<<Recently the subject of Alchemy has popped up on the rules digest, and I
thought it was a subject worth raising here.
What do people think about alchemy in Glorantha? Who uses it, how does it work (does it bear much resemblance to medieval alchemy?)?>>
I have alchemy in my glorantha. I use the term for the concocting of simple herbal potions (i.e. basic folk magic in my game) to magic potions. The really powerful stuff is from Q. Mostali or vary rarely someone of another race (one NPC had gained the knowledge from an old EWF tome.)
<<Many elves can produce fancy potions, for example, but this is by knowledge
of plant lore and secret plants, not alchemy as such.>>
Although aldrymi have a great variety of "potions", from healing to discorporation, they are not the only one who have figured out ways of making "potions". Who knows how to do what varies, but is very dependent upon having the resources nearby to make the knowledge worthwhile. For example, a wisewoman of a village near the stinking forest might have the know how to make discorporation "potions" from the bark of ghost trees, as well as simple healing "potions". Another example is a "potion" from moonrock which will restore MP's as well in rare cases used rune magic in lunar mages. A powerful mostali potion would temporarily turn a mostali into his castes metal, but still mobile (imagine an "iron" mostali charging a bunch of aldrymi).
<<I think the metamagical basis of many alchemical theories is that the
substance within the 'hermetically' sealed vessel is cut off from the effects
of the normal world, in effect becoming like a small piece of the heroplane,
where simple physical actions then have a magical refining effect. I think
this is a rough Gloranthaisation of the Jung/ Campbell etc. thinking on
alchemy (not that I have read much of it, there are whole books full of Jungs
thoughts on alchemy). >>
Interesting. I tend to refrain from having potions that give you the ability to cast a spell like the way RQ2 worked (I think), as it is not the way I think it should work.
Aloha,
Scott
End of Glorantha Digest V3 #209
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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