Goal: Come up with 10 "things" that belong in a universe derived from a mash up of alchemy and The Fast and The Furious
Xythohol (thing) - The catalytic agent for all achemical workings. In its raw form, Xythohol is usually a dark purple viscous liquid, although sometimes it appears in a crystallized form (usually in veins in rocks). Xythohol was a well known substance throughout human history, but it's value was never realized until the 2nd Industrial Revolution when electricity was becoming commonly harnessed. Tesla and Clark may have paved the way for the modern science of electromagnetism, but was is Dr. E. L. Ward that unlocked the true value of Xythohol's properties.
Spark Stone (thing) - An alchemical construct that has the ability to spontaneously produce electrical currents of various types. It's value comes in the form to quickly and precisely control an alchemical reaction. It's method of use as well as method of creation is only known to one man who has managed to create it: Leo Frost.
Leo Frost (person) - Member of Red Shifts, only maker of a Spark Stone, and
designer of alchemical tattooing. Leo was recruited into the Red Shifts during a Red Sands Open, not for his racing ability, but for his obvious mastery of alchemy. Frost is, however, an accomplished racer in his own right.
William Rossiter (person) - Developed a technique for "distilling life essence" from a living thing and then imbuing it into inanimate objects. The process has the end result of creating "golems" of a wide variety. The process is obviously controversial as the originally distilled living things are often killed in the process. Rossiter is a wiry man that practices his art outside of both the law and the protection of any other organization. He makes a living by selling his unique creations to those willing to turn a blind eye to his needs.
Red Shifts (persons) - The Red Shifts are a group of racers and Xythohol smugglers. They maintain a legitimate racing organization as a front, but its membership is always kept as secret as possible, with only key people being publicly acknowledged as members. Although notorious for Xythohol smuggling, no busts have ever resulted in a clear linkage to the Red Shifts as a whole organization. The net result is that they enjoy huge notoriety which affords them many opportunities for income as well as clients for their smuggling activities.
Red Sands Open (event) - A yearly race organized by the Red Shifts. Although heavily televised, the Red Shifts managed to keep their identities well hidden. Despite being a legitimate event on its own, the race is also a recruiting opportunity for the Red Shifts. The Red Sands Open is combination of multiple racing events, with the grand prize going to the overall winner. There are 4 different races: Endurance (across large stretches of the Nevada desert), Sprint (short track dragster race down the Vegas strip), Agility (through the streets of Vegas), and Combination (outer streets around Vegas proper). The fact that the Red Sands Open has grown to such a size that Vegas allows the races to happen within the city itself is a testament to the river of money that flows as a course of the event.
Joshua Rodgers (person) - Alchemical mechanic for the Red Shifts. Joshua himself is not a racer or smuggler, but works with the Red Shifts simply for the enjoyment of the craft of alchemy and being able to experiment outside of the normal government regulations. Joshua is credited with a number of advancements to individual vehicle components, but his favorite projects revolve around enhanced fuels despite the obvious dangers. Joshua is a tall thick man with many minor scars from both cuts and burns. His lack of pain sensitivity is matched only by his lack of need for sleep.
