Matias’s Practical Alchemy 101 [Windermere]

July 4, 2025

Date: 2025-07-03 20:02

(Matias’s Practical Alchemy 101 [Windermere])

[Thu Jul 3 2025]

A Musty Basement Seminar Room/span>/spanThe Plymouth Seminar Room occupies a windowless corner of the basement, its
low ceiling supported by exposed pipes that occasionally emit soft clicking
sounds as they expand and contract. Fluorescent lights cast an uneven glow
across rows of wooden chairs with attached writing tablets, their surfaces
marked by decades of student use. The walls, painted institutional beige,
display water stains near the corners where moisture has seeped through the
foundation. A heavy wooden table sits at the front of the room, its dark
surface reflecting the overhead lights in distorted patterns. The air carries
a persistent mustiness despite the ventilation grates set into the walls, and
the temperature remains several degrees cooler than the floors above. Cork
boards line one wall, their surfaces dotted with faded announcements and
peculiar symbols drawn in chalk that seem to shift slightly in peripheral
vision. The door, reinforced with a small wire-glass window, closes with a
weight that suggests its age and the settling of the building around it./span>/spanIt is about 60F(15C) degrees. The mist is heaviest At King and Lake/span>/spanKai sets his backpack in the seat Jenny doesn’t take that’s next to him in order to save it,” he looks to the front of the class and nods a couple of times at Matias, his hazel eyes bright as he straightens and sets his phone screen down on his thigh while he listens to the man, “Ooooh um… the most common use is maybe brewing false memory potions?” he asks.

Lana smiles as she turns to the class upon introduction “Hello everyone, I’m Lana Thompson and I’m one of the new therapists here at Winderemere. I’m super stoked to meet you all, and when you have a chance drop by my office.” she says with an enthusiastic cheer.

Lola lifts her eyes to Kai with a faint smile on her lips, though she remains silent as she takes her seat near the front of the class. There’s a certain darkness, a malignant nature to her grin as she observes her phone, but otherwise the girl is as bubbly and sweet as she always is. The only difference is that she doesn’t raise her hand to eagerly answer questions for this class. She only scribbles down her notes and remains politely silent.

Looking over curiously at Lana as the woman is introduced, Eloa stays near the back of the class with Jasper. There’s a slightly dreamy look to Eloa and her cheeks are slightly flushed.

Matias points the chalk at Kai after Lana has the opportunity to introduce herself, “Mister Ashford is correct, the most common modern use of alchemy is memory alteration either repression or creation.” he agrees turning to the blackboard and writing MEMORY MODIFICATION beneath PRACTICAL ALCHEMY. “Now who here can tell me of repression and creation which of the two forms of alchemical modification is considered more permanent than the other?” those slate-grey eyes turn to the class once more, expectant.

Ticking into the room, Elliot grumbles as he settles into a seat, taking out a ball-point pen and a note-book instead of his usual phone and stylus pair. His eyes lift as he settles and his gaze shifts upward, hand raising.

Nemi simply listens as she pulls out a fresh gray notebook, turning the page to mark something down as she nods softly

Kai presses his lips together and out, like a guppy, then sucks them back in and shakes his head at Matias’s question to the class, he looks around to see who else might have some idea, his lips push out again in some kind of facial tic that he repeats as he listens to the lecture.

Alhambra listens quietly herself for the moment, pulling out a pencil to use for note taking.

“It’s the creation of memories, that is permanent,” Elliot finally answers, refusing to be selected apparently. “Logically, even with more psychic implements, such as hypnosis, you can’t permanently shatter someone’s memory. It slowly comes back, if repressed.”

Matias in lieu of a quick volunteer the professor seems briefly distracted his gaze drifting over the class and then to the large desk between him and them before pointing at Elliot, “Mister Harrington, for being late a guess. Repression or Creation, which is the more permanent modification and why if you had to guess. Which you do.”

Repeating his answer, a little louder, Elliot announces, “Creation of memories is far more permanent. Repression, even with psychic implements, can slowly come back to one’s psyche. Creation doesn’t work this way, it doesn’t disappear.”

Lola bites down on her lower lip in frustration as the class goes on, a struggle between wanting to answer questions and being unable to due to her affliction. She seethes for a while, then distracts herself with her work, dutifully writing in her mushroom-shaped notebook with a grumpy expression.

Kai makes an O with his lips and nods to Elliot and Matias, he grins at Sophie, waving at her and lifts his backpack up from the seat beside him, Jenny is seated in the other chair that’s adjacent to him, he drops his backpack down between his feet and turns his gaze back to Matias, slipping an arm around Sophie’s shoulders.

