Malchemy & Pycon

[Ruroc]

Hello, I have a couple questions regarding Alchemy and Maldiction.

1. Could one combine the discipline of Alchemy and Malediction? For instance, using Alchemy on an object and then Maledicting it?

2. Can a Pycon statue be used for Malediction?

Thanks.

[Ball]

Hello Veryn!

I can't answer the first question for you, but I would like to take a stab at the second question...

Pycons are a byproduct of the magical practice known as Alchemy and as such are a combination of several regents that have ultimately been combined to create them, and as such when they die they become a statue made of stone. I don't think they can be used in Malediction, but of course I could be wrong. As they aren't really... living... in the sense of having a true soul or life...

I could be wrong and if a founder or the Pycon creator would like to step up and answer this officially I would love to know the answer as well.

[Rayage]

Well, let me first off state that Im by far not an expert on Pycon, nor is what I saw necessarily the truth, but Id like to take a stab at your questions.

1) The combination of Alchemy and Malediction has been done before, albeit by more advanced magic users. To understand both Alchemy and Malediction one must understand the building block of all magic djed. There is an entire wiki on the subject and a soapbox on djed. If you havent read it or watched the soapbox Id suggest that you do both. Even I read and reread lore almost everyday. In fact, while answering your questions I have all three lore pages pulled up (Alchemy, Malediction, and Pycon).

But yes, you can use Alchemy and Malediction together. However, you will need a strong Maledictor to make any use of the transmuted stuff that comes out of the activated doorway. You can do this since, technically, you still have bone (or whatever you are crafting with), but the properties have been changed via Alchemy. This 'corruption' of the original djed (of the item to be maledicted) makes it harder to craft anything useful out of the material except by higher skilled wizard (expert/master level. This is also because you are going to most likely mix organic and inorganic substances together with Alchemy, resulting in an overall weaker reaction when it comes to malediction because, as quoted from the malediction article, 'For the very best effect, every single part of the fetish must be organic').

To illustrate this lets have an example. Since Im not feeling particularly creative right now, lets steal and modify the example found in the Alchemy lore itself:

Iron +Gold paint -Water = Gold-colored iron

This means iron is in the center of the ring, golden paint is a fount, water is a filter (keeping the iron from acquiring the liquid properties of the paint). The result is iron with a realistic golden color.

Now that we have the example, lets turn the "Iron" into "Bone".

So we have "Bone+ Gold Paint -Water= Gold-colored Bone"

The result of this, will, obviously, be bone that is gold colored if everything goes smoothly...

Now what happened to this now Gold-colored Bone? How did it become gold colored? These are real questions you should be asking. WHAT HAPPENED and HOW. Those are the keys to understanding Alchemy, its nature can be all simplified into that one little formula. Really, in the end, you still have 'bone' no matter what you put into the equation. Bone is still the 'base' (the target) of all your alchemical reactions, its djed is still in there no matter what shape or form the initial 'bone' takes. The djed which resides in there is still there, just changed, added onto by the magic of Alchemy.

In short, no matter what you do to the bone, it will not effect what you are trying to call upon with the magic of Malediction. Everything needed to preform Malediction is still within the bone. The resulting alchemical material still, deep down, has bone in it. You should be able to maledict it. However, due to the obscurity of the bones djed, it will take a much more advanced maledictor to make anything of the transmuted material.

Do also keep in the limitations of low-level alchemy. Novice can only change things in minor or cosmetic ways, allowing the gold-colored bone reaction. Competent is a bit better, providing some structural advantages, but if you really want to get into this Expert is where you should aim to be to show the strength of this particular combination of magic. That is a lot of work in both magics. Im not saying you cant experiment at lower levels, just you wont get the results that you are hoping for if you are using say Novice or Competent level skills. In fact, experimentation at lower levels really makes for a fun story, since you cant really reach the point you want to. It sets the foundation of the idea IC and gives the chara something to work towards...

2) Now, Ball, I do not want to outright yell that you are wrong. I only want to point out my different way of thinking. Pycon ARE living. Yes, they were given life by Alchemy, but that doesnt mean that they are not living creatures without a soul. Practical genocide was committed to create the pycon race... Alchemy is the only magic, so far, that can truly grant LIFE in every sense of the term to something.

Im also not sure if this question has been asked/answered before. I believe it has, somewhere down the line, but I will provide you with my answer. I think that if you can get creative enough, Pycon can be used for Malediction. As it says in the Malediction article 'the body is Djed and therefor holds power'. Malediction doesnt specify the exclusive use of bone, in fact, it advocates the uses of other organic material as well. It is just that bone is the longest lasting 'relic' of a person.

... Malediction is quite simply the opposite, stealing bones and organs from the dead, or hairs and nail clippings from the living.

This all came out in a jumble in my head, and took me a minute to sort through everything. If this makes sense, Im glad that I could help. If I didnt, well you can PM or ask more questions here. Ill be glad to try to explain myself.

[Ball]

Thanks Rayage for the information. I admit I am not very knowledgeable in the magics and how they effect.

[Ruroc]

You explained everything perfectly Rayage. Thank you very, very much. This should also be helpful for anyone else wishing to make progress on the same subject.