Alchemy (cWOD)

Overview
Alchemy is the science, art, and study of the transformation of the base and unholy into the pure and sacred. It is the center are Hermetic students, holy words of the Kabbalah and the Quran, spiritual secrets from Asia, and an inherent assumption on the perfectibility of things, often tied up with a good dose of Christian doctrines and heresies. Though it is sometimes thought to be Western, Renaissance magic, its roots spread throughout Asia Minor, Europe, and China where it is known as Tan, is closely tied to Wu Kent, and goes back at least 2000 years.

The Alchemist
The Alchemist believes that all things in the world can be transformed or purified into a higher essence. He or she seeks the Philosopher Stone which can transform lead to gold, give eternal life, raise the dead, and many other wondrous deeds. An Alchemist could easily spend a lifetime trying to separate truth from the legends, lies, and myths that are wrapped up in the Lore he or she studies. And so they don't try. Instead they tend to experiment and analyze what works for them, painstakingly measuring their results of each test for new understanding or way forward to the Philosopher Stone. Either that or they spend years apprenticed to a more advanced practitioner and learn their craft by rote. By the purification of things, however, the ultimate end for the Alchemist is the purification of humanity and the pursuit of spiritual perfection.

Variations

 * Herbalism and Brewing: Some practitioners' art involves the use of natural properties of various plants and animal parts ranging from common weeds to exotic, mystical components, to enhance the natural processes of the human body. These effects may seem magical to untrained eyes but the herbalist or brewer knows they are only examples of what the human body is capable of when given the proper motivation reinforced with the power of the natural world.
 * Advanced Chemistry: Science and its practitioners don't even think of it as being magic at all. The Advanced Chemist uses techniques used in mundane chemistry but, because of their heightened understanding of the foundations, they are capable of much more impressive results. Some practitioners use chemical formulae and processes currently unknown to their less-advanced counterparts or use known methods in new and unique ways. Some may even use nanotech or DNA/RNA resequencing.