Third Generation Blood Magic

[The King Of The Moon 5117]

Here's a properly formatted doc should you wish to avoid the seventh circle of hell that is LoTC forum formatting.

 

Preface

 

 

Blood magic and its more recent awakened blood magic counterpart have a problematic history. The former, with limitless power form augmentations and blood bending coupled with a plethora of often hoarded, poorly roleplayed and powergamed runes were problematic. It came to encourage a mentality of ‘being powerful’ with no real drawbacks. The latter, with no inhand abilities and a swathe of rituals - often in their own right problematic; overpowered and very much so behind closed doors - also suffered from inactivity and an overreliance on a playerbase it couldn’t muster atop staff interaction for large scale feats. Neither of these versions side by side seemed conducive to roleplay that could be enjoyed or witnessed by the wider server - being far too combat centric on one end and at the other, hidden away and inconsequential to the non-awakened blood mage playerbase - which we mean to rectify with the rewrite. In a sense this does away with not only the previous generation of blood magic, but also awakened blood magic, blood rifts and the already shelved dreadknight lore. In its place we hope for this to combine elements worth keeping from each and do away with excess power and fluff, balancing the magic out with the drawback of it acting as a ‘crutch’ (see augmentation). We also hope for the magic to appeal for the first time to players usually outside of ‘magic’ circles with the removal of dreadknights that once filled this niche (with their own issues not worth mentioning in this post) displaced by the new berserker and rogue archetypes found at the bottom of this thread.
 

 

“There is no power more pure than what hides in blood.”

 

Third Generation Blood Magic
(Pending acceptance to a series of IC events that will be executed to introduce this iteration to blood mages)

 

There are few powers as raw and primitive as blood magic, an ancient art which predates most existing schools and studies. The oldest accounts of blood magic use date to antiquity in the elder mage wars of Aegis where sorcerers hurled great elemental spells across scorched and devastated battlefields. Among the most obscure, grey, and secretive of the dark arts, blood magic is an art of sacrifice and cruelty for its spells and rites are drenched in the crimson of the living, donated or stolen. The origins of this grisly art are cloaked in mystery for only the Great Stone Serpent is close to being considered a true master for knowledge is what separates the breeds and iterations of blood magic and this, third generation blood magic, is the lineage of Malghourn and he will not so willingly give up his secrets; other names speckle history regarding the bloody wizardry of this art, dubbed “hemomancy,” “blothr-bhakthal,” and “valmir’taliyna”.

It is “genus” which fuels blood magic and its machinations, an incredibly esoteric yet tangible substance which blood mages reach out to in order to cast. It may be consumed by a blood mage and used to empower their next spell -- imbuing it with the raw, primeval strength of mortality and inciting chaos -- or may allow a target for force to be applied to with bloodbending as well as be inscribed in the form of runes for blood rituals. Genus is a thing of primeval strength, it supports the machinations of the soul in life just as lifeforce supports life itself yet genus may be exploited, both unshackled with augmentation and manipulated with bloodbending. So too is there an ancient, mystical language of blood, an unspeakable yet written language whose words invoke power which blood mages inscribe; there is an immense lexicon of knowledge based in genus and its uses and runes albeit much has been lost to the many bygone eras of the past and a vast majority of those runes and powers are forgotten and those employed by present day blood mages are mere fundamentals. Gone are the days of colossal firestorms and conjured earthquakes, gone are the days of spirits leashed to metal suits of armor and careless enslavement. Come are the days of newfound, once-forgotten power and great achievement through not just blood but gore; the lost and refound potential of berserkers and rogues alongside mages.

Genus, whilst potent and volatile, is a fleeting thing. It is found only in superior-soul-having mortals such as typical Descendents and only flows in fresh blood for once the life has passed or blood has been spilt and left unused it becomes inert and dries. Animals have no such power hidden in their veins. As such, the blood mage is one ravenous for such a costly substance, often losing themselves in the carnage of their art with an addiction to power.

Blood magic use, however, is not without its consequence as the addictive powers of genus will soon become a crutch to a blood mage who chooses to dabble in other arts alongside hemomancy. Indeed, a blood mage may only master one other magical skill before their dependance on genus limits growth in other arts. Augmentation acts to counterbalance this, allowing a blood mage - through brief empowerment - to rival masters in other skills though they shall never be able to reach such heights naturally. After touching a bloodshard and gaining the knowledge of blood magic’s most basic principles, blood mages become quickly addicted to its effects and find themselves dissatisfied with most other magic, unable to bring themselves to reach their full potential as long as they carry the mantle of ‘blood mage.’

 

-Blood magic may only use fresh blood for its machinations. “Fresh” meaning spilled no longer than a day in narrative-time and cannot be derived from animals.
-Blood mages may only have blood magic and 1 other magic at tier 5; the rest are capped at tier 3. There is no way around this.

 

Blood magic is not without its perils. To be awakened by a bloodshard is to invite the eldritch knowledge of slaughter and bloodshed into one’s deepest memories, an injected lesson of the secrets of crimson. Those who undergo this awakening are thus disturbed by it mentally and changed by it physically. 

 

 

 

The tangible effects of blood magic include but are not limited to causing one’s skin to pale, hair to lighten or become brittle and dry, eyes to become milky and bags to form beneath them, easy bruising, occasional nosebleeds, appear anemic, or racing or slowed heartbeat. These effects are rarely dangerous medical conditions however they are telltale signs of blood magic use; the player may opt to increase the severity of these features and the character might seek out medical or alchemical remedies to their symptoms. 


The intangible effects of blood magic include extensive mental disorders; the more affluent the blood mage the more severe their condition and the most common mental traits include but are not limited to irrational thought, paranoia, insomnia, and addiction. It is best to research your character’s mental afflictions as to not roleplay an offensive or distasteful stereotype. 

Also called cognitive distortions in modern medicine but related to logical fallacies, irrational thoughts include a heaping list of irrational thinking patterns below for simple examples. 
 

-Always being right
-Disqualifying positive things
-Blaming and holding others accountable
-Emotional reasoning (“I feel stupid, therefore I am”)
-Filtering (“>ignoring positives and focusing on negatives”)
-Jumping to conclusions: making a conclusion with little to no evidence
    >Mind reading and thinking you know what other people know (usually negative)
    >Fortune-telling and predicting outcomes (usually negative)
-Labeling or simplify people down to names (bad first impression means a person is a “jerk”)
-Mislabeling or misreading situations with labeling (kid playing is a “street urchin”)
-Magnifying things and making much larger deals of them than they realistically are
-Minimizing things and making much smaller deals of them than they realistically are
-Overgeneralizing and making hasty generalizations to write things off (“all elves are snobs”)
-Personalization, self-blaming (“I’m a bad mother because my son is a blood mage”)
-Splitting or black-and-white thinking, all or nothing, yes or no

 

Paranoia can be interpreted very broadly as with addiction but the general thought is that blood mages become more secretive, distrusting, and anxious because of paranoia crawling around in their thoughts. At its greatest extent blood mages may even turn upon their friends in episodes of paranoid delusions. Get creative with how you interpret this paranoia because it’s very broad in the sense that it could be distrust for others, the world, or even yourself.

Insomnia’s effects are both mental and physical but they can include changes in mood, lack of motivation and energy, irritability, and more. Being drowsy makes one feel preoccupied and tense.


The most free range madness, addiction takes countless forms and can get quite weird quite quickly, so have fun coming up with this one. Blood mages can be addicted to anything, from the feeling of an emotion, a person, an object, a substance, a song, and so on, but the most common addictions include:

-Drugs and alcohol (cactus green, rubium, sugar, etc)
-Gambling and chance taking
-Sexual interaction (if in doubt, just FTB)
-Spending money 
-Entertainment (anything that amuses)
-Tattooing and piercing
-Binge eating or food addiction (“I cannot eat anything but sweetrolls and pumpkin pie”)
-Risky behavior or thrill seeking

 

 

Bloodshards and the Red Nexus
The eldest known living blood mage is no man of Horen, Malin, Urguan, or Krug but a great serpent of Dragur; granted sentience by Setherien following his defeat in the North of Anthos, the drake Malghourn reigns supreme over his lineage of students. This drake-breed of blood magic is what is known today as the third generation and thus is closely related to Malghourn. Donated an original bloodshard from Setherien modeled after the drakaar’s lexicon and dubbed the Red Nexus, the crystalline mass of congealed blood has been chipped at nine times, forming ten shards with the Red Nexus being the prime leftover of the original, colossal bloodshard. These nine gems of coagulated blood borne of Setherien-era hemomancy act as smaller lexicons for Malghourn’s superior Red Nexus  which at a mere touch inject knowledge into the mind. To grace a bloodshard is to accept the information of genus’ nature, the craft of blood magic, and the tools to use it. Such complex ideas and philosophy cannot be spoken or instructed, only shown, and thus bloodshards are conduits for making bloodmages. Familiarity with genus and the runes permits a masterful blood mage some vague understanding of the complex language with which Malghourn has stored knowledge into his Nexus. This allows master blood mages to tap into the near infinite knowledge of the Red Nexus at times and potentially glimpse its libraries or adversely communicate with Malghourn through it.

