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Bloodstained: Scholars of the Inferno (Bloodstained Alchemist Quest)

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[X] Plan: Gonna Fight C'thulu
-[X] Weapons Creation
-[X] Painting
-[X] The Necronomicon

[X] I got friends on the other side

[X] Plan: Hot lead and Undead
 
[X] Plan: Fey Summoning Storyteller
[X] I got friends on the other side
 
I do want to note that Painting is the one with the best mentor. This may be a pro, a con, or simply a neutral fact about the option depending on your goals, but I feel like it should be pointed out.
 
Adhoc vote count started by The Bird on Jul 21, 2024 at 2:24 PM, finished with 37 posts and 33 votes.
  • [X] Plan fairy chef of destiny
    -[X] Healing Magic: One of the most difficult forms of Alchemy were rituals of rejuvenation- despite the Guilds centuries of research into such things, the most that had been achieved were simple potions and medical tonics. Your own apprenticehood had been spent learning how to manufacture these substances, and you had shown a knack for it- even developing a method to create a somewhat more effective tonic of restoration through your studies and a ritual that could be used to create an area of limited- but still accelerated compared to the natural healing of the body- mending.
    -[X] Cooking: As you had traveled with your master, you had been forced to work with a variety of ingredients, in a variety of kitchens, with a variety of cooks, chefs, trailmasters, and other culinary specialists: your master was incredibly gluttonous, and while he had made sure you ate just as well, he had expected food of a certain quality. The skills you had developed left you one of the best in Europe at the art of cooking- and provided you an opportunity to make a decent amount of money off the rest of the guild, as apparently their headquarters lacked a chef to prepare them meals.
    -[X] Unseelie Grimoire: You had quested throughout europe, traveling to the darkest of forests and the most enchanted of groves and the strangest of caves, learning all you could about the fair folk- and how to find them. It had been risky- but in the wilderness of Ireland, you had found what you were looking for: a dark fairy hailing from the kingdom of night, who you had bribed into teaching you their lunar magics and rituals in exchange for a personal sacrifice on your part. The cost had been steep, and some of it had yet to be paid, but what you had learned had allowed you to create your own grimoire and gain admittance to the guild. Start with Unseelie Grimoire, a Fairy and Moon aspected *** Generalists Grimoire- Grimoires provide multiple rituals and formulas of a given aspect immediately.
    [X] Plan: Fey Summoning Storyteller
    -[X] Summoning Rituals: One of the most advanced arts of the Guild, most summoning rituals descend from the Liber Logaeth, a tome containing the language of the angels, Enochian. While you had never read the tome itself, the guild had provided your master with a partial copy- enough to enable him to create a small handful of conjurations to call forth friendly- if weak- spirits to act as familiars, which he then taught you. Gain additional * in Conjuration Alchemy, start with one Crude Divine-Aspected Conjuring Ritual.
    -[X] Storytelling: You had been trained by a woman with a deep and abiding fascination for fiction: your master had purchased novels from across the globe, frequently wasting money you didn't have to do so, resulting in many evenings during your apprenticeship where you had went to bed hungry. In desperation, you had eventually drafted a novel of your own using the knowledge of literature you had absorbed, attempting to sell the work to a publishing house in France- and in the process learning you were a frightfully skilled writer of horror fiction. In the years since, you've made a fairly steady income from your writings.
    -[X] Unseelie Grimoire: You had quested throughout europe, traveling to the darkest of forests and the most enchanted of groves and the strangest of caves, learning all you could about the fair folk- and how to find them. It had been risky- but in the wilderness of Ireland, you had found what you were looking for: a dark fairy hailing from the kingdom of night, who you had bribed into teaching you their lunar magics and rituals in exchange for a personal sacrifice on your part. The cost had been steep, and some of it had yet to be paid, but what you had learned had allowed you to create your own grimoire and gain admittance to the guild. Start with Unseelie Grimoire, a Fairy and Moon aspected *** Generalists Grimoire- Grimoires provide multiple rituals and formulas of a given aspect immediately.
    [X] I got friends on the other side
    [X] Plan: Hot lead and Undead
    -[X] Weapons Creation
    -[X] Cooking
    -[X] The Necronomicon
    [X] Plan: Gonna Fight C'thulu
    -[X] Weapons Creation
    -[X] Painting
    -[X] The Necronomicon
    [X] I got friends on the other side
    -[X] Summoning Rituals: One of the most advanced arts of the Guild, most summoning rituals descend from the Liber Logaeth, a tome containing the language of the angels, Enochian. While you had never read the tome itself, the guild had provided your master with a partial copy- enough to enable him to create a small handful of conjurations to call forth friendly- if weak- spirits to act as familiars, which he then taught you. Gain additional * in Conjuration Alchemy, start with one Crude Divine-Aspected Conjuring Ritual.
    -[X] Storytelling: You had been trained by a woman with a deep and abiding fascination for fiction: your master had purchased novels from across the globe, frequently wasting money you didn't have to do so, resulting in many evenings during your apprenticeship where you had went to bed hungry. In desperation, you had eventually drafted a novel of your own using the knowledge of literature you had absorbed, attempting to sell the work to a publishing house in France- and in the process learning you were a frightfully skilled writer of horror fiction. In the years since, you've made a fairly steady income from your writings.
    -[X] Black Chalice: Once, the devil was passing through germany, taking the guise of a man. When night fell, a peasant happened on them and invited the devil into their home, offering the devil hospitality, sharing his meager food and dwellings with what he thought was a lost traveler. As a reward, the devil gave the peasant his own drinking cup- a black chalice that would give the peasant- and all his descendants- a portion of the devils own power and authority. You had came into the chalice late into your apprenticeship, part of your inheritance after your father had finally died and you journeyed to your ancestral home, barely surviving the demons that now called it home. When the guild had learned of this and what you now possessed they had been eager to promote you to a journeyman. Start with Black Chalice, an Infernal and Arcane aspected *** Treasure- Treasures are extremely powerful and rare artifacts whose effects cannot be replicated that can be used to change a rituals aspect or strengthen rituals that they share aspects with when performing it.
    [X] Healing Magic: One of the most difficult forms of Alchemy were rituals of rejuvenation- despite the Guilds centuries of research into such things, the most that had been achieved were simple potions and medical tonics. Your own apprenticehood had been spent learning how to manufacture these substances, and you had shown a knack for it- even developing a method to create a somewhat more effective tonic of restoration through your studies and a ritual that could be used to create an area of limited- but still accelerated compared to the natural healing of the body- mending.
    [X] Storytelling: You had been trained by a woman with a deep and abiding fascination for fiction: your master had purchased novels from across the globe, frequently wasting money you didn't have to do so, resulting in many evenings during your apprenticeship where you had went to bed hungry. In desperation, you had eventually drafted a novel of your own using the knowledge of literature you had absorbed, attempting to sell the work to a publishing house in France- and in the process learning you were a frightfully skilled writer of horror fiction. In the years since, you've made a fairly steady income from your writings.
    [X] Unseelie Grimoire: You had quested throughout europe, traveling to the darkest of forests and the most enchanted of groves and the strangest of caves, learning all you could about the fair folk- and how to find them. It had been risky- but in the wilderness of Ireland, you had found what you were looking for: a dark fairy hailing from the kingdom of night, who you had bribed into teaching you their lunar magics and rituals in exchange for a personal sacrifice on your part. The cost had been steep, and some of it had yet to be paid, but what you had learned had allowed you to create your own grimoire and gain admittance to the guild. Start with Unseelie Grimoire, a Fairy and Moon aspected *** Generalists Grimoire- Grimoires provide multiple rituals and formulas of a given aspect immediately.
Click to expand...


