One of the most scholarly of the magical traditions, Alchemy stands at the crossroads of science and the supernatural.

The methods at the heart of the tradition become known through observation and experimentation, all in an effort to understand the fundamental properties of things. Not content with the limitations of science for affecting change in the world, the pioneers of the tradition supplemented their work by harnessing magical energies to expedite their experiments and to produce unusual concoctions.

All the early alchemical work sought to achieve major objectives: turn base metals into gold, restore life to the dead, and tease out the secrets of immortality. Over the centuries, students of the tradition have enjoyed some success in achieving their objectives, and the most powerful spells can do all these things and more. Such knowledge has come with a terrible price, however. Many alchemists poisoned themselves by handling toxic chemicals, created abominations that eventually tore them to pieces, or simply vanished in explosions when they used the wrong formula.

The inherent secrecy in the art of alchemy combined with its well-deserved reputation for being a dangerous tradition to explore have made alchemists unpopular throughout the Empire, even though well-moneyed nobles enlist their services from time to time. Thus, most alchemists have withdrawn from the Empire to settle in Lij, where knowledge is valued and people have the freedom to push against the boundaries of what magic can do.