Weightless and massive -- no smaller than nine meters and no larger than thirteen -- these floating crystals are spread across the mortal realm and are dearly coveted by blood mage cabals. They are coveted things and as such are often hidden, tucked away things or disguised as mere rocks for they have the durability of stone and the texture of a crystal. Whilst destructible, master blood mages may reconstruct these shards of the Red Nexus from any piece of their remains as well as smaller gems -- dregs -- to either restore a bloodshard or create dregs.

 

-Bloodshards allow individuals to become viable for learning blood magic. There are, at all times, nine, and Malghourn may move them at his will (LT discretion).
-Bloodshards MUST be physically built upon the map.
-Any tier 5 blood mage may restore a bloodshard with any amount of its fragments. Attempting this without a fragment or after the last of the nine have been reformed it results in the creation of a dreg.
-Bloodshards may grant tier 5 blood mages knowledge of all spells thus keeping the magic spread at all times; no knowledge can be hoarded and/or hidden. Future discoveries and additions may also be spread through this manner.
-ET/LT events may be held for blood mages who touch bloodshards to commune with Malghourn to whatever end.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Powers of Blood Magic

 

Augmentation
The first and prime tool of blood mages, ichor may be sacrificed and converted into additional mana in order to empower spells by reaching out to genus and freeing it from its shackles within blood. This unbinding dissolves blood into a fine, glowing red mist which siphons into the blood mage to bolster their next spell or into another mage to strengthen their next spell, unlocking the potential of a master in that craft to the most lowly of apprentices. In doing so a blood mage incites wild, primitive power in the spell no better than a master’s affluence.

 

 

 

 

Blood mages are able to augment their magic to the point of mastery by using genus as a raw, more potent substitute for their mana. This is harnessed far more efficiently through runes, though can be clumsily used inhand. The result of this is a far greater ease to a blood mage’s spellcasting with other arts, to the extent of an expert mage. In essence, a sorcerer's apprentice who dabbles in blood magic would be able to rival their master whilst empowered, though will never surpass the natural capability of a more talented and studied practitioner. As blood mages progress they are able to stretch their abilities further, at peak proficiency in augmentation capable of comprehending an artisan level of control over a magic they’d otherwise be a novice in using whilst empowered.

It is this practice,  however, which makes blood magic detrimental to an otherwise promising mage’s progression. The power bestowed upon a caster through genus is addictive, becoming a crutch to an otherwise able bodied man. By bypassing the struggles of the usual wizard or warlock in their own magical development, a blood mage will find soon find themselves unable to ever properly mimic the potential of an unaided sorcerer without drawing upon genus.

Augmentation is a sacrifice of blood for power and this exchange is one paid carefully lest too much be spilt and too much be wasted; as a blood mage raises in prowess their efficiency in this conversion increases and they may draw upon themselves or others enough to use augmentation multiple times, baseline two. To draw from an individual once more than they can efficiently be taken from threatens to cause them to pass out and, if too much blood is wasted or if blood is drawn once more again, shock and death. This is determined with using /roll 20 for the first draw past the safe limit: the individual, blood mage or otherwise, will pass out and faint for no shorter than one hour narrative-time if they roll 14 or lower.

 

-Can be used ___ times from self before being exhausted / dangerously low
-blood of others can be used endlessly

Tier 2: can draw 2 times per person, raises spell by 1 tier per draw
Tier 3: can draw 3 times per person, raises spell by 2 tiers per draw
Tier 4: can draw 4 times per person, raises spell by 3 tiers per draw
Tier 5: can draw 4 times per person,  raises spell by 4 tiers per draw


-Augmentation requires 2 emotes to perform on nearby, free blood; one to convert the blood into red mist and another to absorb the genus. This adds the appropriate tier increase to their next spell.
-Spells of relative augmented tier must still be emoted as normal atop the emotes required to draw and augment blood before casting. In this regard a spell of another magic that usually takes X amount emotes would still require that amount of emotes atop 2 emotes required to draw and augment genus before the spell.
-Clumsy in nature, augmentation can not purpose more genus-rich blood (such as that of a voidal horror) any more effectively than regular blood. Such blood is only useful regarding rituals.
-Augmentation may only be performed on blood or augment individuals within a 5 block radius.
-Augmentation drains the individual being drawn from; to surpass the number of safe draws appropriate to tier once risks passing out and any more ensures death.
-Augmented magics must still adhere to the usual redlines of said magics and cannot surpass tier 5. 
-Augmented spell will be able to rival the capability of tier-gated spells, though spells not known by the blood mage still cannot be cast unless taught. Augmentation grants temporary power, not knowledge. 
-Augmented spells can only be cast if the castor has been taught them, meaning restricted spells can’t be cast unless taught and using augmentation to reach the appropriate tier if necessary.
 

 

Bloodbending
A second and more vicious tool of blood magic, the lifeblood of others may be manipulated in various manners to puppeteer bodies after the great blood mages of yore.  Unlike most other types of sorcery, users of blood magic are more volatile the closer they are to others as well as when near bare skin or open wounds. Bloodbending may take the form of controlling another’s limb, inducing paralysis, or bursting veins.

 

 

 

 

 

A blood mage’s most versatile and more freeform abilities come in the branch of bloodbending, the act manipulating genus to cause movement or induce force. All blood bending is restricted to within a twenty meter radius form the blood mage, dependant on reaching out to the intricacies of genus - not a feat conducted over long distances - through immense focus. This not only requires the blood mage to envision their target, but may also for some spells require the victim to have visible skin, be marked by splatters of blood or genus already under the blood mage’s influence or in some cases be already wounded themselves.  On a similar note, not all bloodbending is consistent within the twenty meter radius. Some feats can only be enacted within specific ranges, whilst others are performed with greater ease on closer targets. As with augmentation, the genus of the manipulated blood goes about fueling these spells, costing the blood mage little in the way of exertion and depending chiefly on their focus and proxemics with the target.
 

A blood mage may cast bloodbending spells (except sensing, minor sensing, and minor hemorrhaging -- they are free / cantrips) a number of times equivalent to tier listed below before they become exhausted by repeated acts of wresting control over genus. Tier 3+ blood mages may opt to utilize a casting of augmentation of azdrazi, dragon, tree lord, ascended, inferis, voidal horror (including celestials), or berserker blood – supernatural or superior blood – in order to replenish 1 spell 'slot' with a unit of genus. 

T1: 1 bloodbending spell per 12 hours
T2: 2 bloodbending spells per 12 hours
T3: 3 bloodbending spells per 12 hours
T4: 4 bloodbending spells per 12 hours
T5: 5 bloodbending spells per 12 hours

 

The following are tell guides for bloodbending spells.

 

Sensing: As the baseline form of bloodbending sensing should be your first spell where you define your character's tell, usually a rhythmic, meditative act accompanied by closing one's eyes or focusing on some point in space as to allow the mind peace for a moment so it can reach out. Sensing – like most weaker forms of bloodbending – requires something along the lines of  rhythmic joint cracking, hand posing, repetitive and/or intricate movement, or some other somatic gesture which portrays focus and attention.

 

Contortion: Whereas sensing is a more passive, quiet form of bloodbending, contortion is the first introduction to true manipulation. Contortion requires preparation akin to sensing albeit targeted towards someone, meaning a blood mage should stare down their target in order to fixate on them while they make their more casual motions before they go to enact the spell and contort a limb or throw a body which is achieved by exaggerated, outward arm movements that are directionally appropriate and fitting for the manner in which the target will move; if contorting a limb a blood mage should thrust their arm in a way to make it seem as if they are touching the victim from afar such as moving an arm by grasping at the air and moving it in a mimicked / corresponding manner.

 

Scabbing: Genus mist will leak from any blood that is coagulated by scabbing albeit the use of the spell very obviously creates large, wicked scabs upon wounds which form at the touch and guide of the blood mage’s hand(s); the scabs forming out of a wound in an instant is an obvious enough tell otherwise.

 

Concussion: Since concussion builds up to its effect from range you should maintain your character’s specific meditative tell such as with sensing albeit with more vigor and intensity. Message the victim in PMs and emote to them feeling what is first akin to migraine which increases into a sharp (but not painful or debilitating) that will either pass or end in unconsciousness depending on the roll / emotes. Most notably you should make an emphasis on your character staring the victim down; unyielding, predatory, latched.

 

Hemorrhaging: Hemorrhaging’s idle lead-up emotes should be a step above the idle movements of sensing wherein the character uses hand signs, dance-like motions, and other obvious magical gestures of tearing or crushing or stabbing or any other relevant or appropriate movement to portray that there is damage coming. Where your character touches the victim is where the hemorrhage will take effect which could be a punch, slap, caress, or anything of the sort.

 

Freezing: As the ‘top shelf’ sort of bloodbending spell you should describe the power of the act to be wild in a way and difficult to conduct regardless of mastery; struggle against your own body, be tense and shake, and then maintain some kind of strain after touching the victim to insight the paralysis.

