The Secret Craft of Alchemy

History of the Craft

The Time Before

In the parallel world known as Laterre, the practitioners of the arcane arts were often subject to persecution, based on the assumption that their powers came from evil supernatural entities. Therefore, spellcasting in public was not an option for the unfortunate mages, and many had to resort more subtle methods of magic.

Potions seemed to appeal these secretive wizard for their use did not involve the usual magical gestures or incantations, and the materials could often pass for beverages, medicinal concoctions, or even holy water and other similar items used by those superstitious people.

These practitioners were often called wizards, witches, and warlocks by the local population, but they preferred the appellation of alchemist. These alchemists were present in most countries, even as far as Fensland (who later became the Fen Witches who came to Mystara), but these were never as powerful as the alchemists of the province of Averoigne. The advancement of this arcane art in Averoigne could be greatly credited to the d'Ambreville family of the same region.

On Mystara, the art of potion brewing was limited to powerful wizards, and to a small number of other alchemists, mainly dealers in magical components who had stumbled, through their dedication to the research of new ways to preserve the potency of the most powerful and rare items. These alchemists used to buy and sell potions and their formulae, which were transmitted through the ages, passing from master to apprentice, but never gathering in an organized corpus of knowledge.

Through the centuries in Laterre, the alchemical arts of the Averoignian wizards reached a pinnacle, allowing the sage to accomplish astounding feats: the greatest being probably time travel, which was reported to have been discovered even before the d'Ambreville family came into existence!

However, it was the d'Ambrevilles family which most contributed to the progress of knowledge in the domain of alchemical processes, achieving an unparalleled result for Laterre: the creation of magically powered constructs, known as magens or gens magica, the magical people.

When the d'Ambrevilles crossed the magical gates which lead them to the Highlands of Mystara, the inheritor of the secret magical traditions of the family was Étienne d'Ambreville, destined to be the greatest wizard of the Highlands and the future Headmaster of the Great School of Magic.

Alchemy in the Highlands

When the d'Ambreville family came to the Highlands, their first action was to negotiate with the Flaems who occupied the region. Having obtained the permission to settle west of the Flaemish lands, they used their magic to bring more people from their homeland.

Most of these later comers where vassals and servants of the d'Ambreville, the remains of their temporal power in Old Averoigne. Others were independent wizards whom Étienne had invited to Nouvelle Averoigne, such as like Sire Gilles Grenier, who later became Viscount of Fausseflammes.

Étienne offered them protection and positions of power in exchange for loyalty. He also convinced many of them—though not all of them, as the same Viscount proves—to join him in a secret network of wizards, sages and magic researches devoted to the preservation and improvement of traditional Laterran magic.

The Foundation

At the end of the Forty Years War, the Republic of Glantri was formed, and Nouvelle Averoigne became part of the new nation. Étienne, who had meanwhile discovered the Radiance, lobbied for the creation of a school of magic to promote the wizardly arts, and later as the cornerstone of a magocracy.

When the Great School of Magic was finally opened, Étienne and his followers created a formal organization, La Confrérie Occulte de l'Alchimie et de l'Arcane d'Averoigne, which operated within the School and kept the knowledge of Laterran magic at the cutting edge. The members of this secret cabal called themselves Alchemists for short, and they were not limited to the wizards of Nouvelle Averoigne. Among Étienne's first non-Averoignian followers there were a few powerful nobles of Glantri, including Bohemon Batril, the Duke of Fenswick; Rana Gabranza, the Belcadizan Baroness of Egorn; and the young Aalbanese Harald von Graustein, heir to the Baron of Adlerturm.

The Time of Exile

In AC 896, Sire Henri d'Ambreville conspired with Dame Catherine, Étienne's wife, to murder and replace Étienne as Prince of Nouvelle Averoigne. They succeeded in the first part of their plan, but the magical defenses created by the Prince Étienne eradicated the entire Chateau d'Ambreville and a large portion of the inhabitants of the Averoignese lands, which all disappeared as if they had never been there.

A number of Alchemists were still living at the Great School of Magic or in the fiefs allied with the Averoignians. These Alchemist took upon themselves the duty of rebuilding their craft from scratches, since much knowledge was lost with the Grand Master and the senior members of the craft. The most experienced and politically powerful member, Lord Bohemon Batril, Duke of Fenswick, reorganized the group into the Secret Craft of Alchemy, patterned after the ancient circles of power of the Flaemish Fire Wizards. Lord Bohemon then named himself the High Master of Alchemy.

To give credence to his ambitious coup, High Master Bohemon Batril invited many of the remaining Averoignians into the Secret Craft of Alchemy, such as the obnoxious Diane de Moriamis—not realizing that they were previously not invited for a reason! This made way for other undesirables to infiltrate the Craft—including a powerful Witch, Maria Lamoza, Viscountess of Redstone.

The High Charlatan of Alchemy

For the next thirty years, from AC 924 to 956, there were two High Masters of Alchemy, each claiming the other to be charlatan. In truth, "High Mistress" Maria Lamoza was a spy, a disciple of Witchcraft who had managed to fake her way through the ranks of the Secret Craft.

In spring AC 956, High Master Wim de Gheyn, a wizard without noble rank, managed to acquire proof of Doña Maria's true identity, thanks to the efforts of the old Lady Rana Gabranza, and strove to unite the Craft of Alchemy under his rule. However, he and the Lady Rana were both found dead, the former in his tower in Linden-Grjes, and the latter in her mansion in Glantri City. A few days later, all clues pointed to Witchcraft as the cause of both deaths. A team of investigators appointed by the new High Master discovered a witch's doll with the features of Wim de Gheyn in the Tower of Redstone. Two nights later, Viscountess Maria Lamoza died of food poisoning, ending the troubled age for Alchemy.

Return of the d'Ambrevilles

Lord Hieron Grimoard, Count of Wylon and descendant of Lord Bohemon Batril, became the next High Master, returning the ruling power to the Batril-Grimoards line. His son, Lord Rufin Grimoard, became High Master after him, although both of them had only achieved the Fourth Circle of Power in their lifetimes.

When the d'Ambrevilles reappeared on Mystara in AC 979, Étienne was indignant of the changes made in his absence. He chose to ignore the craft which he had founded, and refused to take the position as High Master of Alchemy, despite High Master Rufin's entreaties—much less to join the Craft as a lesser member, as suggested by some of the Alchemists who had never known of Étienne d'Ambreville.

On the other hand, Étienne asked the new vassals he had brought from Laterre to join the Craft, and secretly taught them more than a few tricks in Alchemy, giving them an edge over the other existing members.

When the last of the Batril-Grimoard line died, it was easy for Étienne's most powerful follower, Dame Geneviève de Sephora, Countess of Touraine, to take the position of High Mistress of Alchemy, which she still keeps today.

Members of the Craft

High Masters of Alchemy

Famous Alchemists of the Past

Rana Gabranza, Baroness of Egorn. She was the first Belcadizan elf to join the Craft, and was instrumental in uncovering the treachery of the false High Mistress of Alchemy Maria Lamoza.

Harald von Graustein, Baron of Adlerturm. He refined the magical process of creating magical constructs, harnessing lightning from thunderstorms as a source of great natural power. His techniques are still used by his descendants today.

Recent and Present Members

Author: Giampaolo Agosta