The Alchemy Guilds

Alchemy is the scientific study and development of new technology in the world of Black Skies. Anyone can learn alchemy, though many who devote their lives to it join one of the five Alchemy Guilds (Rivets, Sparks, Apoths, Ethers, and Mediums).

The modern Guilds of Black Skies are the hubs of alchemical innovation, and stand well in public opinion despite political climate due to their reputation as well as their accessibility to all classes. They are widely regarded as epicenters of free thinking, and any who wish to train under them are given free reign to any of the research done by previous Guild alchemists.

The Alchemy Guilds are completely self-sufficient, utilizing its members for mundane labor in addition to their research. Everyone is assigned a duty within the Guild: whether that be repairman, cook, secretary, recordskeeper, Archmaster staff member, or Guild Magistrate. With the exception of major positions (see Hierarchy Within the Alchemy Guilds), these duties are given by the Guild's Master of Assignments, though requests may be submitted for replacement. While Guild members are not required to give up family, lands, or titles, those that have significant holdings are under the scrutiny of their Guild's Master of Rulings, who may revoke their membership and status if found in neglect of their Guild duties.

The Alchemical Institute & the Age of Steam
While people have always sought new ways of improving their lives, the alchemical process was reserved for the rich and well-funded until the Age of Steam in 1329 AE, after the invention of the steam engine by Denis Papin. The ubiquitous, cheap nature of coal and the simplicity of steam made them an easy choice, and many enterprising individuals of all social classes began to dabble in alchemy, using steam as their main source of energy.It still wasn't enough, however; tools and laboratory instruments were still much too expensive and rare for every alchemist to purchase individually. A few alchemists began to unite in the form of small businesses, offering technological advancements and using shared profits to buy the resources they needed to compete on the cutting edge of innovation. It would not be until 1344 AE that the businesses began to band together to form a group meant to sort their customers' requests into specialties, as well as support each other between failed projects. This first conglomerate was dubbed "The Alchemical Institute," and featured a way to provide technological solutions to any problem. As the Alchemical Institute grew in renown, more aspiring alchemists joined its ranks, and it was no surprise that in 1352 AE the Institute was behind the invention of the first commercial steam turbine. Following a successful test of the first steam turbine engine on a ship down the Lorelei River, the Institute's popularity skyrocketed and not long after, people began to appear at the Alchemical Institute headquarters at Rougia in 1353 AE seeking training in the fields of alchemy. After several of the businesses informally adopted several gifted personnel as possible associates, the Institute officially began to accept "apprentices" in their disciplines in 1355 AE, with their headquarters acting as an administrative building, a training facility, and reference storage.

The Rise of the Rivet Union
At first the Institute was headed by the Alchemist Council, made up of the leaders of each business that made up a part of the Alchemical Institute. As more alchemists and businesses joined, however, inflating the council numbers to in the dozens, this soon became impractical, even more so when more disciplines than mechanical alchemy (the first discipline, which deals with machinery and was founded with the invention of the steam engine) arose. To consolidate, the businesses dealing with mechanical alchemy joined together as a union in 1378 AE and chose a single person to represent them at the council: Rhiannon "Rivet" Roelandt.

Described as wiry and impossibly tall, Roelandt was well-known as one of the most brilliant mechanical alchemists of her time, eventually having her alias become the namesake of the Rivet Guild. She brought to the council ideas on how to best train and utilize their newest recruits, proposing the first form of the journeyman system in 1384 AE.

By 1395 AE, the Rivet Union eventually grew to be so large an entity that they purchased the Alchemical Institute headquarters in Rougia (then on loan from the Kingdom of Varenth) for their own, and the Alchemist Council was moved to a new building in the Varenth capital of Syndulla. Jealous of the autonomy gained by the Rivet Union, other disciplines followed suit with their own Unions while the Institute maintained headquarters in Syndulla: Apoths (medicine) and Sparks (explosives) also taking residence in Syndulla in 1402 AE and 1417 AE, and Mediums (materials) and Ethers (chemicals) moving back to Rougia in 1434 AE and 1453 AE.

To facilitate better transfer of personnel and resources between the two halves of the Alchemical Institute, Institute alchemists worked closely with the people of Varenth to construct airdocks in both Rougia and Syndulla, with the first being completed in 1560 AE.

