Alchemy & The Alchemists’ College
One of the most impressive buildings in Eisenstadt, the College was built on ancient foundations, but it has been renovated many times over the years to integrate special pipes and remedy a few “accidents” caused by overzealous researchers.
- The Commission: Led by Dean Elsholtz, this is a mandatory path required for receiving a Special License and freely practicing alchemy. The Commission replaced the previous individual apprenticeship system with a curriculum aimed at industrial development, removing most of the philosophical and anthropological studies, especially any reference to forbidden alchemical techniques. (Question prompts: Who among the PCs thinks this was a reprehensible decision? Who deems it reasonable or understandable?)
- The Classrooms: Ten ample halls, designed for both theoretical and practical lessons, occupy the third and fourth floor of the College. (Question prompts: What is the most unusual subject taught here? Which of the professors shows some interest in the Player Characters? Are there any known faces?)
- Highflame Library: As emphasized by its bright blue crest, the College considers knowledge similar to fire, and its purest expression is an intense but controlled flame, which gave name to this colossal library. (Question prompts: What legendary tome is kept here? Who can give permission to read it and who wants to prevent it at all cost? And why?)
- The Kiln: The College’s underground level includes a network of boilers which provide energy to the entire complex, along with a series of passages and rooms connected to the sewers, containing more-or-less stable remnants of old experiments. (Question prompts: Who or what guards this area? Who has an interest in recovering something from this maze of dangerous junk?)
- Inner Quarter: Just as thick walls separate Eisenstadt from the countryside, towering fences isolate the merchant and middle-class quarters from the College district. This area contains specialized stores, luxury apartments for the Dean and professors, plus a club for licensed alchemists. Almost no students live in this district.