Gloriana
My Alchemical Romance
On Baseline, as far as anyone can tell, alchemy was 9 parts hokum and 1 part proto-chemistry. On the world BREACH named "Gloriana", it was less so. In 1599, John Dee succeeded in creating, after tremendous effort, a tincture of youth and health, which he presented, of course, to his Queen. As the ingredients were rare and required long and delicate procedures, as well as specific astrological conjunctions, it is estimated this elixir can be made roughly once a decade, so it is a gift given only to the most elite and loyal.There were, naturally, several consequences of this discovery.
Alchemy and similar arts are more formalized. While still mystical in nature, it has still been subject to formal studies as to the efficiacy of various practices. These blend what Baseline would consider science with what it would consider mysticism. If a given plant is useful for healing illnesses of the liver when blended into an alchemical elixir, it may be that growing it for larger leaves or a thicker stem improves the potion, but it may also be that planting the seeds when Mars is aligned with Mercury and using a silver spade is the key.
Colonies now supply more than material wealth or labor... they are sources of potential knowledge, of local herbs, magical traditions, powerful rituals. Culture is now a resource to exploit and export. This does have the unintended side effect of preserving more of indigenous knowledge and languages, though the methods and motivation are far from noble. Expeditions into "unexplored" regions are conducted not just in search of golden cities, but rumored collections of old lore, hidden villages where arts forgotten elsewhere are practiced, and plants growing nowhere else.
Spanish efforts to infiltrate and steal Britain's alchemical secrets led to yet another conflict with Spain, lasting from 1610 to 1615. In the end, Spain ceded its holdings along the southeast coast of the Americas, as well as its Atlantic islands, to England, and paid out significant reparations.
All of this study of alchemy also led to some significant discoveries in chemistry. Rubber, aluminum, dyes, and cheap steel are all available and used regularly.
Among the many other forms of alchemy and ritual, a much weaker, yet still potent, form of Dee's elixir has been found. It preserves consciousness in flesh far past its prime, creating a cadre of unliving advisors and military commanders for the Queen, her 'Grinning Generals' (so named for their undying rictus).
The Present
Elizabeth I has now ruled for nearly two centuries, and her power to grant a gift of immortality to a few has many competing for her favor. She has become, as one might expect, even more authoritarian, with Parliment reduced to a puppet organization. Her intelligence networks (combined with assassinations) have placed compliant pawns in command of most of Europe.Thus, the same forces that drove American rebellion on Baseline are here as well. Colonial alchemists and sorcerers do all they can to ferret out spies (some of whom can change their form!) as they plot to declare independence. Franklin's research into lightning, conducted in great secret, has produced entirely new forms of magical weaponry, which they hope might tip the tide. The nations which dance on Elizabeth's strings in public have made it clear, in private, they will provide aid when the time is right. At some point soon, the flask of revolution will boil over into war.
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