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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Galloglaich" data-source="post: 5255190" data-attributes="member: 77019">I have a lot I want to add to this thread, but I have very little time right now, I'd like to interject quickly.   I kind of agree with the Orc here on one level, I think you don't want to restrict your Alchemist class too much.  I believe it would be artificial to limit them to just one cultural tradition, since knowledge was passing from region to region especially in this field.  Gunpowder was  the result of Chinese Alchemy (a failed potion of eternal life, ironically) which made it to Europe within a couple of generations.   In a Medieval context, I'm  aware of at least five Alchemical traditions: the Italian traditoin in pursuit of the universal solvent and the philosophers stone (more about these a bit later when I have some time) and oriented toward making money; the Hindu version which was focused on metalurgy and expressed by the creation of Wootz steel (so called 'Damascus' steel) as well as other miracles of metalurgy such as spring-steel longbows and the Iron Pillar of Delhi; Chinese Alchemy which dealt with the pursuit of eternal life (and left us with one of the highest rates of longevity in the world); Arab / Persian Alchemy which was obsessed with Takwin; and arguably a Hebrew Alchemy which f similarly focused on the Homonculus and also heavily on the Kaballah and numerology. All of these traditions cross fertalized each other.  They were all using Astrology, numerology, cyphers, mnemonics.  They were sharing or stealing information from each other at a phenomenal rate.  European Medieval  'scientists' were using Hebrew and Kabablistic numerology, translating 9th Century Arab and Persian Alchemists and writing in their name, playing with Tarot cards and writing out Chinese influenced Horoscopes. Then you also have to consider the Romans, the Greeks, and the Egyptian Hermetic traditions, all of which heavily influenced the Europeans and the Arabs if not the Chinese or the Indians (I don't know if they did or not yet)  But you have to read a bit about Archemedes and Heron of Alexandria, as wel as Plato and Aristotle to understand Roger Bacon or Al Khindi or Al Jabir. Anyway just some food for thought for historical context, I think it's much richer and more wide open than people realize.  I'll have more context and specific details to add tonight hopefully. G.</blockquote>

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