Sophie walks in quietly and smiles as Kai frees up her space, she rubs a hand through her hair sleepily and nods to Matias.

Matias nods several times in agreement, “Correct. In addition it is notable that your average person supernatural or otherwise is incapable of resisting repression. That being said the are philosophical reasons and even scentific reasons that repression is resistable while creation is not.” turning back to the board he write to the right of MEMORY MODIFICATION with a little arrow SELF DECEPTION. “People lie to each other and themselves. When a person suffers short term memory loss they will often use visual cues to make up stories to explain things they have done or are doing. It is natural for the mind to tell itself stories.” as Sophie walks in the professor turns to consider the young woman before motioning to the seats in a somewhat sassy ‘by your leave’ to select a seat. “Miss Callum, Good evening. Can you tell us if Alchemy is used to modify memory and the most permanent form of modification is memory creation instead of repression. What is the most common use of alchemical memory modification amongst supernaturals?”

Lana glances up from her phone, tapping out a few things onto it as she keeps her attention on someone, pensive expression forming.

Lana glances up from her phone, tapping out a few things onto it as she keeps her attention on Matias, pensive expression forming.

Sophie turns slightly pale and stammers slightly as Matias, “I..I..” She inhales, “I uhm, I w-would assume maybe.. using it with emotional shifting. Instead of erasing a memory, alchemists change how it feels. Like making fear feel like confidence, or guilt feel like pride.” She glances around, “Or, I’m wrong. I just think erasing memories leaves gaps. But if you keep the memory and just change the feeling, people usually don’t notice.”

Matias briefly pulls a vibrating phone out of his blazer pocket and considers the screen before tucking it away again with his attention refocusing on the class.

Sophie slinks into her seat awkwardly and exhales.

Lifting a hand, Elliot glances over at Matias, waiting patiently.

“Incorrect.” Matias replies in a matter-of-fact delivery. “The most common form of alchemy is memory repression. Outside of New Haven there is a general desire to hide the paranormal from the unaware.” a brief look towards Lana as he speaks before continuing addressing the room. “Thus repression is the most common use of alchemy since it can be taught and does not need to be an innate power given by bloodline or other means. As I noted the average person will not resist memory repression and those that can it will take time and give organizations the ability to fabricate countering evidence. Now in New Haven where supernatural things are blatant and we have an active Volcano in Redstone, yes creation or modification will be more common because we have no need to obscure knowledge of the supernatural.” putting the chalk down for a moment he walks up to his desk and gets out a mortar and pestle along with several jars of herbs. “Alchemy like Ritualism is metaphysical rather than scientific. Intent and method matter more than recipes. Questions so far?”

Matias points out Elliot, “Mister Harrington.”

“Forgive me Professor,” Elliot tells Matias with a slight frown. “I was just going to answer that question. You’ve answered it, so… I suppose I’ll wait for the next question.”

Sophie sighs and softly facepalms, listening and makingq uiet mental notes.

Kai lifts his hand up and says, “With memory potions do they have to be drunk or could you like, inject someone with it?” he asks and lowers his hand, his head tilted a bit as he pushes out his lips in thought.

Nemi shakes her head softly as she starts rapidly writing many notes, absorbing and transcribing the information into her notebook with a soft smile.

Jasper raises his hand as he looks at Matias. “Does the effects of alchemy like repressing memories depends on the person with how long?”

Eloa frowns as little as she listens to something but sighs as she sends off a text then turns her attention back to someone.

Eloa frowns as little as she listens to something but sighs as she sends off a text then turns her attention back to Matias.

Kai says “You’re right.“

Kai lifts his sleeve to his mouth and turns his head to murmur into it, offering Matias an apologetic smile when he’s done.

“You can force alchemical solutions onto people yes Mister Ashford.” Matias begins to answer and then nods to Jasper while unscrewing the lids of the jars. It looks like one jar is full of foxglove, the other henbane, and the third Elfwort. “Yes memory suppression is time based for those that can resist it. The stronger the will or the supernatural power of the individual the shorter the repression is likely to last.” he begins to take a little of this and a little of that tossing it into the mortar to begin pestel. “I had planned on demonstrating a memory potion on someone but unfortunately I did not have time to access an alchemical laboratory. So I will demonstrate the creation of a base using traditional alchemy while continuing the class.” he explains while beginning to grind down the dried plants into a fine dust. “Besides memories what can alchemy be used for in a broader arcane sense? Historical what was it known for?”

“Turning metal into gold?” Eloa calls out softly from the back of the class to show she hasn’t fallen asleep. Yet anyways

Kai nods in agreement with Eloa, “Probably that or potions of eternal youth, that kind of thing. Which I don’t know if that even exists, but that was what it was historically popular for anyway.”