 

Tearing: The end of bloodbending, tearing can be as brutal and grotesque or practiced and disciplined as you like due to the aesthetic of tearing a person apart or disemboweling them etc etc. The emotes need to be blatantly obvious through strain and harsh motion or eloquent dance and precise fingerwork that you are working on a volatile spell and are beginning to barbarously pull their flesh apart. The tears can be progressive to a degree but there shouldn’t be major injury or effect until after the 6 emotes.
 

 

Sensing: the baseline form of bloodbending, sensing is the extension of a blood mage’s reach out towards what is around them in order to tell if genus-having blood is nearby. This allows for the detection of entities with blood albeit not precisely where within a close proximity. Sensing may be learned by novice blood mages (tier one).

-Sensing can only be used within 5 blocks.
-Sensing requires 2 emotes to perform.

 

Contortion: single limbs are vulnerable to manipulation, simple machines of joints and muscle to be twisted to a blood mage’s will. By use of contortion a victim may be thrown in a direction or partially puppeteered after the blood mage has entered a mental stance preparing them to use this form of bloodbending, however it cannot be used infinitely in succession and is only viable in waves. Contortion may be learned by apprentice blood mages (tier two)..

-Contortion requires 2 emotes to prepare (the ‘tell’) and 1 emote to perform if the victim is within 3 blocks and is marked or openly, visibly bleeding.
-A victim can successfully struggle against the forceful movement via a contesting roll of 20 with the blood mage.
-Contortion may be used twice in succession before there is a 8 emote cooldown wherein it cannot be used. This cooldown repeats every 2 uses. 
-Thrown individuals may be tossed 3 blocks in any direction except up. The force of an impact with any objects is equivalent to having willingly ran into it.
-Contortion can only be used in natural motions, meaning a leg cannot be bent backwards or an arm twisted behind one’s back to break it. As well, no motion with contortion can be sustained or kept in place; a blood mage cannot use contortion to pin a person to the ground via their leg nor can they pin an arm to one’s side.
-Contortion requires significant focus and cannot be used immediately following non-minor physical or magical exertion (walking or use of household magic are considered minor, throwing a fireball or swinging a sword is considered major). Use must be spaced by 1 emote in order to realign focus after weapon or spell use as to not be able to spam the ability.


Congealing: the coagulation of blood in supernatural form, congealing has two uses; it may restore broken bloodshards from any fragment so long as the bloodshard hasn’t already been restored and can too be used to form a dreg. A dreg is a unit of genus congealed into a small, thin shard of red crystal which acts very similarly to a mana gems albeit with additional properties; where a gem may only so long to fuel an enchantment, a dreg may maintain the same enchantment for twice the duration. As well, dregs are easy carriers for magics which cannot otherwise be enchanted with, namely dark arts. Congealing may be learned by apprentice blood mages (tier two).

-Dregs only last twice as long as a usual mana gem, no more.
-Dregs used to make dark art enchanted objects must be made as a MArt.

 

Scabbing: a blood mage’s best friend, scabbing just as the name implies, the forceful coagulation of blood into a scab upon a wound. This allows for blood mages to keenly preserve their blood or that of others by mending wounds however this does not heal wounds nor restore lost blood. However, scabbing can too be used on an individual to progressively purify their blood and rid it of toxins such as alcohol, poison, or venom. Scabbing may be learned by adept blood mages (tier three).

-Scabbing can only be used within 5 blocks.
-Scabbing requires 1 emote to perform when scabbing tiny wounds or erasing bloodstains (smaller than 2 inch cuts), 2 emotes on small wounds (smaller than 4 inch cuts), 3 emotes on medium wounds (smaller than 6 inch cuts), and 4 emotes on any wound larger than 6 inches.

 

Concussion: a less harmful action, concussions can be inflicted upon a target subject to a mass push or pull of the blood in their head, usually resulting in unconsciousness. A feat that requires delicacy and precision, blood mages can only attempt this on targets whose heads are on display or those bleeding through whatever cover might be upon their head whilst also adhering to a maximum range of ten meters. If performed too hastily they’ve also a tendency to fail, leaving targets dizzy and lightheaded but not incapacitated. Concussion may be learned by adept blood mages (tier three).


-Concussion requires a 6 block range and the target’s head must be at least partially visible or they must be bleeding through whatever cover is over it. Slits in a helmet do not count as lacking cover.
-Requires 4 emotes to attempt, allowing the victim to roll 12+ to remain conscious albeit dizzy and light headed. Should the concussion attempt fail, all 4 emotes must be repeated for a second attempt at unconscious through this spell. Requires 6 emotes for certain unconsciousness.

-Victim feels the buildup as the blood mage is casting, beginning to feel like a mild migraine before ramping up into a noticeable headache which either passes or results in unconsciousness.


 

Hemorrhaging: a gritty and brutal use of bloodbending, hemorrhaging is the act of creating a weeping wound upon an individual through bursting veins. This creation of a wound is equivalent to a stab minus the depth of damage; it is only surface level. Hemorrhaging may be learned by adept blood mages (tier three).

-Hemorrhaging requires touch; the touched area is where the weeping wound appears.
-Hemorrhaging requires 3 emotes to perform. After those 3 emotes, a blood mage may opt to have the creation of the weeping wound be delayed 1-4 emotes (their choice) after they have touched the skin of their victim.

 

Freezing: the most focus dependant of feats in bloodbending, freezing is the act of paralysing a target’s full body in place for a period of time. This can only be performed upon a victim through physical touch and may only be maintained securely from five meters and then loosely for ten meters thereafter. Freezing may be learned by expert blood mages (tier four).

-Freezing requires skin on skin contact with the target to perform and can only be maintained to a maximum of 10 blocks. Where usual server rules dictate a maximum of 10 blocks can be moved per emote, a blood mage maintaining freezing would require double the emotes to cover the same distance (unless relative to narrative time). They effectively move at half the speed of a normal person whilst maintaining this spell.
-Requires 2 emotes of preparation before the 3rd emote where the target must be touched by the blood mage for immediate paralysis. Must be performed even if a target is to be ‘re-frozen’.
-Creatures with more muscle mass such as orcs and dwarves are able to put up more resistance to freezing, able to /roll against the blood mage to try and resist the paralysis once physical touch has ceased. Once the blood mage is between 5 and 10 blocks from any other target they too can attempt to resist in the same manner. 
-Further bloodbending can not be performed on targets whilst frozen, even by other blood mages. Furthermore, high impact and bloodletting injuries applied to a frozen individual will immediately release the blood mage’s hold; a frozen target that is clubbed would be liberated from the paralysis, as would one being cut the moment skin is broken and blood is able to escape.
-Freezing is only applied to muscle mass for the purpose of restricting movement. It can by no means stop another’s heart from pumping blood, cause organ failure or any lasting damage beyond minor cramps and spasms in its aftermath.
-Can be maintained indefinitely though after 8 emotes any 5+ roll by the target will result in freedom, regardless of proxemics with the blood mage. 


 

Tearing: arguably the most brutal spell in the bloodbender’s arsenal, tearing is exactly that; ripping a target limb from limb through sheer force upon their own blood. As with all abilities of such excess, however, this is an inefficient feat reserved for the cruelest amongst the blood mage ranks. Through tearing an arm may be torn off, for example, though doing so would take far more time and focus than simply trying to lop off the victim’s limb with an axe, alternatively decapitation or disemboweling could be enacted, though again to a pointless end where the target could far more efficiently be killed through other means. Tearing may be learned by expert blood mages (tier four).

-Tearing requires touch.
-Tearing requires 6 emotes to perform on otherwise unharmed flesh. On considerably ‘minor’ extremities tearing can be performed in 3 emotes also, specifically fingers, toes, ears and noses. In the extreme that someone is to be physically torn in half (horizontally or vertically) a full 8 emotes are required.
-Flesh being torn must be visible to the blood mage, for example a man wearing intact sleeves could not have an arm torn off. This is negated if the target is bleeding through whatever is covering said area.

 

 

 

Blood Runes and Rites
The third and more complex tool of blood magic, runes and rites are forms of ritualistic acts where genus-bearing blood may be used to write glyphs, each embodying meaning and power structured and fueled by genus, either alone to some effect in the case of Force runes or in circles full of various runes to create a complex ritual.

 

Runes

There are many runes to blood magic, its unspoken, sanguine language a thing used to invoke primal powers. Detailed in the countless pages of Malghourn’s ethereal tomes of his Red Nexus, taught by the tutelage of a blood mage or a bloodshard’s touch, these glyphs produce abilities born of genus. Runes, words, and rituals, elaborate sentences, both are pure invocations. 

 

-Without the setting of a ritual where effects are specified or may be experimented with, runes act simply as an esoteric alphabet. Drawing one without the proper preparations would yield no special consequence.
 

 

 

 

Elemental Runes

“The firstborn in this dismal plane and the elements the Maker shaped my father and his ilk, the Brothers and their children, and the world itself, the primeval express what is more pure and raw. Each is of their own order and chaos, good and evil, peace and fury.”

