Alphonse the Homunculus Slayer

by argentia-writes

He looked up at Al with eyes as flat as dull gold coins,shadowed and empty, and Al knew. He felt every hair on his body stand up on end and his hands curl into fists when the thing's eyes narrowed. A too-wide grin split Ed's familiar face,and his voice rang out, sounding like multiple voices all at once, "Oh, but you two succeeded, didn't you? Isn't that what you wanted?"

1. Preface

"Amestrian texts throughout the ages have referenced the daemon…sometimes called by their titles of Devil, Incubus or Succubus…though no reference, in quantity, has exceeded that of the Homunculus, omnipresent in every myth of Daemons. Described as beings of unimaginable power…[the Amestrian concept of the]Homunculus is the fodder of legends. Ancient texts dating back to the original conception of the mythical ruins of Xerxes show humanlike beasts possessing alchemically impossible powers beyond all reaches of logical conception…The everlasting rule of Equivalent Exchange seems to be of little consequence to the immortal demons called Homunculi.'

A Study of Ancient Alchemical Lore and Laws, Joseph Kaube, 1873.

[Across the page of a leather-bound notebook, loopy writing scrawls illegible notes and quotes from a mountain of books nearby…]

'For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved to judgement;..."

Unnamed Holy Book, circa 100 B.C.E., discovered in ruins in southern Creta.

"And Ammon cried to the Daemon, 'Lord my God, why have thou forsaken me? A Daemon like none other has driven your people to the land of bloodied sands,' and the Daemon laughed as though the souls of the damned were escaping through its sinful mouth, 'Never forget the slaughter of your People, dear Ammon, for Ishvalla will not hesitate forsake his People again, if the bloodied sands of Ishval are infested with the great sins of the Daemon again,'…"

Scripture of Ishvalla, republication 1903.

[In dark ink, sentences detailing alchemical lore and the myths of homunculi cover the page from edge to edge.]

"Great as though the discovery and creation of such a being would be, no doubt the quenching of this thirst for this forbidden knowledge would bring humanity to its surrender…[and] bring the great, powerful empires of the world to its knees."

Commentary of the Psychological Aspects of Alchemy, Michael Von Strauss, 1896.

"'Despair, thou art facing the end of your long and prosperous reign, Empire of Byzapein,' and it was so, the rain from the sky as red as blood, the Daemon's wrath descended upon the plains and cities of their fair kingdom…"

Tales from Archaic History: Second Edition, Mary Edinburgh, 1799.

[Children's fairy story in 'Tales of Archaic History', the Daemon in question is obviously a reference to homunculi. Mechevanese tale, originating in the highlands of the Grejotilk province. May have significance.]

"Great is our land of O'Ruibh!/Hills of emerald/Rivers of silver/A Daemon-Slaying King sitting upon our noble throne/We are rich in the Sanguine Ruby-stone/Flowing as unceasingly through our King's finger's as the ichor of Daemon/An affluent spring of Sanguine Ichor from the veins of Daemon/Undying, Immortal as our Gods…'

O'Ruibhian Epic Poem, written circa 1100.

[O'Ruibh seems to have an extensive history of interaction with Homunculi. For-.]

"The Inner Devils of the human disposition can come in seven forms, each of their own creation and purpose, each with distinctly separate motives, as concluded by the great philosophers of our era. These are: the Succubus, the Coveter, the Pleonexian, the Narcissist, the Glutton, the Hebetudist, and the Berserker. These all each have a place in almost every Holy Scripture to date- though none of them are without the King- the Great Daemon himself. He also has many names and many forms, but each source of these names agree that the King has a hand in every aspect of humanity's existence- from politics down to the very soul of the individual."

An Analysation of Human Psychology and Culture, Gertrude Weber, 1913.

[The words are blocked by the peacefully sleeping face of a teenage boy with short golden hair, the strands fluttering as he breathes deeply.]

"Wonderful Glory, O God! Thou art in the highest of Heavens, looking down upon thine holy people, casting away the souls of the Damned to blacken the hearts of the Chosen! Revel, Rapture, Praise, thou hast given the eyes and soul of thine holy people to the Daemon! Praise your Glory, the Chosen shall take this path to become the Daemon..."

Lekuhan Hymn, 1821.

[On the other page, the writing resumes its looping scrawl.

Definitely a reference to human-based homunculi. Maybe people were 'chosen' as sacrifices or to make human-based homunculi? Lekuhan history may be the most beneficial thing to research at the time being.]

"The true debate of modern alchemical study is the purpose of the Magnum Opus- should it create a Philosopher's Stone, or a Homunculus? That question is left to the descendants of Man to discover far into the future."

Alchemist's Almanac, Editorial, Richard Schneider, 1909 edition.

[A slack hand barely wrapped around a pen trails a line off of the end of a word, as if the writer fell asleep mid-sentence.]

"The potential for a Homunculus lies deep in the primal depths of Man's soul- if something were to awaken such a thing, nothing could predict the repercussions of a Daemon finally awakening from far in the darkness of a scarred pneuma. Lying in wait like a predator readying to strike and slaughter,the monster we have feared for millennia hides just inside ourselves."

Anonymous, unknown.

[The sentence reads: Brother's demon wasn't from inside himself. He's been…]