Blood Magic

The Origins

Blood Magic was introduced by Valteran long ago. Even before his corruption, Valteran was a hated entity, one largely kept to the musings of cults. It was his belief that through Blood Magic, he could acquire a fiercer grip on Atharen, as well as providing himself opportunities to meddle with and undermine the affairs of other Gods. Though any such great ambitions failed to materialize, it is true that Blood Mages have subverted and wrought fear throughout Atharen society throughout the eras since the magic's inception.

For as long as the magic has existed it has been outlawed across the world, with countless orders forming throughout history to abolish it. At one point in time during the Third Age it was believed that Blood Magic was finally rooted out and made extinct, though the human insurgents of Silor began to spread it en masse as a method of combating their avaricious Lords.

It is known that Blood Magic is always present somewhere, in every society. Suspiciously gruesome murders are seen as a sign of its presence in a city or town. Due to the isolated nature of most of Atharen's agricultural communities, Blood Mages supposedly most often begin their practice there, preying on unprotected farmers. This has led many communities across the world to be aggressively suspicious of outsiders, though most find that when confronted with an actual Blood Mage, their prayers and pitchforks do little to defend their home.

The Loss

Unlike other Lost Magics, Blood Magic is not 'Lost' in that it was once introduced and then lost to the world. Rather, Blood Magic has been present on Atharen for a long time, and is still present, but always in secrecy. It exists all over the world, but is confined to undersocieties, shadowy plots, covens of anarchist magi and belligerent lone wolves eager to expand their power by any means. Blood Magic is highly illegal in all nations and areas in the world. Even in Daravin, the knowledge that someone is a Blood Mage regardless of their class is something certain to lead to their hunting and execution. The Imperium sends out mage-hunters across the world to root out Blood Magic wherever it is, as they view its practitioners as a threat to stability on the continent.

And, this is true. Blood Magic has never been widely accepted in any society for its ability to invite chaos and perpetuate violence. It is a magic that systematically cannot function without sacrifice and pain, death to others and hubris afflicting the mage. Blood Magic tends to have a vile effect on the mind, one that leads the mage to view most others as nothing but expendable tools, a source of disposable energies for a fascination with power that cannot be satisfied.

Concepts

Leeching: Leeching is the conversion of blood into energy. It converts the raw, natural energy of what is called "living blood" into the invisible vapor known as "blight". Blight is the liquid, identical to standard blood in appearance, texture and scent, that is utilized to perform most blood magic abilities. While blight effectively is blood by all intents and purposes (though with no nutritive properties), it is not natural to the living world, and is constructed unnaturally with ether and Valteran's imprint on the magic itself. It should be noted that blood magic still requires ether regardless of Leeching, though Leeching does appear to make blood magic - overall - less draining than others. However, in order to use any blood magic, the Blood Mage must be drawing from at least a small source of blood. The less living blood available to Leech, the more they draw their abilities from their own ether pool.

As blight appears to look just like blood, and quickly begins to form from actual blood or wounds, many people mistakenly believe that Blood Mages possess infinite blood, and that their magic is all utilized solely with their own blood. Instead, more accurately, the creation of blight is seamless enough to project this image.

Sacrifice: Sacrifice is often considered to be a more direct and powerful form of Leeching. Rather than converting any blood into energy and constructing blight with it, Sacrifice requires a direct ritual sacrifice of blood through mutilation, pain, and even homicide. Most value on a purely exchangeable basis is the blood of the mage themselves, particularly when it is freshly drawn. If it is leeched at this point it allows for the utilization of enhanced blood magic, or the usage of more advanced abilities with less ichor to power them. Sacrifice can also be used in a state of Overstepping to nearly or completely reduce ether costs, sacrificing one's physical health in exchange for the continued use of magic beyond one's limits. It is Sacrifice that often gives mages an edge.

Sacrifice can also be used on the unwilling, or allies, though their blood and damage is less valuable than that of the Blood Mage performing harm. It is not uncommon for a Blood Mage to capture and ritually execute a foe or civilian in the middle of a battle in order to continue to use their heinous abilities. There are a few requirements for Sacrifice to be totally effective:

To begin with, Sacrifice - if performed on another person - must be done to someone who is restrained. This can be through fear, exhaustion or physical restraints. They must also be awake and conscious of what is happening to them. Sacrifice then requires the agonizingly slow laceration of their throat, and afterwards the blood that spews from their body may be leeched in order to create additional blight.

