ALCHEMY & MAGIC
While Wickers are not magical in modern times, they were once magical due to the properties of plant life that went extinct. Since then, they have tried to obtain magic again without success. However, they have been successful with Alchemy due to the help of Etekoi and their own researchers.
DEFINITIONS
The ability to use or manipulate magical powers directly is referred to as magic. It is not something that is learned through normal education; it is a natural or supernatural ability. While they were once magical creatures, the Wickers are no longer so. All of their ancestors' magic abilities are long gone, leaving behind only remnants and consequences in modern Wickers.
Alchemists is a practical study that one could learn about and develop. The study of materials, reactions, Aether, and the forces that exist in the world of Osova forms the basis of this study. An alchemist makes certain things happen by knowing about things, experiments, equipment, and the preparation of ingredients, as opposed to using magic directly.
WHAT HAPPENED TO WICKER MAGIC?
Wickerbeasts haven't always been non-magical creatures. Their predecessors had the ability to work with a kind of magic that was very strong yet very risky for them at the same time.
The Aether Blossom changed everything. Wickerbeasts started eating the flower in order to be protected from the negative consequences of working with magic. With time, however, they became less and less sensitive to it until they lost their magic skills totally.
Wickerbeasts are not able to work with magic anymore; it is just their history.
To read more about this, you can see the primal wicker lore here.
where is ALCHEMY used?
Alchemy is now a normal part of life in many parts of Osova.
In cities, it can be found in laboratories, hospitals, factories, and research facilities. In rural areas, it is often much simpler. Farmers might use alchemical mixtures to improve damaged soil, clean water, or help plants grow in areas affected by Crystalithium mining.
Not everyone who uses an alchemical product is an alchemist. Most people simply use the things that alchemists have created.
HOW TO INCORPORATE ALCHEMY?
Alchemy can be incorporated into a Wicker character in a lot of different ways. You don't have to make your character a full-time scientist or give them a laboratory. Alchemy can be something they use as part of their job, hobbies, or everyday life.
A character could be an alchemist who spends their time researching plants, making medicines, or developing new compounds. Another Wicker might know just enough alchemy to make useful items for themselves, such as healing supplies, special dyes, cleaning solutions, or materials for repairing equipment.
Alchemy can also be used for weapons and tools. A character might carry an alchemically treated weapon, use specialized compounds, or work with Crystalithium-powered equipment. These things should be treated as things the character has made, bought, or learned to use rather than magical abilities.
You can also have your character work with other species. A Wicker might collaborate with a human engineer to develop a new device, or work with a human craftsman to produce an alchemical material on a larger scale.
You don't need to explain every little detail of how your character's alchemy works, either. As long as the idea makes sense within the setting and doesn't turn into actual magic, there is a lot of room to be creative.
For example, a Wicker character could carry a small collection of alchemical bottles, work as a field researcher, use alchemy to maintain their weapons, develop medicines, restore damaged environments, or experiment with Crystalithium.
AETHER BLOSSOM
MAGICAL FLOWER
However, the effects of the Aether Blossom would continue long after the Wickerbeasts stopped consuming it. The effects slowly worked their way across the generations of Osova, leaving behind only small remnants within the planet’s lifeforms and plants.
The creatures and plants around the Aether Blossoms could possibly have been affected by its effects. The effects are usually subtle enough to be overlooked. They might result in strange colors or formations of plants and unusual marks or colors in animals.
While some species could have retained these traits for a very long time, others may have lost them completely. Sometimes the evidence of these traits is so obscure that scholars cannot tell whether a certain trait was originally bestowed by the Aether Blossom on its own.
In this case, the legacy of the Aether Blossom remains in the form of a lingering reminder of the magical history of the world, but not as a living wellspring of magic.
CRYSTALITHIUM
CRYSTAL & POWER SOURCE
Crystalithium is an extremely strong natural energy source which is present in crystals throughout Osova. These crystals can be mined from the earth, and the energy stored in one crystal would last for several hundred years. Crystalithium can be found plentifully in Osova and is one of the most valuable energy sources on Earth.
Crystalithium can be used to fuel airships, machines, communication devices, machines, and many other complex devices.
This material is dark in nature. Sometimes, the surface has an iridescent shine, and reflects its surroundings.
WHAT ABOUT MAGICAL ITEMS?
Another usage of Crystalithium is in the creation of magic items. Magic items are objects that contain or channel magical energy to perform actions that would otherwise need magic to perform.
Magic items have been most common among the Etekoi, who have magic and the required knowledge to combine the magic with Crystalithium technology. Crystalithium can aid in storing, supplying or regulating the magical energy present within a magic item.
Wickers can use magic items even without any magic powers. The magic present in such items is inbuilt in the magic items themselves. This means that a Wicker would be able to use a magic weapon, magic tool or other enchantment as long as there is magic contained within the item.
However, this does not mean that the Wickers get the power of using magic again. They cannot cast magic spells, use magic energy within their bodies or perform any kind of magical actions by themselves.
