Forest Alchemy

Transformation and balance

I’m a person who likes to know how things work, what processes are going on beneath the surface. I find more wonder in the knowing than in the mystery.

That said, I also have a lot of fun imagining the stories that can fit in with real biological processes*. What’s behind the transformations, helping them along?

Because, in the forest, a huge transmutation of elements is taking place all the time - very, very slowly.

This transformation is one of Air into Earth.

The engines of this alchemy are the trees (and other plants, of course!) They absorb carbon from the air and use it to build their bodies. In time, they die and their bodies become earth.

The Alchemist creatures use their powers to transform ordinary elements into potions to help the forest thrive. They enrich the soil and nurture young plants, maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.

*In The Science of Discworld (Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen, first published in 1999) real science about the origins of the universe and the beginnings of life alternates with a story about Unseen University wizards and their “Roundworld” experiment. There is no science on the Discworld, which runs on stories. It’s a great read, and could easily be what influenced me to start creating fun narratives that still fit with actual fact.