Nemi raises a hand and calls out. “The creation of Medicinal and Illicit drugs?” she asks curiously with a smile.

“Correct. Transmutation of metal to gold.” Matias agrees with Eloa and while continuing to methodically grind the dried plants into a finer and finer powder he continues, “Historically Alchemy is known for the Tree of Life, the Philosopher’s stone, and the transmutation of metal into Gold.” and when Nemi chimes in there is a slow nod, “In modernity alchemy is used to make many supernatural derived drugs but historically more poisons.”

Alhambra continues to listen attentively enough to the lecture, her pencil moving quickly as she writes down more notes as the class goes on.

Lana fidgets with her phone a bit as she periodically looks up to Matias with a strained look.

Sophie takes notes, leaning on Kai a little bit more while getting comfortable.

Matias finishes producing an almost airborne dust like sand powder from the contents and sets the pestel aside and turns back to the board. “A very accurate depiction of Alchemy is ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. I normally do not recommend reading but it is an excellent book. Fictional of course.” he writes THE ALCHEMIST – PAULO COELHO on the board before going over to the mortar and producing a stoppered vial of mercury from his bag. “Traditionally mercury is used in alchemy as liquid suspension but again it is like ritualism. Methodology is personal but traditional methods are reliable.”

Meanwhile, Lola continues to keep quietly to her side, writing in her notebook peacefully. She takes notes like a diligent little thing, scribbling in her book and ultimately keeping to herself.

Jenny simply writes down in a spiral notebook. Then between each text on the board she doodles on the same page around her notes.

Kai nods a couple of times at the book recommendation, peering at the man intently for the most part, though he does glance about the room at the others in attendance. In particular, he glances between Lana and Sophie for a moment before turning his gaze forward again.

Sophie glances at someone and smiles, looking down at her drawings curiously.

Sophie glances at Lana and smiles, looking down at her drawings curiously.

Matias unstoppers the vial of mercury and places it in a beaker holder and then pours the mortar onto a piece of white paper which he folds into a triangle funnel to pour into the mercury solution. “This is a memory of having a pet crow named Irwin who loved to bring you marbles and whom you recall as being your very bestest friend. The time of your life it would apply to and other unanswered questions would be automatically filled in by your unconscious mind and you would believe you once had a crow friend name Irwin. I could even amaze you by telling you he loved to bring you marbles something I should have no ability of knowing if it was a real memory. The practical demonstration was going to be using this on an unaware individual buuuuut.” he trails off and looks along the front row, “I still need to infuse this, as it is right now it is more likely to cause mercury poisoning than a memory modification.” he puts the stopper back onto the vial and continues, “Now Alchemy can be used to supplement ritualism, create drugs, and even attempt transmutation. There is also some evidence that Alchemy might be rudimentary to Fleshforming and Fatecrafting if the class remembers Occult History and the major arts of magic. Questions?”

Kai lifts his hand up into the air and asks, “Are you able to show us how to make roofies?” with a tilt of his head and then lowers his hand, the question seems genuine, or at least he doesn’t smile during it, his lips just continue to pucker and push out in thought as he listens.

Constance limps in, covered in scorches and burns that mar her blood-spattered features, and takes up sentinel by the door.

Sophie softly smacks Kai playfully up the back of the head.

Jenny raises an eyebrow over at Kai, briefly looking away from her doodle making.

Kai winces whenhe’s struck and glances sidelong at Sophie, “Hey! A roofie helped me take down a dangerous demonborn yesterday,” he complains and rubs the back of his head.

Sophie leans over to kiss Kai’s head, “True. True.”

Sophie waves to Seraphina.

“He is showing us something of great interest, something quite useful, and you’re asking if he can show us how to make roofies?” Elliot squints at Kai, throwing his hands up a little. “Go to the chemist for roofies. Or better yet, just use hypnosis or rituals… why do you even have to resort to roofies, if you have far more efficient tools waiting for you.”

Sighing softly at Kai’s words, Eloa sets her hand on her cheek with her elbow on the desk as she writes with her other hand, taking notes.

“He was very resistant to my attempts at mental manipulation, that’s why, ELLIOT!” he tilts his head from side to side as he retorts to Elliot, in particular when he says the other man’s name, Kai sighs and slumps down in his seat, turning his gaze forward once more, nodding at Seraphina and Constance.

Jasper is focused on the lesson, taking note of the board and Matias’s explanation with a glance at the solution.