 

Rune of Fire



Fire is hot and furious. It is father to steam and humidity when bound to water(1), cinder and ash when bound to earth(2) and smoke and miasma when bound to air(3). It suggests fury, anger, pain, unruly strength, raw chaos.

 

Rune of Water



Water is fleeting and calm. It is mother to steam and humidity when bound to fire(1), fog and mist when bound to air(4) and filth and mud when bound to earth(5). It suggests fluidity of emotions, brief order, agility and uncertainty either altogether or individually.

 

Rune of Earth



Earth is wise, obedient, malleable and stalwart. It is father to cinder and ash when bound to fire(2), dust and sand when bound to air(6) and filth and mud when bound to water(5). It suggests sturdiness, patience, steadiness, long-lived order and knowledge either altogether or individually.

 

Rune of Air



Air is sporadic and swift. It is mother to smoke and miasma when bound to fire(3), dust and sand when bound to earth(6) and fog and mist when bound to water(4). It suggests lighter chaos, speed and quick-willed emotion either altogether or individually.

 

Rune of Dark



Darkness is abyssal and eternal. It is shadow and shade; suffocation and cold, but also spaciousness and warmth, endlessness and the end itself. It bears no father nor no son, for all other elements may only produce the perception of darkness -- they may generate it’s visage, but not take it’s raw form.

 

Rune of Light



Light is clarity and constant. It is understanding and true perception; warmth and the foreseeable, but also desolation and a blank canvas. It bears no mother nor daughter, for all others elements may only produce the perception of light -- they may generate it’s visage, but not take its raw form.

 

Rune of Metal



Metal is firm and orderly. It is certainty and stubbornness; it can be melded to fit another shape, and melted to mimic rivers, but in the end it shapes into that of unbreakable iron. It is said to be the product of fire, water and earth, and retains faint semblances of each of these elements with it’s creation. Lightning is attracted to the element of metal.

 

Rune of Lightning



Lightning is both orderly and chaotic; unexpected and warned of. It is swift and strong, and dissipates with the whip of wind. It brings justice in the form of ash and fire where it touches, and is attracted to metal; the only element that may give the impression that lightning may be bent to one's will, but only for a brief moment.

 

Existence Runes

“Of flesh, of flora, of ethereal; entities come in few forms and among them are three, a triad of raw forms always obeyed lest they be something other, something godly and divine. A mortal, a plant, a spirit, or a combination, they are all of baseline existence except for what the invisible minds above create and hide in their realms.”

 

Rune of Flesh



Flesh is fueled by the essence of blood and bound only to those who bear true minds; it is expression of mortality to those who live despite immortals misusing the visage of flesh to suit the needs of relation. Runes of Flesh are used to create beings of flesh, or to summon entities of flesh from other realms.

 

Rune of Flora



Flora is the life which makes up our world; it is what binds the earth of most mortal realms to the natural cycle of things and to assure all is not desolate, bleak and mountainous. Flora comes in many forms but retains similar structure despite what realm it belongs to, and hosts peculiar natures that range from simplistic and mindless to wise and divine, much like the Elder Trees of the Aspects. Runes of Flora are used to create beings of flora, or to summon entities of flora from other realms.

 

Rune of the Ethereal



Those of ethereal nature are otherworldly creatures that are not known to belong to mortal planes in native form. They are either a hazardous invasion or an unnatural dawn of life, and bear nary blood or flesh or the stem of flora; taking vague forms that range from ghosts of long-lost life to wretched wraiths. Runes of the Ethereal are used to create ethereal beings, or to summon ethereal entities from other realms.


Rune of Divinity



Divine beings are cryptic and mysterious, and their nature are not set by one single law; they bear all the knowledge one may hold often without the insanity it brings, and it is said they are the prime product of the Maker, whom are intended to vanguard the realms of creation so the Void does not swallow them whole. This rune is an enigma and operates in theory; for it is unknown whether or not it may truly bring about the presence of greater beings such as Aenguls, Daemons, Spirits, or antediluvian forces far too magnificent to be beheld by mortal perception.


Totality Runes

“This world is not alone. We are one of many -- perhaps prime, perhaps not -- but our loneliness is unfounded for what lies beyond, be if akin to the mortal planes, transcendental ones, or of the divines, they roam in the eternities beyond waiting to be abused and summoned from. Alternatively, and most delectably, they may be targeted or bound there.”

 

Rune of Mortality



The Rune of Mortality is reserved for summoning beings of any known physical form from planes that host them in the time of their summoning. Aos and Eos, the sides of the coin show to boast their own native life that bear their own origin of creation. However, despite all mortal realms being similar merely based on hosting a land of flesh and flora and often natural life, no two realms are exactly similar, and to believe such would be foolhardy and unsuspecting of what threats may await on the other side.

 

Rune of Transcendence



A true mystery is not only the nature of other worlds, but what shape they may take beyond the makeup of mortal planes. These places are ever rarely witnessed by one’s true perception -- and only the most famed wizards and portal-delvers of ages’ past have beheld the distortion of transcendental realms. There are countless transcendental realms yet unnamed -- claimed to be the failure of naive divines, simply the foreign perception of another plane or even mortal planes that have met a fate so destructive that the very earth that made it up had fallen into a chaotic nexus, and the elements that kept order betrayed their natural laws and sought their own machinations in the form of unrelenting chaos. No true life may support itself in these wretched places, so thus, it is only natural that supernatural beings, often spectral entities, roam these planes and survive by their own unknown means. Some theories even suggest that the Void itself is a realm of transcendence, and if such is to be true, to open a rift and allow another being to slip through into our world and from the Void would likely mean to devastate the land and to endanger all life and lands beyond.

 

Rune of Sacrosanctum



Divine, sacrosanct realms are the foreign pages of a book written by greater beings -- prime examples being the Nether, the Seven Skies and even the Spiritual Planes and what subjects are hosted within them. It is referenced in common mortal knowledge that divine beings such as Aenguls and Daemons individually hold reign over their own special realms. Thus, it may be imagined that divine realms are more related to mortal realms in terms of order and what defines them, which almost often concerns the alignment and affinity of the divines that control them. Entities, whether bound by flesh or ethereal form, may be summoned from other sacrosanct realms if they are hosted within them, but to summon the divines themselves is a theoretic, forbidden process in which success in doing so would likely tear the mortal plane the ritual is hosted in asunder whether in defiance of the natural laws between divine presence in other realms or simply on behalf of the raw power said divines expel.


Force Runes

“True power embodied through blood is found here, including power itself. These are the most coveted runes for their knowledge is volatile and a thing of great potential -- be it great creation or great destruction -- and a thing to be deeply wary of.”

 

Rune of Power



Power is raw force and strength; it is one’s bloodbound muscles, a king’s lordly reign, the fury of flame, the grip of Gods and the will of man. Power is a broad concept and comes in many forms, so thus this rune may be used to empower many things in many rituals. It is the fuel necessary to carrying out the more volatile rituals.

 

Rune of Draining



Force may take form in greater power, but it also takes form in one's ability to claim; to take from others what one desires for oneself. It is primal action to take away from others -- to take the life from one's prey, to steal their blood and their essence for yourself. To drain is merely another aspect of claim. To claim is another aspect of power. It is to take.

 

Rune of Binding



The shackles of slavery bear their own history that stretches across these past dismal ages, but they were all forged of iron -- able to be shattered and broken after rust made them brittle. The essence of genus, however, bears no such brittleness; there is no rust to be had, no weakness dawned by the passing of eras. Genus is a catalyst; and its power is ever-flowing through one's mortal veins. Shackles ever-empowered, and never broken; only unlocked by the master of those who are runed. So too can shackles be worn with no master but the world and life itself. 

 

Rune of Silence



The antithesis of power and infinite potential, silence is nothing, the black crevasse and the bottomless abyss. It voids energy and sound, leaving nothing behind but absolute stillness and eternal calm. It is pure order, pure nothingness. Silence embodies a muted scream and a muffled death rattle, a tangible force itself which roams as quelling entropy.

 

Rune of Life



Among the most enigmatic and potent runes, life is sentience, animation, and more than mere existence but consciousness and spirit. It is a physical and ethereal heartbeat and a tool to be used most carefully; life both marks and denotes the living as well as gives life. It is what genus aspires to uphold and a force fueling its own cognition. To inscribe life is to signify sentience, a frightful thing for not all things ought to have lives of their own.

 

 

 

 

Rituals

Blood Rituals are dependant upon runes chiefly followed by sacrifices used to empower said runes which - with the right management - can achieve great feats. The genus required for specific rituals is measured in units, a unit of genus referring to a non-fatal measure of a non-magical human’s blood, approximately a third. Mortals may have 1 unit of blood safely drawn from them; a second unit would result in death. Genus count varies from person to person, the specifics outlined below:
-Average, typical people have 3 units of genus, equating to 1 body’s full blood reserves.
-High elves and mages have 4 units of genus as per their magical affluence. (This is the maximum amount of genus a natural body can produce, meaning a High Elf who also practices magic will still only have 4 units of genus).

