Taipii Alchemists Guild Members of the Alchemists guild spend time in the wilderness searching for ingredients with alchemedic properties, and combine them into salves and potions.

Guild Ranks

Novice Ranks

Wei'fel (Small Fingers)

The first and lowest rank among the alchemists are the Small Fingers. Members of this rank are trained to identify common ingredients that grow abundantly on Antilia and are assigned tasks to find and gather them. With each gathering they are encouraged to add a sample of each ingredient to their personal collection and relinquish the rest to the guild.

As their collection grows they will be taught basic remedies they are allowed to make, such as soothing teas and balms for minor discomforts. Once the Small Finger has mastered identifying the first set of ingredients and the remedies they provide, they can be granted the next rank of Gauru'fel.

Gauru'fel (Gray Fingers)

Alchemists spend much longer as Gray Fingers than they typically do as Small Fingers. Members of this rank continue to spend a lot of their time gathering ingredients for the guild and expanding their kit, but as those ingredients become more rare they spend more time traveling. The Grays will be expected to travel between many if not all of the Alchemist Guild Halls, learning to identify ingredients local to the region, record them in their journal, and learn new recipes they can use the new ingredients for. They are sometimes tasked with teaching the Small Fingers to identify plants and observed to ensure they themselves have learned correctly.

Upon returning to their "home guild" from their first trip they are expected to either set up a lab at their home or provided one at the guild. With each trip they are expected to return with more ingredients with which to build up their collection and kit. The guilds typically offer access to equipment to students free of charge, but also encourage students to spend their future commissions on equipment (which the guild is more than happy to sell them.)

As a Gray builds up sufficient experience and ingredients they will be offered commissions - A commission is an offer by the guild for the student to produce a recipe in exchange for a fee. In early commissions the student might be observed or have the product tested to ensure it meets guild standards.

As the Gray Finger begins to run out of distant guilds to visit, and has become fully competent in fulfilling their commissions, they may be invited to study with one or more of the specialist ranks - the Kosi'fel Vii'fel, Ranau'fel, and Baku'fel.

Specialist Ranks

Kosi'fel (Green Fingers)

Members of the Green Fingers rank learn to specialize in all manner of helpful and healing elixirs. Rather than be led on their journeys as they did when they were Gray Fingers, they are expected to research ingredients to gather and arrange their own expeditions to secure them. Sometimes they will need to hire skilled freelancers or work with the  Taipii Mages Guild or  Taipii Healers Guild to visit dangerous locations where the ingredients can be found.

In addition to collecting rare ingredients and using them in commissions they will sometimes be expected to make house calls. Some illnesses prevent the sick from traveling, and so the Green Finger will need to travel to the patient and provide remedies on-site.

Skilled Green Fingers will often join and work across both the Taipii Alchemists guild and Taipii Healers Guild, if healing is their passion.

Vii'fel (Purple Fingers)

Members of the Purple Fingers rank specialize in so-called "craft" alchemy. The elixirs they produce are sometimes dangerous or poisonous, but they are trained how to create and use these special elixirs in special crafts. Craft elixirs start with basic elixirs like soaps and perfumes, and expand to include elixirs to break down wood pulp into fine paper mulch, long-burning candles, softening and hardening chitin into formed shapes, and cooking ingredients like oils and Jidou cheese treatments.

Ranau'fel (Red Fingers)

Members of the Red Fingers rank are trained in the creation of dangerous poisons and elixirs. Few members of the guild train with the Red Fingers, but those who earn the rank maintain that it is important to know and understand this more dangerous side of alchemy. They receive some commissions including the production of poisoned arrows and koura repellents, as well as specialty remedies to illnesses which require dangerous elixirs to treat.

Naturally, numerous dark rumors circulate even within the guild as to the purpose of the Red Fingers, which members of the rank typically find amusement in encouraging.

Baku'fel (Black Fingers)

The Black Fingers are specially trained in the creation of flammables and explosives. This rank has found growing popularity as more Taipii experiment with  Reisuii made Hand Cannons. Commissions for the Black Fingers include a variety of fire lighting fuels and explosive powders used in Hand Cannons and Taipii Fireworks.

Master Ranks

Zuch'fel (Gold Fingers)

Gold Fingers are the Alchemists sole master rank, achievable only by the few who master all ranks, including Kosi'fel, Vii'fel, Ranau'fel, and Baku'fel. Gold Fingers are expected to act as master teachers and fully own and manage the guild.