Post by Mlle Bienvenu on May 14, 2005 4:49:58 GMT -5
For those of you getting started in the FMA world
Spoilers for all aired episodes
Alchemy
The normal mode of alchemy is through a transmutation circle drawn in chalk. The design depends on what is being transmuted and from what materials. Some people choose to tattoo, enscribe, or otherwise create permanant circle arrays either on their clothing or on their skin. For instance, the circle on roy's glove alters the oxygen content in the air. The one on Basques gauntlet creates weapons from the iron in his body, and the arrays on Kimblee's hand alter the body chemistry to create human bombs.
It's also helpful to know that not all arrays are circular, although it's very possible that non-circluar arrays have their origens outsid of Amestris.
There are three steps to Alchemy- Determine the makeup, break it down into it's basic elements and rebuild it as something else. It's possible to stop in the middle of the process, as Scar does.
Law of Equivalency -
There is one major principle of alchemy: The Law of Equivalent Exchange which states: To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. Basically, you don't get something from/for nothing.
Furthermore, the substances used must be of a similar type... you can't make gold from a pile of wood, for instance.
Gold Transmutation -
Is Illegal in modern Amestris.
Human Transmutation -
Constitutes such things as trying to bring people back from the dead, trying to create people from scratch, and trying to mix people with animals.
Humans are made of three distinct parts: Body, Mind/Will, and Soul.
Bringing people back from the dead has never been accomplished. Anyone who has tried it has lost a part of their body, or all of their body (in Al's case) and did not succeed in bringing the person back. However people who have tried it also gain the ability to transmute without a circle. (or more specifically by forming a circle with your body, like Ed does by clapping first ) Is Illegal in Modern Amestris.
It's unclear if Homunculus creation has the same effect, but I don't believe it does, because it doesn't involve the soul, since homunculi are only bodies with minds/wills and no souls.
Homunculus-
Exactly like a human, except it has no soul. They cannot do alchemy, but usually have one special power of their own, for instance Gluttony can eat almost anything, Lust can turn her nails into spears, Envy can shapeshift.. etc...
All known Homunculi have the oroborus tatoo (a winged serpent devouring it's tail around Solomon's Seal in the manga, and a similar six pointed double triangle star shape in the anime ) somewhere on their body, but it is unclear what purpose it serves.
Chimaeras -
Can be mixtures of different types of animals... difficult to create and a failed attempt could end up painful for the creatures involved. The human/dog chimaera in an early FMA episode was in a lot of pain because it wasn't done well, granted, it might be harder with humans. Furthermore this chimara creation took many circle arrays to create, apparently for combining different elements... no less than 8 arrays were used to create this chimaera.
Red Water-
A concentrate of alchemic catylists used to create Red Stones which appear to bypass the law of equivalency. This water is highly poisonous to humans, gives off a noxious vapor which causes coughing and inability to breathe. If drunk, the human body absorbs this substance and it collects in bodily tissues, solidifying into a solid that can then be made into a Red Stone. However this usually kills the host and/or causes birth defects and infant death if drunk by pregnant women (However the highest collection of stone material can be found in the woman's disgarded placental material)
The other, less diabolical, yet harder way to crystalize red water is submit it to a few megatons of pressure until it crystalizes..
Red Stone-
The product of Red Water, can seemingly bypass equivalency laws, but is really ultra concentrated material for transmutations. The Stone will eventually be eroded away with use. It's crimson colored and looks a lot like the Pstone in the first Harry Potter film.
Proto-Philosopher's Stone-
Is a Red stone, but with human souls added. This gives it greater power and longevity. It also has mercurial properties and takes the shape of it's container, while sometimes holding it's own round form. It's crimson red.
The Philosopher's Stone-
Legendary Stone which no one has ever achieved. Supposedly grants Happiness to sorrow, Victory to battle and Life to the dead. It is unclear how exactly such a Stone is forged although it's rumoured to require large sacrifices of live humans, like the Proto-Stones. However it is unclear if this is the only way to make it, and, in the season 2 finale, Ed and Al go off to find another way.