-Zephonym have 4 units of genus due to their excessive reserves of blood.
-Azdrazi, dragons, tree lords, ascended, zar'ei, and zar'akal have 5 units of genus due to their supernatural or superior states.
-Celestials and berserkers have 6 units of genus due to their Voidal saturation and immense genus stores respectively.
-Voidal Horrors have 12 units of genus due to their immense Voidal saturation.

 

-Average, typical people can regenerate 1 unit of genus per 24 hours unless their lore states otherwise.

 

Where runes are words which invoke meaning alone, rituals are sentences which create elaborate effects. There are four types of rituals: elemental, summoning, creation and force. Runes can be inscribed for rituals within a relatively short frame of narrative time (provided there is sufficient genus available to fuel their creation) or be painstakingly drawn over the course of weeks and months, though any rune left after a narrative month (an OOC day) without use would dry; any fully prepared ritual in this circumstance would take an additional unit of genus to awaken.

 

-Runes drawn for rituals must be done with immense precision and focus, effectively impossible to scrawl down during combat.

-A ritual that takes more than 1 IRL day to prepare will require an additional unit of genus to activate.

 

 

 Elemental Rituals

“Objects may be infused with the nature of the primeval elements, the makings of blood’s true potential as an ink of existential rites.”

 

Elemental rituals are conducted upon objects and items, granting them additional properties to what which they already have embodying the element they are used with in the ritual. Elemental rituals require only the elemental rune they are being inscribed with and a rune of mortality, binding their planar property to the object in a ritual; the object itself bears no runes and the enchantment is permanent unless destroyed. In conducting the ritual, a larger rune of mortality is to be drawn. Within the crescent at the rune’s corner is then placed the object and the relevant rune. Requiring 2 runes, elemental rituals require 1 unit of genus.

 

Fire: the item becomes terribly brittle, flaking away with use. Swords may last a battle, but they will surely need tending to by the hand of a blacksmith afterwards. These items, when drawn quickly along rough surfaces after having the fresh blood of the wielder deposited upon them, will burst into flames and burn ferociously until the blood runs dry (four to five emotes). They are also very resistant to ambient heat, protecting the wearer within. 

Water: when dropped into the water, the item will invariably float to the surface and rest atop the waves, no matter their ferocity. The wearer will always remain dry and free from the creeping chill of water. When the blood of the wielder is shed upon the item, it will become as malleable as liquid for a short period of time, and will shift into a new form that was determined at the time of the items inscription. This transformation will take two to three emotes at the least, or more dependent on size.

 

Earth: the item becomes noticeably heavier; a single suit of armour may be comfortable to wear but certainly beyond anything a magician or untrained individual could handle. Swords are capable of being lifted by the untrained, but their added heft will quickly exhaust one who has not readied themselves beforehand. These items have great protection from physical stress, and their general durability is also considerably enhanced; vibration is also near completely nullified. These items have no activated ability.

 

Air: an object inscribed with the element of Air becomes lighter and far more easy to handle. Mundane tools, for example, could be granted the freedom of air, enabling the force of its original weight to be exerted, yet its functional weight appears much lower than before. Inscribed swords may be swung like light branches; armor may feel alike light cloth clothing. However the untrained would soon find the lack of weight in armaments imbalancing; weapons easily slipping from their hands mid-swing as the gracefulness of the wind betrays them. Utilizing this rune will also cause the afflicted object to become brittle, breaking with ease after a blow or two. 

 

Dark: things with elemental Dark written upon them are visibly shaded as though they were always underwater and instead of reflecting light with light edges they glow with shadow and carry darker patches. Shadows tug towards these objects as if reaching out to caress them. If doused in fresh blood these items become completely and utterly jet black.

 

Light: an object inscribed with with Light no shadow and if near a lightsource intensifies it just faintly, kindling a torch or aggravating a lantern. When blood of the wielder is shed upon the item an ambient glow ranging from the intensity of moonlight to a torch with a color denoted by a rune suffix; fire gives red or orange, water gives purple or blue, earth gives green, grey, or brown, air gives faint translucency, dark gives a muddled shadow like glass, light gives light, metal gives grey, and lightning gives vibrant yellow or blue.

 

Metal: these objects gain an odd sheen which light catches and with it the object attracts lightning and conducts such energy well. Metal inscribed objects also possess a magnetic property towards other objects of their same material, albeit the strength of such magnetism is weak enough for any adolescent to be able to pry them apart. These items have no activated ability. 

 

Lightning: often giving off static shock at a touch, objects inscribed with Lightning give off a sharp and shrill pop and crackle when drug against metal or metal-runed objects and if doused in blood give a skin-numbing zap which remains active so long as the object is bloodied.


Summoning Rituals

“Be it from our world or the many worlds beyond, summoning draws forth what is desired given enough blood. To want is a risky ordeal lest too eager a hand snatches something foul. It is safest to summon from within one’s own realm than to reach out; to reach into the jar is to risk consequence.”

 

Summoning rituals include the conjuring of the unknown, creature or object, from other worlds but also the summoning of creatures or objects from the same realm if marked. Rituals of moderate difficulty unlike elemental ones, these rites require at least two blood mages to conduct.

 

Summon Entity: If of this plane, a being may be marked with a signature rune to an individual blood mage as well as the totality rune: mortality in advance. When the ritual is had later on using the signature rune of the same blood mage, a flesh rune, mortality rune, and a rune of power the marked individual will be summoned to the location of the ritual site over the course of five emotions which, if interrupted by touch on either side whilst the marked individual fades from one place and appears at the other, the ritual fails and cannot be attempted again until the runes are redrawn. Requiring  6 runes, this ritual requires 3 unit of genus.

 

If summoning an entity not marked, such a ritual may be made to conjure an entity described in runes but otherwise random in identity and make, thus nondescript and usually generic. Summoning a dragon would require runes of  two fire, two flesh, two mortality, and four power whereas summoning an angel of Tahariae’s would require two light, two divinity, two sacrosanctum, and four power.


-Summoned entities owe no allegiance to that which summons them and in turn are most often things that are let loose in the surrounding area. 
-Requiring 10 runes, this ritual require 5 unit of genus. 
-Summoned characters must have their hands free in order to allow the ritual to commence; if they are handcuffed they cannot be summoned. As well, should a marked character be captured and blood mages wish to summon them they of course must know ICly they are captured.
-All uses of this ritual require LT approval.
-The summoned creature must be RPed by an ET/LT.
-Whilst touching a bloodshard permits a blood mage full knowledge of runes, it does not teach all necessary combinations for this ritual. These would have to be discovered through teaching or experimentation. 


Summon Object: If of this plane, an object may be marked with a signature rune to an individual blood mage as well as the totality rune: mortality in advance. When the ritual is had later on using the signature rune of the same blood mage, two mortality runes, and a rune of power the marked object will be summoned to the location of the ritual site over the course of five emotions which, if interrupted by touch on either side whilst the marked object fades from one place and appears at the other, the ritual fails and cannot be attempted again until the runes are redrawn. Requiring  6 runes, this ritual requires 3 unit of genus.

 

If summoning an object not marked, such a ritual may be made to conjure an object described in runes but otherwise random in identity and make, thus nondescript and usually generic. Summoning an alien plant would require a water, an earth, two flora, two mortality, and two power. Summoning an alien artifact would require two metal, two transcendental, 
 

 

-Requiring 8 runes, this ritual require 4 unit of genus. 
-All uses of this ritual require LT approval.
-Deities can deny things from being summoned from their realms.
-The summoned object requires a MArt.
-Whilst touching a bloodshard permits a blood mage full knowledge of runes, it does not teach all necessary combinations for this ritual. These would have to be discovered through teaching or experimentation. 


 

Rifts: Genus is potential, raw and primitive. Where usual summoning rituals reach out to the infinite cosmos and pull from the many planes beyond, rifts tap into those same places and peer in through smaller, more controlled tears. The planar winds in such rituals can overpower any creature yet rifts, minute and careful, may be utilized more easily.
In essence, this grant's blood mages the opportunity to traverse the stars and spaces between through these rifts. The various planes - mortal, transcendent, sacred or otherwise - are located not by some loose cosmic cartography nor pages from the Planar Dictate, but instead by specific combinations of runes; that which would both literally and metaphorically describe the destination. For example, to visit a populated mortal plane of ice, tundra and fjords one would have to utilise the runes water, air, earth, mortality, power and life encircled by a rune of ethereal. Regardless of combination, all rifts depend on a rune of ethereal to direct the runic definitions for the purpose of planeswalking, being drawn in the base circle of the rune so that the rift may open at the head of the ‘prong’ protruding from the top of the rune. 

The smaller scale of rifts compared with other summoning rituals - for the purpose of quelling the planar winds that might otherwise obstruct travel - also brings about their limitations. The rifts are one-way (from the ritual site to the destination) and have no limit on the number or mass of individuals passing through, though the stability of these cosmic bridges is not to be relied upon. With each passage a rift runs the risk of collapsing, the tear forged between realms mending itself, leaving many who partake in this rite disappointedly locked at the site of the ritual. Furthermore, regardless of use they will only stay open for ten minutes of narrative time. 

