[✓] [Magic Lore] Blood Magic

[Zarsies 6024]

Preface

Spoiler

This piece enables the viability of ‘marriage’ pieces, magic lore written specifically to elaborate on a unique union of blood magic and another magic that deviates in practice and/or mechanics compared to its normal usage. This lore does not include such things but opens the door to allow them the chance. For example, Thulean Druidism is not included within this piece but such an elaboration may be written. In the meanwhile unions of magics such as druidism, paladinism, seer, shamanism, etc. with blood magic do not create unique effects outside the Invent ritual but may in the future.

 

The rolling system for rituals is subject to change. I elaborate on this in the purpose section but TL;DR I’m totally open to skewing numbers either way if the chance of failure proves to be too much or too little.
 

 

Blood Magic

Origin

The greatest secrets hide not in shadow but antiquity where not just light but memory is deprived. The roots of blood magic are truly ancient and therein forgotten, lost to the annals of history. The earliest accounts of its use come from the old mage wars of Aegis where sorcerers hurled great elemental spells across scorched and devastated battlefields yet it reaches back still. Some greater minds theorize it is as natural and innate as blood, perhaps entwined with mortality itself, while others think it a curse laid by the Creator,  a product of a long dead, unremembered feud’s damage, or even a just-as-forgotten union’s blessing. Interlinked with the runic script of old, the Material Alphabet is supposed to be of similar age and origin.  Its name speckles history and appears in various languages as “hemomancy,” “blothr-bhakthal,” and “valmir’taliyna”. Blood mages have permeated the ages, be they great kings, hidden and manipulative covens, or mere tools of devastation but their lineage persists today. 

 

---

 

Despite his supremacy over the recondite sorcery he pioneered, Malghourn’s unparalleled blood rite to quell his estranged lineage of blood mages was not absolute nor could it be. The Night of Exsanguination silenced nigh all practitioners but deep within them dwelled a vestige of their power, a slumbering, inchoate thing that awaited the day to be sparked once more; genus and its machinations are too primal and intimately linked with mortality to be erased and so it hid and stirred. They were bled and left pale, their ancient strength fit to rile tsunamis and shackle others to their will lost to the ages. Yet, still meek and clumsy, those pale blood mages endured and practiced a volatile form of their lost art and enchanted elements and conjured beasts with grave risks and demanding prices. The arrogance and yearning of a blood-drunk wizard should never be underestimated; Malghourn, despite his best effort, could not exterminate them.

 

Proof of this deep connection now surfaces, something to be speculated on and pondered by occult philosophers; Malghourn’s spell has weakened and blood mages are coming to power across the mortal realm after nearly half a century of being smothered. They are, however, still raw and budding. These blood mages are ripening yet much of their old ways are lost and while empowered they do not have the study or craft they had all those years ago. They have no font to suckle much desired rituals from bar one: the hidden vampiric race of siliti.

 

The format of a global ritual, just as Malghourn gleaned from the elusive Achan-Chatla, affects the plane it is performed on and as such the Stone Serpent’s extraplanar servants and their bloodlines were spared the purge. For nearly three and a half centuries the silit Archons and the denizens of Hazmstadt have practiced, refined, and furthered the art of blood magic while making use of their unique array of ethereal marrows. In particular their nuanced iteration employs runes once thought to be lost from the elusive and mythical library only vaguely hinted at by occult texts and legend. In recent years Malghourn subtly influenced the Archons to sprinkle their influence on the mortal plane and with the arrival of the vampires so too came the seeds for a renaissance of blood magic. Now they hunt for mortals not just to slake their thirst but to disseminate their wizardry and feed the insatiable minds of dark cabals, scholarly orders, and the peculiar faithful.

 

 

“If you haven’t the wit to pen then you shall serve as ink.” -The fabled Caladrius to a pupil.

Explanation

 

Blood magic hinges on genus, the esoteric bloodborne energy of passion, rage, power, and vitality hidden within blood typically found alongside greater souls, the most common form of sentient life, and otherwise in beings of supernatural power.  Genus is bound to veins and goes unnoticed by typical sorcerers and priests, requiring ancient and grim knowledge to break its shackles and harness. As an energy embodying mortal potential and creativity the powers genus can manifest are diverse and numerous but also volatile and potent, a substance capable of great feats when coupled with direction and intent just as mortal lives can create prosperity or devastation. Like all energies native to the mortal realm and mortal bodies genus can only be harnessed through mortal magic; Dark magic. Occult ritualism utilizing blood is commonly held to be ignoble, wicked, and deadly for good reason and as an art hinging on bloodshed - be it through willing sacrifice or violence - blood magic is cousin to the black crafts of necromancy, mysticism, naztherak, and all mortal-borne, self-reliant magics.

 

With blood as ink and runes as letters blood mages can inscribe ritual circles as though sentences to evoke meaning and effect. Genus is fleeting and is only retained in fresh blood, however there is also a subtle link between the living and their blood wherein upon death not only does blood begin its clock on potency but there is an immediate loss of quality; a ritual is better fueled by the blood of those still living even if only for the time being (elaborated on under Blood Rites).
 

-Genus is held in the blood of greater soul-having creatures meaning sentient life (most of which can learn or cast magic but not necessarily) and not animals. Fresh blood is defined as blood spilled within one narrative day or 3 OOC hours. Blood cannot be stored in order to remain fresh.

 

Blood magic is initially learned through awakening, the act of sparking a mortal’s innate sensitivity to genus which defies language and reason as it cannot be explained or taught, only shown and felt. When a person is awakened and their mind becomes suddenly and acutely aware of the beating of their heart, the throbbing of their veins, and heat of their breath, the strength in their muscles, and so forth, they become capable of learning the rites and runes of blood magic as they can then sense the energy they manipulate. Awakening is achieved through touching the surface of a bloodshard, an ancient relic of extreme value which contains exhaustive accounts of information and the soul of a silit Archon. A mere touch will flood a mortal’s mind with the detailed insights and physiological sensitivities of genus and begin their journey (elaborated on under Rune of Insight). Once awakened the individual can begin their studies with a teacher given their newfound ability to feel and gingerly tug at the power hidden in blood.

 

-Given awakening and the use of blood magic including the activation of rituals require the individual to have genus-having blood, blood magic cannot be learned by people or creatures without it. Entities which cannot use blood magic include animals, golems, animii, atronachs, sorvians, liches, darkstalkers, ghosts, gravens, wights, eidola, striga, and vargs.

 

Runes

The origin and reasoning behind the shapes of blood runes are unknown and the truth behind their nature is unlikely if not impossible to ever be discovered; they are veritably ancient - even prehistoric - and therefore mysterious. The best theory occult scholars have come to is that there is some relationship with the Material Alphabet and the notion of the innate nature of Creation, Mortality, and the world, but this conclusion is unfinished and uncertain. Nonetheless, specific shapes accurately drawn in fresh, living blood within spellbound circles of geometric design evoke particular meaning, both physical and symbolic, and produce magical effects. The library of blood runes is not wholly known and even the legendary archives of Malghourn cannot contain them all - if there is even a limit - but their use is known and documented among practitioners as follows:

 

Spoiler

[Note: new high resolution images will be made for the runes at a later date.]

