---
title: Alchemical Materialism
subtitle: A Systematic Framework for Worldbuilding Through Elemental Combination
summary: A Systematic Framework for Worldbuilding Through Elemental Combination
cover:
  showInHeader: false
publishDate: 2026-02-20T11:17:00.000Z
status: published
isFeatured: false
parent: framework
tags:
  - Was ist Was?
  - Framework
  - Worldbuilding
relatedArticles: []
seo:
  noIndex: false
---
## Overview

- **Foundational system** of the crucible
- Generates **entities** – cultures, religions, states, vessels, magical traditions – through **systematic elemental combination,** not arbitrary assignment
- Two interlocking element sets
  - **Three Primes** **=>** Soul, Body, Spirit; dynamic forces in tension
  - **Five Essences =>** Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Aether; multivalent elemental character
- **Elemental Pool Mechanic =>** add tokens from material conditions and history, tally, spend on capabilities, traits, and relationships
- **One Engine =>** elemental pool drives everything; capabilities, identity, and cultural character all flow from the same source

## The Three Primes

- *Dynamic Forces in Tension* within each entity
- Correspond to the three alchemical principles observed when substance is placed in the crucible:
  - Something **burns** (Sulfur)
  - Something **remains** (Salt)
  - Something **transforms** (Mercury)
- Each entity contains all three; dominance determines character.
- Material conditions determine which Prime dominates; not cultural preference or collective personality
- **Interdependence:**
  - Without **Soul,** nothing starts; structure sits inert, nothing transforms
  - Without **Body,** nothing holds; fire has no fuel, transforming has no material
  - Without **Spirit,** nothing changes; fire burns the same thing forever, structure never adapts

{% table %}
- Prime
- Glyph
- Alchemical
- Core
- Keyword
- Organization
- Failure
---
- [Body](/the-crucible/references/elements/body)
- {% ElementSymbol element="body" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Salt
- Structure; the form
- »It endures«
- Institutional strength
- Calcifies everything
---
- [Soul](/the-crucible/references/elements/soul)
- {% ElementSymbol element="soul" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Sulfur
- Agency; the Spark
- »I burn«
- Individual excellence
- Consumes everything
---
- [Spirit](/the-crucible/references/elements/spirit)
- {% ElementSymbol element="spirit" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Mercury
- Transformation; the flux
- »Nothing stays«
- Adaptive innovation
- Dissolves everything
{% /table %}

## The Five Essences

- Describe the **material character** of an entity
- Operates on two tiers simultaneously
  - **Character =>** Material expression; how the essence manifests across any domain of society
  - **Symbolic =>** Thematic resonance; enriches religion, mythology, cultural flavour
- Each essence has a **primary capability affinity** and two **secondary affinities;** connecting them to the five universal capability tracks
- Essences are multivalent → it can express across multiple domains but it has a home

{% table %}
- Essence
- Symbol
- Properties
- IS
- Image
---
- [Aether](/the-crucible/references/elements/aether)
- {% ElementSymbol element="aether" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Quintessence
- Transcendent, ordered, numinous
- The Stars
---
- [Air](/the-crucible/references/elements/air)
- {% ElementSymbol element="air" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Hot & Wet
- Invisible, expansive, permeating
- The Storm
---
- [Earth](/the-crucible/references/elements/earth)
- {% ElementSymbol element="earth" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Cold & Dry
- Heavy, material, foundational
- The Mountain
---
- [Fire](/the-crucible/references/elements/fire)
- {% ElementSymbol element="fire" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Hot & Dry
- Bright, consuming, refining
- The Volcano
---
- [Water](/the-crucible/references/elements/water)
- {% ElementSymbol element="water" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Cold & Wet
- Flowing, deep, dissolving
- The River
{% /table %}

### The Five Capability Tracks

{% table %}
- Domain
- Covers
---
- **Prosperity**
- Labor, production, construction, infrastructure
---
- **Warfare**
- Armies, defense, fortifications, armaments
---
- **Statecraft**
- Governance, administration, law, diplomacy
---
- **Lore**
- Knowledge, education, medicine, philosophy, sciences
---
- **Rites**
- Religion, ritual, sacred practice, arcane arts, cosmology
{% /table %}

#### Essence-to-Capability Affinity

{% table %}
- Essence
- Primary
- Secondary 1
- Secondary 2
---
- **Aether**
- Rites
- Statecraft
- Lore
---
- **Air**
- Lore
- Prosperity
- Warfare
---
- **Earth**
- Prosperity
- Warfare
- Rites
---
- **Fire**
- Warfare
- Lore
- Statecraft
---
- **Water**
- Statecraft
- Rites
- Prosperity
{% /table %}

### The Transformation Triangle

- Three elements involve Transformation → distinguished by mode
  - **Fire =>** Transformation is *destructive –* purification through consumption
  - **Water =>** Transformation is *gradual* – erosion, dissolution, blending
  - **Spirit =>** Transformation is *synthetic* – *solve et coagula,* a new thing born from recombination

{% table %}
- Element
- What happens
- Process
- Image
- Reversible
---
- **Fire**
- Destroys to create
- Input consumed; new thing exists
- The Forge
- No – Ore is gone, steel remains
---
- **Water**
- Dissolves to mix
- Boundaries erode; things blend
- The Solvent
- Partially – Salt in Water is still salt-and-water
---
- **Spirit**
- Recombines to become
- Inputs loose identity; genuinely new things emerge
- The Alembic
- No – the product is neither ingredient
{% /table %}

## The Seven Aspects

- Provide additional specificity
- Corresponding to the 7 classical metals and their planetary associations
- Categorise what exists and operates within the World

{% table %}
- Aspects
- Symbol
- Metal
- Planet
- Association
---
- *Entities*
- {% ElementSymbol element="entities" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Silver
- Moon
- Living beings; flesh, beasts, plants, spirits
---
- *Matter*
- {% ElementSymbol element="matter" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Lead
- Saturn
- Physical substances; materials, terrain, stone, foundations
---
- *Mind*
- {% ElementSymbol element="mind" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Quicksilver
- Mercury
- Thought, consciousness; intellect, emotion, skills
---
- *Mysteries*
- {% ElementSymbol element="mysteries" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Gold
- Sun
- Hidden, occult; magic, destiny, secrets, *residua*{% Sidenote #residua title="What are Residua?" marker="⋄" content="Residua are our fancy name for otherworldly realms – the energies that were left over when the world was created. Think the underworld, inferno, or the elemental planes." type="default" /%}
---
- *Society*
- {% ElementSymbol element="society" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Tin
- Jupiter
- Collective organisation; governance, law, institutions
---
- *Art*
- {% ElementSymbol element="art" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Copper
- Venus
- Creation, expression; artistry, rituals, craft
---
- *Forces*
- {% ElementSymbol element="forces" size="var(--type-3)" color="inherit" /%}
- Iron
- Mars
- Energies, natural laws; power, conflict, dynamics
{% /table %}