Due to the necessary size of the ethereal rune (in order to house all others within it), it will cost a full unit of genus to build. Following that, all ‘modifying’ runes placed within the ring  will come at the price of one unit every two runes, just as much if the final rune equals an odd number. In the case that time is spent building the rift (rather than a slew of sacrifices for immediate effect) an additional unit will be required to activate the rift.

 

-Rifts are one way, meaning nothing may pass from the target destination into the ritual site. Furthermore once having passed through a rift, the traveler will be trapped until another rift is built on their side to facilitate return to the mortal plane.
-Interaction with other worlds and realms through rifts would need to be permitted or facilitated by the ET/LT, especially so in the case of planes tied to specific lore.
-Those who venture through blood rifts with no IC ability to return must receive a full OOC explanation of the consequences of blood rifts as well as return OOC consent to the ritual leader before going through. This is due to the hazards of venturing to another world, wherein they may remain indefinately trapped (effectively PK’d - only playable with ET supervision) or permanently dead as the wilven monks would be unable to retrieve the soul of a character beyond the mortal plane. Should one not provide OOC consent they'd find themselves arriving at the Cloud Temple with no memory of the events leading up to the passage through the rift.
-Rifts can only traverse between planes and can not act as a portals/ shortcuts from a destination on one plane to another in the same plane. 
-Rifts will only remain open for ten narrative minutes. Within that time frame every individual’s passage will determine the stability of the rift by /roll 20. Should the traveler roll below 3, the rift will close - not causing explicit harm to the traveler - requiring a new rift’s construction to follow after any that might’ve prior ventured. 
-A blood mage has no certain knowledge of where or what the rift will lead to until successfully traveled through.
-Whilst touching a bloodshard permits a blood mage full knowledge of runes, it does not teach all necessary combinations for this ritual. These would have to be discovered through teaching or experimentation. 


Creation Rituals

“The devil is in the details.”

 

Creation rituals are among the most creative and volatile, warranting a need for excessive care lest something foul and monstrous be made or something which would cause the death of the blood mages involved.  Often difficult and layered, these rites require at least three blood mages to perform who may also participate in the rituals.

 

Invention: the most freeform of all blood rites, this allows for the creation of new objects or entities from scratch. What cannot be described in runes must be supported by them and other forms of mages may add their magics to shape the ritual. Any magic may combine with blood magic in a creation ritual, thus allowing for divine, arcane, and dark inventions. Such things are always expensive, however, and large stores of genus are required to fuel these freeform rituals. 

Creating a great sea leviathan to guard an underwater lair would necessitate a union of blood magic, lightning evocation, and thallassos, requiring  four water, two lightning, two flesh, two mortality, four power, four binding,  and two life runes. Creating a devilish sword wrought from hellfire would necessitate a union of blood magic, fire evocation, and naztherak, requiring four fire, two metal, two dark, two mortality, four power, and two draining runes.

 

-Requiring  at least 16 runes, freeform creation rituals require at least 9 unit of genus. 
-There must be one practitioner to every magic involved beyond the original three bloodmages. 
-Invented objects or entities require a MArt.
-Whilst touching a bloodshard permits a blood mage full knowledge of runes, it does not teach all necessary combinations for this ritual. These would have to be discovered through teaching. 


 

Rebirth: in this rite a blood mage marks a target’s body with the capabilities of a faux-soul-blueprint matching their own, linking the blood mage as a successor of the individual. The secondary individual then becomes a vessel for the blood mage should they perish in the future, taking their body and ejecting their soul to perish in spirit themselves but not in body. With this ritual should the blood mage PK the marked individual will also PK and their body will then be host to the blood mage’s soul, preventing their ultimate demise. 

This requires OOC consent on both ends. Runes do not adjust the soul blueprint, merely creating a filter through which it can mimic that which is intended for the body. In this regard a blood mage can not be resurrected via necromancy from a host body. These new bodies are vulnerable to Ascended flame and should the runes etched onto the body be removed they result in a PK. Relevant curses or afflictions of the soul such as shade or frost witch are carried over to the new body. 

 

-This ritual requires two binding, two life, four mortality, four flesh, and four power runes. 
-Requiring 14 runes, this ritual require 8 unit of genus.
-Only a blood mage that inhabits a currently living descendant body can mark another for rebirth. In this sense a lich could not come back to life via rebirth into a descendant.
-In the event that a blood mage has multiple bodies marked for rebirth at once, they must be inhabited chronologically. 
-A blood mage can only head a rebirth ritual for their own soul. In order to exchange another's soul to another body, the disembodiment ritual must be used.
-Bodies marked for rebirth must be living either as descendants or preserved alchemist clones. In the case of the latter, a clone inhabited by the blood mage before its intended host would be stolen and the cloned individual would be forced to rely on further clones or be forcibly PK'd upon death should they no longer have that body available. As cloning comes with a PK clause of its own (should bodies be destroyed or immature before they're inhabited) this does not require the OOC consent of the cloned individual. The ritual would effect a clone inhabited by its intended soul in the same way as a regular descendant.

-Whilst touching a bloodshard permits a blood mage full knowledge of runes, it does not teach all necessary combinations for this ritual. These would have to be discovered through teaching. 


Disembodiment: in this rite a blood mage may designate a pair of descendants (or another descendant with themself) to have their souls displaced and swapped. Their souls are forcibly dragged from their bodies and into the other, anguish taking them as though they are dying before they settling into a foreign mass.  They then awaken as if waking from a drunken stupor and settle into their new body.

This can be reversed with the same rite with relative ease if done within the span of two IRL weeks, not requiring any new runes to be drawn. Beyond that the soul needs time to mend and adjust to its new form, the transference being nigh impossible for eight IRL weeks following the initial two. This requires OOC consent on both ends and both players agree to a PK clause should either body die hosting a foreign soul. With their souls displaced, the individuals then become vulnerable to Ascended flame and too cannot travel to other planes within the first two IRL weeks. Relevant curses or afflictions of the soul carry over such as shade or frost witch.

-This ritual requires four binding, two life, two mortality, four flesh, and four power runes. 
-Both parties' souls must be inhabiting living descendant bodies.
-Requiring 14 runes, this ritual require 8 unit of genus.
-Bodies marked for disembodiment switching must be living either as descendants or preserved alchemist clones. In the case of the latter, a clone inhabited via this ritual before its intended host would be stolen and the cloned individual would be forced to rely on the switched body (assuming it's properly preserved like a clone) or further clones lest they be forcibly PK'd upon death should they no longer have that body available. As cloning comes with a PK clause of its own (should bodies be destroyed or immature before they're inhabited) this does not require the OOC consent of the cloned individual. The ritual would effect a clone inhabited by its intended soul in the same way as a regular descendant.

-Whilst touching a bloodshard permits a blood mage full knowledge of runes, it does not teach all necessary combinations for this ritual. These would have to be discovered through teaching. 


Force Rituals

“Force runes, written genus augmenting power with fueling genus, have individuality. They can be inscribed all on their lonesome and still function; something I have adapted to as well.” 

 

Force rituals are conducted to bring about specific effects with a single force rune, each specific to the rune being inscribed. Requiring 1 rune, force rituals require 1/2 a unit of genus.

 

Power: known as the brawn ritual, the power rune enables a blood mage to mark an individual’s flesh with bolstering strength they otherwise would not possess. This power rune draws on the soul and body, silencing magical capability outright but enhancing strength to that of a fit orc so long as it draws upon the user or is bathed in fresh blood. If drawing upon the user’s own blood it may last for 6 emotes before they bleed out and if drawing from outside blood it may last so long as it is repeatedly bathed until it begins to draw on the user. If the additional strength is used past its limit of 10 emotes in succession it becomes inert.

 

Draining: known as the weeping ritual, the draining rune enables blood mages to enchant a slashing or piercing weapon which is then able to conduct genus in blood it makes contact with. If blood is let upon the weapon it aligns along its shape and either encases or augments its edges wherein if used to stab or cut it creates weeping wounds which are more difficult to tend to -- requiring 2 addition emotes by healers or doctors -- and bleeds more excessively. Such weapons are made for gruesome deeds.

 

Binding: known as the enslavement ritual, the binding rune allows a blood mage to ensnare a creature which has a supernatural contract with a master under their dominion instead, examples including darkstalkers, dreadknights, eidola, golems, and atronachs. Once the rune is laid the blood mage acts as the entity’s new ruler so long as the rune is in place.

 

Silence: known as the deafening ritual, the silence rune enables a blood mage to mark an object or an 8 meter radius area with the inability to create or conduct sound. This stillness is restricted to rogues who have both the brain and hand marrows bound to totems they wear or carry.

 

Life: known as the spiritspell ritual, the life rune enables a blood mage to either empower a spell of theirs or another magician’s to enact the feat of a living spell. Such a spell is bound to the rune it is laid with, causing the spell to fail should the rune be destroyed, and the spell is thus perpetual and of its mind. Such a thing could, for example, lift a building with telekinesis and be bound with the spiritspell ritual to remain floating so long as a number of runes (scaling up in number with the building's size) are undisturbed. The runes would each need to be recharged with one unit of genus each per year (7 ooc days) lest they fail.

