A role is not a costume to be worn, but a body to be built.

Core Concept

The Chymists are the radical fringe of Lexia’s followers, the ultimate expression of the Faith that identity is a willed creation. They are the high priests of self-authorship who have taken the Thespians’ art of performance and the Calligraphers’ art of inscription and synthesized them into a single, terrifying, and beautiful discipline. They do not just play a role; they become it, body and soul. They are master bio-alchemists who treat their own physical form as a fluid, editable medium, the ultimate art project in a universe of stories.

Physiology & Biology (The Vessel)

The body of a Chymist is a masterpiece of controlled, deliberate metamorphosis. It is a testament to the belief that form must not just follow function, but must follow narrative.

• Core Morphology: [Fluid Humanoid]. Their “base” form, if such a thing can be said to exist, is simple and unassuming. However, their cellular structure is in a state of constant, latent potential, a biological canvas waiting for the artist’s will.

• The Alchemical Transformation: A Chymist’s shapeshifting is not the rapid, reactive change of a simple mimic. It is a slow, costly, and deeply ritualistic process. To change their form is to undertake a great work, a personal Quest that can take years. This transformation is the central Ritual of their culture, a process known as “The Chymical Wedding.”

  • Mechanical Expression: A Chymist player wishing to change their form must embark on an epic Crafting quest. They must first acquire a Genetic Template (perhaps by hunting a rare beast or sequencing the DNA of another being). Then, they must gather a host of rare Alchemical Catalysts and find a secluded [Transformation Womb] or [Bio-Forge]. The process itself is a high-stakes series of skill checks over a long period of in-game time. Failure can result in monstrous, unstable mutations.
  • Appearance: A successful transformation is total. A Chymist who has chosen to become a winged being to explore the mountains does not just sprout wings; their entire physiology changes. Their bones become hollow, their metabolism quickens, their senses sharpen. Each form is a long-term, specialized commitment.

Psychology & Society (The Psyche)

The Chymist mind is one of relentless ambition and artistic perfectionism. Their society is a collection of living sculptures.

• Core Faith: “The Form is the Argument.” They believe that the ultimate expression of a Faith is to physically embody it. To truly understand the nature of a predator, one must become a predator. They see species with fixed forms as tragically trapped by a biology they cannot master. Their highest spiritual calling is to achieve a state of such perfect self-mastery that they can author their own physical reality.

• Core Fiction: “The Epics of Metamorphosis.” Their culture has no single creation myth, but a vast, oral library of “Transformation Epics.” These are the stories of legendary Chymists who achieved impossible forms through sheer force of will and perfect understanding of the universe’s biological laws: beings of pure light, beings who could live in the heart of a star, beings who became one with the ocean. These are not just stories; they are the blueprints for their highest aspirations.

Gameplay Hooks & Tensions

• Character Progression as Metamorphosis: The core gameplay loop for a Chymist is the quest for new forms. This provides a unique, diegetic framework for a “re-spec” mechanic. A player who has invested heavily in a combat-oriented form might decide they now wish to explore a social or stealth-based playstyle, leading them on a grand quest to completely rebuild their character, in-world.

• The Price of Perfection: The Chymist’s art is a dangerous one. Their constant self-modification makes them vulnerable to genetic instability, unforeseen mutations, and the risk of a transformation going horribly wrong, leaving them trapped in a monstrous, half-finished form.

• Philosophical Foils: They are in a state of quiet, philosophical competition with their cousins, the Thespians and Calligraphers.

  • To a Thespian, a Chymist’s slow, permanent change is a tragic loss of versatility. “Why become one role when you can play them all?”
  • To a Calligrapher, a Chymist’s art is beautiful but superficial. “You change the body, but have you truly edited the soul?”
  • To a Chymist, the other two are dabblers. “You wear a mask. I build a new face. You write a word on your skin. I rewrite the sentence of my bones. We are not the same.”

Eidos Generated

• [deliberate_transformation]
• [form_as_will]
• [mastered_biology]
• [the_art_of_the_self]
• [body_as_canvas]

Design Notes

• The Chymists complete the trinity of Lexia’s followers, representing the most extreme and dedicated form of self-authorship.
• Their “Transformation Quest” mechanic is a narrative-rich way to handle character re-specialization.
• The tension between the three “Artist” species is intended to add a layer of rich, internal conflict to the faction of Lexia, making them feel like a real, squabbling family of artists with competing manifestos.