 

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 its 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 Val’garis, Bastille, the Nebula, the Seven Skies, and 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.
 

 

-Runes do not have powers on their own, they are merely shapes that evoke meaning for combination in rituals; writing a fire rune on a tree won’t ignite it.

 

Effects

The manifestation of being awakened in the body and mind differs from person to person but nonetheless is a notable outward change alongside more subtle features of the condition. The shift in physical appearance occurs over the course of the individual becoming tier 3, starting imperceptibly when they first learn blood magic and gradually the features intensify until the end of their fifth IRL week and the internal mental changes occur over the course of a blood mage’s practice, completing upon reaching tier 5.

 

Beyond mutations in appearance and thought, the condition of being awakened and instinctually sensitive to the throb, pull, and allure of genus causes prolonged stress on the body of a blood mage which strains their veins through unnatural flexing, stresses the heart with supernatural tampering, and tests their constitution with frequent bloodletting. This mundane and magical stress is expressed through two conditions;

 

Firstly the heart and circulatory system are of paramount importance and therein are vulnerable where mundane or magical bloodborne diseases may easily take hold to more dramatic effect. Thanhic poisoning in wounds stings like salt and being dealt two or more stabs or slashes result in overwhelming nausea and weakness which makes the blood mage infirm and incapable of swordplay (while also unable to cast as per usual thanhic poisoning). Azhl Anemia develops twice as quickly. Lastly, any bloodborne disease of natural origins or occult craft clings tightly to blood mages, requiring twice as strong remedies to cure lest they become chronic ailments.

 

Secondly, a blood mage’s body experiences accelerated aging not unlike humanity’s curse wherein muscle weakens, hair wilts, flesh wrinkles and sags, and organs and bones deteriorate as the years pass. Regardless of a blood mage’s race, upon being awakened their life expectancy is capped at 104 years (2 IRL years) from that moment where the ravages of time march on them indiscriminately, a humbling experience to elves and dwarves. Because of this withering blood mages typically seek out methods to escape their flesh or otherwise embrace immortality lest they resort to the sacrificial ritual of self-silencing, Invoke Ignorance (described below) which undoes the time-based PK clause but does not undo the effects of aging endured already.

 

Frost witches, epiphytes, and tree lords ignore all but the mental effects of blood magic as their unnatural physiologies let them ignore its strain. Similarly, ageless creatures such as them and siliti are not burdened by the magic's forceful aging, as are corcituri on account of their longevity.

 

Spoiler

The tangible effects of blood magic include but are not limited to causing one’s skin to pale or become red and blushed, hair to lighten or become brittle, wiry, thin, greasy, or dry, eyes to become washed out and possibly milky with bags forming beneath them, easy bruising, occasional nosebleeds, or racing or slowed heartbeat. These effects are rarely dangerous medical conditions however the player may opt to increase the severity of these features and the character might seek out alchemical or magical remedies for their symptoms. 

 

An example of Caladrius whose skin paled, hair lightened, and eyes became milky.

 

The intangible effects of blood magic include mental disorders which begin minor and progressively increase as the blood mage becomes more affluent. These conditions do not need to be severe, you may elect to make them so, but they should nonetheless be a consistent part of the character’s personality. The most common mental traits include but are not limited to irrational thoughts, 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 thinking patterns with examples including: 

 

-Always being right
-Disqualifying positive things
-Blaming and holding others accountable
-Emotional reasoning (“I am mad, therefore I am right”)
-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 untrustworthy”)
-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 of 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 if you choose to run with it. Blood mages can be addicted to anything: 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
-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
-Company or specific company (can lead to stalking)
 

 

Abilities

 

Blood Rites

Despite the hoary roots of blood magic and its presence amongst mortals immemorial, some of its most traditional rituals are still yet to be perfected by mortal hands. The grandiose and elaborate rites are to this day volatile even to expert practitioners for genus is defiant and resists the ultimate shackles of man’s will; it may be bent and conducted for a moment but not forever, just like the capricious might of lightning. Some factors aid in stabilizing these rituals but they are impossible to perfect and there will always be the slim chance of catastrophe.

 

When conducting a ritual that requires a roll in order to succeed and trigger its desired effect ritualists may use the following chart to add to the roll. However, no amount of stabilizing and preparation can force fate, and a roll of 1 will always result in failure no matter the modifier. Ritual modifiers only apply in the presence of additional mages beyond what is required. For example, if a ritual requires three blood mages, a modifier would only begin to apply on a fourth additional mage. A mage conducting a ritual alone receives no modifiers. It is the responsibility of the player leading the ritual to inform the ST event actor overseeing the ritual of the proper number to add. To lie is to powergame.

 

• Add 1 for every blood mage of tier 2 and 3.
• Add 2 for every blood mage of tier 4 and 5.
• Add 1 for every silit.
   

For example, a tier 4 blood mage silit contributes +3 to a ritual and a tier 1 blood mage gives no modifier.

 

Abilities are not recorded by staff so it is up to teachers and their students to keep track of what runes and rituals get taught; however, as per usual silit rites are recorded on MAs in comments. Such rituals must be listed including their name and who they were taught by (MC name).

 

Lastly, the most extreme rituals of potential and gravity - Embark, Invent, and Spiritspell - require further dedication to the study and practice of blood magic than usual rites. As such practitioners must dedicate a second magic slot to blood magic in order to lead any of those 3 rituals (only one 2-slot blood mage is needed to use the rituals) which is a self-taught step deeper into the art any blood mage may take upon learning any of those three rites. As constructs of blood magic, siliti are not required to dedicate a second slot to lead those rituals. Note: this is a temporary solution and compromise, an addition is planned in the future to greatly expand this extra slot option.

 

Users must contact ST to have a comment made on their app denoting giving a second slot to blood magic in order to lead those rituals.
 