 

 

Berserkers and Rogues
Borne of savagery and slaughter and sacrifice, blood magic is not limited to mere bleeding wizards and sanguine warlocks. Where mages dabble in finesse and tactful sorcery there are those who are steeped in the carnage of both battle and loss, be they rogues who sneak and dance or berserkers who frenzy and lead warpaths. Their physical strength forsakes magic in favor of raw grit and gore found in runes written upon totems binding marrows, ethereal organs which empower their physicality.
 

 

 

 

A most ancient power rediscovered in recent years, once thought to be lost to the quiet aeons of Horen’s history but found by the Stone Serpent and offered through the bloodshards, is the knowledge of marrows. These ethereal organs which represent parts of a supernatural, invisible spirit-body are built by blood mages for themselves through way of ritualistic binding of sacrifices to form totems, objects leashing the marrow. Written and fueled by the blood of the blood mage they may manifest powers unlike any other, things rivaled only by the mystical first generation or the awakened ones of yore. They possess both the knowledge and ability to use their marrows to augment their bodies with uncanny skills which divide into two studies, the less devout rogue and the zealous berserker. For every marrow created the blood mage forfeits a sliver of themselves, cutting not just flesh but soul. These spiritual parts sacrificed become dedicated slots to blood magic which, even if dropped, cannot be used and are forever tied to hemomancy. This soul-sacrifice shreds a portion of the blood mage’s mana pool permanently into a separate, extended genus pool which marrows draw from akin to lost awakened blood magic.

 

A rogue is blood mage who has made a marrow, giving up an additional sliver of their soul -- a slot -- permanently to the machinations of blood magic to be bestowed an attribute otherwise impossible. The power of their specific organ marrow is powered by their newfound pool of active genus within their body, not requiring bloodshed. Rogues oftentimes act as spymasters, scouts, masterminds, assassins, trickers, thieves, or stalkers due to the inclination of the powers they manifest, perhaps by design in the making of the runes from ages past or perhaps by happenstance. 

 

Marrows are made firstly by preparing a totem. This must be some kind of object that can be wielded or worn which may bear tiny, intricate scrawlings of numerous runes to create what is called a “cypher.” A cypher is the basis of a far more complex system of runes, necessitating a mortality, binding, silence, and life runes which, combined, create a cradle to hold a marrow; it requires immense concentration to inscribe for instead of these runes being written in blood they are written in pure genus where the red mist congeals into appear like blood upon the object but must be protected lest they be destroyed. Because of the nature of these objects and their great importance it is often most wise for blood mages to make them out of tiny, forgettable things which cannot be smaller than a coin; the larger they are the obvious a target they become. Such a thing is a totem and is what may have a marrow bound to it. Should a totem be taken from a blood mage its powers cannot be used, however blood mages can recreate new totems to replace the old in order to leash the same marrows to them.

 

-Cyphers are made of 4 runes, requiring 2 units of genus to inscribe. The inscribed object cannot be smaller than a coin.
-For every marrow made is a slot permanently dedicated to blood magic. Even if blood magic is dropped those slots cannot be regained. The blood mage’s accepted MA must be commented on when they dedicate a slot to creating a marrow, defining them as a rogue or berserker.
-Whilst no mundane means can break totems, they can be destroyed by holy magic and dissolved by Voidal Translocation’s deconstruction.
-Blood mages who lose their totems may replace them by repeating the creation process for the totem; marrows cannot be lost, only unable to be used.


 Rogues, blood mages who sacrifice any portion of themselves to blood magic, are affected by the nature of the marrows they may create. All rogues, be they with one or both brain and hand, become physically altered by their creation where their bodies shift into a more fit shape to accommodate for the skills implanted in their brains and muscle memory. All rogues have prowess in acrobatics, balance, flexibility, and accuracy which they can further hone with practice to rival master circus performers and great elven archers. The genus manipulated by the brain or hand marrow amplify the rogue’s dexterity and makes them into what their name suggests, rogues. As well, they possess a supernatural ability to monitor genus-having blood within their immediate vicinity and possess a constant, minor form of sensing at all times. Lastly, the possession of two marrows allows the rogue to make use of the otherwise locked away force: silence rune.

 

-Rogues cannot reach superhuman levels of dexterity, acrobatics, balance, flexibility, or accuracy, merely that of experts should they train their innate skills.
-Minor sensing, a rogue’s constant blood radar, is only active within the range of /whisper. This only allows them to know if someone with genus-having blood is immediately beside, behind, or infront of them.

 

The marrows available to blood mages to become rogues are as follows:

 

Brain Marrow: capitalizing upon an additional silence rune marked upon the totem’s cypher, the brain marrow is forged from embedding the totem into a brain’s soft form -- mortal or animal -- and drenching the brain and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of a brain’s nerves and cognition into the totem which is thus bound to the rogue. To wear or hold the totem after the brain marrow has been bound to it causes the mind of the rogue to embrace silence. Both internal and external voices are silenced; mental mages cannot locate and thus mind meld with rogues with this marrow and the voices of schizophrenia or curses are muted. As well, rogues are more difficult to distract, daze, or otherwise have their focus or consciousness diverted; something that would disrupt their focus or cause them to go unconscious requires an additional emote otherwise they may remain aware. 

 

-Mental mages cannot connect to rogues with the brain marrow even if the rogue is consenting so long as they wield or wear their totem.
-Voices brought on by forms of schizophrenia or curses are silenced but any other symptoms are not. This includes shades and druids. Because of this silence, rogues cannot be cognats, shades, or druids or be made into atronachs.


 



Hand Marrow: capitalizing upon an additional air rune marked upon the totem’s cypher, the hand marrow is forged from embedding the totem into a hand’s flesh -- mortal or animal -- and drenching the hand and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of a hand’s dexterity and flexibility into the totem which is thus bound to the rogue. To wear or hold the totem after the hand marrow has been bound to it causes the hands of the rogue to embrace pliability and keenness. The rogue’s hands become incredibly deft with lockpicking and pickpocketing as with playing any instrument or crafts such as sewing, weaving, surgery, clockmaking, or any other skill which requires extra fine motor skills in the hands. As well, the rogue’s hands become cool to the touch at all times and the hairs upon their hands and forearms shift faintly as if under a breeze.

 

-Rogues may lockpick doors with the lowered success thresholds of (as though they have lockpicking tools): 
Wood door - 10+
Iron door - 15+
Locked sign - 10+
Glass / Window - 8+
Blood mages may only use the hand marrow in roleplay scenarios where the owner of the lock or build or someone with access to the lock is present and OOCly consents to the lock being undone or the block(s) broken into; if OOC consent is not given the player cannot use their hand marrow ability. This does not affect mechanical lockpicking.
-Instrument playing and other skills may be done at expert or masterful quality but not superhuman.

 

Berserkers are rogues who have forsaken all other magic, dedicating themselves fully to blood magic. Their mana pool is converted entirely into one of genus where they may use only blood magic and nothing else. In turn, they possess the height of blood magic’s abilities whilst also unable to use anything else; berserkers cannot activate arcane enchantments for their use as with any other form of enchantment lest it be borne of blood magic in some form due to the four marrows the berserker possess. All berserkers become further physically altered than rogues by their creations where their bodies shift into more than fit but robust and strapping to accomodate for the skills implanted in their brains and muscle memory. These mortals fit the aesthetics of barbarians, brutes, tribesman, and general blood warriors/knights/templar. They bear inborn musculature enhancing their strength and speed fir for an individual appropriate to their race, reaching not quite peak but great physical condition. They have extensive prowess in all forms of applying strength, be it pushing pulling, lifting, or throwing but not to a superhuman degree rivaling that of knights and master laborers. As well they possess a bloody ability to induce nosebleeds, bleeding from tear ducts, and even bleeding in the eye itself through a form of innate minor hemorrhaging induced through an intense stare.

 

Berserkers are made when a rogue creates a “full body” of marrows, all four required in order for the traits to appear due to the interactions of these marrow. Thus, rogues who do not create this full ethereal body gain no benefit from the marrows until they have all four.

 

-Berserkers cannot reach superhuman levels of strength or speed appropriate to their race merely that of the exceptionally fit should they train their innate skills.
-Minor hemorrhaging is only possible within the range of /quiet. This only allows for someone with genus-having blood to have a nosebleed, bleed from the tear ducts, or bleeding in the eye with two emotes of intense staring -- bleeding in the eye requiring three and at least one moment of eye contact. All forms of bleeding are not dangerous to one’s health unless the person has hemophilia.

 

The marrows available to rogues to become berserkers are as follows:

 

Greater Brain Marrow: capitalizing on two additional power runes marked upon the totem’s cypher, the greater brain marrow is forged by embedding the totem into the a brain’s soft form -- specifically mortal or of a fleshy voidal creature -- and drenching the brain and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of the brain’s nerves and cognition into the totem which is thus bound to the would-be berserker albeit its intelligence and ability to control is amplified by the power runes. To wear or hold the totem after the greater brain marrow has been bound to it causes the mind of the berserker to awaken to higher wisdoms regarding genus and existence, allowing for the other berserker marrows to function together and thus make a berserker what they are whilst also granting the individual a keenness for complex ideas, allowing them to understand higher levels of mathematics, sciences such as alchemy, and philosophy with relative ease. As well, berserkers are more difficult to distract, daze, or otherwise have their focus or consciousness diverted; something that would disrupt their focus or cause them to go unconscious requires an additional emote otherwise they may remain aware. 