Infusion: Blood magic allows the mage to imbue specific traits or properties into blood they construct. This acts as the core of much of the magic, allowing for their abilities to take on multiple different characteristics that allow for a larger array of abilities. For example, they may imbue acidity into their blood, may manipulate its solidity, may transition it between the three states of matter and may even imbue it with chemical properties that allow the manipulation of one's mind and body. 'Blood' for a Blood Mage is not merely a sustaining ichor, but a malleable tool for their uses.

Initiation

The Mark of Blood Magic

A Blood Mage is initiated by drawing and activating the Mark upon them, which appears like a circle with barbs along its edges, and sharp arrow-head like shapes emerging from it. The symbol seems to have some sort of disturbing effect when visible to others who have not seen it before, at least when a mage has already been initiated; it leaves them with a disconcerting worry, as if they are vulnerable, endangered. Of course, many of them are very right.

Once the Mark itself is placed, the Vandikar (a popular term for a Blood Mage) is forced to fare with an internal war. They will find their blood vessels begin to swell and even burst, and their voracious ether will form cuts across their skin as if to find openings from which to drink. Insufferably, the initiate is meant to do nothing; resisting the pain and the wounds is likely to lead them further along the path to death, but many can't help but resist the initiation's arbitrary nature. In truth, whether a Blood Mage survives has nothing to do with skill or even fortitude or endurance. It's almost entirely arbitrary; if a deep gash forms across your throat or damage is inflicted to your brain, you're likely to die. Blood Mages hope that the storm of pain they face will be non-lethal, but for most it is.

Dranoch experience a different initiation to Blood Magic, one where they are forced to consume another of their kind who is also enduring the initiation. For this reason, they are always initiated in pairs.

Overstepping

The drawbacks listed below do not always come in pairs, and certainly not simultaneously. Some may come and others may not.

Lesser: Nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, dehydration

Moderate: Bleeding through the nose, eyes and ears, intense cramps, seizure-like shocks and spasms, internal bleeding, vomiting and weakness

Severe

It is both difficult and easy to severely overstep with Blood Magic. While Blood Magic can be made to be rather inexpensive in terms of ether, it is often used when a mage is extremely desperate and is already either on the cusp of or is actively Overstepping. Unfortunately, of all magics, the severe Overstepping of Blood Magic is perhaps the most lethal and extreme.

Abomination: Blood Magic's most common severe penalty is "Abomination", sometimes also called "Malefic Reconstruction" by arcane scholars. Abomination is, of course, the layman's word for it. A Blood Mage who far exceeds their boundaries will begin to find themselves grotesquely shifting into a vile and mangled hybrid of a mortal mage, and a creature from Valteran's realm in Bel, Redspear. They will become a voracious monster who has lost their intelligent awareness, driven by primitive desires to wholly consume. These Abominations are incredibly dangerous, and the more powerful a blood mage, the more powerful the Abomination. A Pureblood - or an Ascendant Blood Mage - who becomes an Abomination is a creature of historical terror and might, capable of cleaving through small armies with ease. When these creatures are discovered in the world, nations scramble to hunt them and ensure they are slain.

Pyemia: A severely Overstepping Blood Mage may experience a vulnerability in their blood, the grazing of their soul weakening their body to maladies and infections of their blood stream. This is often called Pyemia, and the result tends to be the formation of clots, abscesses and bulbs of pus forming inside of the mage's bloodstream, throughout the internal structure and around key points across their body, such as their eyes, nostrils, lips and ears. Pyemia almost always results in death, due to the formation of infections throughout the interior of the mage's body. It typically becomes lethal once abscesses form in the throat, preventing the mage from breathing.

Consequences

Blood Magic has additional consequences that will be present throughout the RP. Virtually no PCs or NPCs should ever be permissible of a Blood Mage - they are universally hated and reviled by all cultures, and so these impacts should always apply.