Matias considers Kai in silence and then suggests, “Mister Ashford, I am to understand you are in a happy relationship. I am sure you do not need roofies to fill your social calendar at least until the post christmas breakup.” and then to Elliot there is an additional comment, “Personally if I truly need to ‘drug’ someone the pharmacy is not only cheaper but requires less technical skill.” then Seraphina enters the room and the professor looks up in her direction for several moments before addressing the rest of the class. “Since we have covered the more common uses of Alchemy I suppose we can briefly explore the ethics. Memory modification is essentially altering a person. Can Alchemy be used ethically and if so what are the potential use cases?”

Nemi sighs softly as she notes down the explanation from the professor with a nod as she tunes out the yelling that emerges from Kai.

Kai lets out a soft groan when the subject turns to ethics after Matias’s suggestion he’ll drug people to fill his social calendar. He sinks even further down in his seat, flips his phone over and begins to text one handed as subtly as he can, the interest fading from his eyes.

Sophie raises her hand.

Elliot raises his hand, before not even wasting a second before responding. “Yes, it can be used ethically, to repress trauma in an individual who cannot safely or sufficiently deal with it at the time. I believe, theoretically, you could also try to use it to rehabilitate those monsters among our society, via a combination of that, and psychic influences, to try and stymy their destructive tendencies.”

Sophie nods slightly toward Elliot. “I agree that memory repression can be ethical in cases of trauma, especially when someone’s not in a state to process what happened. But using it to change behavior, like rewriting someone to make them less dangerous, crosses a line. Thats not healing, it’s control. There’s a difference between helping someone forget a moment, and making them forget who they are.”

Seraphina tries to be very silent in her arrival, but it is still noticeble since she’s decidedly taken a seat up near the front of the class. There is a light wiggle of her fingers to Sophie, but she does not speak to her, nor others. Kai is upnodded, and there is some amusement glittering in her eyes toward Elliot, that does simmer to a softer fondness when Matias spies her. “I think that Elliot has the right of it. Oftentimes you may require a combination to, how to say it, knock them into submission… or sense.” She then says, “Sorry to be so late to take notes, Professor.”

Waving a bit at Shay from the back, Eloa smiles as he joins her and Jasper who’ve chosen to sit at the back. “We give pedofiles woman hormones so they no want sex if they in community. Is different to use hypnosis or alchemy to do same?”

Seraphina peeks down at her phone when it lights up and vibrates, however, there is no immediate attempt to reply to whatever it was.

“We should just put two bullets in their head and call it a day,” Kai says, his voice cold after Eloa brings up that particular kind of predator, his wiry form shrinks in a bit on itself, his features tight.

Shay arrives in a full get-up of an armored body suit, a bow strapped to his back, and a very obvious sword scabbard hanging from his utility belt. He ducks his way in, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible – probably to no effect – as he slides towards the seating in the back of the room.

“Or make them so they are uninterested in sex at all,” Jasper says while he waves once hand at Shay. “Or make them celibate or something.”

“Correct. Alchemy is often used in reform in supernatural circles.” Matias agrees with Elliot and then briefly checks his wrist watch, “Twenty-five minutes.” and then shakes out his wrist and sniffs quietly. “In the mudane world rehabilitation and justice tend to be centered around corporal punishment and restriction of freedoms. However if I can make someone live forty years of a prison sentence. Is it ethical to lock them up? If I am going to imprison or harm someone for say manslaughter is it more desirable to modify their personality with memory creation” and then Eloa and Kai pipe up and he motions towards Kai, “If we were going to discipline a student wouldn’t it be easier to just ‘mold their young minds’ more directly than repetative discipline?”

Sophie reaches over to sooth Kai’s hair as she listens.

“You fail to realize,” Elliot informs Sophie, “That after a certain point, it has to be about control, Sophie.” There’s a pause, before he intones, “There are monsters you cannot hope to rehabilitate by choice, and you better pray to everything you hold near and dear that you can, at the very least, try to control them in unorthodox methods. Unless, of course, you want some golden-eyed monster breaking down your walls to rip you apart for the mere amusement it provides them.”

“Or an Eunich.” Seraphina suggests. The mention of golden-eyes does seem to bring a shiver up along her spine.

“Hey I didn’t misbehave today. I had a legitimate reason to want roofies,” Kai scowls at Matias, “I’m not a sex predator, sometimes it’s good to have a sedative on hand,” he complains, “I’ve been trying to be better, don’t drug me!” he points his phone at Matias and then drops it down to his thigh again, texting away with one hand.

“Why want roofies though? Roofies make people forget. Why not use sedative like Xanax?” Eloa calls out to Kai.