 

Units

Blood rites are diverse in effect but similar in preparation. More mundane and simple rituals can be performed alone with far less risk involved whereas more convoluted and powerful ones require groups and spin the cosmic wheel of misfortune. Rituals are fragile things and interference like combat or destruction of the written runes is enough to disrupt them, wasting resources. As well, rituals require that the sacrifices used to write them must remain living during the duration of the ritual lest the runes lose their potency; sacrifices are best as willing participants or protected prisoners. The use of blood for this magic’s purposes is measured in units, previously referred to in increments of 1, 2, and 3 as meek, moderate, and major, but are now simply a number to make the OOC math easier. Units can be understood as follows:

 

The average person has a total of 3 units of genus, each unit contained within 10% of their blood (about 0.5 liters / 1 pint). By losing 1 unit of genus they experience the initial symptoms of blood loss including rapid breathing, fatigue, sweating, and unease. By losing 2 units the symptoms become pronounced yet moderate and the individual will feel weary and weak, confusion, profuse sweating, and drowsiness to the point of being unable to concentrate on casting spells or wielding arms for battle. By losing 3 units the individual will go unconscious and lie in a highly dangerous limbo between hemorrhagic shock and death; an individual can be spared by having their wounds seal to prevent further blood loss and will remain unconscious but otherwise they will expire within 20 narrative minutes if abandoned. A dead body’s blood retains genus but instantly loses its richness wherein their full body’s worth of blood equates to half rounded up: 2 units for an average person. Many types of entities have more than the typical 3 units wherein their same 30% of their entire body’s blood is more valuable and rich with genus, making 1 unit equate to less blood for them; the symptoms for blood loss remain the same (with exceptions for some) so blood mage players should prepare to inform their victims what they may experience as they lose blood. Unit amounts list as follows:

 

3 units: the average mortal, anthroparions
4 units: high elves, Mori'Quessir, Void mages, epiphytes, zar’ei
5 units: azdrazi, tree lords, zar’akal, frost witches, celestial-type Voidal horrors
6 units: siliti
10 units: drakes, dragons
12 units: horror-type Voidal horrors

 

Unit amounts do not stack, meaning a high elf who is a Void mage will have a maximum of 4 units. As well, some of these entities have nontraditional blood such as sap or slush but the lifeblood of their veins contain genus nonetheless. Entities without genus include: animals, golems, animii, atronachs, sorvians, liches, darkstalkers, ghosts, gravens, wights, eidola, striga, and vargs.

 

 

A clerical blood mage with a light rune imbued on the scalp.

 

Elemental Rituals

Centered on the elemental runes, elemental rituals are blood rites which invoke and enchant the literal form or conceptual meaning of an element either into an object or onto a person. Because of the nature of their enchantment these rituals are the most base and elementary of blood magic.

 

Ensorcell Material - Noncombative
By invoking a single element within a ritual circle a blood mage can bewitch an object with the physical attributes or conceptual meaning of the appropriate rune.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

This ritual is conducted on objects and items where they are granted additional properties embodying the element used. This ritual requires a comparatively simple circle composed of the rune of mortality - providing the bond between the planar realm and the element - large enough to fit the following elemental rune within its upper right crescent. The item to be ensorcelled is then placed atop the elemental rune, the circle is activated by the blood mage placing an open wound against its outer edge, and blood mage rolls out of 20 to determine success if necessary. Depending on tier, if the roll is at or below the threshold the ritual results in a failure and the ritual circle violently releases the element in question. This will at most cut, bruise, knock back, and/or impair the blood mage. Such failures tend to produce scars. Critical failures - rolling a 1 - results in which a lesser threat is conjured by mishap hostile to the blood mage such as 1-3 celestial horrors, 1-3 inferi imps, or an otherwise caustic effect that may cause worse damage than typical failure. The item bears no mark and is permanently enchanted unless broken or outright destroyed by any physical or magical means.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared the blood mage must activate it by placing an open wound against its outer edge and the player leading the ritual rolls out of 20 and add appropriate modifiers to determine the outcome. Unlike typical rituals a ST is not contacted and the blood mages involved must self-RP the consequences of ritual failure.

 

Tier 1: Roll 8 or lower.
Tier 2: Roll 7 or lower.
Tier 3: Roll 6 or lower.
Tier 4: Roll 4 or lower.
Tier 5: Roll 2 or lower.

 

Larger objects such as builds (e.g. an altar) or things that cannot be carried (e.g. a boat) may be ensorcelled but require ST oversight to ensure the boundaries of the magic are not pushed and/or mechanics are stretched. An example of this may be a blood mage using a rune of light to make an altar produce a sunny, radiant glow or a rune of water to make a boat capable of transforming into a wagon (which would be mechanically represented by a horse in addition to the boat item). Such larger objects require a ritual circle large enough to encompass them.

 

Ensorcellments that are mechanical in nature and apply to combat may only have 1 of the following elemental effects (note: a non-combative object may have the properties listed for weapons or armor but weapon and armor effects are otherwise mutually exclusive):

 

Fire: the object becomes blunted and slightly lighter in the spirit of burnt wood. Weapons are dulled and yield imprecise, uneven cuts and are flammable; if touched by fire or wet with a touch of blood it will ignite with mundane flame sustained for up to 4 emotes or 5 narrative minutes. Armor will be resilient to the cold, offering its wearer perpetual heat allowing them to be comfortable in a frigid climate; it too cannot withstand battle and easily splinters and tears.
-Objects may have only certain areas burn as to allow for safe areas to hold.
-The flame is mundane and can be extinguished by normal means, including vigorous swinging. Rain will extinguish the flame in 2 emotes whereas submerging in water is instant.

-The blunting of weapons cannot be negated through metal ensorcellment.

Water: the object becomes hydrophobic and buoyant, able to keep its wielder or wearer dry and afloat. If ensorcelled with another object of similar shape and/or size the two combine and like water may fluidly transform between its two forms with 1 emote when wet with blood. If the object is combative in nature (weapon or armor) it transforms over 2 emotes. Armor will be resilient to heat, offering its wearer perpetual coolness allowing them to be comfortable in a sweltering climate
-The object will not repeatedly transform back and forth when wet; after triggering once the wielder/wearer may will it back and forth so long as it is bloodied and held/worn with the same emote count.
-When approved by ST, water ensorcellments must be screened to ensure the objects in question are roughly equivalent. Ex: umbrella/sword/cane, helmet/hat, spyglass/dagger, boat/cart, etc.

Earth: the object becomes cumbersome and strongly sound-resistant in the spirit of heavy earth. Weapons and armor become twice as heavy but twice as durable, making weapons difficult to swing but yield increased force and armor burdensome yet more steadfast.
-The object’s magical heaviness may force the wielder or wearer to be unable to utilize quick reaction time if the object’s new weight is too heavy for them to efficiently use, making them unable to reactionarily parry if held or dodge if worn. For example, contrary to common depiction in media the average sword is 3lbs / 1.3kg and doubling it would make the sword far less wieldy; the average claymore is 5.5lbs / 2.5kg and it becoming 11lbs / 5kg would make its use far less viable for the average person. Guts’ sword is fantasy.
-Durability is limited to: cloth becomes like leather, leather becomes like chain, chain becomes like plate, and plate becomes akin to thick stone that requires orcish+ strength to even move in.

Air: the object becomes light and graceful like a bird. Weapons and armor are half as heavy but half as effective; weapons swing much easier and strike with precision and agility but create wounds and cause damage far less lethal whereas armor is noticeably more practicable but is less protective and more easily dents or tears.
-Weapons do not gain supernatural accuracy their user is not capable of. As well, their strikes should be treated as if dealt by someone young or feeble to represent their lessened force.
-Effectiveness is limited to: extreme armor (e.g. excessive metal, stone) becomes like plate, plate becomes like chain, chain becomes like leather, leather becomes like cloth, and cloth becomes like paper.

