The second issue of the Wissenschlacht is made available to most military establishments and those affiliated therewith. Field Alchemy I would like to first thank the alchemist Ztril Al-Yaotl for inspiring this piece through a discussion on the Chrysant war shared with mutual respect and remembrance towards the fallen. Furthermore, the author hopes for the good health, safe return and fast recovery of the Sovereign Prince’s ward & court mage Valarosta Ino-Femunn who unfortunately could not provide her input on the original topic proposed for the week. Her courage and perseverance are much appreciated. Introductions Alchemy is the combination of conventional ingredients to create unconventional effects. In essence, it allows one pure of afflictions to wield their knowledge of the surrounding nature to present feats nigh impossible outside the field of the arcane. Alchemy is volatile by its nature; care must be taken to use only what one truly needs and to always entrust the creation thereof to educated and properly accounted masters. Field alchemy itself refers to the equipment of soldiers with alchemical brews to enhance their combat prowess. While the ideal application is an academic attachee to an army caring for all alchemical applications, this treatise will propose the idea of providing those with alchemy who have absolutely no relevant background or education. The author aims to probe the prospective commander or general to consider offering bottles of their supply tent to the soldiers so that they may use them in the midst of battle; and not only be used upon when brought to the healer’s tent. Observations from the Chrysant War A more personal note is to be taken about the author here, as her first major field service was during the Chrysant war. The Author was called upon to provide advice on combating the various alchemical weapons fielded by the Allar, and to foster clean-up efforts after the destruction or capture of these. This was our Empire’s first major confrontation that featured the widespread use of alchemy and where protective measures were more than necessary. Some waterways in Hadar are still tainted with the great spills and remnants of the various weapons developed by the Essa Empire; some concoctions that are still wholly unknown to us by the day. The Empire’s first goal was to acquire adequate supplies of Lady’s Shine from Daenshore to counteract the effects of these debilitating weapons. Second, however, was the Author’s presence also warranted by our wish to learn the extent to which the Essa Empire fielded alchemy; we observed the Allar enhance their already-astonishing healing with brews that allowed their return to battle minutes after suffering grievous wounds. Thus, these two main uses will be built upon in this treatise. The complications of field alchemy Those familiar with gunpowder and explosives (including our most esteemed marine commanders) will be familiar with the notion: it’s easy to pile gunpowder or load a shell; it’s much harder to cut the right fuse and angle or time a detonation right. Alchemy suffers from similar issues; the effect itself is easy to invoke and a potion brewed; the application and activation are vastly different topics. Soldiers, or at least captains, must be informed with the full extent of actions required to activate an alchemical brew or gel. Pyrignis and fireweed are both far to volatile for the non-skilled to use; whereas substances mixed with vocalitic dust require a potential user to also carry vocadine (which under inappropriate discipline may be consumed by the soldier raw, leading to heavy alcohol intoxication). Thus the author proposes to limit all alchemical substances to rely on fermanic acid for their activation. The assumption that all field alchemy should be afforded to even those who know nothing about alchemy also limits the choice of ingredients to those stable enough to be handled by the inexperienced. Applications: Protective Protective alchemy refers to potions taken by soldiers in anticipation of a certain danger. These should be kept ready in battles where appropriate and mixed into a soldier’s drink then consumed on the order of a field commander. Modra root in freezing temperatures. Stabilizing a soldier’s body heat and providing protection against frostbite can greatly improve effectiveness in cold battlefields. Ogrebait at night can provide soldiers respite and well-required sleep even when under stress or when suffering from battlefield anxiety. Lady’s shine can be consumed at the command of a keen-eyed commander that perceives an alchemical attack used. When timed right (taking into consideration the necessary time-laps of taking effect) it can neutralize hostile alchemy. Lady’s shine also has the additional use of cleansing the effects of alcohol, thus rendering soldiers combat-capable without the detrimental morale effects of alcohol-abstention during a long campaign. Applications: Reactive Soldiers should be taught to use reactive potions individually when they most feel the need to wield one. These include most wound-treatment brews. A good consideration is providing these substances in gel or semi-liquid format as these guide a soldier towards proper use (and appropriate application). Equipping each soldier with a potion of rubyflower and teaching them when and how to use it can effectively counter casualties caused by infections or surface wounds. The author would thus compare equipping soldiers with rubyflower-based substances to having soldiers wear helmets at all time. Yuntia Cactus brews can effectively aid soldiers against gaseous attacks as well as help them fight in battlefields with dust and smoke. The author recommends all marine commanders, captains and artillery commanders to consider providing their soldiers with yuntia-brew as it aids greatly with breathing in gunpowder smoke. Poppy Milk can effectively dull pain and thus keep a soldier fighting longer, or aid a soldier in pain while they are evacuated from the battlefield. Care must be taken with dispensing potions of poppy-milk as the pain relief may easily become addictive much like the opiates derived from the same substance, and also because soldiers may use it to ignore dangerous wounds that would require immediate attention. Costs & Logistics The main concern related to alchemy is its logistics; as the Author had noted before the Empire saw many of the Allar warships during the Chrysant war explode due to insufficiently secured alchemical stockpiles. While a violent explosion is out of scope for all the above mentioned ingredients and potions, the vials in which they must be carried are notoriously fragile still. Thus at least some care should be made to teach soldiers equipped with alchemy some minimal handling skills. Logistics of alchemy are also of a concern, both on the strategic level (regionally limited availability of ingredients; EG. Lady’s Shine from Daen) and the tactical level (creation and maintenance of alchemical supplies during a campaign or battle). It is advised that any army that aims to field regular use of alchemy acquires a skilled attachee from a reputable academy (and possibly and endorsement from the Soor-Rassa Allar). Closing Words Alchemy is perhaps the most versatile of all sciences capable of leveling the field between Ailor and his enemies. The author recommends all generals and admirals to consider what substances they could make use of and consider the price-gain exchange to decide whether they would like to take any of the above suggestions. For those wishing to fire-test the usefulness of alchemy; those esteemed military leaders should outfit a platoon with vials of Rubyflower-gel and compare the platoon’s casualties in a battle with similarly fielded and skilled ones. The Wissenschlacht is a weekly-issued academic journal rectored by Dame Sylvia Reinard of the von Kaisermann Academy. The journal presents tactical, strategic and scientific innovations in the field of warfare and addresses the military intelligentsia and leadership of the empire. Written contributions, proposals and critique are all welcome, addressed to the Dame in letter or through personal discourse. The journal will seek to always involve acclaimed references in all topics to maintain accuracy and credibility.