1. Blood Magic is illegal, and if one is revealed to be a Blood Mage or is caught using it, their punishment will be execution. Blood Mages are often burned alive. Additionally, most nations have small, elite orders of mercenaries and hunters that are trained to cull Blood Mages where they are found.
2. Blood Magic's damage to its caster, allies or foes for the purpose of Sacrifice cannot easily be healed or undone. It appears as if the vitality leaves that area for some time, requiring several days to recover. If a Blood Mage slices open their palm, they will find their hand weak and somewhat immobile for at least a few days afterwards, even if healed by Necromancy or some other means.
3. Most Living Gods find Blood Magic repulsive. They are much less likely to ever take interest in a Blood Mage. Particularly, Ulluven despises the Mark, and often the religious orders built to root it out from society do so under her name. Notable exceptions to this are Tenebrax, Kyrikain and Evitrix, who appear mostly indifferent to it. Kyrikain holds reservations around 'Sacrifice' -- specifically the use of it to kill others brutally for one's own gain.

Mutations

The mutations of Blood Magic often involve physical changes, which can be unfortunate to Blood Mages considering they generally wish to hide their 'gift' from others. Many of these changes or 'mutations' (a label often specifically applied to Blood Magic alterations) are often horrific, vile or disgusting, though they are not always. Sometimes Blood Mages can be confused for Dranoch due to their mutations, unsurprisingly considering they come from the same source. Mutations of Blood Magic can often specifically involve the mage's blood; perhaps it might acquire unique effects, for good or ill. They may be able to regain it faster for the sake of Sacrifice, but at the cost of it becoming more easily infected. Things such as this are common.

Abilities

Bloodshaping: Acquired at Novice. The formative ability of Blood Magic, Bloodshaping is both a useful ability and one that teaches a Blood Mage how to craft and mold blood via their ether. Bloodshaping can be used to create constructs of blood, typically weapons early on. A Novice is generally capable of crafting simple weapons with Bloodshaping, while an Apprentice is capable of more complex ones. At Journeyman, Bloodshaping is truly mastered, as weapons can be quickly formed and reformed (or, reshaped) to one's will, while the magic also learns how to shape blood into armor or even more complex objects. Truly advanced Blood Mages have been said to have been able to craft trebuchets of blood, and one Pureblood even apparently molded a ship -- though this is a dubious claim at best. The durability of Bloodshaped objects is generally never better than that of steel, and the cost of it depends on the complexity and size of the item.

Sway: Acquired at Apprentice. Sway allows the Blood Mage to remotely manipulate blood for very minimal ether, allowing them to convert it into blight through Leeching. This blight can then also be manipulated and applied to abilities, with the range at which it can be finely controlled depending on the mage's mastery. Sway also allows the mage to manipulate the physical properties of the blood; they can increase its density or lighten it, increasing its speed, and they can shift it between the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. The blood manipulated by Sway can also be enhanced by Suffuse, allowing for the mage to diversely influence the battlefield.

Suffuse: Acquired at Apprentice. Suffuse allows the Blood Mage to, for a small amount of additional ether, infuse any of their abilities with a property unique to blight. The possible options are: highly acidic blood, sharp blood, combustible blood, unstable blood (extremely slippery) and diseased blood (which will likely cause rapid illness and infection). These properties can be enhanced by proficient users of Baptism and Bane. The mage will need to individually learn how to suffuse each property into blight, typically requiring experimentation and understanding of the property in question. Suffuse can only instill one property at a time to each ability.

Hemorrhage: Acquired at Journeyman. Hemorrhage is a vibrant, semi-coagulated orb of blood that will appear near a source of blood, such as a corpse. Immediately it will begin to draw blood from all open wounds around it, as ethereal veins reminiscent of electric sparks will begin to form around its edges, giving rise to the blood and forcing it into the center of the orb. What happens afterward is largely variable on the amount of blood consumed, dependent upon nearby wounded or dead individuals. If Hemorrhage manages to consume a great deal of blood, the orb will grow very large and will be able to release a massive torrent, blast, burst or shower of blood in the direction specified by the mage, with the strength and size of the resulting attacks increasing with mastery. Hemorrhage is highly energy effective and provides the mage a reliable method of Leeching bodies remotely, making it a Blood Mage's most effective tool in a battlefield, though not necessarily a duel.

