Writing Prompt You stumble upon an old alchemy tome. It is in Arabic, what do you do? If you get it translated do you try anything?

DarkeReises

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learn arabic and do it myself, plus what if the spells in it require it to be in arabic in the first place? would be safer to just know the language for multiple reasons. then just pray and hope its not fake, just to suffer immeasurable disappointment in the face of reality
 

ElijahRyne

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learn arabic and do it myself, plus what if the spells in it require it to be in arabic in the first place? would be safer to just know the language for multiple reasons. then just pray and hope its not fake, just to suffer immeasurable disappointment in the face of reality
Nice choice, you learn a life skill even if the tome is bogus!
 

Jemini

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Well, since alchemy is essentially just chemistry from a more ignorant time, there's not a single thing magical about it.

So, I will sell it to the historical society and they will find it really interesting how the older generations thought about their version of chemistry.
Perhaps you donate it to a museum?
Donations are for the rich. People who need money need money.
 

ElijahRyne

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Well, since alchemy is essentially just chemistry from a more ignorant time, there's not a single thing magical about it.

So, I will sell it to the historical society and they will find it really interesting how the older generations thought about their version of chemistry.

Donations are for the rich. People who need money need money.
Then you might as well translate it, and own the right to its publishing. Historical alchemy books can cost an arm and a leg…
 

Joker88

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I already know Arabic so I just read it lol if it's bogus which it probably is I sell it to a museum or something.
 

BenJepheneT

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Discount_Blade

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I'd just get rid of it since I have no interest in alchemy just because of the horrible amount of mathematics alone that would be needed to make any use of it. Chances are, this whole scenario would end up with some idiot screaming Allah and pulling the mechanism on the suicide bomb and blowing us both up.
 

Jemini

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Then you might as well translate it, and own the right to its publishing. Historical alchemy books can cost an arm and a leg…
Point is, what would I need an alchemy book for? Even if I could translate it, it's just defunct chemistry, and dangerous too. The only value it has is historical, so the only way it's worth anything is if you sell it to someone in a historical society who can appreciate it's value.

(In case you missed it, I'm taking the interpretation of literal real-world Earth alchemy. Not the mythicized version that is attributed with magical properties.)
 

ElijahRyne

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Point is, what would I need an alchemy book for? Even if I could translate it, it's just defunct chemistry, and dangerous too. The only value it has is historical, so the only way it's worth anything is if you sell it to someone in a historical society who can appreciate it's value.

(In case you missed it, I'm taking the interpretation of literal real-world Earth alchemy. Not the mythicized version that is attributed with magical properties.)
There are both historians and scholars who would research it, as well as alchemist hobbyists would practice it. Keep in mind alchemy was a pseudo religion back in the day. In Europe and the Mediterranean, it was born in and between Hellenistic Egypt and Greece it was raised. It had been influenced by many different cultures and religions.

If you translate the tome and publish the translation, you could sell it. You would not be able to copyright the original text, but could copyright the translation. If you need money selling the original would probably be less than selling 10 translations. Granted, you will need to prove that the tome was the real deal. This may cost money, so perhaps 25 translations. As for the cost of translated alchemy books, some cost about the same as college textbooks…
Hoard it and never open it, just like all the other physical books and manga I have
Probably for the best, that tome would probably be around 1200-800 years old. You don’t know how much opening it could damage it… just make sure to store it properly.
 
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i don't know, but i find it rather funny if some arab kids stumble upon it and since they found it amusing, they decide to transcribe them into print text and randomly swap today's readings just to prank their teacher.

i dunno arabic myself and i'm probably too stupid and lazy for alchemy anyway.
 
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i don't know, but i find it rather funny if some arab kids stumble upon it and since they found it amusing, they decide to transcribe them into print text and randomly swap today's readings just to prank their teacher.
It would be even funnier if the transcript turned out to be a jinn summoning chant, and the classroom end up missing or murdered.
 
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