Alright, looks like a small blow out, vote locked.
 
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Prologue Pt 2: Sins and Secrets, Cooks and Contracts, Healers or Hellbound
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Healing Magic: One of the most difficult forms of Alchemy were rituals of rejuvenation- despite the Guilds centuries of research into such things, the most that had been achieved were simple potions and medical tonics. Your own apprenticehood had been spent learning how to manufacture these substances, and you had shown a knack for it- even developing a method to create a somewhat more effective tonic of restoration through your studies and a ritual that could be used to create an area of limited- but still accelerated compared to the natural healing of the body- mending.
    [X] Cooking: As you had traveled with your master, you had been forced to work with a variety of ingredients, in a variety of kitchens, with a variety of cooks, chefs, trailmasters, and other culinary specialists: your master was incredibly gluttonous, and while he had made sure you ate just as well, he had expected food of a certain quality. The skills you had developed left you one of the best in Europe at the art of cooking- and provided you an opportunity to make a decent amount of money off the rest of the guild, as apparently their headquarters lacked a chef to prepare them meals.
    [X] Unseelie Grimoire: You had quested throughout europe, traveling to the darkest of forests and the most enchanted of groves and the strangest of caves, learning all you could about the fair folk- and how to find them. It had been risky- but in the wilderness of Ireland, you had found what you were looking for: a dark fairy hailing from the kingdom of night, who you had bribed into teaching you their lunar magics and rituals in exchange for a personal sacrifice on your part. The cost had been steep, and some of it had yet to be paid, but what you had learned had allowed you to create your own grimoire and gain admittance to the guild. Start with Unseelie Grimoire, a Fairy and Moon aspected *** Generalists Grimoire- Grimoires provide multiple rituals and formulas of a given aspect immediately.

    You had worked in some of the finest kitchens, salons, and manors of Paris, London, and Istanbul. You had also worked in some of the most abhorrent sick wards, in the most poverty-stricken streets, and the seediest borroughs of those very same cities.

    You had seen human opulence in it's most gustave forms- and human suffering at all its most pitious modes. The former had been by circumstance- your master was rich, well reputation, well connected- and loved to travel.

    The latter by choice. Your master encouraged self-study- preferred it even, though he did make sure to teach you when he thought there was a particular lesson you required. You had stumbled on to some anatomical texts and recipes for healing poultices in the library one year, inspiring you to take your own hand at learning medical alchemy.

