Philosopher's Stone

The **Philosopher's Stone**, also known by various other names such as the **Red Stone**, the **Fifth Element**, and more, is a powerful transmutation amplifier appearing in the *Fullmetal Alchemist* series. Due to the absolute law of alchemy being equivalent exchange, the stone gives the illusion that someone is able to override that law. Being that it is an illusion, the powers of the stone itself are not unlimited, and only appears to allow an alchemist to bypass equivalent exchange as long as the stone retains its power. Many of the main events in the series revolve around the Elric brothers' attempts to obtain this stone, in order to gain their original bodies, of whom had to be paid to Truth in accordance to the laws of alchemy.

## Composition of the Philosopher's Stone

It is never explained in the series the exact process of creating a Philosopher's Stone, but it is known that human souls of ones who have passed can be trapped and condensed with certain transmutation circles. These thousands or perhaps millions of souls make up both the power and physical existence of a Philosopher's Stone. It is a frequent misconception that the properties of the stone itself allow someone to override the law of equivalent exchange, but this perception is simply an illusion. The power of the Philosopher's Stone allows one to perform feats greater than what one can do naturally, but the stone gets weaker every time it's used because that power comes from souls, which get consumed in these transmutations. When all the souls have been destroyed, the stone also ceases to exist. The raw material of Philosopher's Stone is a very large number of human lives, ranging from only a few dozen, to a few million, or perhaps even more.

It is rumored that the Philosopher's Stone can allow one to complete a human transmutation. However, the abilities that can be performed can range from the completely equal resurrection of another human, to the worthless repairing of an inanimate object.

## Physical Appearance

The Philosopher's Stone can take many forms, ranging from a lumpy, coal-like rock to a viscous liquid, as with the one that Dr. Marcoh owns or even as a man (ex.: Hohenheim). Their color in the purely material form is always a dark, blood-like red. Usually the smaller and less solid it is, the less powerful the Philosopher's Stone.

## History

The first stone in history was transmuted by the original homunculus later known as "Father", using the souls of the people of Xerxes. This event inspired the legend of a country which was destroyed in a single night. The later Philosopher's Stones were transmuted by Doctor Tim Marcoh and his fellow alchemists who were instructed to make the Stones by Lust and the other Homunculi, using the lives of Ishvalan prisoners, and later the makers themselves to cover it up. This series of Philosopher's Stones wasn't complete - they were made from only about 13 prisoners (based on the count shown in chapter 59). In the manga, the stone that Father Cornello used was also one of this series.

Generally believed to exist only in legend, the Philosopher's Stone has long been sought by alchemists as the ultimate goal of their craft. While alchemy is an amazing preternatural art in and of itself, its scientific limitations are such that the dream of a mystical and mythical object capable of eradicating those limits is one shared by generations of practitioners. Though, in more pragmatic times, the legend of the Philosopher's Stone has come to exist only in the fanciful illusions of Romantics, the fabled amplifier is, in fact, an arcane reality.