 

Metal: the object becomes lustrous or sparkly and mildly conductive; metal objects ensorcelled with metal become extreme conductors and may inadvertently call down lighting during a storm. If wet with blood the object becomes honed as if sharpened by a smith and retains and restores its edge.
-In no way can the conductive effect of the object be used to weaponize lightning not already in the user’s arsenal, meaning without lightning evocation or storm elementalism this is irrelevant outside events.
-Objects ensorcelled with metal can still break, bend, or otherwise be damaged but blood will restore their sharpness.

Ensorcellments that are aesthetic in nature and are irrelevant to combat may have up to 2 of the following elemental effects, some requiring more study due to their paired rune requirements:

 

Lightning: the object flickers or flashes like a bad light bulb and emits a shrill and sharp pop and crackle when drug against metal or metal ensorcelled objects. Weapons and armor give off a static shock when wet with blood that lingers for 4 emotes until the blood burns away in sparks wherein skin contact with the object delivers a numbing zap that deprives all sensation for 2 emotes where touched.
-The shrill screech effect is not deafening or painful, only alarming. As well, blood that contacts the objects burn away in sparks that cannot blind or harm.
-The numbing effect is surface level, meaning it does not incapacitate or paralyze a person when touched and only removes their sense of feeling in the area.

 

Dark: the object becomes visibly shaded as if underwater and instead of reflecting light on its edges it instead ‘glows’ with shadow and has dark patches. Shadows subtly tug towards the object as if reaching out to caress it and if wet with blood becomes completely and utterly jet black.
-Only shadows within 5 blocks may lean towards the object and by no means enables stealth.
-This cannot be paired with the light ensorcellment.

Light: the object has no shadow and intensifies light sources nearby, kindling torches or aggravating lanterns. If wet with blood the object sheds a glowing light ranging in intensity from moonlight to a torch for up to 2 narrative hours or 30 OOC minutes of any one singular color or it may repeatedly shift between two.
-The object cannot emit light greater than a torch’s light and therefore cannot blind unless forced into someone’s face to fleeting effect.
-This cannot be paired with the dark ensorcellment.

Mist [T2]: utilizing a rune of power in the circle the object may emit steam with a rune of fire and water conjoined, fog with a rune of air and water, or smoke with a rune of fire and air conjoined. This mist may be one singular color or it may shift between two if created with the light ensorcellment. It is only mildly obstructive and imparts mild heat and/or mild fumes. If desired, the aesthetic of the mist may match another effect (e.g. lightning + mist may create a stormcloud sort of look around the object when triggered by blood).
-Steam cannot burn or otherwise cause harm, at most producing a sweat from prolonged contact. Smoke cannot cause harm other than very mild eye irritation and/or coughing. None of the types of mist can be used to create smokescreens or mimic the effects of deadbreath.

Particle [T2]: utilizing a rune of power in the circle the object may exude ash or cinders with a rune of fire and earth conjoined, mud or filth with a rune of water and earth conjoined, or dust or sand with a rune of air and earth conjoined. These particles may be one singular color or it may shift between two if created with the light ensorcellment. They flake, drip, or fall from the object and leave trails that do not and cannot amount to any additional effect such as starting a fire or making the ground slippery.  If desired, the aesthetic of the particle may match another effect (e.g. water + particle may create a briney sludge effect dripping off the object when triggered by blood).
-The object exudes the effect without additional effect, especially combat. Cinders cannot start fires, mud cannot make a floor slippery, and dust cannot blind someone.

Ensorcell Material is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 3-4 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle in fresh blood, drawing the rune inscription, and the ritual activation. This ritual can be performed alone as it requires 2 units of genus but is quite dangerous and application of builds or larger objects as aforementioned require an additional 1 unit of genus per 6 blocks/meters in question.  

 

Red Lines:
-This ritual cannot be used to mass produce enchantments; a blood mage may create 2 objects per day (with any amount of allowed effects as listed with repeated uses of the ritual) with a maximum of 4 objects in 2 OOC weeks; for example, a blood mage can create 2 objects one day, 2 the next day, and then are unable to for 2 IRL weeks following the first ritual. If the ST deem a blood mage to be overproducing enchantments they may be denied signage and warned and if disregarded possibly punished as seen fit by management. For example reaching the 4 items per 2 weeks limit for multiple months in a row may signal overproduction to staff.
-Ensorcellments require ST approval.
-Ensorcelled objects may have only 1 mechanical effect and up to 2 aesthetic effects. But multiple runes may be applied in one application; You can apply an earth rune for effect and two other aesthetic runes in one ritual for no additional genus.
-Should ensorcelling be performed on arrows or other ammunition then the effect can be applied to a maximum of 10 pieces.

 

Ensorcell Flesh - Noncombative

By invoking a single element on an individual within a ritual circle a blood mage can imbue a part of their body with a visual and/or mental effect maintained through inscription.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

A product of vampiric whimsy and vainglory, the elements may be imbued onto a person just as with objects but with slightly more nuance lest the ritual accidentally invoke physical, literal fire instead of its concept or aesthetic likeness. The ritual circle is similarly simplistic to the above where a rune of mortality is drawn - providing the bond between the planar realm and the element - large enough to fit the following elemental rune in its upper right cup. A rune of flesh and a rune of power are then added to the circle begetting a stable union of element and mortal form. Lastly and most importantly, a runic inscription must be applied to the subject’s body as a means of maintaining the enchantment, merely requiring the corresponding elemental rune to be repeatedly written anywhere on the body. This could be as simple as writing it with one’s finger in blood but the enchantment could then be broken by the rain whereas another may opt to endure careful, surgical scarring on the skin or under the nails to ensure a near-permanent enchantment. Because the inscription and rite is sourced in blood magic a silit’s regenerative powers will not erase the inscription unless they will it to. The person to be ensorcelled is then put atop the elemental rune, the circle is activated by the blood mage placing an open wound against its outer edge, and the blood mage rolls out of 20 and adds appropriate modifiers to determine success. The desired effect will then flash on the person if successful or appear and remain if intended to be constant. So long as the inscription is intact the effect may be activated at will by the user akin to flexing a muscle. 

 

Depending on tier, if the roll is at or below the threshold the ritual results in a failure and the ritual circle violently releases the element in question. This will at most cut, bruise, knock back, and/or impair the blood mage. Such failures tend to produce scars. Critical failures - rolling a 1 - results in which a lesser threat is conjured by mishap hostile to the blood mage such as 1-3 celestial horrors, 1-3 inferi imps, or an otherwise caustic effect that may cause worse damage than typical failure. Unlike typical rituals a ST is not contacted and the blood mages involved must self-RP the consequences of ritual failure.

 

Tier 1: Roll 8 or lower.
Tier 2: Roll 7 or lower.
Tier 3: Roll 6 or lower.
Tier 4: Roll 4 or lower.
Tier 5: Roll 2 or lower.