    From the outside, your master thought the talent you possessed for this branch of alchemy prodigious, commenting on your progress whenever you proved you had mastered another formula- you had started with bats and other small animals to test your concoctions at that time, your master refusing to secure you any corpses to study on lest it ruin his reputation- besides, he said, you clearly are well on the path to mastery using rodents alone.

    In truth, however, you found this the first branch of alchemy you had seriously attempted to study maddeningly difficult and your progress painfully slow- the texts you had read all spoke of the possibilities of potions of greater healing, talismans capable of protecting against diseases, rituals to banish evil spirits, but the processes and ingredients to make these miracles were absurd, obtuse, or prone to failure. When they worked, the effect was frequently far less impressive than what the recipes author claimed- you were doing something wrong, but you couldn't understand what.

    It wasn't until you visited a lepers house in Bavaria that you finally had a breakthrough: working in that mansion of death, you spent weeks using the inhabitants to test formulas and perform experiments using living test subjects for the first time: all volunteers, of course, though some had been more hesitant than others. During the day, you worked in the kitchens, with your master, working in your atelier- at night, you mixed chemicals and performed experimental rituals, operated on corpses and the ill alike to further your anatomical studies, and performed bloodstained rituals under the cover of moonlight.

    Three months into your stay, you had perfected it: an arcane formula that, while tedious to manufacture, could be used to abjur disease- including leprosy. Made using the essence of various fungi, various dried spices from the new world, and human blood, this potion was the first of your creations, a poison that killed only pestilences- but it wasn't the last.

    Each and every advancement took months of work, hundreds of tests, and more than a few failures- the deceased gave their lives to a good cause, but that is little comfort to your conscience- more than one night was spent working not out of a desire to be productive, but to avoid the nightmares of your failures haunting your sleep as long as possible. Still, much must be sacrificed for much to be gained.

    Of course, it wasn't just your pharmacological expertise that advanced during this period: so did your culinary skills. Ultimately, cooking was a form of alchemy all its own, after all, perhaps one of the oldest. Cakes, souffles, consommés so clear that the king that had requested it could use it as a mirror, meat pies so decadent that eating a single slice would be enough to put a man to sleep and curries hot enough that your master had banned you from serving them to nobility.

    Occasionally, you would share these meals with your patients, noting that having good food seemed to speed up the recovery process, something you would begin to experiment with. The failure rate of your remedies dropped precipitously as you began to discover the precise blends required to keep patients whole and hale. Vegetables, meats, fruits, breads, and certain otherwise somewhat indigestible grasses: in particular, you observed that variety offered the greatest benefits, both physically and mentally, and that certain conditions could be abjured entirely by certain foods, such as pellagra and certain mushroom dishes.

    Around you becoming seventeen years of age, you requested a leave of absence from your master for a year of travel and independent study, granted only because he was spending the year in transylvania dealing with a suspected vampire and didn't care to bring you to something so risky.

    Traveling the land, you continued developing your knowledge. Using all your expertise of the art and the human body, you managed to develop a ritual formula that could be used to cast a spell of healing over an area.

    This was the most advanced spell you had, more powerful and effective than most other examples you had seen- but it was still piteously weak. An entire room it covered, yes, but it had to be a small room, as the spell ran off the magic of the alchemist performing it, and while it was a decent palliative and means of mending the scrapes, nicks, and bruises of a small huddle of people, the thirty minutes you could sustain it for wasn't nearly enough to mend serious wounds.

    The frustration you felt at this was enough to motivate you to seek what you were after elsewhere. And so you began- without your masters knowledge, taking advantage of the fact he was still abroad- doing something extremely reckless. The fair folk- legends and myths of them circulated across europe, of their capriciousness, of their malice. What little your texts had on the creatures, their advice for seeking out these beings was always the same: don't.

    For every aspiring mystic who had gained from hunting fairies, there were countless stories of less fortunate seekers running afoul of the fair folks cruelty: transformed into beasts, cursed with strange hexes and geasses, assuming they didn't disappear entirely. But you were frustrated, hitting a wall. And so, you joined the ranks of Alchemists who had chosen to seek a stranger power.

    France, Norway, Germany, England, Scotland, and then finally Ireland. Over the course of your exploration, you succeeded on your hunt only to learn your target either didn't possess the knowledge you sought- such as a particular teeth stealing goblin in france- or was unfortunately far more hostile than you had hoped, such as the troll you had nearly been flattened by in Denmark.

    It was in the last nation you finally discovered what you were searching for. A spate of child abductions in a particular town that had recently been forced to cut down a nearby grove- at first you had thought it some sort of witch, or perhaps a demon, at that point near despair for your search. Still, you had hunted the culprit with the same vigor you had reserved for hunting kobolds in the mines of germany, using one of the children as bait and the assistance of a local travelling exorcist to create a trap.

    What happened after that is…fuzzy. You had pieced together in the aftermath that you had succeeded in trapping the culprit, and made a deal of some form with them to return the children, spare you and the village their wrath for destroying her grove and then imprisoning her, and provide you a grimoire- one that had, as one of the prices, some of your memories. Unfortunately, the fairy had chosen- among other things- the events that had led to your deal, as well as the memory of the deals stipulations themselves.