The Modern Guild Structure
In 1563 AE, the Alchemical Institute underwent a massive organizational change to adapt to their steadily growing success. In addition to the establishment of what would be known as the modern Guild structure, the Institute was also renamed "The Alchemy Guilds," to better describe the coming together of various alchemical disciplines. Though many consider Roelandt to be the first unofficial Magistrate, Alchemy Guild records show the first Guild Magistrate to be Archmaster Apoth Adélard Fevere, who was elected in 1564 AE.

With the development of ironclads in 1582 AE by the Rivet and Medium Alchemy Guilds, and their successful weaponization by the Spark Alchemy Guild in 1585 AE, the Guilds now found themselves needing to expand once again. Seeking target audiences away from the safety of Varenth, each Guild chartered a flagship Guild Chapter in nearly every world power. A Master of the alchemical discipline was assigned to head each new flagship chapter, with smaller branch chapters of mixed disciplines scattered in the gaps between.

The Marriage of Man & Machine
While many notable inventions were created within the halls of the Alchemy Guilds over the years, the ones that drew the most interest concerned that which involved human beings. Clockwork prosthetics were first introduced by the Rivet Guild in 1667 AE, but alchemists and users alike discovered that cheap materials caused the mechanical limbs to fall apart over time due to constant usage. In 1692 AE, the Medium Guild attempted to improve the quality of prosthetic parts, but often these modifications killed the user due to metal poisoning. Master Medium Oliver Lestat and his wife, Journeyman Apoth Chel, endeavored to negate the fatal issue in 1694 AE; while they succeeded, good quality prosthetics that didn't cause poison-induced death were exceedingly expensive to both purchase and maintain, and many poorer folk opted for cheaper, deadlier versions anyway. Arguably the greatest invention since the birth of the steam engine appeared in 1712 AE, when Guild Magistrate Charles André developed the first logika. Apprenticed briefly as a Medium but quickly converting disciplines to Rivet, André was known as blunt, uptight, and reclusive -- but undeniably gifted when it came to electricity and computers, to the point that many questioned if a scandal during his Medium Apprenticeship forced his conversion to the Rivet Guild. Whatever the reason for their invention, logikas were a massive, unprecedented step forward; the few alchemists closest to André's achievement struggled to create simple clockwork soldiers with preset commands, while logika seemingly had individual personalities, and acted on their own independent thoughts.

Because of their rudimentary bodies, however, it was easy for the general populace to deny sentience, so after over twenty years of perfecting his work (easing joint movement, improving speech capabilities) André had his understudy -- Journeyman Rivet Evelyn "Evie" Clarke, who was an Apprentice in the Apoth Guild before converting to a Rivet -- create more lifelike bodies for the logika in 1734 AE. While the machinery itself was easy for her, Evie enlisted the help of her husband at the time, Journeyman Medium Jacob Clarke, in creating a skin-like texture to overlay the metal skeleton she designed he called "selkie skyn." He managed to complete his work in 1737 AE but selkie skyn was difficult and expensive to manufacture, far more expensive than the entire rest of a logika's body, resulting in André only being able to cover parts of the logikas: usually the face, and the hands. Following her husband's death in 1738 AE from a tragic laboratory accident that left his attempt to make selkie skyn cheaper unfinished, Evie was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition that was expected to shorten her lifespan significantly. Determined to beat this illness, Evie threw herself into the project that would earn her Master Rivet status: the creation of the first clockwork organ, a heart, which was then used to replace her own in 1739 AE. Still riding the success of this groundbreaking project and upon the death of her predecessor, Evie went on to assume the title of Archmaster Rivet in 1740 AE.

Evie continued to aid in the manufacture of logikas with André, who refused to release their specifications to the public, until his death in December of 1742 AE. Despite her hand in the making of their bodies, Evie -- to this day -- has no idea how her Master was able to program the logika with such humanlike personalities.

Recent Events
After almost a month of plying the favors of the other Guild Archmasters, Evie was elected Guild Magistrate to replace André in 1743 AE at the startlingly young age of 37 -- much to their ire, though there was little else they could do short of killing her, as Guild Magistrates presided over the five Alchemy Guilds for life. Evie has since taken up residence in the Magistrate quarters at the Alchemy Guilds Main Estate in Syndulla, Varenth, otherwise known as the Hub.

The upcoming World's Fair of 1744 is the first chance for her to prove herself on a global scale, both with her first large public appearance as the Guild Magistrate and with the release of her latest project: the specifications for a host of clockwork organs, ready for commercial manufacture.

