Proof is in the Potion: Traditional Alchemy " A Friday laboratory session

A thin, elven youth faced off with a rather quiet vampire with a deceiving look of youth. They both poured a vial of clear liquid into individual flasks of black oil. The vampire's flask turned golden in color and clarity of honey in sunlight. The elf's flask remained black and started to bubble slowly.

"50 silver crowns." The vampire smirked and held out his hand for payment.

"No. I will not pay you 50 silver crowns. You didn't follow the rules." The elf said.

"50 silver crowns or you may find yourself a bit anemic in the morning." The vampire threatened.

"You cheated! I will not pay!" the elf spat at vampire, thumping his work table to emphasize his disgust.

The rest of the students, collaborating on various alchemy experiments all went quiet and gazed at the boy. They knew what was coming next. The elf looked at his peers and classmates with a sudden dawning of realization as a shadow fell over his work table.

"Velrin, we keep a civil tone within the laboratory. We also do not start flinging accusations with free will. Carmine, we do not threaten other students with neck biting, and what is this about payment?" Ammy stared at them.

Velrin half shrunk behind his table as Carmine dipped his head in respect from the rebuke. Everyone knew Ammy was fond of her students; yet her imposing charisma, categorized wealth of alchemy prowess and status of Professor was enough to quell even the staunchest student. Velrin looked at Carmine with an aggrieved air.

"Carmine cheated with his potion." Velrin accused.

Carmine held a very thin line upon his lips. "I do not cheat. I followed the recipe we agreed to use and deviated once when someone contaminated the veck root given to us by Professor Spiritor."

Velrin fumed. "Are you accusing me of rigging our contest?"

Ammy listened to them both with patience and a thin wisp of amusement. She held up a furred hand to quell a repost by Carmine. She motioned to Velrin to keep the peace as well and took up their notes.

Well now. A potion of Greater Cleansing by only using 3 ingredients"

She handed them their notes back and looked at their prep work and then at the potions within each vial. She held up each vial and her eyes flicked from gold to electric blue for a few moments. She let a small, amused smile pass over her lips and sat the vials down. Next she investigated their flasks and gave a silent nod as she compiled what she'd found, finally checking the half sliced vek root.

Velrin and Carmine watched the professor, eager to hear who was in the right and the disposition of the contested 50 silver crowns. Ammy looked at both of her students and her tri-tipped ears twitched catching a whispered snicker of "oh they are gonna get it now" from the gnomes in the back of the laboratory.

"I will say that finding my students competing against each other in alchemy useful and encouraging to improve their skills. However, competing with money is never wise as it detracts from the actual learning and leads to any method to win. However, that said, no one was cheated."

They both looked at her as if she'd sprouted a second head and spoke in rhymes. "His flask turned golden like it should of and mine did not." Velrin grubbed.

"This is true and I will explain why. Your contest had you attempting a Greater Cleansing potion with only three ingredients. Not even my advanced students feel daring for such a feat. Yet, you both have listed three ingredients that grant you what you wish. You both used aether and wormwood but from there you both deviate. Velrin used the vek root and Carmine used angel tears. Both are compatible agents to use when one or the other is not available. Yet the vek root is indeed contaminated but not by Carmine. It has taken within it a fungal spore rendering it toxic, which is often common for vek root. If you had allowed a fourth ingredient you could have added a pinch of jade to cleanse the vek root of the spore. I am assuming Carmine could smell the spore, thus deviating from the list."

Carmine just smiled, vindicated, and Velrin still fumed. Carmine held out his hand again and wiggled fingers to prompt payment. Velrin sighed and dug out the 50 silver crowns from his pouch and handed it to Carmine. Ammy though had interceded and snatched the 50 silver crowns from Verlin's hand. They both gasped and protested.

Ammy just smiled and waved a finger. "Betting on school grounds is prohibited and punishable. I'll just say you both learned a good lesson in alchemy today and consider this bet to have never existed. Carry on with your experiments."

They both watched their professor walk away with amusement. The amusement soon turned to shame and chagrin seeing her drop the money into the general collections for charity by the door.

Among the entries of the various halls in the academy as well as the coven grounds, the alchemist had left gifts. These gifts were simple, pewter caldrons, about a gallon in size and they issued a gentle fog from them. This fog was shimmery and smelled of rainbows and mint. Should anyone draw close, a small sign, propped up against the caldron would instruct students, faculty and visitors in what to do:

Dear Guest;

Before you is an Ever Change Caldron. The fog from it holds the power to temporarily grant those who willingly inhale to assume another form of their own choosing or desire. The shape will last for 1 day each inhalation and will end when the participant so desires. Faculty fear not, you can have any unruly students revert back to normal with the phrase 'No Tom Foolery' though keep in mind that the student Tom Foolery is allowed to fool around. These caldrons are provided to give all coven inhabitants and visitors a chance to celebrate the hallowed eve traditions without worry for lack of costuming.