 

Ensorcellments are aesthetic in nature and irrelevant to combat so they are not limited in application. However, the more a person has the more supernatural they may appear and could easily endanger them among those less understanding. Ensorcellments may affect any specific area of the skin or all of it, nails, hair, eyes, teeth, visible cavities (mouth, nostrils, ears, etc.), or otherwise any part of the body. The blood mage conducting the ritual decides the exact manifestation of the effect, be it outward and visual or inward and mental, and in what form. They are as follows:

 

Fire: externally, fire may produce a dim glow like embers, increase something’s visual intensity or ferocity, and even lift hair towards the sky as though it were lapping flame. One’s body or attire may feel warm to the touch or even feverish. Internally, fire may make one prone to fury, recklessness, chaotic behavior, or lower one’s pain tolerance. 
Water: externally, water may produce a light-warping effect as though fragmented, rippling, or cause one’s hair to lift and sway as if underwater. One’s body or attire may be sweaty, damp, or outright waterlogged. Internally, water may make one capricious or prone to mood swings, hone hand-eye coordination, or prone to confusion.
Earth: externally, earth may create a dusty or rough-hewn texture, make movement or the body appear unnaturally stiff, or cause hair to fall directly down as if burdened by great weight. One’s body or attire may be dusty or stubbornly dirty. Internally, earth may foster wisdom, obedience, patience, or mental resilience and may soften but not cure mental instability. 
Air: externally, air may create a windswept or wavy texture, make movement appear light and graceful, or cause hair to drift or whip in an unfelt wind. One’s body or attire may be affected by breezes or gales no one else feels. Internally, air may make one prone to spontaneity, forgetfulness from racing thoughts, or peaceful and pacified.
Dark: externally, dark may create, intensify, or slightly bend shadows or make something outright black. One’s body or attire may become increasingly dark as if shaded or tainted but cannot invoke outright darkness or enable stealth. Internally, dark may repress and suffocate mental pain but not cure it, cause blankness or slow thinking, or foster a sense of safety as if hidden from something unknown.
Light: externally, light may create any kind of glow or shine of any one singular color or it may repeatedly shift between two up to the brightness of a torch. One’s body or attire may glow in the same manner. Internally, light may increase clarity of thought and/or the perception of understanding which may increase dogmatism. 
Metal: externally, metal may create a glossy or glittery texture and uniquely make one’s voice strained and hoarse and/or even rasp as if metallic. One’s body or attire may take on a magical sheen. Internally, metal may make one stubborn, orderly, or mentally resilient to even apathetic.
Lightning: externally, lightning may produce minor flashes, uniquely make one’s voice electrified and otherworldly or tuned, or make one’s hair stand on end as if static charged. One’s body or attire may twitch and jerk as if electrocuted. Internally, lightning may increase burnout, self righteousness, or wrath or cause mood swings.

 

Ensorcelled flesh is commonly used for dramatic display such as cause one’s hair and clothes to whip in a sourceless wind while their skin glimmers to make a Voidal connection seem more threatening and charged; otherwise it is purely a thing of whimsy and expression if not a minor tool for afflicting distress or reinforcing stability in the mind.

Ensorcell Flesh is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 3-4 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood, drawing/carving the rune inscription on the subject, and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 3 units of genus and if performed on an entity without genus (e.g. undead) an additional 1 unit of genus is required for a rune of life to sustain the enchantment.

 

Red Lines:
-Ensorcelled flesh requires a runic inscription to be maintained. One written in only blood can be disrupted much more easily than one that is carved or tattooed. If written and cleaned or carved and then cut, the inscription will be disrupted and the ensorcellment will fail until reapplied.
-Non-genus-having entities like undead cannot be ensorcelled unless a rune of life is added to the ritual circle and the inscription; this adds 1 unit of genus to the ritual cost.
-Physical manifestations of the this ritual - the visual enchantments - do not require OOC consent, however the mental effects do as they could potentially be difficult to remove if, say, they are scarred onto the small of someone’s back unwillingly and they do not ICly know how to deal with the aftermath.
-None of these enchantments can impact combat or be twisted to be mechanically relevant as they are purely aesthetic or internal. Fire cannot harm, dark cannot make someone entirely black to enable stealth, and so forth.
 

 

 

Summoning Rituals

Named on account of their transposition of subjects, summoning rituals either conjure an entity or object to the ritual site or create a rift through which individuals may pass into other planes. Summoning rituals are among the most dangerous for summoned entities have no inherent allegiance or docile disposition towards their summoners and rifts can lead to hazardous lands and may even leave travelers stranded unexpectedly.

 

Hail - Noncombative
In a complex ritual circle a group of blood mages may call forth a generic entity or, with immense luck and additional reagents, a specific entity or object.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

This ritual is conducted to commonly yield the summoning of a generic creature from somewhere on a mortal realm (e.g. a troll, scaddernack, wyrm, etc.). This requires the circle to be inscribed with as many relevant runes as possible to describe the entity to help hone the accuracy of the rite such as water, flesh, divinity, mortality, and power to summon a hydra; however, while returning to its roots, blood magic can still be volatile and rituals can fail to varying degrees. That same string of runes could conjure a similar but unintended creature or it could outright explode if fate wills it. Blood mages must be keenly aware of the possibility of disaster as well as success for whatever they summon, intended or otherwise, has no inherent kindness or subservient nature towards them and at best will be neutral and dismissive of them.

 

Entities from other planes such as inferi as well as specific, named creatures or objects can also be summoned but with much less reliability. First the blood mages must use additional reagents to assist in describing the entity or object such as ritualistic offerings or the blood of specific race or creature; additionally, this requires ST manager approval. An example of this might be metal, divinity, sacrosanctum, power, and life to summon a reever of Garumdir that requires the blood of an artisan and the burning of alchemical reagents. Such additional offerings are nigh always improvised. Attempting this ritual without additional reagents connected to a specific object/entity leaves the results to chance. Invoking the aengudaemonic requires even greater sacrifice, typically objects or relics linked to deities or their realms. Note that the ST are by no means obligated to approve any or all requests of this nature and are not obligated to explain their reasoning. Summoning specific entities also entails a normal event PK clause should non-immortal characters perish after the ritual succeeds as well as requires an additional blood mage of at least tier 3.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least three blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, one of which must be at least tier 3. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-4: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, a temporary black hole that deprives the area of air, a noxious fume cloud, chunks of a landscape or magma, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 5-11: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 12-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results, especially if the ritual is to summon a specific entity or an object.

Hail is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 6-8 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood of which there are likely many and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 6 units of genus and an additional 2 units of genus if used to summon a specific, non-generic creature or an object.