Ranking & Seniority
Within the Guilds, respect is given to those of higher rank (Apprentices, Journeymen-Younger, Journeymen-Senior, Master, Guildmaster, Archmaster, Guild Magistrate), and between peers of the same rank respect is deferred to those with more years of experience in that rank. This respect within rank is informal, however, and often disregarded altogether -- especially by those who have understudied together as Apprentices or Journeymen. The most common display of respect is between Master and Understudy (either a Journeyman-Apprentice or a Master-Journeyman), though the relationship is flexible and often encompasses something akin to teacher-student or parent-child. Romantic relationships between alchemists of different ranks is highly discouraged, and to that effect a romantic relationship between Master and Understudy is grounds for a disciplinary trial before the Guild Magistrate.

Guild Rivalries
Traditionally the Guilds encourage friendly rivalries between alchemists of the same rank as well as between the Guilds themselves, but they are monitored to ensure it does not grow animosity; as the Alchemy Guilds thrive on their ability to cooperate with each other, anything that jeopardizes that mindset is grounds for disciplinary trial. The Guild structure does, however, encourage productive challenges between other alchemists, believing that competition is necessary for progress.One of the most famous Guild rivalries is that between Rivets and Mediums, started when the Rivet Alchemy Guild outbid the Mediums for the chance to build their Flagship Guild Chapter in Gilatria.

Personal Lives
Individuality is a hallmark of the Alchemy Guilds, and as such only Apprentices are required to wear the Guild uniform at all times while on Guild chapter grounds or performing duties as an official representative of the Alchemy Guilds. Guild uniforms are otherwise mostly ceremonial, reserved for special occasions such as chapter-wide lectures or high-visibility public events. When not performing Guild duties, all Guild alchemists are allowed to wear what they like, and most have taken to coming up with inventive ways of showing their Guild loyalty with designs and wearable hardware crafted simply for show. More creative outfits lend an air of showmanship, often attracting more customers when they are especially memorable.

Guild alchemists are allowed to own businesses, provided that it does not interfere with their Guild duties. Every Guild alchemist is assigned a job intended to help their Guild run on a day-to-day basis, as payment for access to the Alchemy Guilds' vast resources. All resources, however, are only to be used for alchemy projects -- both personal and assigned -- and Guild alchemists found to be abusing their access can be brought to disciplinary trial.

Basic Overview
The Alchemy Guilds have two chains of command for each of the five disciplines: an administrative chain, and an operational chain. Administrative chains provide leadership for regulations, assignments, and Guild-wide tasking, whereas operational chains handle immediate discipline, non-trial worthy disputes, and day-to-day running of their chapter building.

It must be noted that within the administrative chain, Guildmasters of Flagship and Branch Chapters have no official say in any disciplinary trial or in alchemy project assignments; these matters are handled by the Guild Triad (Archmaster, Master of Rulings, and Master of Assignments) of each discipline, though they receive notification of any trial or assignment for Guild alchemists stationed at their chapter building. In addition, the Archmaster is considered the Guildmaster of each Guild's Headquarters building, located in Varenth.

The Administrative Chain

 * 1) Guild Magistrate (1) [comes with staff]
 * 2) * _____ Guild Triad
 * 3) *# Archmaster _____ (5, 1 per discipline) [comes with staff]
 * 4) *## Master _____ (capped at 15 per discipline, globally)
 * 5) *## Journeyman _____
 * 6) *## Apprentice _____
 * 7) *# _____ Master of Rulings (5, 1 per discipline) [comes with staff]
 * 8) *# _____ Master of Assignments (5, 1 per discipline) [comes with staff]
 * 9) * Master Ranking Council Member (3)
 * 10) * Journeyman Ranking Council Member (3)

The Operational Chain

 * 1) Guild Magistrate (1) [comes with staff]
 * 2) * Archmaster _____ (5, 1 per discipline) [comes with staff]
 * 3) *# Master _____ (capped at 3 within the chapter)
 * 4) *# Journeyman _____
 * 5) *# Apprentice _____
 * 6) * _____ Flagship Chapter Guildmaster (5, 1 per discipline) [comes with staff]
 * 7) *# Master _____ (capped at 3 within the chapter)
 * 8) *# Journeyman _____
 * 9) *# Apprentice _____
 * 10) * [Location] Branch Chapter Guildmaster
 * 11) *# Master _____ (capped at 1 per discipline within the chapter) [comes with staff]
 * 12) *# Journeyman _____
 * 13) *# Apprentice _____

