The Alchemist League was not an official name but rather a name given to a small lesser known group, who without, the League as we know it would not have existed.

England, in ancient times, was inhabited my magical beings, to the extent that King Henry VIII took the second cousin of King Oberon of the Faerie, the polydactyl Faery-blooded Ann Boleyn, as his wife. from this union sprung Queen Gloriana the first, Elizabeth in her human name. Gloriana reigned from 1558 to 1603. Under her rule, magical and otherworldly forces became more popular in Britain. Her court held such notable such as Johannes Suttle, Lord Edmund Blackadder, Sir Jack Wilton, and Sir Basildon Bond(ancestor to Campion Bond and James Bond). Gloriana was also the patron and associate of William Shakespeare.

In 1540, Famed German Scholar, Johann Georg Faust, highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, sought a way to obtain unearthly pleasures. Being a scholar of the "Renaissance" era. Faust pried himself like others before him such as Leonardo Davinci as a master in all fields and this included matters of the occult. Faust turned to making deals with the Devil's representative, Mephistopheles, a demon often confused with the Devil himself. Faust sealed his soul to the demon in exchange for the unholy creature performing tasks for him. Faust ordered Mephistopheles to kidnap a girl named Gretchen whom he raped with the intent of siring an Antichrist to bring about the coming apocalypse. Gretchen drowned her bastard son to prevent this. The authorities arrested her for murder and she was executed, her claims dismissed as insanity. At the moment of her death, she claimed that for her part in saving the world, she would be rewarded with a place in Heaven and that she saw god in the form of the eternal feminine, shouting before she finally died "God is a Woman!"

Faust was according to legend, dragged down to Hell, however it is believed that he survived for centuries to come under many different aliases, and continued his Unholy services, though it is unknown if he now served a higher authority in Hell or continued to serve Mephistopheles as the two were not seen together again, and the demon was involved in the transformation of Motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze into a flaming skeletal being in 1972. While still alive Faust did have human relatives that continued his bloodline, including later sorcerer Felix Faust, but at this point it is unknown if others besides him have inherited the ability to perform magic, though close eye has been kept on cartoonist Lauren Faust.

Another similar yet also failed attempt at creating an Antichrist was attempted in 1967 through the alleged rape by a demon of a young girl named Rosemary Woodhouse. The resulting infant died soon after this incident.

After Faust's disappearance, his thirteen year old student Prospero, who had remained unaware of his master's dealings throughout the experience, was sent back to his home in Milan, the youth's royal connections had led to an apprenticeship with the famed scholar Faust, his darker research not being publicly known until further investigations by Sir Jack Wilton were able to defer through Faust's writings what had transpired, Wilton having prior experience meeting magicians.

In 1558, in the first year of her rule, Queen Gloriana I ordered Sir Jack Wilton to establish English(later British) Intelligence, presumably realizing just how close all of humanity came to annihilation should Faust had succeeded. The ideal choice seemed to be the then eighteen year old Prospero due to his tutelage under Faust himself. He had changed his mind bout following sorcerer, horrified by the implications of the Wilton investigation into his master, and pursued astrology instead. Wilton nonetheless offered him a position studying Faust's work which Prospero was nervous of doing for fear of accidentally summoning another demon or dooming his own soul to damnation. Wilton attempted to convince him to help prevent further threats and an argument started. The argument was then halted when a newcomer magically appeared in a puff of smoke from the fireplace in Prospero's home. Both men were confused until the intruder was recognized by Wilton as advisor to the Queen: John Dee. John Dee had claimed that the line between Magic and Science was getting blurred and here he revealed that the purpose of his being there was that he was actually an alchemist who had studied at a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry which he intended Prospero to attend. Like many others he had misjudged Faust and sought to prove to Prospero that magic was not evil. Being eighteen at the time,Prospero was already too old to start classes but he could be tutored by John Dee, his old teacher Nicholas Flammel and help himself to books from the school Library. Prospero agreed and Wilton approved. The young magician began his training as an Alchemist, though following an argument with John Dee, Prospero ran away from the teacher, fearful of similarities between Dee and Faust he had started to notice.

Prospero's intended role of studying the dark magic of Faust was filled by a Sir Randolph Carter, not to be confused with a later ancestor with the same name. It is rumored during this time that the young Prospero changed his name to Johannes Suttle, forming a relationship with Edward Face. the survivor of a recent plague. The two began using Prospero's abilites for profit, including a failed attempt at Necromancy the magician learned from studying the Necronomicon and using a philosopher's stone to turn lead into gold. Prospero eventually took a prostitute named Doll Common as a wife, and took residence in Mortlake.

