Kiegarth excerpt

Currently I'm working on a role-playing game source book. This is an excerpt from it. Hope you enjoy. It's raw and unedited, but I hope interesting.

Except from The World of Kiegarth

The Alchemist League

During and following the Dragon War, many magic schools were destroyed for their supposed links to the First Races. While it’s true that a few magic schools – notably the Dunwich University in Shogarth and the School of Higher Magic in Jamagarth – did oppose the Purifiers, most did not. All, however, were tarred with the label of “race traitor” and suffered.

However, the need for magical assistance did not end even though people shunned the mages. With the clerics of the New Gods not able or willing to help the common folk, increasingly the people of the Known Lands turned to the alchemists.

It was a particularly good time for alchemy. The genius Innigus Fewton had just formulated a new set of principles (Fewton’s Formulations) that allowed for the faster production and creation of new and powerful potions and elixirs. Add to this the discovery of machinas by Roberta Fullshun, and the alchemists were posed as never before to grow in power and prominence.

This growth, however, would not be possible without the Alchemist League. Formed in 24 A.D.W. by a group of alchemists who were worried about the damage untrained and unregulated alchemists could do. The League rapidly grew in size, particularly once they made their formulas available to anyone joining the league, soon leading to books of well tested and effective potions. With both Fewton and Fullshun as charter members, the League was destined for greatness. Alchemy universities and schools filled the gaps left by the persecution of the mages, and while the mages eventually recovered somewhat, they have remained on the fringes of society, still distrusted by the Purifiers and those who are influenced by the Purifiers.

Alchemy has flourished during the past two hundred years. Iron Horses carry supplies back and forth between the Confederation of Cities. Steel Dragons patrol the borders of the Thornsinger Forest and the Unknown Lands. Doctors use healing potions and other curative elixirs made possible by the greatest minds of alchemy. In laboratories across the Known Lands, alchemists tackle the greatest problems of mankind. Alchemy is truly the cornerstone of civilization.

This is not to say that alchemy does not have its problems. Laboratories occasionally explode; alchemists occasionally create monsters; and no one wants a laboratory in their neighborhood due to the chemical stench. The alchemists, however, confront a darker problem in the continuing depravities of the Tarwinn Brotherhood, alchemists whose ruthless experiments using humans as components have terrified even the Purifiers. Despite strict laws and official condemnation, the Tarwinn Brotherhood survives.

End of excerpt from The World of Kiegarth. Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without express written permission from the author and the publisher.

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