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 3 blood mages, one of which must be at least tier 3.
-This ritual requires ST to be performed to play the creature(s) involved and requires ST manager approval to attempt summoning a specific creature or object.
-If conducted inside of a city or a nation's capital region, consent to conduct the Hail ritual is required from at least one region owner. This does not apply across entire nation tiles.
-To summon a specific creature or object the blood mages involved must be aware of their existence in roleplay and the limits of their understanding give the ST more room to flex creative freedom. For example, blood mages may attempt to summon Satar, a drake guardian of the Abyss, and with appropriate reagents they just might but they may instead summon Elden, a dragon servant of Mordring with the same runic description. If blood mages attempt to summon a “demon lord” then their result could vary from a zar’akal to a zar’kiel or zentherak of any banner or band. Additionally, summoning an object may have unintended consequences; summoning the Sword of Horen - an unlikely event - might bring with it an angelic protector intent on reclaiming the artifact whereas summoning the Planar Dictate may cause an unforeseen, bewildering planar anomaly of torn space. Lastly, doing so requires a fourth blood mage who is at least tier 3.
-Summoned creatures are never docile/friendly, being neutral at best, and oftentimes are hostile and dangerous things which cannot be tamed or (usually) reasoned with. The summoning ritual is not intended to give pets or allies and at best could be used to, for example, summon a horror-type Voidal horror to speak with. However, prepared ritualists may have means of frightening the entity or otherwise force it in a direction they wish for it to go such as towards a nearby city to wreak havoc.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead the ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 1 IRL day.

-Objects being hailed must have sufficient space when summoned or risk being destroyed. A house being hailed would not make space for itself, for example and would require an already open area. For example, a basement or cavern underground would not cut out a new space.

 

Embark - Noncombative
An incredibly dangerous rite, the opening of rifts has long been the obsession of wizards and scientists hellbent on realizing the wider cosmos.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

This ritual is conducted to create a rift, a bleeding portal from one place to another, typically another plane. This requires the circle to be inscribed with as many relevant runes as possible to describe the place intended to hone the accuracy of the rite such as metal, light, divinity, sacrosanctum, and power to travel to Xan’s Realm of Order or earth, water, air, flora, and mortality to travel to Anthos. As alluded to, rifts are notoriously fickle and when it opens to reveal what lay ahead it may not at all be the intended destination, just something like it, and given the vast multitude of planes and descriptions it is not always certain to succeed. Rifts remain open for a relatively brief time, 10 narrative minutes or 30 OOC minutes, and display the world ahead of them in an eerie crimson light after which they slowly stitch back together like a sealing wound. To enter a blood rift is to accept a PK clause as there is no guarantee a character can conduct the ritual again to return home (which requires no roll as they are anchored to return home, they need only the necessary blood) and the monks cannot rescue them. Characters with resurrection abilities may circumvent this. All uses of this ritual require ST manager approval as succeeding may create a prolonged and detail-oriented event for the ST who may need to prepare. Note that the ST are by no means obligated to approve any or all requests and are not obligated to explain their reasoning.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least three blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, one of which must be at least tier 3. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-5: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, a temporary black hole that deprives the area of air, a noxious fume cloud, chunks of a landscape or magma, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 6-12: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 13-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results, especially if the rift is to a guarded or especially violent place wherein an entity may exit the rift to confront the ritualists such as an inferi from Moz Strimoza, a zhuanth from the Fae Realm, and so forth which may then remain on the mortal realm or return through the rift as the ST see fit. Additionally, ST (with manager approval) may choose to allow for the rift to remain open permanently and create a wound in the fabric of space that refuses to heal.

Embark is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 6-8 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood of which there are likely many and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 6 units of genus and an additional 2 units of genus if used to open a rift to a deity’s plane who may adamantly protect it and seek to actively deny entry.

 

Further, two or more blood mages can utilized Embark to create multiple minor blood rifts linked at predetermined destinations that are higher or lower on the same median plane, allowing one to create ‘portals’ that can send the user though otherwise solid spaces without necessitating the construction of physical lifts, stairs or ladders (mechanically represented by lift signs). These minor rifts may be left active at all times following creation.

 

Embark is a work of high blood magic and requires further dedication for a blood mage to lead the ritual (elaborated on under Blood Rites above).

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 3 blood mages, one of which must be at least tier 3.
-This ritual requires ST to be performed to play the creature(s) involved and requires ST manager approval. To reiterate once more, ST may choose to deny a ritual for any reason; if it would be too involved and too much of a hassle to manage characters roaming, say, the ruins of Asulon then so be it. Because of this it is highly encouraged for blood mages to cooperate with the ST and be understanding the scope and breadth of their rift requests.
-Entering a rift necessitates the acceptance of a PK clause as the character may end up with no avenue for returning. Characters who may persist past death such as animii, ghosts, gravens, wights, eidola, siliti, striga, tree lords, darkstalkers, archliches, and so forth may circumvent this.
-Rifts are fickle and even a success could lead blood mages to an unintended destination. ST decide and describe the location, allowed to do so entirely through text or with a build prepared for representation. The ST may, at the conclusion of the event, decide whether the characters have the means to return, if they can acquire the means to return, to continue the event in-game or over Discord at a later date, or that the characters are lost if not already dead and effectively PK where they are stuck in that place. With ST approval blood mages may attempt to open a rift once more at a later date in an attempt to find and free such a person should they still be alive.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead the ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 1 IRL day.
-Vertical rifts are represented by typical CraftBook lift signs and are functionally identical. IRP they are activated by genus-having blood, typically from select individuals, and then the operator(s) may allow any to pass through them. They are not capable of facilitating horizontal travel, only vertican; it’s to be treated as a lore explanation for blood mages wanting to use lift signs.
 

 

 

Creation Rituals

 

Aptly named after their link with creativity and inception, creation rituals embody blood’s powers over raw manifestation and the exertion of will in a bastardized mimicry of the Creator’s own immaculate designs. Few of these rituals are known, thought to be beyond mortal minds and typically hidden by the most esoteric and occult circles.

 

Invent - Noncombative
In a union of blood runes and the influences of other magics, blood mages may produce a unique object or entity of their own design.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

This rite is the epitome of creation rituals, used as a freeform method of invention. This requires the circle to be inscribed with as many relevant runes as possible to describe the intended final product alongside possible objects or creatures to act as a base form. Additional magics of any origin or source may be cast into the ritual circle as it is triggered to help guide the invention, epitomizing blood magic’s ability to bind with all powers be they divine, arcane, mortal, or otherwise.

 

An example may be a circle of fire, metal, light, divinity, sacrosanctum, and power combined with fire evocation and a templar’s strike with a hatchet to create a glittering, flaming war axe fit to embody Malchediael’s glory. Another example may be a circle of water, air, ethereal, transcendence, power, and draining combined with necromancy and fjarriagua witchcraft with cursed ice and an appropriate heirloom to resurrect a fallen frost witch as a wrathful banshee spirit of winter.

