A chapter from the author directly to the audience-

This chapter is to set forth some expectations and rules about the alchemy system of this universe. Should I ever diverge from the guidelines and/or rules set by this chapter, I strongly encourage an uproar in the comments.

Alchemy in this universe can be considered similar to cooking in a broader sense.

Ingredients not only need to be properly prepared, but they must also be mixed in the proper steps. Cooking or chilling also must be done depending on what it is that needs to be produced. Different ingredients will express different 'flavors' depending on the way they are prepared or cooked.

Take an egg as an example. How many different ways are there to cook them? Even without adding anything else to the mix, the difference between scrambled eggs, poached eggs, and eggs cooked sunny side up are clear to see, feel, and most importantly, taste.

Alchemy for this novel will also follow this train of thought, with rather generous exaggerations, distortions, and additions. For the most part, the train of thought for most alchemical recipes I introduce will be along those lines.

A fruit that is dried before being added to a recipe will exert different characteristics than that same fruit being pickled, fermented, or even added without a change.

Certain grasses will be more potent when squeezed free of juices at the cost of them being able to make less of a product while the reverse will happen should they be soaked.

Bones, if used, will give off different effects depending on which bit is used. Marrow will be more 'nutritious' in it's effects while having a trade off of being harder to handle. The outer layer may be less effective, but may be preferable to the marrow if the final recipe is rather difficult to complete anyways. A trade-off of potency for guaranteed results. They may even have different uses entirely.

Much the same as cooking, this novel will avoid making everything a pill like the plague. Certain things may certainly need to be made into pills, ones that assist in cultivation or driving off poison certainly make the most sense. However, if something's effect is supposed to be medicinal or regenerative, then it will be in a form that makes a fair amount of sense for the situation. The Soul Formula that Merri developed and the salve that she will be making are key examples of this.

A bigger idea behind the Soul Formula was that it was something that needed to be prescribed. If something would be harmful if consumed it too big a quantity but ineffective in a lower dosage, then something not in a uniform 'pill' size would be needed. ESPECIALLY, if the person who needed to do the rationing is not an alchemist themselves (Jamie is a good example, but he still screwed up).

Another divergence from the typical pill concoction process is that the ingredients won't always have to be "cooked" in order to reach their final state.

Just like you wouldn't put Jell-O in the oven to get the finished product, you won't put an ingredient in a furnace that is just going to wither and disappear once it hits room temperature.

That concludes Alchemy 101.