Sophie doesn’t flinch at Elliot’s words, but her eyes narrow. “I’m not naive about what’s out there, Elliot. I know some can’t be saved. But the second we justify violating minds because of fear, we become something just as dangerous. Her voice is steady, but challenging. “Then again maybe I’m just naive and new..fuck what I know, right.

Constance comments, drily, “I sell soporifics for fifty bucks a dose.”, as Kai mentions wanting to buy roofies. “Just for awareness.”

Kai hmmms at Eloa’s question and nods to her, “It’s not as strong in as small of doses, but true,” he admits back to Eloa and looks to Elliot and Sophie, he nods in agreement with the former, listens to the latter and reaches up to rub the nape of her neck, “Right,” he agrees with her, “It’s okay. You’ll see how it is sooner or later,” he agrees with her about her being new and naive.

“The class can discuss the best practices for knocking each other out with narcotics in eighteen minutes.” Matias chides the room as a whole with a mild scowl and then takes his chalk to write ETHICAL MANIPULATION as a line on the chalk board the sound of chalk on blackboard to draw the classes attention back to the front. “Since the class is so interested in the topic. Next week we will do a mixture of ethics and history… Supernatural Justice. Both historical and modern. It will be a tuesday afternoon class. I expect attendees to come with well thought out positions on what they believe to be the difference between supernatural and mundane justice and what lines they believe exist on the enacting of that justice. We will take the last part of the class for any clarification questions people might have.”

“It also depends on the person’s nature, whether they are supernatural or human,” Jasper speaks up with a glance towards Kai. “It can be either easy or difficult to change them using that alchemy or other methods. If a person continues to be harmful to others, then more drastic measures have to be involved.” There is a pause, before he says, “Aren’t roofies known as those drugs you put in drinks?”

Jenny pays closer attention to the board at them mention of the tuesday class, Writing down the date in her notebook.

“Is it out of fear or necessity, though?” Seraphina asks, eyes on the two words that Matias has written on the board.

Sophie looks at the board, “That actually sounds really fun. A lot more fun than roofies.. if we can focus on the latter.”

“Yes to date rape people.” Eloa agrees with Jasper, giving Kai a grin as if wondering why he wanted them. But she returns to the topic at hand. “Is so difficult. If you make nice person because you put bad person full of imprints.. are they nice person now or still bad person?”

Kai looks over his shoulder to Jasper and nods to him, grinning, “Yeah, it was badass. I’ll tell you later,” he says and turns forward again, squeezing Sophie to his side, he peers at Matias and hmms, but shrugs and nods to the man. He looks back over his shoulder at Eloa and scowls at her again, but again turns forward once more.

“They are a bad person who’s forced to be civil,” Elliot informs Eloa gently. “And with time, effort, and a whole lot of power and some other fuckery, you can turn them into someone who won’t do awful, horrific things. Requires a bit of cleverness too, I suppose, some monsters, there’s absolutely no hope you can catch or deal with, without a larger group of people.”

Matias gives Eloa a stern look before moving back to the desk as the class ticks down to the last few minutes. “Oh. Additionally in August I will be doing a practical lesson on identifying and countering various forms of manipulation. I will only take volunteers as targets but the entire student body may participate. If you are interested in gaining extra credit as well as practical and -safe- experience with being the victim of a number of methods of manipulation. Please reach out to me on MyHaven as ProfessorM.”

“Seeing as I can’t use my phone,” Elliot bluntly states, glancing over towards Matias, “I would be happy to volunteer, Professor, for both being a target, and for demonstrating methods of safe-guarding against mental manipulations.”

“I have one more question, professor,” Jasper turns his gaze towards Matias. “What are the usual ingredients to make the common alchemical mixes for memory creation and repression?”

Constance mutters something that sounds like ‘expensive’.

Matias raises an eyebrow at Elliot and comments, “I believe Professor Kane’s class next week will be educational.” before looking to Jasper, “Alchemy is intent and will based like ritualism. Technically you just need the alchemical equipment to properly transmute the potion into a final state and the ingredients are not material. That being said traditional Alchemy believes that different plants are associated with various celestial bodies or metals. A very traditional and I mean ancient textbook recipe is Hyssop for cleansing of memory from the mind. With Rosemary to protect the repression and Mercury as the suspension liquid. For alteration it is normally the type of memory you are trying to convey and the language or association of the plants matching the intended emotional imprint of the memory.” and then checking his watch. “Alright class is dismissed, anyone that needs or wants to ask me questions I will stay behind for thirty minutes and Miss Lovelace please come up to the front.”

“She can’t exactly talk,” Elliot informs Matias, helpfully. “Just in case you didn’t know that.”