Chemistries

Chemistry is the study of matter, the physical substances that structure the universe, and energy, the aetherial forces that govern said matter. All practices that attempt ot manupulate matter are chemistries in their own right, and scholars recognize three classic chemic traditions: natural chemistry, alchemy, and magick. With the scientific advancements of the modern age, all three can be used to achieve similar means. Their true difference lies with their catalysts, the forces (or lack thereof) that effect their respective manipulations.

Natural chemistry
Natural chemistry is the simplest practice as it restricts itself to the inherent chemic properties of the substances it manipulates, nothing more. Elements and compounds have distinct characteristics that determine their behaviors in the presence of heat, pressure, other substances, and so on, and the inherent potential energy those substances have (that is, energy to change in accordance with their properties) is all that is needed to effect a reaction. Tempering a sword, burning a torch, cooking an egg—all chemic processes, all predictable reactions.

Anima, and the aberrant chemistries
The other two chemistries are called aberrant chemistries, and are defined by their use of an elevated form of potential energy called anima. It is generally held that anima is the driving power of life itself, and is often termed the life-force or vigour. Such a name can be misleading, however, as nonliving entities can be said to bear anima as well. Anima is a catalyst of change—the greater the anima in an entity, the greater the potential of the entity to effect change in not just itself, but its surroundings.

All things have some chemic potential, some sort of anima, but creatures, objects, or places sometimes have animic levels greater than normal (due to a variety of reasons). Such a phenomenon is called an aberrance, and the animic entity an aberrant. Healthy living things naturally have a slight excess in anima, but only those with significantly high levels can be called aberrant. Alchemy and magick take advantage of this phenomenon, hence the name.

Alchemy
Alchemy is a lesser aberrant chemistry, characterized by a limited usage of anima. It is often called an intermediate practice, utilizing concepts from both natural chemistry and magick, and its two main forms are each closer to one or the other.

The first is often called elemental alchemy, whose practice is very similar to natural chemistry but brings into the fold rare and sometimes dangerous aberrant materia. Mixers, as practitioners are affectionately called, are concerned with the enhanced properties of aberrant substances, often including mutant plants, herbs, and animals in their study. Their deep knowledge of the workings of these altered entities make them the most skilled apothecaries, grenadiers, and enchanting smiths in their respective cultures.

The second is dubbed transmutational alchemy, and deals with achieving magickal effects through limited means. Transmutational alchemists are nicknamed magelli, a jab at their role as "a poor man's magi". As a magellus lacks the substantial excess anima needed to be a functionally aberrant magus, magelli resort to the limited natural excess anima that all living beings have, compensating with a reliance on other reactants and a strict adherence to the laws of equivalent exchange. Effects similar to that of magick are possible, provided calculations are done correctly. It is not uncommon for a traveling magellus to be accompanied by packmules and bookbags. Power-hungry magelli, however, turn to darker forms of alchemy, sacrificing their own potent blood or body parts in exchange for stronger abilities.

Magick
Magick is an umbrella term that refers to the active manipulation of matter through the channeling of a magus' anima. This definition sometimes extends to cover the practices of magelli, but usually it only refers to truly aberrant creatures. Many historians trace the origins of magick to the Great Fracture, when a cataclysm sundered the crust of the world and animic mist flowed out, physically mutating some creatures but sowing seeds of aberrance in others. Magi are relatively rare, but their powers have influenced the rise and fall of empires throughout history—the Old World was ruled by great magocracies, but growing chemic instability fostered by such strong levels of anima (along with rapidly advancing technologies rivalling their powers) collapsed most of them in time.

Every culture has its own magickal traditions, oftentimes deeply rooted in their mythologies and pantheons. How a people sees magick is one of their most defining characteristics, with some interpreting it as godliness, some as uncleanliness, and others as a simple skill comparable to intelligence or strength. They may class magicks according to patron deities, elemental affinities, offense-defense, and so on. Despite all the various approaches to magick, the various forms it can take can be plotted along two axes of magickal work: type and proximity. This gives nine rough kinds of magickal work.

Each of the nine works is by no means a distinct school, and nearly all mix, match, and mingle these works together. Red Casce elementalists, for example, are a martial school of magi. A single move may use conjuration to summon water, telekinesis and transfiguration to move and affix it to the arms, transmutation to freeze the water into ice, and kinesis to propel the caster forward and execute a quick succession of strikes. The Red Casce would categorize such an action as a Dark Water move, Dark being an offensive maneuver and Water the elemental school utilized.