Ether Leech: Acquired at Journeyman. For a small amount of ether, a Blood Mage may surround any target with an invisible layer of ether, one that other spells cannot be spawned from or channeled off of. It effectively acts as a secondary ethereal skin that surrounds the individual, with a singular effect: Ether Leech saps all exterior blood loss, consuming it and storing it in the layer. The Blood Mage is then capable of harvesting this blood at any moment, either for the purpose of Sacrifice or for other intentions, such as Puppeteer.

Razor: Acquired at Journeyman. Razor is an indispensable tool for a Blood Mage willing to fight at close range. It allows for the Blood Mage, if they have freshly cut a target and drawn blood, to immediately transmute ether to the tip of their weapon that will Leech the surrounding blood and create an instantaneous cleave of blight that will rend through the body of their foe. A laceration can quickly be followed by this lethal move, blood forming at the open wound and inverting, ripping through an enemy's body with high pressure.

Living Bomb: Acquired at Expert. Living Bomb can be utilized in three different ways. The first way is commonly performed through Necromancy, Summoning or Artifice, anything that allows the Blood Mage to infuse a controllable target with the volatile sac of coagulated blood created by this spell. It will generally either be internally implanted, entering their body in a liquid state before reforming inside of them, or it will be left on the exterior of their body as a visible bulb. The second way Living Bomb can be utilized is on an unknowing target, again streaming blood into their body internally before forming it inside of them. And the third, through Ether Leech; if enough blood is sapped from a target through time, the Blood Mage can Leech some of the blood in their body and use it to build and create the bomb inside of them.

Whatever the case, Living Bomb can be detonated at any time by the Blood Mage, over a period of three days at Expert and five at Master. It is difficult to remove even through Negation, as it is deeply laid into the body's interior and will generally require surgically opening the individual in order to dispel it. When the Blood Mage decides to detonate the Living Bomb, it will immediately erupt with sharp, high-pressure blood that will rend the target apart from within, annihilating them in a spray of blood that will burst out in all directions. The subsequent explosion will then cover a radius of around fifty feet, likely killing most exposed individuals within the area, or at least grievously wounding them.

Bile Construct: Acquired at Expert. The Blood Mage becomes able to form large constructs built of blood. The more impressive they are both in terms of size and lethality affects their cost, and most are generally no larger than eight to twelve feet in height, often with bulky and robust bodies. Bile Constructs are typically monster or animal-like in shape, but they appear to be entirely formed by blood, some crystallized or hardened while most of it appears to flow in a loop. Bile Constructs are highly durable and deadly, with the Blood Mage capable of perfectly controlling their movements and organizing them tactically, though the Mark also appears to automate their movement if not directly commanded. Each construct generally consumes a moderate amount of ether, though as with all abilities a master is more effective at creating them and truly skilled Blood Mages may be able to craft several Bile Constructs without verging on Overstepping.

Blood Torrent: Acquired at Expert. Blood Torrent is a high-velocity spray of blood, capable of extending up to one hundred and fifty feet at Expert, and three hundred at Master. It is very quick and typically around two feet in radius, though it can be thinner or wider at the cost of less or more ether, generally consuming a moderate amount before draining more as it is sustained. Due to the Torrent's speed it tends to quickly meet the zenith of its length, and it is a highly corrosive power that will quickly degenerate objects touched by it, though with more durable objects (and organics) taking more time. This degenerative effect appears to be due to a mixture of the force applied to it and a natural degenerative property to its ether. While not an incredibly robust ability, Blood Torrent is very lethal and can be used to annihilate large crowds of people, or even more considerable targets considering its speed and range. Blood Torrent can be moved as it is being channeled, but as it tends to apply massive amounts of force, a Blood Mage generally must move it slowly. A Master is capable of moving the Torrent more freely, though even they can be knocked down or lose control over it if they avert its focus too quickly.