One day there was an attempt on Gloriana's life by a being that appeared to be Jack Wilton but upon death took the form of a pink fleshy creature. The beast was subdued by a fast talking man in strange clothing who referred to himself as "The Doctor" and claimed to have just saved the Queen's life from a monster called a "Sai-Gone". Gloriana was immediately smitten with him and when it proposed that the Queen be moved somewhere more secretive for her own protection, she suggested a trip with the Doctor, during which he showed her his mode of transportation: a magical blue box.

1562-The Doctor proposed to Gloriana and she accepted. The two were attacked by the "Sai-Gones" and were separated. Gloriana was able to kill one attempting to impersonate her and took its place, discovering the "Sai-Gone's" plan was to preserve themselves inside a painting using their advanced science. Once all the creatures had done this, Gloriana revealed herself to the Doctor and in exchange for giving him back the magical box, the two were married in secret and the Doctor then departed, the Painting was put in storage, finding its way in the National Gallery in a secretly built wing put under the care of the Doctor.

1563-A series of kidnappings of nobles are carried out with notes demanding Queen Gloriana pay ransom and Sir Jack Wilton, John Dee and Basildon Bond among others were indisposed. Lord Edmund Blackadder convinced the Queen against paying the ransom by pointing out that the Nobles were stupid enough to get captured and are not worth it. Blackadder was shortly kidnapped himself, during which he discovered the kidnapper to be members of the Spanish Inquisition led by Prince Ludwig of Bavaria the Indestructible. A formidable assassin and unrivaled master of disguise with a distinct lisp. Ludwig claimed to have a long history with Blackadder and another hostage Melchett, neither of him recognized him. Ludwig claimed to have met Blackadder while posing as a waitress named Big Sally, horrifying him as he recalled having sex with the Waitress. Ludwig confessed to also having been a sheep when he met Melchett and while denied the implication Blackadder perceived was that Melchett had sexual intercourse with the sheep.

Ludwig sent a ransom note to Queen Gloriana, who ironically followed Blackadder's earlier advice and refused to pay. Ludwig then planned on killing Queen Gloriana at a Masquerade, boasting that he did "a very good Mawy, Queen of Scotth".

Blackadder led an escape from the guards and entered the Masquerade ball and stabbing Gloriana's dimwitted childhood nurse "Nursie" who was dressed as a cow. Blackadder was put under arrest until the real Nursie entered wearing a costume of nothing more than fake udders, and the one stabbed was revealed to be Ludwig. Blackadder knew that Nursie was "a sad, insane old woman with an udder fixation," and so went for the impressive outfit of the cow. the wounded Prince Ludwig was however, able to escape. Blackadder then proceeded to recall the events of the case including Melchett's alleged sexual encounter with a sheep. When asked about his kidnapping shortly after commenting on anyone foolish enough to get themselves kidnapped was not worth rescuing, Blackadder responded with the now famous line popularized further by Monty Python: "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition".

Sometime later, Queen Gloriana received a gift from the ruler of Latveria: Otto Von Doom, a mechanical wooden figure capable of playing an instrument on its own. Guards found Queen Elizabeth as the only survivor of a terrible attack that killed Lord Blackadder, his servant Baldrick, Melchett and "Nursie". Queen Elizabeth survived the attack, possibly due to her faerie blood. Later examination of the device revealed it to be capable of releasing a form of deadly gas.

After surviving, Queen Gloriana acts like a different person. She became more cold blooded. Jack Wilton and Basildon Bond returned to England and noticed the change immediately but seemingly took no action.

In 1564, Queen Gloriana and Sir Jack Wilton visited Greyfriars School, overseeing the transformation of the school from an ordinary center for education into a secret training ground for future spies, which the Queen herself,Wilton and Basildon Bond began training.

In 1571 onwards, Wilton became very ill, forcing him to retire to his country estate for long periods of recuperation.

Around 1586- Unknown to Gloriana, Sir Wilton and Sir Bond were conspiring against her along with others such as Sir Randolph Carter, carrying out her original plan to form a League, Ironically to defeat the Queen herself. Wilton was doing this despite his health still failing. The group began recruiting in secret. Sir Cartertravelled to Egypt, where he met a young man named Santiago who helped Carter find John Dee living there. Santiago demonstrated the supernatural power to turn into wind and Carter offered him a spot on the League but Santiago refused until he completed his own personal Quest first. Sir Carter spoke to John Dee and revealed what the Queen was having him translate one of Faust's books, an ancient book called the Necronomicon. The implications horrified Dee and he begged Carter to flee to the New World with the book and never look back. John Dee then set out to find Prospero, eventually joined by Santiago.

