"The Alchemists are cultists, sworn to an order of arcane chemists whose concoctions produce a variety of effects ranging from explosive cocktails to transformative potions. A female-only sect with a thirst for explosions, Alchemists carry a hand cannon that fires alchemical globes which detonate with devastating force on impact."
Knowledge of Alchemy was a skill known to have existed in at least the history preceding Blood Omen and their craft was embodied by the Guardian of StatesAnarcrothe. With the rise of Kain's empire in the events of Soul Reaver, much of this knowledge was lost to the Humans and became reduced to legends of humans who had mastered the elemental crafts in bygone ages. The vampires of this time however pushed alchemy to new heights, with many of the clans competing in experimentation and usage. At this time Laderic and a group of Melchahim alchemists - working in isolation away from the empire after inadvertently poisoning human breeding stock - had made a breakthrough and discovered the secret of "liquid fire" naphtha.[1]
Before he could reveal his discovery, his long suffering slave Elustra managed to reach the vials of Naphtha, and burned Laderic and his compound to the ground. Cared for by nomads who assumed she had taken revenge for against her vampire masters for human deaths, Elustra eventually became something of a cult figure attracting a sisterhood of followers whom Elustra dedicated to the last human known to have the knowledge of alchemy - Anarcrothe - the red sisters of Anarcrothe were formed.[1]
The first tasks of the sisterhood was to ransack the remains of the laboratory, gaining equipment and weapons and regaining knowledge of alchemy for the humans. Before long, the sisterhood travelled to the to the heartlands of the empire in a bid to use their own power against the vampires. At Freeport they joined with the Watchers and the Ironguard and soon they set up chapters in Meridian, once a powerful seat of learning, and mass-produced their weaponry to fight back against the vampires.[1]
Equipment[]
Alchemists came equipped with a variety of equipment, often based around Fire and naphtha or other chemical potions.