Bloodfury: Acquired at Expert. Bloodfury is among the most powerful abilities of Blood Magic, though one that relies almost solely on the principle of Sacrifice in order to power it. It is an ability that can only be performed two or three times at best in a significant period of time, days or even weeks, or else it ensures the death of the mage performing it. Bloodfury begins with the mage's veins becoming more prominent across their body, before their skin will start to welt and tear around the length of much of these veins. The veins themselves will then partially rupture and will begin to bleed out across their skin, and the mage will generally rescind their arms and legs tightly into their form before suddenly extending their limbs outward, releasing a destructive wave of lethal blood in all directions, covering a radius of around one hundred feet in a spray of blood that will likely kill all undefended individuals within. The outward burst is so rapid and lethal that it is known to puncture the most dense of materials, ripping even through fortified walls. As Bloodfury is almost a sole product of Sacrifice, it expends very little ether despite its destructive power, and as a result many powerful Blood Mages use it as a last resort.

Exchange: Acquired at Master. Exchange is sometimes seen as the pinnacle of Blood Magic, its ultimate and defining ability. It allows a Blood Mage to gain ether in general from Sacrifice, meaning it can be used to feed other magics without furthering Mageblight or Magithermal Entropy. As a result of this ability, Blood Mages who are capable of extracting from large amounts of foes as living sacrifices or effectively creating blood taps with Ether Leech may be able to acquire a sort of infinite battery. While this is the theory, it is generally very difficult to pull off in practice. Perhaps the ultimate benefit of Exchange is that once it is learned, it becomes a natural (passive) ability to the Blood Mage who can now always convert blood into ether. Considering this is done equally as efficiently as with converting blood into Blood Magic ether, the diversity and extra stamina offered by Exchange is undeniably great, if dependent upon the situation. One of the great benefits of Exchange is that it can be used to allow a mage to continue using magic without deepening themselves into higher levels of Overstepping, always providing them a lifeline available through blood.

Puppeteer: Acquired at Master. Once a large amount of an enemy's blood has been sapped by Ether Leech - around a liter - the Blood Mage is able to perform Puppeteer on a foe, for a large amount of ether. The reason Puppeteer requires so much blood and ether is that it is not only powerful, but provides complete control over another person. By assuming control of the leader of a group of enemies, one may not only disrupt their formation and order, but turn their greatest asset into their strongest adversary. Puppeteer allows the Blood Mage total dominance over the muscles and even brain of the afflicted target, to the point where they are capable of compelling their puppet to perform magic. Considering the Blood Mage can force their puppet to overstep, winnowing them and afflicting them with Overstepping as they desire, they can use a controlled mage like a destructive battery without regard for its own life. Puppeteer lasts for around an hour. After an hour has passed, the target will begin to regain free mobility, though the Blood Mage is always (before the period ends) allowed to make a determination to manipulate their blood and kill them from within. For this reason, most targets affected by Puppeteer do not survive.

Puppeteer is very difficult to perform on Ascendant mages and Draedan, and full control appears to almost certainly push the Blood Mage into the throngs of Overstepping, while also having a far more limited duration, one that can be resisted. Killing these foes through internal blood manipulation also does not appear as successful, though it may be used to considerably or severely wound them. Still, Puppeteer is an effective ability against Draedan in particular, who often - due to their endurance - allow themselves to be wounded without worry, thus falling prey to Ether Leech.

Novice

At Novice, the Blood Mage begins to learn the basic concepts introduced by the magic. They learn of Leeching, Sacrifice, Infusion and so on, though they may not actually perform these concepts. Generally a Novice practices via Bloodshaping, the first ability they have access to, and one that acts as a foundation to many others.

Apprentice

Sway and Suffuse are gained at this level, and the Blood Mage becomes more effective at channeling and shaping blood. They will likely truly begin to delve into the three core concepts of the magic, often practicing on themselves or - more commonly - live targets. A gentle Blood Mage may practice on animals, though still inhumane, though ones with greater vice for power are likely to rob others from around them and mutilate them as long as it takes to master the tenets of the magic. Blood can be manipulated by Sway up to twenty five feet away.

Journeyman

Journeyman introduces some of the first highly lethal abilities of Blood Magic, such as Hemorrhage and Razor, one of them being very long-ranged and one of them focused on short distance execution. Ether Leech is also introduced, allowing the Blood Mage to harvest those they wound (or those who are simply wounded) for blood, which can then be converted into Blood Magic ether, or even ether in general upon learning Exchange. Ether Leech also opens the door to later abilities, with Journeyman an important stepping stone for a Blood Mage. Blood can be manipulated by Sway up to fifty feet away.