Sir Wilton, despite further deteriorating health intended to recruit an immortal named Phra, who had recently been accidently revived by two grave robbers. When Wilton found Phra he had already found a way to successfully end his mortal life and had did so, but not before he had helped build a steam driven mechanical marvel as a lasting legacy. Wilton secretly had the Mechanical Marvel brought as a weapon back to England, sadly this would be his last act as he died after completing his mission, his deteriorating health possibly intensified by the intense heat and the possibly toxic metals of the machine. He died in 1790.

The Queen's reign was plagued by several crimes and odd occurrences.
On May 30th 1593-Playwright Christopher Marlow was stabbed in the eye by according to reports "a strangely attired...Master Nortonne".

In 1599-Queen Gloriana entered the Globe theatre to speak with William Shakespeare and found him conversing with the Doctor. The Doctor greeted her warmly only for Gloriana to send men after him, forcing him to retreat into his blue box with an arrow now embedded in it from the attack. This strange attitude convinced Bond for certain that something was wrong as the Queen even after the Doctor's departure, continued to hold him in high regard and would never attack her husband.

In 1600, Doll Common died and Prospero was approached at the funeral by John Dee. He was not happy to see him and attempted to flee despite Dee attempting to explain the situation and pleading. Prospero tried to fight back against Dee but he was subdued by the invisible Santiago, who sucked the air out of Prospero's lungs. Prospero woke up in a new area. John Dee and Santiago had brought him to a fortune teller who had told Santiago his personal destiny. Dee and Santiago explained that they did not want to decide Prospero's fate for him but they believed the fortune teller could help him realize what he desires. Prospero entered the Fortuneteller's tent dismissively. The Fortuneteller was described as very wise. She showed him a dark future in which Prospero mad eat choice to return to his comfortable position of authority in Milan and was wed to a Princess of another land, making him a technical Prince and not a Duke. He had his brother murdered to establish his power in Milan, then in his later life Milan was hit by a strain of the Black Death often called the Red Death and everyone including Prospero and his entire kingdom would perish(It's possible Prospero was predicting the Italian Plague of 1629-1631). Prospero left the fortuneteller's tent a changed man, determined to help anyway he could. He described his recurring nightmare in great detail.

The team consisting of John Dee,Prospero,and Santiago met up with Dee's teacher Nicholas Flammel's and an Icelandic Alchemist named Arne Saknussemm. Saknussemm had discovered an entry into the earth itself through an extinct Volcano named Snaefells Jokull and he and the other Alchemists had been using the Mechanical Marvel built by Phra which Wilton had died bringing to them, to dig massive tunnels underground for a yet unknown purpose. This completed the formation of what was referred to as the Alchemist League which consisted of:

Nicholas Flammel
John Dee
Prospero
Arne Saknussemm
Santiago

In 1603,Prospero discovered what the group was doing. He took a map and drew the lines of all of the group's actions and where the tunnels were and to his horror realized that they formed in what is known in Alchemy as a "Transmutation Circle." John Dee caught him immediately after he made this discovery and Prospero questioned him. Dee revealed the intent was to essentially destroy England itself by sacrificing it in a ritual to create Philosopher's stones which the Alchemists could use to mass their power and rule the world to prevent further evil. Prospero left, no one stopping him, shouting that he would find his own way and confront the Queen himself. Along the way he found that Santiago had followed him in his wind form. Prospero rejected his help but then changed his mind. Santiago was the perfect spy with his power to become wind.

Santiago attacked Queen Gloriana at a gathering, suffocating her by taking the air from her lungs, The intent was to force her to confess to any crimes for fear of dying. To Santiago's horror, The guests in attendance transformed into fleshy monsters and the wind being fled in fear, regrouping with Prospero and trying in vain, to explain what he saw through his fear. He did not have to for long as several of the fleshy creatures emerged from the palace and then took human forms, some reading and boarding strange vessels which they used to navigate the skies. Prospero realized that the Alchemist's plan would have been in vain against such foes who can take to the air. Prospero and Santiago were approached by Basildon Bond who knocked Prospero out and took him prisoner, failing to notice the invisible Santiago.

Prospero woke up and found himself in an area with several individuals imprisoned in a strange green substance. Basildon Bond appeared and so did Santiago who explained that Bond had been attacked by a "Sai-Gone" that intended to replace him and like the Queen before him, had killed it and took its place. With Prospero and Santiago by his side, Bond freed all the imprisoned humans and led the newly freed guards on an attack against the "Sai-Gones", overtaking the palace and taking the Faux Queen Gloriana hostage along with others including a young page named Orlando.

