[UA] Narcomancy

[Matthew Rowan Norwood]

> The narcomancy as modern alchemy idea is a good one.  I may have to steal
> it, if that's okay...
> 
> -G.

A lot of discussion on this topic so far. A summary, and a few other
points:

1) Pharmacomancy is in the list archives
2) Ideas were proposed for drug-based avatars rather than adepts
3) Proposal: Alchemy as based on performance-enhancing drugs
4) Proposal: it must involve _making_ drugs

also:

5) White Wolf did a version of Alchemy as drug-design-based in The Book
of Crafts. Alchemists were very rare, but they existed in secret and
tried to synthesize drugs to make them immortal. They were strongly
associated with the Hermaphrodite (!!). I don't actually have the
book... if anyone else remembers more, is there good stuff to rip off? I
think it fits very well with UA.

6) The "drug design" angle got me thinking about drug companies and
their utopian commercials on TV for drugs that make everyone happy,
calm, pretty, healthy, and sexually satisfied. Surely these guys are
practicing alchemy on a grand scale.

7) Kult treats alchemy quite well also. It's associated with drug use
and design, and the traditional symbols of magic (wand, sword, crown
etc.) are replaced with the needle, the tourniquet, etc. The junky is
the ultimate ritualist. The point of most alchemical practice in Kult is
to refine the human spirit in a positive or negative direction... maybe
alchemists in UA could affect their Madness Meters?

8) Burroughs. Duh. Naked Lunch practially provides a blueprint for an
addiction-based school. If only I could _read_ the blueprint, I'd be
able to decipher the mystical significance of his insight into the
phenomenon of addiction. Anyone want to give it a shot?

-Matt Norwood

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