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Orphaean Alchemists

"I don't understand why we take all this time," says the apprentice, grumbling while he stared balefully at the slowly spinning mass of ephemera that he was painstakingly slowly passing in and out of the bubble of Twilight. "-to do something there's already a spell for."
"Because," said the master, calmly shaping a single ingot of an impossible metal- Perfect in every way- into a sextant, with bare hands and the patience of a saint. "-only this way does your work outlive you."

The Legacy Of Orpheus

A master artist loses his lover and descends into the underworld to retrieve her. It's a tale known everywhere that Greek myth proliferates, used to inspire artists, lovers, and storytellers alike. But like much in the Fallen World, it's a pale ghost of the truth it hides- a truth reflected in the practices and achievements of the adherents to the lessons it teaches.

The Orphaean Alchemists started as a small band of Roman alchemists seeking new mysteries to study and understand. Their curiosity led them to investigate things their compatriots never had- the myths and legends of the land Rome had devoured- Greece- for the secret truths they hid, and hit upon one with promise. The tale of Orpheus, his travels to the Underworld, his bargains with those who ruled that dark place- and the cost of his folly. They began to emulate that journey, to travel to the Underworld and see what lessons and treasures one might find. It was there that they first suspected the potential of ephemera, and turned to the tale that inspired them for an answer. Like Eurydice- who has since grown to stand as a metaphor for the insubstantial ephemera itself- looking back too soon casts her back into Death, never to be retrieved. But, with patience, and the proper songs, she can in fact be retrieved- and it was through this emulating practice that the Orphaeans perfected the first ingot of aperion.

In modern days, the Orphans- for though they follow in the footsteps of Orpheus, their father was dead before ever the order was founded- even still rely on the old practices to Perfect the metals they're famous for. Few have the patience to pass the base metals into Twilight, singing the songs, back again, back again, encore after encore, day after day, carefully tracking which songs next to sing, and which ingots are resting- a practice taken up to reflect Persephone's half-year stays in the Underworld, yet another clue to the secrets of Perfecting metals tucked into legend. But as a result, their work is one of the only sources of Perfected metals and alloys that can survive the death or inattention of their smith, making their pieces in tremendous demand among those who know they exist.

Origins

Parentage: Moros

Nicknames: Alchemists

Background: Classically appealing to those who would style themselves alchemists, Awakened smiths, chemists, mediums, and explorers all find something the Orphans have to offer.

Appearance: Depending on the bent of the practicing Alchemist, the typical garb can vary between esoteric robes laden with Alchemical symbology to lab coats and protective gear far more indicative of mundane chemists. The colors, however, are almost always faded and dull- the constant exposure to Stygian Twilight leeches the color from anything work frequently by the Alchemist while they work.

Doctrine

Prerequisites: Matter 2, Death 2, Expression 2

Initiation: Much like the Perfected metals they smelt, the Alchemists, too, must be passed into a crucible. Prospective Alchemists are first taught Eurydice's Lament- the first of many songs the Alchemist will have to learn- and is sent through a gate into Twilight, to sing and to wait. Should their song prove sweet enough, their speech precise enough, specters will gather to listen. Should the spirits approve, rather than applaud, they will come to the supplicant and reshape their soul, their ghostly hands molding the spirit into one of the Alchemists.

If they do not approve, the effect of their touch is far less pleasant, but far more temporary- and, presuming the supplicant survives their displeasure, he is let down gently and sent on his way.

Organization: There is little real organization to the Alchemists. Their art is- for now- a known quantity, and they more closely resemble a trade union than anything else. Word of an Alchemist being abused for their talents is an excellent way to see senior Alchemists descending to have a few words with the offending parties- if the complaints are ascertained to be true, they leave with the Alchemist in question and blacklist the abusive employer. As few are willing to risk permanent deprivation of reliably produced Perfected materials, this is not often needed.

Theory: The Legacy of Orpheus holds a number of pertinent lessons applicable to the understanding of the Perfecting process. Eurydice is a metaphor for the patience that must be used to permanently Perfect a material. Orpheus's songs are yantras used to codify the practices of the Alchemists. Persephone's inclusion in the tale is a reminder to rest the metals, lest they discorporate before the ephemera can set. The more his path is studied, the more secrets reveal themselves to his adherents.

Magic

Ruling Arcanum: Matter

Yantras: Graveyards (+1); singing (+1, +2 if the song is a dirge or threnody); tools for chemistry (+2); music venues (+1, +2 if a performance is occurring); lyres (+1)

Suggested Oblations: Chemistry experiments, scientific research, singing, songwriting

Concepts: Scientist, arrogant alchemist, historian, metallurgist, international financier, philanthropist, former astronaut.

Attainments

First: The Loss of Eurydice

Prerequisites: Initiation
Primary Factor: Duration Eurydice's death begins the Orphaean Journey. To understand what put it all in motion, Alchemists seek out the source of what caused her death- metaphorically, the venom that stopped her heart. The mage chooses a number of substances or objects that fall under Matter’s purview equal to the spell’s Potency. As long as this spell is active, the subject is automatically aware of the presence and location of the chosen substance within the area of effect. The chosen substance can be as broad or as specific as the mage likes (“ferrous metal,” “stainless steel,” “a knife,” and “my hunting knife” are all valid options).
Optional: Death 1
The second effect is similar to the Matter 2 spell “Steel Windows.” The character can look through any solid object he wishes. Unlike the Steel Windows spell, the mage is the only one who can see through the object.