Spoilers for all aired episodes
Alchemy
The normal mode of alchemy is through a transmutation circle drawn in chalk. The design depends on what is being transmuted and from what materials. Some people choose to tattoo, enscribe, or otherwise create permanant circle arrays either on their clothing or on their skin. For instance, the circle on roy's glove alters the oxygen content in the air. The one on Basques gauntlet creates weapons from the iron in his body, and the arrays on Kimblee's hand alter the body chemistry to create human bombs.
It's also helpful to know that not all arrays are circular, although it's very possible that non-circluar arrays have their origens outsid of Amestris.
There are three steps to Alchemy- Determine the makeup, break it down into it's basic elements and rebuild it as something else. It's possible to stop in the middle of the process, as Scar does.
Law of Equivalency -
There is one major principle of alchemy: The Law of Equivalent Exchange which states: To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. Basically, you don't get something from/for nothing.
Furthermore, the substances used must be of a similar type... you can't make gold from a pile of wood, for instance.
Gold Transmutation -
Is Illegal in modern Amestris.
Human Transmutation -
Constitutes such things as trying to bring people back from the dead, trying to create people from scratch, and trying to mix people with animals.
Humans are made of three distinct parts: Body, Mind/Will, and Soul.
Bringing people back from the dead has never been accomplished. Anyone who has tried it has lost a part of their body, or all of their body (in Al's case) and did not succeed in bringing the person back. However people who have tried it also gain the ability to transmute without a circle. (or more specifically by forming a circle with your body, like Ed does by clapping first ) Is Illegal in Modern Amestris.
It's unclear if Homunculus creation has the same effect, but I don't believe it does, because it doesn't involve the soul, since homunculi are only bodies with minds/wills and no souls.
Homunculus-
Exactly like a human, except it has no soul. They cannot do alchemy, but usually have one special power of their own, for instance Gluttony can eat almost anything, Lust can turn her nails into spears, Envy can shapeshift.. etc...
All known Homunculi have the oroborus tatoo (a winged serpent devouring it's tail around Solomon's Seal in the manga, and a similar six pointed double triangle star shape in the anime ) somewhere on their body, but it is unclear what purpose it serves.
Chimaeras -
Can be mixtures of different types of animals... difficult to create and a failed attempt could end up painful for the creatures involved. The human/dog chimaera in an early FMA episode was in a lot of pain because it wasn't done well, granted, it might be harder with humans. Furthermore this chimara creation took many circle arrays to create, apparently for combining different elements... no less than 8 arrays were used to create this chimaera.
Red Water-
A concentrate of alchemic catylists used to create Red Stones which appear to bypass the law of equivalency. This water is highly poisonous to humans, gives off a noxious vapor which causes coughing and inability to breathe. If drunk, the human body absorbs this substance and it collects in bodily tissues, solidifying into a solid that can then be made into a Red Stone. However this usually kills the host and/or causes birth defects and infant death if drunk by pregnant women (However the highest collection of stone material can be found in the woman's disgarded placental material)
The other, less diabolical, yet harder way to crystalize red water is submit it to a few megatons of pressure until it crystalizes..
Red Stone-
The product of Red Water, can seemingly bypass equivalency laws, but is really ultra concentrated material for transmutations. The Stone will eventually be eroded away with use. It's crimson colored and looks a lot like the Pstone in the first Harry Potter film.
Proto-Philosopher's Stone-
Is a Red stone, but with human souls added. This gives it greater power and longevity. It also has mercurial properties and takes the shape of it's container, while sometimes holding it's own round form. It's crimson red.
The Philosopher's Stone-
Legendary Stone which no one has ever achieved. Supposedly grants Happiness to sorrow, Victory to battle and Life to the dead. It is unclear how exactly such a Stone is forged although it's rumoured to require large sacrifices of live humans, like the Proto-Stones. However it is unclear if this is the only way to make it, and, in the season 2 finale, Ed and Al go off to find another way.