    After setting the trap and lying in wait, there exists a gap that ends with the memory of the fairy accepting your deal, and the pair of you shaking hands in the remains of her grove. The creatures appearance was almost human- were it not for the way she levitated, her strangely long limbs, and the skin so pale you had thought it merely alabaster in the moonlight- until you noticed the slight blue tint to it.

    At the time, you had been stunned speechless- equally shocked when the woman cast a spell, conjuring the lost children who emerged from the fog. Some were gone- you didn't know whether you had bargained only for part of the village to have their children returned or simply whether by the time you appeased the fey some of the children had already perished. Some were strange- you and the exorcist were forced to spend a spell of time convincing the villagers that some of the children hadn't been replaced by changelings, and to this day you weren't entirely sure that wasn't the case. More nightmares to populate your dreams.

    A few nights later, a package arrived. A book- a grimoire, containing knowledge of the fair folk and rituals you had never seen before. A ring made of white stone, containing a emblem upon it- one that burned with an infernal light. And a letter.

    To a certain cheeky alchemist

    For services rendered and to be rendered: a book of magic, and signet ring carved from moonstone containing the heraldry of a long fallen prince of heaven.

    From
    A certain noble you still owe.


    The letter, when you read it, sent chills down your spine as you realized the situation you were in. The books had warned profusely of seeking out the fey, but there did exist one thing more dangerous: being in debt to the fey.

    And yet, you couldn't bring yourself to regret your choices, as each and every ritual you attempted was a success. Some were beyond your ability- due to their difficulty or requirements, such as one ritual that required the blood of a dragon, something you had no idea how to acquire without killing yourself.

    When you had shown the grimoire to your master on his return, he had contacted the alchemist guild immediately- your discovery had been monumental enough to move him, it seemed, and you found yourself receiving an official invitation to work upon the Isle of Weird and receive access to all the facilities the Alchemist Guild had to offer.

    And so you set sail towards your destiny.

    Gain **Alchemist Cookbook Grimoire, ***Unseelie Grimoire, and * Moonstone Signet Ring.

    ______________

    The Journeymans Grimoire

    Alchemist Cookbook
    Star: **
    Aspects: Arcane

    Supreme Food Additives(F]:     The Journeyman had developed a variety of alchemical additives that could be used to hone the flavor of a dish- an incredibly refined form of powdered sugar, a variety of salt that made food more savory, and certain extracts that could mimic the taste of butter. They had been very useful when traveling, as most could be made using simple ingredients and alchemical tools. Arcane, Transmutation, Formula Complexity: Trivial, Formula Quality: Good, effects: all food made is of Very Good Quality. PASSIVE.

    Penicillin[F]:     A potion made using mushroom extracts, spices, and magic, it could be used to treat most- but not all- mundane illnesses and infections through daily imbibement or application after mixing with paste to create an ointment of it. Has a tendency to upset stomachs, however, and it loses effectiveness if it is not administered every day of the treatment and beyond. Arcane, Abjuration, Formula Complexity: Moderate, Formula Quality: Crude, can be used to treat disease, 15 TU to manufacture a batch.

    Vitamin Extracts[F]:     Not all the journeymans extracts were flavor. Some were designed to suffuse food with supernatural heartyness and energy- allowing said meals to mimic much more invigorating and restorative meals. Arcane, Restorative, Formula Complexity: Moderate, Formula Quality: Crude, improves diet quality, 5 TU to manufacture enough to last one character one turn.

    Alchemical Restorative[F]:     The Journeymans bane: a potion good enough to prevent immediate death by injury, and treating minor wounds, but sadly limited beyond that- and hard to make, besides. It was sadly one of the guilds most advanced formulas that consistently worked without requiring obscene amounts of money to brew, however. Arcane, Restorative, Formula Complexity: Complex, Quality: Crude, provides modest regeneration. 15 TU to manufacture a batch, requires 1 unit of * Alchemical Reagents

    Bind Familiar[R]:     A ritual designed to tie the life of another creature to your magic- most Alchemist chose beloved pets to extend their lifespan and secure themselves a permanent companion, others selected useful beasts they could utilize to spy on their enemies, and a rare few chose conjured creatures in the hopes of augmenting their arcane might. Infernal, Arcane, Conjuring, Ritual Complexity: Complex, Quality: Refined, When used on an animal or consenting intelligent non-human, turn that creature into a familiar, increasing its * Rank by 1 and securing it's permanent service. 50 Time Units to perform, requires 1 unit of *** Alchemical Reagents OR the Serpent Star OR a treasure equal to the Familiar's star level possessing the same aspects.

    Holy Water[F]:     Normally, one required a priest to make this, but one of the secrets produced by the Liber Logaeth early after it's discovery was the secrets to manufacturing it artificially. It was somewhat less effective than holy water blessed by the church, but it meant that the Alchemists guild would always remain something as a competitor when it came to dealing with supernatural maladies and foes of an unholy nature. Divine, Abjuration. Formula Complexity: Moderate-Complex, Quality: Basic. Weakens curses and certain creatures. 20 TU to manufacture single bottle. Requires ** Alchemical Reagents, * Divine Treasure, or additional 10 TU.