Second: The Search for Hades

Prerequisites: Matter 4, Expression 3
Primary Factor: Potency Orpheus next had to locate the entrance to Hades- to the underworld. To aid in this search, the Alchemist has developed the ability to find what is hidden. As an instant action, the mage causes a subject to become aware of the precise composition of an object: its weight and density, as well as the precise elements that make it up. Furthermore, the subject also immediately becomes aware of any objects concealed within the object: a gold relic hidden in a secret compartment in a stone statue, for example.
Optional: Death 2
Primary Factor: Potency Orpheus learned more from Eurydice's body than simply that she'd been poisoned- her body told him, too, what killed her. Much as Orpheus discerned the viper's role to play in her death, so does this attainment share such insights into the deaths of others.

Third: The Folly of Orpheus

Prerequisites: Matter 4, Expression 4
Primary Factor: Potency Cost: 1 Potentia Despite having his beloved in tow, Orpheus simply could not wait to complete the journey to the overworld before turning to look upon his beloved- and his impatience cost him everything. So as to avoid his folly in forgetting the simple rule not to look back, the Alchemist has learned to fully comprehend everything about his tools.
By studying the object as an instant action, the Alchemist causes a subject to gain a complete understanding of the object’s intended function. From a tool as simple as a hammer to an intricate puzzle box, the item’s intended purpose is now plain. If the object has no purpose, the spell reveals that too. Likewise, if something prevents the object from fulfilling its purpose (for example, a car missing its spark plugs can’t drive), the spell reveals the nature of the problem. As well, not only does the subject learn of all possible ways the item could be used- possibly requiring some focus to narrow it down to one- they also enjoy both 8-again and rote to the use of the object for its intended purpose(s) for a number of rolls equal to potency. So long as the duration continues, one additional mana can be spent to refresh the roll counter.
Optional: Death 3
Not all Alchemists are satisfied with the simple, temporary effects of Cosmic Kiln. Provided a location of sufficient resonance with the appropriate Supernal realm, the Alchemist can use this Attainment to create an area they call "arils", after the seeds Persephone ate that doomed her to the Underworld- an isolated area suffused with Twilight used to forge Perfected materials.
This effect is, in essence, identical to the Space spell Co-Location, though instead of a second location, it connects to an empty zone of Twilight. Items passed into and out of this space count each trip as one of those required to permanently transmute the item into its Perfected state. All other requirements and restrictions on this conversion are the same, however, including the required "resting" time between every 10 trips. The Alchemists say this resting period is meant to represent Persephone's time in the land of the living, during which her Underworld Bargain cannot be leveraged.

Fourth: The Gifts of Apollo

Prerequisites: Matter 4, Expression 4
This Attainment is much the same as Everything is Stardust, except that many of the restrictions are removed. The character can affect and create gases, for instance. This means that the character can cause bullets to evaporate harmlessly by changing them into air, or cause enemies to sink into the floor by changing wooden planks into mud. The range on this Attainment is sensory (which, combined with the Celestial Telescope Attainment, makes the few Astral Chemists of this rank fearsome indeed), and the amount of gas that can be shaped is determined by the chart below. The system for this Attainment is the same as for the previous one.
Optional: Death 4
As Apollo's light illuminates the gifts he bestows, so, too, does that light cast shadows in their absence- and the Orpheaens know how to reduce their enemies to precisely that. This attainment functions as Enervation, but rather than paralyzing limbs, it dissolves part of the affected target into their shadow, flattening them against whatever surface it currently resides against, inflicting an Arm Wrack or Leg Wrack tilt. Once the Alchemist reaches Death 5, or if the Alchemist takes the full ritual time to cast it, this can instead inflict Immobilized, completely reducing the victim into their shadow until the effect wears off- a terrifying, but harmless, experience, to be sure.

Fifth: Treasures Of The Stars

Prerequisite: Matter 5, Expression 5
The final attainment of the Alchemists is simple- having mastered the tenets and studies of matter and forces, they learn the secrets of not just creating Perfected materials based on Fallen ones, but on smelting alloys from those Perfected materials.
This attainment can be used as the Matter 4 spells Forge Sophis/Thaumium/Dumanium, with a single improvement- once Starforge is applied, the base materials need no longer be kept Perfected. The new alloy is itself Perfected- any spells used to Perfect its components end with the completion of the Attainment's application. This effect is Lasting.
Optional: Death 5 In the ultimate emulation of the Legacy's founder, the Alchemist learns to open an Iris straight into the Underworld to undertake her own pilgrimage to the world of the dead. This functions precisely as Create Avernian Gate. If the full ritual time is taken to cast this attainment, the Iris may open onto any part of the Underworld to which the Alchemist has been before.