Expert

With Expert comes four new abilities, the most of any level of Blood Magic. These abilities are Living Bomb, Bile Construct, Blood Torrent and Bloodfury, a diverse array meant to expand upon the Blood Mage's artillery of destructive powers. In Bile Construct also comes utility, even protection, offering a Blood Mage the ability to craft golem-like beings of blood to defend themselves and harass and kill their enemies. Obviously as a Blood Mage grows they become more effectively able to channel their abilities, but at Expert the first greatly significant change seems to come as many of the earlier abilities become more natural to the mage. The Blood Mage's power begins to greatly increase, though it has not met its zenith. Blood can be manipulated by Sway up to seventy five feet away.

Master

At Master, Blood can be manipulated by Sway up to one hundred feet away. A Master Blood Mage is a true threat and it is from these Blood Mages that many of the stories, theories and terror-provoking myths around the magic come from. A Master gains access to Exchange and Puppeteer, two of the most iconic abilities of Blood Magic, and two of the most powerful. A Master is not only more efficient at performing all abilities of Blood Magic, but the extra ethereal stamina added by Exchange makes them a true and devastating threat, if they are able and willing to sacrifice themselves and others. With Puppeteer also comes the opportunity to completely shift the balance of any fight, perfectly controlling a foe - even a mage - with little restriction. As the door to becoming a Pureblood begins to open, many Blood Mages at this stage - who fantasize over their own powers - find it difficult to resist becoming that grim, otherworldly being.

Ascension: The Pureblood

The Pureblood is the Ascended form of the Blood Mage, and its appearance draws from its name. While the Pureblood may wear a mortal disguise, their true form is what one will find unveiled if they sufficiently damage their external layer, destroying their skin and the muscles underneath. The Pureblood looks to be a creature entirely constructed of blood, a humanoid shape dripping with red ichor, every muscle outlined by the gooey crimson layer. Their shape can vary somewhat as a result of being formed by this malleable liquid, though they keep their general constraints of size, instead appearing to be able to freely decorate and ornament themselves with their formless bile. Purebloods tend to levitate, able to manipulate and suspend their own form.

There is only one significant benefit of Ascending to that of a Pureblood: a Pureblood possesses an endless supply of blood, and their endurance and ability to withstand the drawbacks of Sacrifice are dramatically enhanced, far beyond the pale of what even a master Blood Mage can endure. As the direct result of this, a Pureblood can perform Blood Magic with extreme regularity, as if it were a biological function inherent to their being. Unfortunately, this is not so with Exchange, which - while still somewhat less harmful than regularly - remains exhaustive to their physical form, weakening them far more significantly than other forms of Sacrifice.

For more information, see: The Ascendant.

Acquisition and Rules

1. In order to acquire Blood Magic, one must request it in the Support Forum and the request needs to be approved by a Moderator. This can be done by submitting a plot synopsis, or by receiving one via a Moderator plot prompt to acquire the magic, one that should be completed across several threads. Contrarily, a PC can achieve it through a moderated thread, but in order to not stretch resources it is preferable that it is acquired in solos or collabs through oversight. Once acquired in-thread, the PC should post again to their ticket (or open a new one, referencing the previous one) linking to the thread series in question. After a final go-ahead and once the thread is reviewed, the PC can now utilize Blood Magic.

2. Obviously, PCs can also initiate each other into Blood Magic.

3. Individuals may be offered Blood Magic by the Court of Dusk, in Sil-Elaine. If you are a PC serving their interests and are interested in Blood Magic, please ask one of the city moderators about this. Sil-Elaine is the only nation in the world where Blood Magic is legal, in territories not run by the revolutionaries.

4. Draedan can acquire Blood Magic. While their superior vitality makes Blood Magic a truly powerful magic for them, as they are capable of wounding themselves considerably more without severe drawbacks, Draedan are completely incapable of using Sacrifice on others or harnessing the blood of others to perform Leeching. Only their own blood is sufficient to be converted into that of Divinity, meaning all Sacrifice must be their own. Ether Leech can still be used by Draedan, but only to perform Puppeteer.