    Zone of Mending[R]:     A ritual the journeyman had developed, drawing on their personal magic to mend the injuries of everyone in a room. To perform it, the corners of the room must be inscribed with certain sigils according to a certain formula, and in the center of the room, whether roof or floor, a certain ritual symbol must be sketched out by chalk invoking the demon Buer under a certain star- Unless one provided somewhat expensive reagents as catalyst. Then, one had to perform a twenty minute Enochian chant while standing in the rituals center, during the third or so verse the spell would begin- you could sustain it for thirty one minutes before you. Arcane, Restoration, Ritual Complexity: Easy, Ritual Quality: Crude, exhausts casters personal energy to bring forth minor healing to small room. Requires ** Alchemical Reagents or Star of the Lion and 1 Alchemical Restorative.

    Homunculus[F]:     An artificial human, manufactured through use of a human corpse. A recent development, most homunculi were crude, unrefined, and mostly vegetative creatures- useful only for the fact that they could be used to perform experiments or as biological catalysts. Still, any who could successfully create one was more likely to be recognized as a master alchemist. Death, Blood, Transmutation, Formula Complexity: Extreme. Ritual Quality: Basic. Creates * Homunculus. Requires **** Alchemical Reagent OR Star of the Worm as well as a human corpse. 200 TU.

    Unseelie Grimoire
    Star: ***

    Call Down Moonstone Meteor[F]:     The same substance your ring was made from- the book was clear on this, Moonstone was a potent catalyst. It provided a useful guide for how to acquire more: a ritual that would call down a comet to strike the earth. Moon, Conjuration, Ritual Complexity: Moderate. Ritual Quality: Refined, conjures a meteor containing 1 unit of Moonstone Catalyst. Requires Full Moon. 35 TU.

    Faerie Dust[R]:     A formula to manufacture artificial Faerie Dust to use as a catalyst. It required- among other things- nightshade, powdered silver, and mushrooms harvested from faerie circles. Fairy, Transmutation, Complexity/Quality: Moderate/Basic, creates 1 Unit of Faerie Dust. Requires *** Alchemical Reagent. 30 TU

    Lunar Jewelry[F]:     A method by which moonstone could be used to bless gems, making them extremely radiant and increasing the appeal of their wearers: valuable for the vain or those attempting to be diplomatic alike. Moon, Transmutation, Complexity/Quality: Simple, Basic, creates accessory that increases Radiance social trait of wearer by single star. Effect does not stack. Requires 1 Moonstone and gem of choice. 35 TU.

    Blessing of Flight[F]:     A method by which fairy dust could be used to enchant a particular item to grant it the power of weightlessness: not quite true flight, according to the description in the grimoire, and one that would contend with the weight of its wearer, but it would allow the wearer to jump much further and longer, and negate any harm that falling might cause them. Fairy, Transmutation, Basic/Crude, enchant article of clothing to gain super jump ability and protect from fall damage. Requires 1 Faery Dust. 40 Time Units.

    Create Changeling[F]: A spell that was unsettling in what it implied, but potentially fairly benign in application: using an item belonging to a child, faery dust, and wicker, one could create a changeling- a fey simulacrum of that child that was normally used to enable the fair-folk to kidnap children with their parents none-the-wiser. Fairy, Transmutation, Basic/Crude, create ** Changeling. Requires 1 Fairy Dust. 65 Time Units.

    Summon Lunar Wolf[R]:     A ritual by which one could summon an unseelie beast: the ritual describes it as a gigantic canine, looking like a wolf with a solid white, glowing pelt. The grimoire described the beasts countenance as savage- but loyal if successfully tamed. Moon, Conjuring, Difficult/Advanced, summon ** Lunar Wolf which can with difficulty be tamed- failure provides Lunar Pelt. Requires 2 Moonstone Units, 1 Unit of Silver, and Full Moon. 85 Time Units.

    Dreamscape Mansion[R]:     A means by which the dimensions of a space could be altered, bound to the dreams of the rituals caster to manipulate as they desired- it had to be done in a space which the caster held dominion over, and the amount of magical power it required means that the Journeyman will either need an incredibly powerful reagent- or a suitable treasure that might substitute. Faery, Dimensional, Difficult/Advanced, perform to increase chosen locations Control star rank by your Lucid Dreaming vocation rank. Requires 10 units of Faery Dust and either a Faery aspected treasure or five stars worth of Alchemical Reagents. 100 Time Units

    Enchanted Mirror[F]:     A method of using moonstone, obsidian, and tarnished gold to create an enchanted mirror that could be used to call up spirits of the moon- not just faeries, but also angels, gods, and darker creatures yet still according to your grimoire. 'To seek knowledge' the grimoire said: the Journeyman need to negotiate a deal, but this spell would allow them to gain even more arcane knowledge. Moon, Divination, Difficult/Perfect, perform to gain access to an otherworldy tutor of this rituals aspect. Requires 1 Unit Moonstone, 1 Unit Gold, 1 Unit Obsidian, and Lunar Eclipse. 75 Time Units.

