[MUD-Dev] Virtual Chemistry

[Marian Griffith]

I've send this to the list before but I don't think it got delivered at
all, or perhaps not to everybody.  My apologies if you do get it twice.

Marian
My personal alchemy.

I've based this alchemy on the four elements, mostly because everybody is
already familiar with that and this means there is no need to go into any
detail with that.

--------------------------
Everything in alchemy is based on the balance of -life- and -decay-. Life is
what binds and shapes things  and allows them to be and affect other things.
In this respect a rock is an expression of life also even though it isn't a-
live. Decay on the other hand is what unbinds and releases the possibilities
bound by life.
This doesn't mean the two are mutually exclusive. In fact quite the opposite
is true. One can't exist without the other.  E.g. in a swamp, where there is
a lot of decay you can also find a high degree of life  and in jungles where
there is much life active,  you will find equally much decay  to balance it.
The balance is what actually makes the world possible  and it is carried by
the -spirit-.  The spirit of the world, or the spirit of an individual tree
or human.  Every spirit attempts to balance life and decay within itself to
continue to be.

In the world  life and decay are expressed in the four elements water, fire,
earth and air.  These too are in balance with their opposite elements. Water
opposites fire and earth opposites air.  For each element there is one oppo-
site  that is always on the other side of the scale,  and two elements  that
may be on the same side of the balance  or may be on the opposite side,  the
natural allies of an element.  They may also be indifferent and can be found
on neither side of a particular balance.
Each element can be expressing the aspect of life and decay. Usually it will
only strongly express one of them,  but this need not be the case and within
the body different parts will often aspect both.  E.g. fire of life and fire
of decay at the same time. This also means that disease is not decay. Exist-
ence requires balance  of the aspects of life and decay,  not the absence of
either. Disease is an imbalance somewhere and the medical application of al-
chemy attempts to remedy that imbalance.  Or to assist the spirit in restor-
ing balance.
Of course  alchemy can also be used to disturb the balance  to disease some-
body.  But the true application of alchemy is not to alter the body,  but to
alter balance in the world.

Basic principle is as follows.  An alchemist needs to find materials (herbs,
animals, gems and sometimes rocks or earths)  that have a natural ability to
hold the life or the decay aspect  of a certain element.  Then the alchemist
must create an environment  in which the desired balance is established  and
use his or her spirit in binding the balance to the mix. This means that al-
chemy is partly a matter of finding the right ingredients to bind the proper
aspects of life and decay for each element and partly a matter of rituals to
establish the desired balance.  The result may be a potion, staff, amulet or
anything and it will  when applied release the balance stored in it locally.
If the alchemy is strong enough it will affect everything around it and for-
ce it to adopt that balance.  Things will therefor change when the potion or
amulet is applied because their balance will be shifted in the direction the
alchemist established when creating it.

Because the world itself is a spirit maintaining a balance it will influence
any attempt to practice alchemy. E.g. the sun is a representation of the li-
fe aspects,  especially of fire, and any alchemy attempting to increase life
aspects  must be performed during the daytime.  If other elements in the po-
tion require a strengthening of the decay aspects of other elements,  it may
be necessary to perform the ritual at sunset instead.  Similarly the moon is
a representation of the decay aspects,  and the strongest alchemy  to affect
decay aspects  must be performed during new moon.  While full moon is almost
as strongly of life aspects as is sunset.
The seasons of the year also affect alchemy.  Spring and Autumn are the sea-
sons  when the world is in  imbalance.  In spring life is strengthening  but
decay is still weak.  In autumn it is life that is weakening  while decay is
still strong. Summer and winter are the balanced seasons. In summer both li-
fe and decay are strong  but at winter they are both weak.  Depending on the
required effect of the alchemy,  it might be essential to perform the ritual
during a certain season  at an exact time of the day  under a specific phase
of the moon for the strongest effect.
It also explains why women are in generally stronger witches. Their body re-
flects the state of their spirit more strongly than is the case with men.
While they are having their flows they are strong in the aspect of decay and
when they are pregnant they're very strong in the aspect of life. Men on the
other hand  have in general a stronger spirit  because less of it is tied to
their body.  They will be able to perform the most complicated rituals  that
women  likely will lack the strength of spirit for.  Male and female rituals
differ because of this difference.
Virginity is a strong aspect of life, while sacrifice is an act to create an
extreme aspect of decay.  A sacrifice does not need to be  the killing of  a
living being.  Maiming or destruction of an artifact is also sacrifice. Cer-
tain rituals require an aspect of life  that is so strong that they can only
be performed by a virgin, or even by an innocent child but those rituals are
rare and not attempted often.

Preparation of ingredients. With floral components there are many aspects to
consider. What part of the plant to choose.  Roots generally are tied to the
element of earth, leaves are tied to air, flowers to fire  and fruits to wa-
ter though there are many exceptions to this general rule. The natural envi-
ronment will also  strongly affect which elements it is strong in  and which
aspect of life and decay the plant is capable of tying into a ritual. Plants
growing in swamps  or in the shadows  are often expressions of decay aspects
and will more easily bind that aspect.  Other plants express aspects of life
and it is not uncommon to have certain parts of a plant be better suited to
bind decay aspects  while other parts bind life aspects. And most plants are
not particularly suited to be used in alchemy.
How to prepare a plant  depends on which element must be extracted.  For the
element of water a tincture must be made,  using slow dissolution to prepare
for decay while usage of alcohol is more suited for life aspects. To extract
the element of fire burning is often the best way after which the ashes must
be applied.  Grinding is the preferred way for earth elements, and drying is
best suited for the element of air.  Combinations of preparations may be ne-
cessary to reduce unwanted elements  before reaching the desired stage.  E.g
roots with a high degree of water may require initial drying  (allying earth
with air)  before the final grinding may be performed.  This will reduce the
effectiveness of the final ingredient though.
With animal components much the same considerations apply. The difference is
that in animals bodyparts usually apply to more than one elements. The heart
e.g. is of both elements earth and fire. Also, when creating healing alchemy
the effective element may differ,  depending on the bodypart or limb that is
going to be healed.  Legs are of element earth and require a healing alchemy
that is strong in that element, while a similar disease or injury to an arm,
which is strongest in the element air, will require a different application.
Inanimate substances are often imbalanced aspects of life,  where all possi-
bilities  have been tied into the shape.  Gems for amulets,  or grounded for
potions are often strong components of a ritual and sacrificing a gem in the
process of a ritual is a reliable way to increase the aspect of decay. Which
gem stands for which element is usually obvious.

Finally  when creating healing alchemy it is important to realise that diag-
nosing ailments in bodies is difficult  and can easily be misleading.  Fever
is a sign of a imbalance in the element of fire  throughout the entire body.
But is this because the life aspect of fire is too strong or because the de-
cay aspect is too weak? Or perhaps the water element is imbalanced,  causing
fire to rage out of control.  Or perhaps earth and air have allied with fire
and make it overpower the balancing effect of water? The obvious reaction to
a fever would be to apply a potion that strengthens the life aspect of water
This may initially reduce the fever,  but ultimately prove to be worse  than
the initial imbalance.  By increasing the life and decay aspects of the body
there is another imbalance introduced  that may not immediately be apparent,
but that will  in the long run wear out the spirit attempting to control the
high levels. The victim will at first seem to be healed of the fever and may
be more lively than before. In the feverish activity one can still recognise
the fever that has been suppressed but not been healed.

True Healing in this alchemy is the ability of one spirit to actively change
the balance maintained by another spirit, without the need to resort
to alchemy.

Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey