Alchemist

Solaris' alchemists are masters of transformation, combining natural ingredients, exotic materials, and magical essences to create powerful elixirs, potions, and compounds. Through their understanding of material properties and magical interactions, they craft substances capable of healing wounds, enhancing abilities, or unleashing devastating effects. Alchemists bridge the gap between science and magic, using systematic experimentation alongside intuitive understanding of magical principles. Their concoctions provide crucial support to adventurers, healers, and communities throughout Solaris, offering solutions to problems that neither conventional medicine nor direct spellcasting can address.

Origins

The alchemical tradition originated in the Darkmire Swamp, where the early inhabitants of Roshema Village developed methods for extracting and processing the unique properties of the region's abundant flora. These techniques evolved significantly when Vegonian practitioners introduced more systematic approaches, establishing the first formalized alchemical classification system. The craft expanded dramatically during the rise of the Black Empire, when the need for combat potions and healing elixirs drove rapid innovation and standardization. Following the empire's fall, Beastkin herbalists from the Hinterfall Jungle integrated their extensive botanical knowledge with established alchemical principles, particularly at the Sacred Grove in the Osperian Forest. The most significant evolution came when Human Rift Jumpers arrived, bringing diverse alchemical traditions from Earth that introduced concepts of molecular interaction and chemical catalysts previously unknown on Solaris.

Notable Locations

The Essence Laboratory in Elyndaar City stands as the most prestigious alchemical center on Solaris, where master alchemists work with rare materials to create potions of extraordinary potency under the guidance of Solarian Archalchemists. In Harbor City, the Floating Apothecary operates from converted ships, creating specialized marine-based elixirs from ingredients harvested from the depths of the surrounding waters. Deep within the Wildlands, the Living Laboratory of the Awakened specializes in plant-based alchemy, creating potions that harness the regenerative power of the primal forest. The Twilight Distillery in Evermore Village in the Afterplane focuses on unique spiritual concoctions that affect both the living and the dead, particularly valued by those who travel between realms.

Techniques and Specializations

Medicinal alchemy focuses on creating substances that heal injuries, cure diseases, and counteract poisons, ranging from simple healing potions to complex elixirs that target specific ailments or accelerate natural recovery processes. Enhancement alchemy specializes in temporary augmentation of natural abilities, from increased strength or speed to enhanced mental acuity or sensory perception. Transformative alchemy, perhaps the most dramatic specialization, creates substances that induce physical or magical changes in the consumer, from altered appearance to temporary acquisition of new abilities like water breathing or heat resistance. Combative alchemy develops volatile compounds designed for offensive use, from explosive mixtures to corrosive acids to substances that create debilitating effects when deployed against enemies.

Race Affinities

Vegonians excel as alchemists, their natural adaptability and physiological understanding allowing them to test and refine formulas with unprecedented efficiency in the shadowy laboratories of Harbor City. Beastkin bring their exceptional senses and intuitive understanding of natural compounds to alchemy, creating potions that harmonize perfectly with biological systems, particularly those trained in the Hinterfall Jungle. Grovekin alchemists specialize in plant-based compounds, their innate connection to flora allowing them to extract and combine properties that others might miss, especially within the Wildlands. Humans often introduce innovative techniques from their original timelines, creating hybrid approaches that combine Earth chemistry with Solarian magical principles, particularly valued in Elyndaar City where experimentation is encouraged.

Class Synergies

Assassins naturally gravitate toward alchemy, their need for specialized poisons, smoke bombs, and stealth aids creating a perfect synergy with the trade's focus on subtle material manipulation. Hunters with alchemical expertise create specialized compounds for wilderness survival and tracking, from scent-masking mixtures to potions that enhance natural senses. Mages who study alchemy develop deeper understanding of material components used in spellcasting, creating potions that complement or enhance their magical abilities. Druids who pursue alchemy often specialize in natural healing compounds, combining their innate connection to nature with systematic processing techniques to create powerful restorative elixirs.

Magical Affinities

Nature magic forms the foundation of plant-based alchemy, allowing practitioners to identify, extract, and preserve the essential properties of botanical ingredients with exceptional precision. Water magic enhances solution-based alchemical processes, ensuring proper dissolution, mixing, and stability in liquid compounds. Fire magic provides nuanced control over distillation and transformation processes, allowing for precisely controlled heating crucial for volatile mixtures. Chaos magic, though uncommon and controversial, enables the creation of potions with unique unpredictable effects, valued for specific applications where standard formulations have proven ineffective.

Tools of the Trade

Distillation apparatus ranges from simple retorts and condensers to elaborate multi-stage systems capable of extracting and purifying the most volatile essences, with master alchemists often possessing several specialized setups for different processes. Mortars and pestles of various materials serve different preparation needs, from standard stone for common ingredients to exotic materials like Dragonkin crystal that won't react with magical components. Alchemical journals contain carefully recorded formulas, observations, and experimental results, often encoded to protect trade secrets and annotated with personal refinements passed down through generations. Storage containers specialized for different substance types preserve ingredients and completed potions, from light-blocking bottles for photosensitive mixtures to cold-iron vials for volatile magical compounds. Identification kits allow alchemists to test unknown substances, containing reagents that produce distinctive reactions with different material types, essential for both experimentation and ensuring quality control of finished products.