Advancement Within the Journeyman System

 * Aspiring Apprentices should be between 7-20 years of age, and must name a Journeyman willing to take them on and teach them their chosen discipline. If the Journeyman is a Journeyman-younger, the Apprentice must accompany them during their Guild chapter move. Apprentices may change disciplines at any time as long as they are taken on by a Journeyman in that discipline, but upon doing so their Journeyman portfolio is thrown out and begun anew.
 * Apprentices may apply to be considered for Journeyman by the Journeyman Ranking Council upon conclusion of their first personal project, but do not necessarily make board on that project alone. They are judged on their Journeyman portfolio, which must include number of projects completed (at least 5), difficulty of completed projects (project difficulty level 6 or higher), and their Journeyman's recommendation. The Apprentice-to-Journeyman timeline averages about 8-10 years. If an Apprentice fails to make board by 10 years, their membership and status in that discipline is revoked, and they must either choose a new discipline or leave the Alchemy Guilds entirely.Alchemist.jpg
 * The Journeyman Ranking Council convenes on the 15th day of every month, to screen Journeyman applicants. Once Apprentices have made board for Journeyman, they only assume the rank if they are taken on by a Master in their chosen discipline apart from their Apprentice Guild chapter, at which time they become a Journeyman-younger.
 * Journeyman-youngers are required to transfer to another Guild chapter for minimum 3 years. Upon completion of the three years, they assume the title of Journeyman-senior and are allowed to change Masters and Guild chapters as they wish, though they cannot change disciplines, must never be without a Master in their discipline, and must always be stationed at the Guild chapter of their Master.
 * While experience is important, the Master Ranking Council recognize that the world is filled with brilliant minds; Journeyman-seniors begin screening for Master as soon as they complete their chapter transfer and assume the title of Journeyman-senior. Aspiring Masters are judged on their Master Portfolio, which must include a capstone project (project difficulty level 11 or higher), quantity of Apprentices trained (at least 5), quantity of Apprentices ranked to Journeyman (at least 3), and any major duties held. The Journeyman-to-Master timeline averages about 10-20 years.
 * With capped numbers for Masters in each discipline, Master Ranking screenings are extremely tough and the rate of making board varies year-to-year. Once a Master, however, you may apply for special duties such as Ranking Councils, Guildmaster of a Flagship Chapter or Branch Chapter, or part of the Guild Triads -- all of which are hand-selected by the Guild Magistrate -- or any of their staff members, which are chosen by the applicable Master.
 * The Guild Magistrate is elected by the Archmasters of the five Alchemy Guilds upon the death of the previous Magistrate, by majority vote, on the condition that they are unable to vote for themselves. Because of this, Magistrates are either chosen because of political power and/or (more often) life expectancy.

The Nine Tenets of the Guild Alchemist
The first thing that every Guild alchemist is taught as an Apprentice is the Nine Tenets of the Guild Alchemist: Three Promises to Guild, Three Promises to Sponsor, and Three Promises to Self (otherwise known colloquially as "The Nine Tenets"). Guild Alchemists are expected to uphold the Nine Tenets throughout their entire membership, and violations of such can be brought up to the Master of Rulings for their Guild -- or even higher -- for disciplinary trial and possible expulsion from the Guild.
 * 1) Your Guild is your family. Always protect your fellow alchemist before anyone else.
 * 2) Your Guild is your home. Treat all aspects of it with a respectful, yet questioning attitude. Rebuke insults in favor of positive critique.
 * 3) Your Guild is not perfect. Understand that aspects can always be improved, and never stop moving towards a better future to benefit all.
 * 4) A Guild alchemist will never refuse a paying customer based on nation, race, class, or employment.
 * 5) A Guild alchemist will never reveal the identity of a non-Guild sponsor, or the nature of any non-personal work.
 * 6) A Guild alchemist will always carry a project to completion unless there is a breach of contract from either party, at which time the contract will be cancelled or reevaluated by their Guild's Master of Rulings.
 * 7) Hold knowledge as your creed; progress is above all politics and reputation.
 * 8) Hold sentient life as sacred; the continuation of a self-aware life is worth more than your work.
 * 9) Hold your alchemy as your purpose; it will reflect credit upon yourself, your Guild, and your fellow alchemists.

Varenth
Varenth has long held a proud tradition of supporting the Alchemy Guilds in all matters. Though the Guilds are an international organization, their origin and continued strong presence in Varenth has led the royal Sordeau family to proclaim it a key pillar in Varenth's success and prosperity. As a result, the Alchemy Guilds have more leeway in the law than usual, and often enjoy donations from the Kingdom to finish projects whose original sponsors have abandoned.