 

To use this ritual, users must first organize and submit a MArt of their design and await an ST verdict; it is encouraged applicants coordinate with ST ahead of time to hash out concepts to avoid pushing boundaries and making an egregious, overpowered submission. In this submission screenshots of roleplay are not necessary as the roleplay cannot commence until the MArt is approved. If approved, users may then conduct the ritual repeatedly until they succeed. Note that the ST are by no means obligated to approve any or all requests and are not obligated to explain their reasoning.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least three blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, two of which must be at least tier 3. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-6: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, and/or the appropriate mutation of the intended subjects spinning off  the runes and/or magics used, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 7-13: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 14-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results, allowing for minor edits or stipulations to be made to MArts if the ST desires. 

Invent is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 6-8 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood of which there are likely many, the casting of additional magic, and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 8 units of genus.

 

Invent is a work of high blood magic and requires further dedication for a blood mage to lead the ritual (elaborated on under Blood Rites above).

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 3 blood mages, two of which must be at least tier 3.
-This ritual requires a MArt to be posted and approved prior to attempting and requires an ST to be performed to play the creature(s) involved.
-MArt approval and denial is purely up to ST discretion and they may set the precedent for MArts however they wish. As well, the ST may intervene in a situation if they believe an individual or group is producing too many MArts too quickly and may therein deny them at will.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead the ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 1 IRL day.
 

 

Quiet - Noncombative
By empowering the rune of silence a blood mage may place an aura of muffling or outright silence upon an area.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Akin to the consecration ritual, the quieting rite creates an area effect utilising the runes of silence and binding which may muffle or mute sound within the interior of a building or otherwise broad space of some vague perimeter no larger than 20x20. This requires the circle to be inscribed with runes of silence, mortality, and power to establish a smothering blanket in the area paired with runes of binding to cement it. The blood mages then accompany them with additional runes of power to decide whether the effect will muffle or mute:

 

Muffle: sound produced within the area or heard from outside is muffled and may seem as though it were underwater, heard from a distant, faded and washed out, or scattered and disseminated throughout the area. Sounds from emotes or speech lower in intensity from shout to RP to quiet to whisper to silence.

Mute: sound within the area is completely and utterly extinguished and the space is silent, all noise unable to enter, exit, or be in the space. The absolute silence is unnerving and may trigger tinnitus in some.

 

Quited spaces are maintained via a rune of life which must be applied on a smooth, clean surface somewhere within the affected area that is facing the open space and is very near to the air. Should this rune be disturbed - cut, washed away, bled over, etc. - the active effect will fail. ST who certify the area must record the location of said rune when logging the enchantment. Typically blood mages hide such runes under carpets, behind paintings, or merely out of arm’s reach. The rune of life must be able to ‘breathe’ in the space and will deactivate if the attempt to conceal it makes it impossible to access via blocking.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least three blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, one of which must be at least tier 3. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-4: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, a temporary black hole that deprives the area of air, a noxious fume cloud, chunks of a landscape or magma, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 5-11: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 12-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results.

Quiet is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 6-8 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 5 units of genus. 

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 3 blood mages, one of which must be at least tier 3.
-The rune of life which sustains the area must be recorded by ST, cannot be moved once made without destroying the enchantment, and can only loosely be covered by thin materials wherein the rune is still accessible through common roleplay and is not, for example, hidden behind a boulder, written on the inside of a wall, covered by metal, or otherwise inaccessible.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead a ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 1 IRL day.
 

 

 

Force Rituals

 

Hinging on individual force runes or arrays of them, force rituals are the most unique class of rites which span a wide variety of effects on account of the many varied runes. While some were developed in the past by unions of blood mages and the occult, divine, or arcane, others are new and alien to the mortal realm and products of the extensive research and development of Hazmstadt. It is imaginable that these rites were formulated with inspiration from tales of the mortal plane and its mythologies and folklore of witchcraft and obscure magic made real with the diverse powers of genus.

 

Gilding - Noncombative

Arms enchanted with the rune of draining in this rite make for weapons fit for gruesome, bloody deeds.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Coveted as implements of brutality, arms which undergo the ritual of gilding are commonly called weeping weapons on account of their inclination to profusely weep like lethal wounds and amplify the carnage and gore of combat. Weeping weapons conduct blood meaning genus-having blood will trail up their lengths and augment their edges and surfaces, from the fine blade of a dagger or spearhead to the spikes of kanabo or maces. Being wet with blood activates the weapon’s key magical features in that wounds they inflict are applied as though the weapon were serrated, a minor yet torturous effect intended to ensure lasting wounds difficult to mend, keen to bleed, and viciously ache. Additionally, weeping weapons’ manifestation of the rune of draining causes genus to be tugged at and stripped from blood upon contact not to drain their victim but to satiate its own enchantment and in doing so proliferate the splatter and carnage of battle; weeping weapons excessively multiply bloodshed as dramatic and gruesome splatters and gushes of inert, genus-less blood. This is purely a visceral aesthetic and does not cause additional blood loss. Walls may be painted and floors may gather pools with this amplification. Lastly, because of this stripping of genus that gathers in the weapon, siliti and corcitura may magically feed via touch with the armament should they spill an equivalent amount of blood from a victim (one fourth).

 

The gilding ritual requires the circle to be inscribed similarly to an elemental ritual wherein a large rune of mortality is drawn and the emblematic rune of draining is put in its crescent. The circle is then added to with runes of metal, draining, and power and activated with a uniquely expensive sacrifice of genus to satiate the rune of draining.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least two blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, one of which must be at least tier 4. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-4: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, and/or the appropriate mutation of the intended subjects spinning off  the runes and/or magics used, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 5-11: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 12-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results.

Gilding is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 4-5 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 3 units of genus.

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 2 blood mages, one of which must be at least tier 4.
-Weeping weapons are only relevant to flesh wounds and otherwise are normal weapons which retain their edge (unless the item has a fire ensorcellment wherein they still break apart) akin to metal ensorcellment. 
-The excessive multiplication of blood shed with weeping weapons have no mechanical effect and are mostly an aesthetic wherein battle becomes impossibly bloody and rooms may be painted and pools may form. Rationally, stone-like floors that collect pools of inert blood may become slippery because of this. As well, this inert blood is ineffectual and cannot be used for blood magic, for consumption by other creatures or magics, and does not trigger blood-related effects in other magics or creatures (e.g. striga will not be overcome with bloodlust in the presence of the immense gore alone). The blood is still physical however and will cling and collect as per usual.
-Weeping weapons require ST approval.
-The weeping weapon effect can be stacked with any other enchantment such as Voidal or Dark ones but does not negate their detriments. For example fire ensorcellment overrides a weeping weapon’s ability to retain its edge.
-Should gilding be performed on arrows or other ammunition then the effect can be applied to a maximum of 10 pieces.
 

Call Calamity - Noncombative

In the spirit of ancient practitioners, blood mages may invoke disaster to shake structures and devastate landscapes by leveraging the rune of power. 

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Historically blood mages are infamous for their conjuring of hellish firestorms, the raising of tsunamis, catastrophic tornadoes, and other such amplified natural and magical disasters in acts of terror and malice. Modern blood mages struggle to reach for such overwhelming powers but may glimpse them nonetheless. To call calamity blood mages inscribe a circle with runes of life and power to establish a living, tumultuous force then given form through an element as described below. In doing so they may subject a single structure, multiple, and/or a landscape to devastation. 

