From: Peter Metcalfe (P.Metcalfe@student.canterbury.ac.nz)
Date: Wed 25 Sep 1996 - 05:38:57 EEST
David Cake:
===========
> What do people think about alchemy in Glorantha? Who uses it, how
>does it work (does it bear much resemblance to medieval alchemy?)?
All cultures that were in historical contact with the God Learners
NB: by alchemy, I do not mean the general practice of making
What should be possible in glorantha by top grade alchemists
Magic Crystal Manufacturing: Connected with the Machine City.
probably have access to the basics of their systematic alchemical
knowlege. The EWF probably had something similar. Over time, much
of this has been distorted and incorporated into the local lore.
Frex, you'll have to look very hard to detect their influence in
Kralori alchemy.
healing poultices and their ilk which are known worldwide.
(ie magus level):
Possibly requires heaps of blood.
Potion of Immortality: For those allergic to Oysters.
Universal Acid: Some allege this has been made by the God Learners
Philosopher's stone: turn base metal into gold. The Roman Empire
Golems, Homonucleus and Simulacra: It seems to me that the Western
and that modern glorantha is the waste left over.
did at one time crack down on alchemy because they believed that
alchemists were destabilizing the economy.
Sorcerers should use some elements of this in making familiars rather
than the laying of hands implied in da roolz. Alternatively the
transferrance of characteristics by sorcerous methods is the only
acceptable method nowadays as the other methods (which cost less in
terms of characteristics but more in terms of materials) could be
somewhat disturbing for modern wizards to use: if they use blood
for CON, what do they use for INT? POW (ie lifeforce)? (These are
rhetorical questions BTW).
> The only people that I am sure use it are the dwarves. [...]
>And is human alchemy the same thing, or a different technique?
I suspect the Mostali are very weak on 'organic' alchemy (save for the
vegetable^H^H^H^Harian heretics). They use expensive metals to make
up for their deficient lore.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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