through it with the eyes of Logic, you are missing the Imagination. Or, that is what the other two seem to be saying. Why can't Logic replace Imagination? Why can't I say that Auristics is actually a sixth sense generated by a certain node in an untapped part of our brain, one that is accessed whenever we attempt to reach it for the sake of Auristics? That would be considered a leap of Imagination by some, but for me, it is the simple science of the matter. Isn't that better than just saying it is 'magic', and leaving it at that? If we look at a magic as a science, and then seek to explain that science... can't some of us practice and discover Alchemy in ways that those who simply use Imagination never could?"

He paused, coughing suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he covered his mouth with his arm, coughing into the crook of his elbow. He rarely coughed. Why had he just coughed?

"Excuse me, I apologize for that. All in all though, I lack imagination, but are we coming to the idea that my science and logic can only carry me so far?" He addressed the teacher as much as the two students, as well as the rest of the class, doing his part to keep it all going.

by **Rayage** on November 2nd, 2012, 3:40 am

Rayage entertained all the students points of view. It was quite evident that they all had a lot to learn, all had a lot to read, to know, to understand before they can understand. This sort of understanding of alchemy doesn’t come from talking about it in a classroom setting, but through years of working with the discipline, years of study and self-experimentation. Sometimes these sort of understandings come and one is surprised by how simple the conclusion is. It has been said though, if you cannot explain something simply, then you don’t know enough about it.

As the last student finished talking Rayage looked over the class, ”That is exactly what we are saying. Science and logic will get you far, but if you lack the capacity to think beyond the restraints of the discipline, then how will you ever advance? How will new ideas come? One simply cannot be devoid of imagination. Ideas, dreams, these are the first steps to creating the reality that you want to be in. Through Alchemy you can do the seemingly impossible. Yes, it can be explained in logic, but logic comes from observation. Ideas come from imagination. With logic you cannot be creative. You bind yourself, constrict your mind, when Alchemy isn’t about that. It’s about the possibilities and the doorways which you can open. The kinds of Alchemy you can perform is only limited to your imagination. Never label something impossible. Never close the door before you attempt to open it. Impossible is only a word. What is possible and impossible should not control your thoughts, should not limit your actions, and it cannot limit change.”

”Alchemy is the essence of change. The Prevalterrian era, I am sure that many people, myself included, thought that such an end would be impossible. We were sorely proven wrong. Change happens, and sometimes it is not entirely able to be explained. There is so much more out there, so many spectacles of magic which remain undefined and undiscovered, misunderstood…” he paused changing subjects on a whim.

”Some of you might take comfort in ‘facts’, in ‘knowledge’, in the security of perceived ‘truth’. Though, for the Alchemist, there is only one truth, and that is that everything can change, and nothing is ever stagnant. ‘Truth’, ‘Knowledge’, ‘Fact’, ‘Fiction’, ‘Possible’, and ‘Impossible’ they are all subject to change. They are all only temporary state of beings. For our understanding of something, of someone, of some law, is only temporary, a stepping stone… Yes, a stepping stone closer to the ‘truth’, but will we ever get there? Will truth ever be stagnant? It will be a sad day, a sad day indeed, when Logic rules over Imagination and there is no longer anything to dream about because we have discovered it all…“

Taking up the chalk he walked over to the chalkboard, ”Without dreams there will never be any great advancement in any industry, be it mundane or magical. Dreams drive us all, influence us to come to a greater understanding of our world, and with that so does Imagination. Cold observation can do a lot, but it is only when Logic and Imagination can coexist will any great new discovery arise. There should be a harmony between them. Not one ingredient is more important than the others, no matter how much you use it, one fount never more valuable, because it is the end results that count. They are all stepping stones which guide you on your path to discovery and a greater understanding of both the world and of Alchemy.”

”But philosophy isn’t what I wanted to talk about with you today. I wanted to introduce to you Alchemy through History, and who is the most read about Alchemist, one of the most famous Alchemists to ever exist?” he asked, chalk clicking on the board as he wrote down the name in big letters, ”Rupert Pycon.” he said, ”Famous for the creation of the race of creatures that share his name. Do any of you know anything about Pycon, the race or its creator?” he asked wanting to give the students a chance to fill in the blanks before he went into his lecture.

by **Rayage** on November 29th, 2012, 12:46 pm

There was silence and blank stares at his question. There was nothing wrong with asking the class what they knew, he wanted to gauge the level of understanding, but apparently there was nothing to measure. ”Pycon was one of the greatest Alchemists to ever be.” he started to explain, ”He is most known for the creation of the Pycon race.” he repeated what he had already said, ”The pycon are a class of Homunculus. Homunculi are creatures or beings created by Alchemy. They are very hard to create. In fact, to my knowledge, since Rupert Pycon I do not know of any other Homunculus made beyond his time.” He let that sink in, ”A very impressive feat indeed. I doubt that any of you will be able to craft something as perfect as the Pycon. They were made in such a way that they were able to reproduce and therefor survive. Creating life itself, that is what Pycon managed to do. That is what he is remembered for. That is his Legacy, the race which shares his name.”

”Though he did many extraordinary things, such as being Court Mage for a number of years, the Pycon remain his legacy. He was a man not afraid of advancement, unflinchingly looking at change, and in fact actively changing the world. One of Pycons more memorable moments was when he single handedly won the battle of Bloodvalley. How?” he asked, ”By unleashing the full power of alchemy, a great disease. He was a hero of the state. A man to be respected.” The nuit frowned as he looked at the class, they did not seem very interested at all, not at all. A silent rage built in him. How could they not be interested in THE Rupert Pycon? Well, it was obvious in the halfhearted way he was presenting it, though Ray would never admit to that. Never. It was not him which was the problem because he was willing to teach if they were willing to listen. That was the trade of teacher and student.

Taking a chime to pull together his thoughts and get his emotions under control he smiled again, clasping his hands together, ”Alright.” he said looking at the class challengingly, ”By the next time we are to meet as a group please have read up on material on Court Mage Rupert Pycon.” he instructed them, a hint of annoyance being shown in his voice, ”Also,” he said extending a finger, ”I would like for each of you to research one other alchemist. I do not care who it is,” he waved a hand dismissingly, ”but I’d like a paper on an alchemist of your choice. Their achievements, actions, goals, life, know them like you were them. I want details. Also, it would be wise to talk to your classmates,” he said, ”for I won’t be accepting papers on the same alchemist or on Pycon. You are all dismissed. If you have any questions, comments, gods help us concerns you will find me here. If I am not leave me a note and I will get back to you as soon as I can.”