Alchemy

Utility

Alchemy is most publicly used in medical treatments and crafting applications by the tradesmen of the cities. Medicinal elixirs are one of the main ways the devout of the Circle make a living for themselves, creating and distributing said items to those around them.
In the crafting of items and equipment, certain powders are added into forged metals or glass to add particular properties to the final items. Oils and lacquers are made to help preserve or give a particular finish to leaver, wood, and metal.
Common illegal uses of alchemy are to make dangerous poisons or even addictive substances to sell.

RPG NOTE

Alchemy is not and does not take the place of the Medicine skill. Alchemy is vital in the creation of the elixers and other concoctions while Medicine is the actual treatment of the patients.

Manufacturing

Alchemists usually have a certain scrutiny upon them by the local government. Depending on the location it can be more or less strict, but generally there is an accepted standard for what is and is not a legal practice for alchemists. The following is the most commonly recorded standard:
The practice of the alchemical arts as passed to us by the Holy Circle is a sacred art, to be held to high standards by its practitioners. As such, according to the standard set forth by our forefathers to better the common people, the following taboos shall be observed as forbidden by the alchemical sciences:
The damned art of raising the dead or beings of decayed flesh and soul, known as the foul practice of necromancy, is the first and most abhorrent of taboos. This practice includes the exhumation and reanimation of dead persons or animals, the assembly of golems or chimeras out of dead beings, and the entrapment of the soul's material. Such a practice is an abomination, twisting the gift of alchemy to evil and corrupting purpose.
The wicked practice of poisons and toxic materials for the harm of the fellow man. The gift of alchemy is to be used for the betterment of society and not to destroy others.
The production of addicted substances and other uses of the perverse nature, according to the light of the Circle.
This short but general application guides the majority of practitioners of alchemy. Those that diverge from these standards are held often in disgust and contempt by the general public.

RPG NOTE: The art of alchemy at its core is a crafting skill. Use the Alchemy crafting as found in the Realms of Terrinoth book by FFG. Alchemical recipes and notebooks are a valuable resource and can be used as a reward for a player or perhaps an important plot device.

Access & Availability

Alchemy is commonly found to be practiced everywhere you can find civilization. The issue of availability is not due to it being some closely guarded secret, but rather it is a complex and often dangerous craft that requires years of training. The church of the Circle teaches its priests the art to help the people and in turn those priests impart small bits of more practical knowledge to to common folk (most often first aid and other useful herbal treatments). The craftsmen of Aislion have their own uses for alchemy and often a practitioner will have their own notes and knowledge passed down from mast to apprentice. Within said knowledge the individuals keep their own secrets and in contrast to the clergy, are rather protective of their secrets in order to gain an edge over their competition. Other individuals seeking knowledge of alchemy can find resources in the larger cities within the libraries and other institutions of learned, albeit with varying degrees of quality and number of volumes dedicated to the craft.

Complexity

Alchemy at it's core is a science that takes the understand qualities of materials and through combining them and subjecting them to certain conditions makes them into something of a more useful (or harmful) nature. The caveat is many of the materials have some form of magical qualities that are barely understood. This is why alchemical notes are so vital as recording what properties one ingredient provides to a solution is of great importance. Even with the careful notes, however, magic is unpredictable and often a benign ingredient will be added to a compound and produce a completely different effect than desired. The consequences for this can vary from curious to disastrous. 
Alchemy, while able to be practiced from memory, is most safe when done in accordance to the pre-recorded notes and instructions of the alchemist predecessors.

Discovery

Alchemy has been part of civilization ever since the gods of theCircle  helped to uplift the races of Aislion. The knowledge first imparted was simple herbalism and medicine, modified with magical elements combinations of materials to bring about remedies and elixers the people had never seen before. This was quickly adapted to create substances for crafting and other uses such as unique oils for coating weapons or fertilizers that would cause plants to grow wild within minutes to hours.