    Potion of Draconic Power[F]:     A potion that could be used to imbue the drinker with incredible might and magical power. It required considerable amounts of- however- dragons blood, and was rather fiendishly difficult to brew. Transmutation, Arcane, Faery, Extreme/Mythic, vastly increases strength and magic. Requires 1 Dragons Blood, 5 Faery Dust, ***** Alchemical Reagent. 150 TU.

    Curse of the Moon[R]:     A spell to call down the power of a fallen angel with dominion over the moon: blanketing an area in permanent starlit night, strengthening the power of magic in the area- good, evil, and totally neutral. It's cost was horrendously excessive. Dimensional, Divine, Moon, Complex/Mythic, curses chosen 1 mile location with permanent night- and increasing the strength of all forms of magic magic. Requires 100 Units of Moonstone or Human Sacrifice, as well as a Full Moon, and a *** Divine, Infernal, or Moon aspected treasure. 200 Time Units to perform, must complete on either Lunar Eclipse or Full Moon.

    Lunar Seed Creation[R]:     A hasty addition scrawled in at the last moment- it seemed to be a ritual that could be performed on a seed to transmute it. The recipe called for moonstone, various cheap reagents, and soil from certain groves. Transmutation, Moon, Nature, Trivial/Crude, when growing plants, can spend 1 Moonstone to increase quality and give plant Lunar aspect.

    Faery Sugar[F]:     A formula that produced a supernaturally delicious additive-the same sugars that was used in the kitchens of the fair folk. The sweets you could make from this…would be nothing short of legendary. Transmutation, Fairy, Arcane, Basic/Basic, produces 1 batch of Faery Sugar, a ** catalyst that can be used in place of Faery Dust to produce a better item/stronger ritual OR added to dishes that call for sugar to improve their quality by two steps. 25 TU to manufacture. Requires Faery Dust OR ** Alchemical Reagents.

    The Journeymans Treasures

    Princely Signet Ring:     A ring made of Lunastone, emblazoned with the heraldry of a princely demon who once ruled the moon many centuries ago

    Star Rank: *

    Aspect- Infernal

    Special-     Can substitute any ONE ingredient when performing a ritual performed with this treasure, regardless of quality, when performing an infernal aspect ritual or performing a ritual using this treasure on a full moon.

    The Journeymans Attributes and Vocations

    Restorative Alchemy: ***
    Transmutative Alchemy: **
    Abjuration Alchemy: *
    Conjuration Alchemy: *
    Spacial Alchemy:Ø

    Cooking: ***
    Anatomy: **
    Chemistry: *
    Gardening: **
    Beekeeping: *

    The Journeymans Connections

    De Tremaine:     The Journeymans Master, who had trained them in the basics of Alchemy in exchange for many years of service. A specialist in beautifying creams and the destruction of otherworldly monsters for absurd amounts of money. Arcane, Mentor, Contact by letter. Provides Alchemy advice, esoteric lore, political introductions- at great cost.

    The Bavarian Doctor:     A friend the Journeyman made during their medical studies, the Bavarian Doctor was a surgeon and anatomist who had frequently collaborated with them in the acquisition and study of corpses. Death Aspect, Collaborator, Contact by letter. Provides organs, bodies, biological science collaborations.

    Family:     Two sisters. A brother. Mother. Step-father. It had been years since the Journeyman had been able to see them, but they were only a few hard days travel by boat and horse from the Isle of Weird. Figures of Fondness, 25 TU to visit. It will be out of their way…but surely the Journeyman isn't one to ignore their family?

    Giacomo:     A goblin that the Journeyman had come to learn of on his travels, Giacomo was apparently some form of tooth faery living in france. A good several days away by boat- when the channel wasn't at war with itself- the Journeyman had no- obvious- reason to hunt the imp, except perhaps for information or to serve as a familiar. Faerie Aspect, * Tooth Goblin, 30 TU to hunt.


    …

    Hello, reader. Permit an intrusion- I must introduce myself, I am your narrator, a resident and curator of the grand library of hell. You may call me the Crypt Master- from here forth I will be the one presenting choices and certain system related information whenever it becomes relevant. Before we begin our story proper, there are some things we must go over. Now, let us name our Journeyman. Note that both name and appearance will be chosen based on quality, not weight of votes: while the latter will be considered if there exists several strong contenders, if the most voted option for those two is considered sub-par they will be discarded

    [ ] [Name] Inscribe the Journeyman's name here.

    Throughout this quest, you will guide the Journeyman through their choices: from this point going forward, we will no longer be referring to them in the second person. With that in mind, the time has come to customize the fine details of your character.

    First, what pronouns do they use?

    [ ] [Pronouns] Please select any combination the Journeyman uses to refer to themselves.

