History Main / AlchemyIsMagic

* In NealStephenson's ''TheBaroqueCycle'', the practice of alchemy is a major plot thread. Daniel considers it hogwash, Isaac studies it intensely and considers it just as valid as science, and a good many nobles dabble in it just because it's the cool thing to do. Enoch the Red is a famous alchemist with a scientific bent, [[spoiler:and then Enoch whips out some ''Elixir Vitae'' and brings Daniel and Isaac BackFromTheDead.

** Hiromu has [[ShownTheirWork shown her work]]. Fullmetal Alchemist includes various alchemical symbols: the cross and snake on Edward's cloak, armor-Alphonse's left shoulder, and Izumi's left collarbone is actually called a flamel (named after the famous real world alchemist Nicholas Flamel); the Oroborus tattoo the homunculi have, in alchemy, represents the snake eating itself-the perfect being; as stated above, the Philosopher's stone was also the goal of many alchemists.

* This is the basic premise of ''ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis'' and its sequel, ''Fall of Alchemy'', as well as the mother series, ''AtelierIris''.

* In the {{Wizardry}} series of games, Alchemy is one of four schools of magic along Wizardry, Divinity and Psionics.

*** And yes, you can do [[FullMetalAlchemist Edwards trick of shooting rock spikes out of the ground]] [[AwesomeButImpractical It just requires that you do pretty good on the rolls...Which take 30 minutes each. You can also make Lead or something into Gold, but that's even harder to do and gets almost impossible if you try to make large (read: Valuable) amounts all at once]] The main factor that limits Second Sighters is that their powers take forever to pull off, but when they DO work...They don't have to deal with any of that nasty [[MageTheAwakening Paradox or Abyssal beasties wanting to eat their faces]] and are usually pretty useful if you get the timing and situation right. And to make things more interesting, Proximi (Half-awake Mages who are more attuned to Magic then sleepwalkers, at the cost of a [[Curse]] ) can learn Second Sight tricks too. Meaning they have access to both [[OhCrap Kinds of magic, albeit the Awakened magic they can use is pretty limited, but still potentially deadly]]

* The 1711 immortals of ''Literature/{{Baccano}}!'' were originally alchemists. At one point, a couple of them are seen reciting from the Emerald Tablet. They used alchemy to summon a demon to achieve the Elixir of Life.

* Baron Alexander in ''AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'' practices an extremely disturbing form of alchemy, subjecting people to horrible tortures to extract mystical ''vitae'' from their bodies, to extend his life and fuel a process to open a portal between the worlds.

*** Other than a few symbols, her version of magic is alchemy-in-name-only. ''The entire premise'' can be destroyed by taking into account that alchemy is a completely '''''inorganic''''' science. Therefore: no reviving Mom, no traumatized Scar, and no hommunculi. And is she actually took the time to even, I don't know, check the Wikipedia page for a few minutes, she would've known this.

* ''TeamFortress2'' gives us the material known as Australium, which has similar effects. At first glance, it looks like an average gold bar (and indeed is speculated to be the material the Golden Wrench is made out of, which turns people to gold), but prolonged exposure to it instead gradually [[TestosteronePoisoning turns the wielder Australian, eventually growing a mustache, finding a taste for beer, growing gradually more muscular, and growing geographically-shaped chest hair.]]

*** The ''alkahestry'' of [[FarEast Xing]] uses ley lines originating from mountains.

* Harry uses alchemy occasionally in ''TheDresdenFiles'', usually when his regular magic isn't enough (which happens rarer and rarer as the series progresses).

* ''DwarfFortress'' has an Alchemy skill that was originally used for producing soap. There's now unintentional alchemy - turning everything from platinum to [[spoiler:adamantine]] into iron goblets - but that is what we call a "bug".

* ''GoldenSun'', where Alchemy is the force responsible for people possessing ElementalPowers, and which [[spoiler:the world ''requires'' in order to not [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt wither away into nothing]]]].

*** [[spoiler:The most recently invented method of alchemy was that of [[DarkSkinnedBlond Ishval]], described as a combination of Amestrian and Xingese alchemy.]]

*** The most recently invented method of alchemy was that of [[DarkSkinnedBlond Ishval]], described as a combination of Amestrian and Xingese alchemy.

* {{Xenosaga}} references the four stages of the Magnum Opus with the characters Nigredo, Albedo, Citrine (Citrinitas), and Rubedo.

* The 1711 immortals of ''{{Baccano}}!'' were originally alchemists. At one point, a couple of them are seen reciting from the Emerald Tablet. They used alchemy to summon a demon to achieve the Elixir of Life.

* Alchemy is also a profession in ''WorldOfWarcraft,'' although its primary use is in producing drugs -- I mean, restorative and buff potions. At higher levels you can transmute gems into more valuable gems and metals into more valuable metals -- including, yes, iron into gold. On most servers, however, iron is more valuable than gold anyway, making it a waste of a daily cooldown.

* In ''StarWars'', there exists [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sith_Alchemy Sith Alchemy]], a school of TheDarkSide that combines the Force teachings of the Dark Jedi with ancient Sith Sorcery. It involves transmutation of weapons and creatures, as well as [[{{Necromancer}} necromancy]] and (as mastered by Darth Plagueis) the ability to create life. It is considered by the Jedi to be the ultimate perversion of TheForce.

* ''FateZero'', and by extension ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/stay night]]'', reveals that the Einzbern family specializes in alchemy, which is how they were able to produce homonculi and the Holy Grail's body itself.

* ''FullmetalAlchemist''. In this universe, turning rocks into gold is a simple (albeit illegal) alchemic procedure, but the Philosopher's stone, and immortality along with it, is still being sought. Interestingly, they use the scientific elements, the ones listed in our real-world periodic table, rather than the four classical elements of earth, water, wind and fire.

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'' has some references to alchemy--at the end of Volume 21, ''KenAkamatsu'' [[ShownTheirWork shows his work]] with a quite detailed depiction of the history of alchemy and its relationship with the 1,000,000 drachma 'ixir'.

* ''FateZero'', and by extension ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/stay night]]'' reveals that the Einzbern family specializes in alchemy, which is how they were able to produce homonculi and the Holy Grail's body itself.

* In ''MeltyBlood'', Sion is a "mental" alchemist. While she does comment on how traditional alchemy is derived from seeking higher and higher levels of the physical (lead into gold, the body into the body eternal), her branch of alchemy seeks higher and higher brain capacity.

* {{Haunting Ground}} gives us alchemists in search of Azoth which should grant them immortality. Golems and homunculus also exist around the castle.