Surrounded by Bond and his men with their weapons pointing towards her, The faux Queen Gloriana sighed and began to reveal herself by removing her wig. She was not a woman but in fact a man. A man named "Pwince Ludwig the indestwuctible." Upon the reveal of the Queen's true identity, Orlando responded with "But we..." before being interrupted.

Ludwig revealed that with the help of the the ruler of Latveria, the unexpected but all too enthusiastic assistance of the Spanish Inquisition, and the "Sai-Gones" who Ludwig viewed as "Kindwed Spiwits" he was able to murder the Queen Gloriana and the entire court and take their place with the exception of Blackadder who he killed personally in revenge for thwarting his plans.

Ludwig had assumed the role of the Queen only to one day find several creatures named "Sai-Gones" meeting him, asking what happened to the "others"(Ludwig did not know about the encounter with the "Sai-Gones", and neither the creatures or Ludwig knew where the painting containing the "Sai-Gones" even was). He was able to bluff his way with the "Sai-Gones". His intent was to try to use the Necronomicon to resurrect the Queen to help him.

Bond led the freed army against the "Sai-Gones", well aware of their ability to disguise themselves and ordering them to attack anyone that looks just like them.
Sadly this apparent victory was tarnished by a strange light beginning to appear from the ground. Prospero deduced that the other alchemists were carrying out the transmutation ritual. they seemed doomed until Bond proposed an idea, once observing the map Prospero brought with him and finding one of the tunnels was nearby. Using the mechanical Marvel which Wilton had brought to them, they would dig through the ground and interrupt the circle. The mechanical Marvel was steamed powered which fortunately was powered by Santiago taking the form of steam. They were able to disrupt the circle by destroying a portion of the tunnels.

The other Alchemists were alarmed by something going on, they were engulfed in bright light and when John Dee awoke Nicholas Flammel and Arne Saknussemm had disappeared.

The light from the ritual faded and Prospero and Bond cheered only to discover Santiago had reformed with only half his body, the process of powering the machine somehow damaging him. The two men tended to Santiago who knew the the was dying despite Prospero's attempts to save him, even Bond knew he would die. Santiago told Prospero that he would look after him as a friend always, making sure that he stayed on the right path and that he would do so in the form "of a Tempest". Prospero later visited Santiago's Arabian wife Fatima to inform her of her husband's death

Bond discovered that Ludwig had escaped. He could be seen on some of the "Sai-Gone" technology objects that allowed one to see images from afar. He was in a small vessel, his face illuminated by red light. He was speaking to the "Sai-gones". Bond claimed he shouted "I'm coming to get you Bastards!" before cackling evilly and putting on the fleshy skin of one of the "Sai-Gones". The vessel flew away and Ludwig was never seen again. Later intelligence leads us to believe the home planet of the "Sai-Gones" was destroyed but it is unknown if he was responsible.

John Dee made his way to England where Prospero explained the situation to him after calming him down. Prospero promised to aid Dee in finding Flammel and Saknussemm but on his conditions. Years later the entire residency of the Latverian royal castle including Otto Von Doom vanished in the strange light of a transmutation circle, leaving the royal lineage lost for Generations until a rightful ruler was found living among Gypsies.

The transmutation ritual was successful in retrieving Nicholas Flammel but Saknussemm had chosen to remain in the other world. Flammel described it as "heaven" which to him was a land where Alchemy was practiced all over and was capable of incredible things. While there, Flammel had fallen in love with a woman with the family name of Elric.

The yearly task of the transmutation circle ended up saving the men from death. Bond arrived to their location. They greeted him warmly but he responded with a serious and humorless tone. He told them somberly that Gloriana's successor, the Puritanical King James, had issued a purging of all magic and this included Alchemy which he considered heresy. Bond insisted the men that King James was human and not simply a "Sai-Gone" posing as him. The men were faced with a hard decision. Dee swore allegiance to the new order while Flammel, disgusted, chose to return to the wizarding world. In the memory of the Queen, Prospero chose to travel the world to form the League Gloriana had wanted. Bond, as their friend, allowed them to leave, stating to the King that he had killed the Alchemist League. King James made a great effort to remove the Alchemist League from history along with the events that had transpired, as far as the world knew, Queen Elizabeth had ruled until 1603.

Overall while not a traditional or even a technical League, "The Alchemist League" were paradoxically responsible for saving England while also nearly destroying it. It saw Prospero becoming the man he would be later in life and their actions had many repercussions down the line.

Next: Prospero's Men-1610