    Now, we need a good portrait. Please provide a piece of artwork to serve as the basis of your main characters image: remember that the aesthetic of this story is a gothic fantasy story set in 18th century England, based on a video game attempting to be a spiritual and aesthetic successor to the Castlevania games.

    [ ] [Appearance] Insert picture here. Winner is determined by whatever the Crypt Master determines is most suitable.

    Now, before we set out, we must establish a few things about our Journeyman.

    First, they have a secret: something that, if discovered, would lead to horrific consequences for them. This is not unusual: many alchemists have skeletons in their closet. They're the sort of people to think unleashing hell on earth through the ritual of the night is a good idea, after all. What bats is our Alchemist keeping in his belfry? What sins (other than grave robbing, human experimentation, and making deals with the fey) are they hiding?

    And these next two votes, please vote by item, not plan

    [ ][Dark Secret] Murder:     Our otherwise upstanding (by Alchemist standards) Journeyman has a particularly dire secret: the murder of a fellow apprentice of their master. The motive was low indeed: the pair of them, ever rivals, were competing over the same position, as the Alchemist permitted less and less apprentices to join the guild in full each season. The pair of them hated and envied each other- and feared the other taking the position they had worked their whole lives to achieve. Each of them expressed their disdain in different ways: one in false moral arrogance, condescending coldness, and academic sabotage, the other in poisoned jibes, mean-spirited pranks, and social sabotage. Eventually, just after the Journeyman discovered their grimoire, this enymity came to a boiling point, and the Journeyman did something very unwise. Now, their rival is dead, their body lost, and their collection- notes, grimoires, and treasures- were all the Journeymans. Select between a dagger to the back while they were sleeping to steal their still beating heart, poison made from their own garden over dinner fed to them over three courses, or defenestration through a stained glass window depicting a sinner falling into the fires of hell for how the Journeyman committed this deed. Gain a ** Death treasure, and a * Arcane-Death Mystery. Also gain a dual aspect * Death Grimoire whose secondary aspect will be decided by the method of murder.

    [ ][Dark Secret] Betrayal:     The Alchemist had once possessed an ally-no, a friend. Not an Alchemist: rather, a scholar from the Church- normally, an organization the Alchemists of Europe considered bitter rivals for knowledge due to the competing philosophies. Despite their organizational rivalry, the two of them had been an effective pair when it came to finding and fighting malign influences, collaborating to exorcize several curses and either banishing, sealing, or destroying several different supernatural hazards. Then came the St. Albius disaster, when they learned a particular saints tomb had become infested by an otherworldly horror. Their attempt to cleanse it went horribly wrong- and the Scholar found themselves forced before a tribunal at the Vatican, before the Pope themselves. The Scholar had hoped for the Journeymans good testimony to help save them- only for their friend to turn on them. Disgraced, the Scholar found themselves excommunicated- and the Journeyman found their betrayal rewarded by the Scholars enemies. Select Arcane Power of Holy Relics, Impossible Wealth of a Fallen Priest, or Otherworldly Knowledge of St. Albius the Wise for why the Journeyman turned on their friend. Gain a * Divine grimoire, a ** Eldritch-Divine Mystery, and a * Dual Aspect Divine Treasure with a motive dependent secondary aspect.

    [ ][Dark Secret] Cursed:     The Journeyman had always been ambitious, but there exists a moment where that ambition curdled into hubris. Their master was acquainted with a particular diabolist, from whom the Journeyman had stolen a book. A guide to calling upon the power of hell using sacrifices of blood, written by a transylvanian prince- fourth edition. They had used the knowledge of the book to create a ritual circle crossing the entirety of a small village: the intent had been to cure a plague that had been ravaging the area, calling upon the power of Buer and the sacrifice of an oxen to cleanse the entire town. Something went wrong, however, causing the wrong entity to be invoked: instead of healing the town, instead the ritual killed almost everyone else in the village- and those were the lucky ones, using their blood and souls to cast a terrible curse over the town and the Journeyman. Select Reckless Negligence of an Eldritch Sky, Stubborn Disregard of the Moon Phase, or the Arrogant Ineptitude of the Undying Chant, for what mistake the Journeyman made. Gain a ** Infernal-Blood Aspected Grimoire, a * Blood Aspected Treasure, and a * dual aspect Blood Mystery whose second aspect is determined by the Journeymans chosen trauma.

    Know that the Journeyman cannot allow this event to become common knowledge, lest their life be ruined. Know that many of their peers are doing or have done far worse. Further, this particular sin is the Journeyman at their worst- the most bleak thing they have done up to this point, and the particular daemon they carry with them in their soul to serve as their leading vices and flaws.

    It is possible for them to rise above and be better- but doing so will be difficult, especially if you wish to accomplish your other goals. On that note, my readers, we come to another choice that will be made: what is our protagonists actual goal? To what end are they doing all of this?

    [ ][Magnum Opus] Immortality:     The ultimate goal of Alchemy: the transmutation or restoration of the flesh to allow eternal life. Was it a fear of death? A desire to escape whatever punishment await them in the afterlife? Or perhaps it has more benign reasons- the dream to be able to see all tommorows and experience the full breadth of wonder the world contains. No matter the motivation, the Journeyman will pursue the means to live forever with all their means- and perhaps further, even should it be at others expense. Gain motivation: Eternal Youth.