 

-The greater brain marrow does not make berserkers hyper intelligent or superhuman, merely it is a shortcut to wisdom most others find through experience or study. This does not give any tangible information such as alchemical recipes.
-Like the rest of the marrows for berserkers, this cannot take effect unless the other three are also worn or wielded.

Greater Hand Marrow: capitalizing on an additional air and power rune marked upon the totem’s cypher, the greater hand marrow is forged by embedding the totem into a hand’s flesh -- specifically mortal or of a fleshy voidal creature -- and drenching the hand and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of a hand’s strength and dexterity into the totem which is thus bound to the would-be berserker albeit its malleability and force is amplified by the power rune. To wear or hold the totem after the greater hand marrow has been bound to it causes the hands of the berserker to embrace pliability, keenness, and strength. They become reactive, flexible, and steely as though tempered by years of use which lends to the berserker’s ability towards acts like arm wrestling or tying knots but more specifically crafts such as smithing, carpentry and woodcarving, general labor, masonry, pottery, tinkering, and even calligraphy. They bear the hands of the manually skilled.  As well, the berserker’s hands become cool to the touch at all times and the hairs upon their hands and forearms shift faintly as if under a breeze.

-Berserker hands/arms are not made stronger than they already are by this marrow.
-Crafts and skills relevant to handicraft may be done at expert or masterful quality but not superhuman nor are those skills learned instantly rather they are more easily picked up and mastered.

 



Greater Hand Marrow: capitalizing on an additional air and power rune marked upon the totem’s cypher, the greater hand marrow is forged by embedding the totem into a hand’s flesh -- specifically mortal or of a fleshy voidal creature -- and drenching the hand and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of a hand’s strength and dexterity into the totem which is thus bound to the would-be berserker albeit its malleability and force is amplified by the power rune. To wear or hold the totem after the greater hand marrow has been bound to it causes the hands of the berserker to embrace pliability, keenness, and strength. They become reactive, flexible, and steely as though tempered by years of use which lends to the berserker’s ability towards acts like arm wrestling or tying knots but more specifically crafts such as smithing, carpentry and woodcarving, general labor, masonry, pottery, tinkering, and even calligraphy. They bear the hands of the manually skilled.  As well, the berserker’s hands become cool to the touch at all times and the hairs upon their hands and forearms shift faintly as if under a breeze.

 

-Berserker hands/arms are not made stronger than they already are by this marrow.
-Crafts and skills relevant to handicraft may be done at expert or masterful quality but not superhuman nor are those skills learned instantly rather they are more easily picked up and mastered.

 

Stomach Marrow: capitalizing on an additional metal and flesh rune marked upon the totem’s cypher, the stomach marrow is forged by embedding the totem into a stomach’s soft body -- specifically mortal or of a fleshy voidal creature -- and drenching the stomach and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of a stomach’s digestive and fillable qualities into the totem which is thus bound to the would-be berserker. To wear or hold the totem after the stomach marrow has been bound to it causes the gut and intestines of the berserker to become galvanized wherein they may consume up to a pound of raw flesh or a liter of blood. Digesting it through mystical means, the gore is converted into genus in the same way as in augmentation which in turn may feed the body an additional unit of genus; use of augmentation outside the body may achieve the same gain in stored bodily genus.

 

-Berserkers cannot safely consume more than one pound of meat / liter of blood per day. When doing so the emote counts must be of the same number or higher than augmentation’s in order to gain the effect of gaining a unit of genus.

 

Heart Marrow: capitalizing on two additional flesh runes marked upon the totem’s cypher, the heart marrow is forged by embedding the totem into a heart -- specifically mortal or of a fleshy voidal creature -- and drenching the heart and sunk totem in the blood mage’s own blood equating to a unit of genus. This process ties the likeness of a heart’s power, considered the greatest of all marrows but like the rest it requires the others to function, into the totem which is thus bound to the would-be berserker. To wear or hold the totem after the heart marrow has been bound to it causes the berserker to do two things: it allows the body to store up to double its amount of blood in the form of self augmentation adding singular units of genus stored in additional blood through supernatural means as well as unlocking the greatest form of bloodbending, blood sculpting. 

 

Through the ethereal heart as with the support of the rest of the berserker marrows, the heart marrow is capable of allowing a berserker to digest genus through augmentation to store in the body for later use, their body generating up to twice as much blood as normal -- to no physical change, merely a mystical excess --  to support up to 3 additional units of genus to their original 3. When digesting genus through augmentation this merely adds genus to the body and does not heal nor add more blood to the berserker. Because of this common excess -- lingering until used -- berserkers often bleed excessively from cuts unless scabbed through bloodbending for their veins are practically pressurized with blood. They do not suffer the effects of shock or blood loss until their original stores are cut into; the additional 3 units of genus represented by additional blood may be lost to no effect on health besides perceived pain.

 

With the whole ethereal body functional the heart marrow allows for the ultimate use of bloodbending, blood sculpting. This power allows a berserker to form their own blood into objects through slow formation which, once formed, bear unique features. Once the blood has taken a shape it may be physically handled as though it were ferrum, both in durability and sharpness, as well as in texture and weight. This magically altered ichor may sustain its shape so long as the berserker desires and does not necessitate the berserker to concentrate to maintain it albeit it must remain within their sphere of influence lest it dissolve back into blood. Objects formed through blood sculpting act as though they have undergone the weeping ritual and make use of the draining rune as well as any elemental ritual should the berserker choose. The likes of tools, weapons, and armor may be formed through this form of bloodbending and wielded with confidence.

 

-Berserkers cannot heal themselves or restore lost blood through using augmentation. Blood added through digestion acts as an extreme excess and is not necessary to live.
-Berserkers cannot store more than 3 additional units of genus in themself.
-Blood sculpting requires 2 emotes to form any object. Weapons and armor may be formed with 3. Blood sculpting cannot be used on any blood other than the berserker’s own and the speed of the object formation is not dangerous nor can existing objects, once sculpted, be manipulated again unless reshaped with an additional 2 emotes wherein they lose all hardness. Sculpted objects cannot be more durable or sharp than ferrum. Sculpted objects must remain with 20 blocks of the berserker otherwise they dissolve.
-Objects may not be formed that are larger than a complete suit of armor which requires 2 units of genus to make. Weapons and other tools range from 1 unit of genus to half depending on their size and design.


 

 

 

 

Art Sources:

 

1. Peter Mohrbacher
2. Raptor14
3. AngelGanev on deviantART
4. dekades8 on deviantART
5. Sachin Teng
6. Pierre Demet
Runes: Swgrclan
7. Unknown (PM me if you can find it ;-; )
8. SupaS1na on deviantART
9. Unknown (PM me if you can find it ;-; )
10. Veli Nyström on ArtStation

11. Allnamesinuse on deviantART

References:
Blood Magic
Blood Magic Rewrite
Blood Rituals and Runes
Blood Shards
Blood Rifts
Zarsies’ Blood Magic Guide
Awakened Blood Magic

 

Previous and referenced lore writers:
Raptor14
TauFireWarrior
Mephistophelian
Swgrclan
Sorcerous_

 

Credit for this lore:
Zarsies (Author)
TheKingOfTheMoon (Co-Author)
 

[Zarsies 6024]

 

[GDPR 014 23]

[Vindicant 641]

[Dromui 754]

3 hours ago, Vindicant said:

 

I was going to flame you for posting on lore, but your reference is acceptable.

[Smaw 2368]

Blood Magic must be letted.

[Ixli 1471]

I haven’t read the spoilers yet, on mobile and busy, but from what I’ve heard from the writers, this appears to have potential- good luck guys. 

[SpodoKaiba 607]

i like it.

[DarkElfs 160]

I enjoyed the read to be honest. Loving the idea of the bloody berserker and the bloody rogue to. Can't wait see them around if this ends up accepted. Kind hope it does. I just hope it doesn't continue end up as it has been with it only being attached to a small/mid sized group only.

[ShameJax 1391]

Overall, I'm a fan. However I'm hesitant with the Disembodiment and Rebirth rituals, they're breaching into territory that's previously only been possible with incredibly rare relics like the Kal'Varak. Other than that I'd just suggest allowing basic blood bending to mess with raw blood itself, not to harden it or anything - just to move it around all fancily.

[Kalehart 1061]

Ye.

[JustMeMorgan 1000]

Blood for the blood god *Coughed*

 

Whip this lore in for me, this **** is so hot

[Jondead 260]

This is great, a bloody mess I might say ? 
((Great work people, you did it again.))

[Pinsir99 525]

Yay

[KBR 1484]

RubRub the Hemogoblin cackles somewhere