Arrakanium
Alchemy, like all other industries in the Arrakanium Empire, is state-owned. The Guilds themselves were driven out after the Ulthian annexation, with any remaining alchemists in the country being conscripted into the "Imperial Academy of Alchemical Excellence": a combined school and research center with the responsibility of training new alchemists and completing research projects for the government. Many of their experienced alchemists, cut-off from the network of the Alchemy Guilds, work on outdated notions and incomplete information.

Arrakanium remains on less-than-friendly terms with the Guilds, as they are outlawed in the Empire and most Guild alchemists found within its borders are either executed or pressed into service.

Dorminia
The Union States of Dorminia have a tense and tumultuous relationship with the Alchemy Guilds, which often varies from administration to administration. Prior to 1678, the country granted many incentives for the Guilds to invest, but following the Bloody Sunday -- a day where the Union States and the Medium Guild Flagship Chapter nearly broke into war -- the relationship has been cold, official, and sometimes (depending on the Prime Minister) downright hostile. Despite much posturing, nowadays the Union States takes little action against the Alchemy Guilds, besides the occasional regulatory restrictions.

Gilatria
As the first of the nations to accept the establishment of a Guild Flagship Chapter, Gilatria enjoys the business-centric mind of the Alchemy Guilds and perpetually welcomes the economic influx brought by their projects. Because of this, they have a very good relationship with the strong Rivet Guild Flagship Chapter as well as with the current Guild Magistrate, who frequents there often to visit her fellow Rivets.

Briece
Reliant on the Ethers Guild Flagship Chapter for the continued innovation in the world of beauty and glamour, Briece regularly donates to the Ethers guild, forming a symbiotic relationship in the process. In particular, House Firavanti and Bacchante are loyal patrons and business partners of the guild. While other Houses, like House Orederchi, Desica, and Tornatore resent the Ethers Guild because they waste important resources on make-up and other frilly things, and would rather allot resources for more useful technological advancements.

Cyren
The Spark Guild Flagship Chapter found their home in Cyren in 1619 amidst a growing culture of exploration and mystery. Being a land of fairly unknown origin, the Sparks found themselves in a unique position to work alongside both the city's leadership and her people to further everyone's goals. As of 1744 their presence in Cyren is known and respected for their unique and exotic work, as their current Guildmaster turns his alchemists' research towards the native cultures and ancient stories of power throughout Alkebu, believing that there must be some truth to the legends that could be used for the advancement of weaponry and explosives.

Significant Developments & Inventions
All inventions are listed with the discipline involved in their creation.
 * 1352 AE - (Rivet) The commercial steam turbine.
 * 1358 AE - (Spark) The matchlock & the musket.
 * 1367 AE - (Rivet) Rudimentary hydraulics.
 * 1404 AE - (Ether) Modern perfume & complex scent-making.
 * 1421 AE - (Rivet) The automated printing press.
 * 1463 AE - (Rivet, Apoth) The rudimentary microscope.
 * 1493 AE - (Rivet) The automated power loom.
 * 1522 AE - (Apoth) Human blood transfusion.
 * 1541 AE - (Medium) The coke-fired blast furnace.
 * 1555 AE - (Rivet) The steam-powered airship.
 * 1564 AE - (Ether) Non-lethal zinc-oxide facial powder.
 * 1579 AE - (Apoth) The use of anethesia.
 * 1582 AE - (Rivet, Medium, Spark) The ironclad.
 * 1585 AE - (Spark) The naval mine.
 * 1596 AE - (Medium, Ether) Synthetic dyes.
 * 1601 AE - (Spark) The revolver.
 * 1612 AE - (Spark) The gattling gun.
 * 1615 AE - (Ether) Synthetic fertilizer.
 * 1624 AE - (Ether) Electrochemistry & the chemical battery.
 * 1634 AE - (Apoth) The stethoscope.
 * 1648 AE - (Apoth) The smallpox vaccine.
 * 1657 AE - (Medium) The telegraph (limited to any mapped city within the region).
 * 1667 AE - (Rivet) The clockwork prosthetic.
 * 1680 AE - (Medium) The difference engine.
 * 1690 AE - (Medium) The telephone (limited to calls within the city).
 * 1703 AE - (Medium) The rudimentary computer processor.
 * 1712 AE - (Rivet, Medium) The logika.
 * 1737 AE - (Medium) Selkie Skyn.
 * 1739 AE - (Rivet, Apoth) The clockwork heart.