    [ ][Magnum Opus] Creation of Life:     To create life- it would be the ultimate display of knowledge. Akin to Prometheus stealing the fire, whoever achieved this would go down in history as the legend that managed to wrest knowledge from the domain of divinity. The fame alone it would garner had motivated thousands of Alchemists for centuries- let alone the knowledge and power. Perhaps our Journeyman has better motivations: but no matter the purity of their aims, they would need to walk a path riddled with darkness to achieve their goals, for God holds the secrets of heaven tightly in His light. Gain motivation: Creation of Life.

    [ ][Magnum Opus] Power:     Why serve in heaven when one could rule in hell? A question asked by many alchemists who chose to use their knowledge to pursue advancing their own political and physical power. Some opted to work among the courts of europe, cultivating contacts among the nobility and attempting to secure positions as advisors on the arcane. Some chose to exploit the power of alchemy for monetary gain, creating gold to pad their wallet and creating small financial empires. Others, like the Poisoners Guild of Paris, chose darker paths- human sacrifice, curses, and even fouler magics and rituals done for self benefit in the undershadows of the world. No matter how the Journeyman sought power- it would come at great sacrifice. To gain much, much must be given. Gain motivation: Temporal Power.

    And, lastly, a warning-

    You will fail. You will do terrible things. You will face setbacks. Do not despair, do not panic: these things are simply part of playing a game and writing a story: constant, infinite victory is a bland dish indeed, especially in a prequel.

    The Journeyman's story may end in tragedy, because no matter what they do, the Alchemist Guild WILL call upon the powers of hell and usher in a cursed night on Europe in their mad quest to retain power- but even in tragedy, the seeds for something better can be planted. You cannot avert the Ritual of the Night- but no matter what happens, one day a certain shardbinder will awaken and save the world- whatever is left, at least. But perhaps you might be able to save just a little more of that world, and perhaps, just perhaps, the Journeyman might make it out of the inferno with their soul.

    Good luck.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • gale said:
    [X][Dark Secret] Betrayal
    [X][Magnum Opus] Immortality


    [X] [Name] Edith
    [X] [Pronouns] She/Her


    I have no idea about appearance.
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    Voting isn't open yet, also with the Dark Secret I think we also need to select a variant.

    Also I'd like for us to go for Murder(Poison) and The Creation Of Life. The former because the 2 star treasure sounds good, the latter because it sounds cool and if we succeed there's a hell of a lot we can do with it.
     
    Part of the reason I want to go for the Murder, Poison, option is because I like the story it creates. No one would ever eat our food again if it came out that we had poisoned someone who ate our food before.
     
    [ ] [Name] Alan de Volt.
    [ ] [Pronouns] He
    [ ] [Appearance]










    [ ][Dark Secret] Cursed.
    -[ ][Dark Secret] Stubborn Disregard of the Moon Phase

    [ ][Magnum Opus] Creation of Life:     To create life- it would be the ultimate display of knowledge. Akin to Prometheus stealing the fire, whoever achieved this would go down in history as the legend that managed to wrest knowledge from the domain of divinity. The fame alone it would garner had motivated thousands of Alchemists for centuries- let alone the knowledge and power. Perhaps our Journeyman has better motivations: but no matter the purity of their aims, they would need to walk a path riddled with darkness to achieve their goals, for God holds the secrets of heaven tightly in His light. Gain motivation: Creation of Life.
    Honestly remembered an old game where an alchemist essentially created a girl homunculus-angel who became his daughter... and then his wife or apprentice (or both at the same time) depending on how she was raised. I don't remember the title, but it was interesting to read.

    I also think it is logical that our hero tried to save the village and for some reason made a terrible mistake.... which is why he got the idea to create his own life.
     
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    No plan voting, votes not open yet, and you need to add a subvote to dark secret denoting which variant you're voting for.

    Edit: Also, at least one of those is AI, so I'm gonna go ahead and state that I have a strict no AI policy- I have too many artist friends to be comfortable with a machine built on art theft.
     
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    Alikard310 said:
    I also think it is logical that our hero tried to save the village and for some reason made a terrible mistake.... which is why he got the idea to create his own life.
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    I kind of like that, I also like the images you posted. I'd be up for this being our story. For which one we should go for... Personally I lean towards the moon or Eldritch options. A Death-Blood mystery just doesn't seem like it'd work as well for what we want to do, but Eldritch-Blood or Moon-Blood? Yeah, we can work with that.
     
    I have to wonder, is animating the deads bound to Restorative Alchemy ?
    After all, a necromancer is a healer that do not give up, even when they should...
     
    OldShadow said:
    I have to wonder, is animating the deads bound to Restorative Alchemy ?
    After all, a necromancer is a healer that do not give up, even when they should...
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    A valid question... Yeah, I don't know. But it could be interesting to find out. Combined with the "Create Life" objective and we're on a fast track to becoming Frankenstein.
     
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