Any questions see Professor Ammy Spiritor at her office or at her shop, the Alchemist's Fire.

Moral Choices: Homunculi Philosophical Alchemy - Special Lecture - Spiritor House - Den City

Students of Ammy's Advanced Alchemy Class had gathered within her home answering a special invitation to hear a special lecture. Home side lectures were becoming more common to the students as their professor found herself with less stamina to make it to the academy due to the pregnancy. She was, in their opinion, no less sharp in wit or dispassionate about her subject when lecturing at home. All ten students sat on the leather couches, note pads and laptops out as they faced a comfortable looking recliner where Ammy rested, a large mug of tea in her hands.

"Welcome to the lecture. I am so glad you all made it here today. The topic of today's lecture won't be on any tests or in any text books. You may put away your notes if you like. What we will be discussing may shake your foundations or give you a new perspective on this path of curiosity chosen. We will be looking at Morality and Ethics of using Alchemy and this won't be a one lecture topic. There may be several different lectures touching upon the Morality aspect." She said.

Ammy watched her student's fidget, a few giving her odd looks and several not sure if they wanted to be here for this conversation. She sipped her tea and waited a full 10 minutes before speaking.

"I am glad to see you are all showing discomfort with this topic. It is not an easy matter to discuss nor is it a cut-and-dried matter of wrong or right. All ten of you are my brightest students and you all express a desire to further your studies in Alchemy. Only one road is left to travel to become a Master Alchemist: Philosophical Alchemy. Philosophical Alchemy has nothing to do with book learning or laboratory results. It goes deeper, digging into your soul and heart, and will hold up a mirror to reflect what you look like within; you will learn what Alchemist you really are and if you will be consumed with your thirst of knowledge of if you will master it.

Today's lecture is about Homunculi."

The hiss of drawn breath and the uneasy silence from her students had her smile.

"Mmm. Touchy and treacherous subject for sure. Let's take this topic nice and slow. What is needed to make homunculi?"

An elf, with a daring streak to prove himself raised his hand. Ammy gave him a nod to speak.

"Homunculi are composite creatures crafted by the alchemist to take on certain living features of a desired being. Often Homunculi are crafted in the image of a golem, animals or as humans and other sentient beings. Creating of them in the image of sentient beings is often seen as crossing the boundaries of the higher powers that be by public opinion. To craft Homunculi, you need a mature mandrake root grown in darkness, wax from blood bees, blood from the alchemist and from the being the Homunculus is to imitate, a grand circle of construction array, powdered philosopher stone and some say a piece of soul from either alchemist or imitated being."

Ammy gave him a nod as he finished. "Very well described Tolin. Now why would an alchemist want to make Homunculi" If the public opinion is hostile against their creation, even when made in secret, the alchemist would stand the chance of great peril if discovered. So why create one?"

The room grew quiet again as her students thought about the question at hand.

A middle aged Lupinossai, Erthrii in origin and burnished copper in fur raised her hand. Ammy waved for the woman to explain.

"The alchemist may want to make one to perhaps experiment on a living being without harming someone they know or resorting to accosting a stranger?"

"Ah, suggesting a deep potential use. Nicely said Lisa. Next?"

A young dwarf male raised his hand and spoke with Ammy's permission. "Perhaps the alchemists wishes to have an assistant that will follow all orders given without hesitation?"

"A very useful application, but a bit costly for simple apprentice labor. Anyone can be trained properly without risking their life creating a being out of nothing. Still, it is a good thought and answer Brohn."

Tolin raised his hand and spoke next. "Perhaps the alchemist wishes to replace someone with a copy' A doppelganger that they can control?"

Ammy clapped her hands in delight. "Deep, dark and very bothersome. Good answer Tolin."

The room was silent again until a human woman in her 40s spoke without raising a hand. Love. For love they would make a Homunculus to bring back to a broken heart. To restore a fake sense of reality and peace after the loss of something so precious. A fools resurrection."

Ammy set her tea cup down and leaned forward. "Excellent answers. High marks for you all, even if you didn't speak. These questions will not be easy to answer nor will everyone have an answer ready. All the reasons aired so far are valid and have been done. However is it right to perform them' Many will say no, many will say yes, many will simply ignore the issue and continue with their lives undisturbed. What I want you all to take home with you today is this simple question. Does my Homunculus pose a problem to my realm" Now then, off with you all for today. Think on that question and we'll see what you all may feel when we chat again."