Post by The Fiend on Dec 12, 2010 3:43:51 GMT -5
5 years after Ling Yao became Emperor of Xing he realized that he was getting older, and still hadn't found the cure for immortality. For the man who had everything to be left wanting just would not do. Justifying this ill advised renewed avaricious interest with excuses like curiosity and knowledge, Ling set out once again to learn secrets that man was not meant to know. The only difference between then and now was this time he had a starting point.
For starters he had once shared a body with the Homunculus known as Greed, and had also shared his power. Even though the greedy one had left this plane of existence for good and taken his superhuman powers with him, Ling's body had gone a fundamental change as a result of being one with the Philosopher's Stone. It was only a matter of understanding how to apply those changes for practical use. Which is why it was necessary to obtain knowledge from the people who had been indirectly responsible for the creation of Greed, This is why Ling felt it was necessary to call an archeological dig on the ruins of Xerxes, using his power as emperor. Even then it took ten years for his team to find anything of any value. But when they did it paid off so well. Scrolls on biological alchemy, tomes on the practice of homunculus creation, entire shelves of incomplete formulaic philosopher's stones.
With this Ling was able to figure out a formula that ended life, a formula that effectively allowed Homosapien to become Homunculus. Ling did not know exactly what would happen when activating said formula. He spent four years perfecting the formula, using other creatures as subjects. When at last his experimentation succeeded, the outcome was tremendous! Emperor Ling successfully killed and brought back to life.
Not wishing to wait another moment, Emperor Ling did something that most would call drastic. Ling stepped into the transmutation formula and activated it. Suddenly everything went black. Ling found himself facing a large gate. In front of that gate was Truth. But this time, Truth was not smiling.
"You fool!" Truth proclaimed.
What happened next can only be described as miraculous. Truth and the gate began to deteriorate. In the rubble stood a living pulsing heart. Ling knew what his next action must be. Taking the heart in his hands, Ling squeezed it until it no longer beat. When Ling awoke he knew exactly what had happened. In exchange for his own life Ling had made himself a Homunculus! However he soon discovered there were limitations.
Although he was once again immortal and capable of generating the Ultimate Shield, Ling was by no means invincible. He no longer aged and could regenerate any wound that did not affect a vital organ, but he was incapable of the almost limitless regeneration that the seven original Homunculi had possessed. This was due to the process of his transformation, which involved essentially trading his one life for one philosopher's stone. The ability to perform alchemy had been sacrificed for the abilities of a homunculus, by effectively destroying his gate and his truth. Equivalency was maintained.
Ling discovered that not all the abilities of a homunculus remained the same upon each individual. One retained the abilities of semi perfect regeneration however one's special ability, (e.g. The Ultimate Shield) was heavily based upon one's personality and former talents as an alchemist.
They were by no far perfect homunculi. For one they retained all there senses including the ability to feel pain. Even though one might be able to lose an arm and regenerate it the amount of pain one felt was equal to that of any normal human individual. Also immortality only came in the form of a cease of aging. One still could die via decapitation and shattering ones philosopher stone, found exactly where the heart used to be.
After this discovery Ling published a book, not sharing the Amestrian
doctrine of keeping information like this secret, even though it was so easy to achieve. The only cost was your own life, and even then it still could be lost, but the benefits seemingly outweighed the cost.
Response to the discover of immortality has been a mix of declarations of pure out playing god too requirement for being in the military. Fuhrer Grumman made his response to the discovery of immortality loud and clear. "While we do not outright ban this human transmutation, there will be none of it in my government!"
Enter Creta, where the former banished military heads of Amestris, now made their residence. Those who had supported Father in his mad scheme had been chased out of their country and spent the last few decades dreaming of missed godhood and revenge on those who had robbed them of their victory. With Ling's book published they now could attain the knowledge of immortality for free. They wasted no time in replicating Ling's process, and became the "Gods" they had always aspired to be.
Naturally this wasn't enough, they wanted to be the ones pulling the strings again, so they replaced the king of Creta with their own shapeshifter, and started to build an army. That army is currently only miles away from Amestrian borders.
For starters he had once shared a body with the Homunculus known as Greed, and had also shared his power. Even though the greedy one had left this plane of existence for good and taken his superhuman powers with him, Ling's body had gone a fundamental change as a result of being one with the Philosopher's Stone. It was only a matter of understanding how to apply those changes for practical use. Which is why it was necessary to obtain knowledge from the people who had been indirectly responsible for the creation of Greed, This is why Ling felt it was necessary to call an archeological dig on the ruins of Xerxes, using his power as emperor. Even then it took ten years for his team to find anything of any value. But when they did it paid off so well. Scrolls on biological alchemy, tomes on the practice of homunculus creation, entire shelves of incomplete formulaic philosopher's stones.
With this Ling was able to figure out a formula that ended life, a formula that effectively allowed Homosapien to become Homunculus. Ling did not know exactly what would happen when activating said formula. He spent four years perfecting the formula, using other creatures as subjects. When at last his experimentation succeeded, the outcome was tremendous! Emperor Ling successfully killed and brought back to life.
Not wishing to wait another moment, Emperor Ling did something that most would call drastic. Ling stepped into the transmutation formula and activated it. Suddenly everything went black. Ling found himself facing a large gate. In front of that gate was Truth. But this time, Truth was not smiling.
"You fool!" Truth proclaimed.
What happened next can only be described as miraculous. Truth and the gate began to deteriorate. In the rubble stood a living pulsing heart. Ling knew what his next action must be. Taking the heart in his hands, Ling squeezed it until it no longer beat. When Ling awoke he knew exactly what had happened. In exchange for his own life Ling had made himself a Homunculus! However he soon discovered there were limitations.
Although he was once again immortal and capable of generating the Ultimate Shield, Ling was by no means invincible. He no longer aged and could regenerate any wound that did not affect a vital organ, but he was incapable of the almost limitless regeneration that the seven original Homunculi had possessed. This was due to the process of his transformation, which involved essentially trading his one life for one philosopher's stone. The ability to perform alchemy had been sacrificed for the abilities of a homunculus, by effectively destroying his gate and his truth. Equivalency was maintained.
Ling discovered that not all the abilities of a homunculus remained the same upon each individual. One retained the abilities of semi perfect regeneration however one's special ability, (e.g. The Ultimate Shield) was heavily based upon one's personality and former talents as an alchemist.
They were by no far perfect homunculi. For one they retained all there senses including the ability to feel pain. Even though one might be able to lose an arm and regenerate it the amount of pain one felt was equal to that of any normal human individual. Also immortality only came in the form of a cease of aging. One still could die via decapitation and shattering ones philosopher stone, found exactly where the heart used to be.
After this discovery Ling published a book, not sharing the Amestrian
doctrine of keeping information like this secret, even though it was so easy to achieve. The only cost was your own life, and even then it still could be lost, but the benefits seemingly outweighed the cost.
Response to the discover of immortality has been a mix of declarations of pure out playing god too requirement for being in the military. Fuhrer Grumman made his response to the discovery of immortality loud and clear. "While we do not outright ban this human transmutation, there will be none of it in my government!"
Enter Creta, where the former banished military heads of Amestris, now made their residence. Those who had supported Father in his mad scheme had been chased out of their country and spent the last few decades dreaming of missed godhood and revenge on those who had robbed them of their victory. With Ling's book published they now could attain the knowledge of immortality for free. They wasted no time in replicating Ling's process, and became the "Gods" they had always aspired to be.
Naturally this wasn't enough, they wanted to be the ones pulling the strings again, so they replaced the king of Creta with their own shapeshifter, and started to build an army. That army is currently only miles away from Amestrian borders.