 

Bizarrely, these amplified disasters are wholly material and target Creation’s forms and once given life the calamity inherently avoids the throbbing nests of genus in the living as if repelled by them or spared by fate. As such, calamities only affect the inanimate and actively avoid harming the living as their gnawing, violent chaos is expressed by and subject to only the elemental world. Falling rocks divert around cowering individuals, tsunamis wash over or around clusters of victims, and tornado gales rarely lead to more than scratches. All the while terrain, vegetation, and structures are assaulted and, depending on the severity of the calamity, annihilated. 

 

Because of its elemental nature, shamanic elementalists may attempt to quell the unleashed chaos of these calamities via rolling against the leading blood mage to progressively lessen the force.

 

Firestorm: clouds roil overhead and coalesce with cinder and soot and akin to a deluge flame and arid gales sweep across the landscape. Forests and wooden structures are especially vulnerable to firestorms. It is defined by runes of fire, air, and power.

Tsunami: the sea retreats from shore to collect far away before it comes barreling back in a tidal wave fit to carry away coastal settlements and carve into the land. It is defined by runes of water and power.

Earthquake: the foundations of the earth rattle like disturbed bones and civilization suffers for it; some buildings tremble, others crack, and few may outright crumble as the land they were built upon shakes them off like fleas. It is defined by runes of earth and power.

Tornado: the sky clots with dark and brooding clouds before the winds pick up and far away scents are carried into the region; thereafter whipping columns of cloud and debris tear across the land and decimate small structures and uproots trees while lightning streaks through low hanging clouds. It is defined by runes of air, lightning, and power.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least five blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, one of which must be at least tier 5 and two of which must be at least tier 4. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-8: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, and/or the appropriate mutation of the intended subjects spinning off  the runes and/or magics used, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 9-14: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 15-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results, especially since the ritual site is the point of origin of the disaster.

Call calamity is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 7-8 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 15 units of genus.

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 5 blood mages, one of which must be at least tier 5 and two of which must be at least tier 4.
-Call calamity requires PRO consent or majority RO consent followed by ST approval, both of which may be denied for any reason. ST should be notified far in advance of the req as to prepare resources in the alteration of builds and possible large area emotes.
-The natural disasters summoned with call calamity are forces of chaos which target the land and inanimate and the natural aura around the living wards off their destruction. As such these events CANNOT physically harm mortals directly or indirectly (unless a person intentionally goes out of their way to risk their safety to do something) and all forces will magically divert around individuals, giving them a chance to escape harm. Falling rocks will miss, water will part, debris will shift, flames will spread out of their way etc.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead the ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 2 IRL day.

 

 

Spiritspell - Noncombative
A favored ritual by wizards, blood mages may force artificial life into a spell to make it constant and unyielding.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Seen as the pinnacle of the union of blood and Voidal sorcery by ambitious wizards, the spiritspell ritual entails granting prolonged and sustained life to a spell which would otherwise fall flat unless directly fueled by a mage. With such permanent spells the boundaries of those limitations can be tested; telekinetic forces could hold a structure aloft, a transmutation could be made eternal, a portal could be maintained and so forth but these living spells still require power which is maintained by genus but needn’t rely on Voidal magics alone and can be applied to any magic willing to mingle with it. After establishing such a spell the rune of life which sustains it must be visited periodically to feed it units of genus lest it collapse in on itself in its hunger and undo the spell, typically a cataclysmic affair that leads to localized destruction akin to a failed ritual. However, in order to take hold a spiritspell must be made with a magic’s spell which does not cause harm lest the instability of the effect cause the spiritspell to immediately falter upon attempted creation.

 

This requires the circle to be inscribed with as many relevant runes as possible to describe the spell to help hone the accuracy of the rite such as air, earth, transcendence, power, and binding to cement a telekinetic grasp on a building or water, light, divinty, power, and binding to create a permanent aura of environmental growth with druidic blight healing. 

 

Once successful the spell is fixed in place and cannot be moved. Spiritspells are maintained via a rune of life akin to the consecration and quieting rituals which must be applied on a smooth, clean surface somewhere within the affected area that is facing the open space and is very near to the air. Should this rune be disturbed - cut, washed away, bled over, etc. - the active effect will fail. ST who certify the area must record the location of said rune when logging the enchantment. Wherever the enchantment is, ST then place a sign detailing how on what IRL date the spiritspell will die which may then be updated by ST in the future. Typically blood mages hide such runes under carpets, behind paintings, or merely out of arm’s reach. The rune of life must be able to ‘breathe’ in the space and will deactivate if the attempt to conceal it makes it impossible to access via blocking. Then, because the spell actively drains the rune’s power to continue its casting it requires genus to endure. For every 2 units of genus given to the rune it will endure for 1 IRL week and extend its life which ST must record in the lore-pixel-chat. However, for every IRL week the enchantment has left and therein the larger the well of genus the rune has the larger and more dramatic its destruction will be if the rune is destroyed; a spiritspell dying from running out of genus might singe the immediate area whereas 3 IRL weeks of excess genus will lead to a violent elemental explosion if the rune is broken.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least three blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, one of which must be at least tier 5 and one of which must be at least tier 4 while the appropriate magician casts into the circle with their intended spell. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-6: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, and/or the appropriate mutation of the intended subjects spinning off  the runes and/or magics used, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 7-12: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 13-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results, especially since the ritual site is the point of origin of the disaster.

Spiritspell is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 4-5 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood of which there are likely many, the casting of additional magic, and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 8 units of genus.

 

Spiritspell is a work of high blood magic and requires further dedication for a blood mage to lead the ritual (elaborated on under Blood Rites above).
 

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 3 blood mages, one of which must be at least tier 5 and another which must be at least tier 4.
-Because this ritual is freeform and a creative avenue for unique, localized enchantments the ST has full discretion on what can and cannot work and to what degree. The ST may approve a floating 10x10 building 8 blocks off the ground but not a 30x30 building 20 blocks off the ground and so forth. 
-The rune of life which sustains the area must be recorded by ST, cannot be moved once made without destroying (and therefore cannot be applied to a moving object) the enchantment, and can only loosely be covered by thin materials wherein the rune is still accessible through common roleplay and is not, for example, hidden behind a boulder, written on the inside of a wall, covered by metal, or otherwise inaccessible.
-Should the rune of life run dry any ST may run an event to roleplay its destruction and the failure of the spell. As well, should the rune be destroyed it will output an effect akin to a failed ritual proportional to how many IRL weeks it had left in its well; 3 is a sizable amount, 6 is very large and dangerous, and 9 or more is extreme and likely disastrous. If the blood mages do not own the location and break a rune of life intentionally they will need PRO permission.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead the ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 1 IRL day.
 

 

Engorge - Noncombative
Reaching for the powers of ancient blood magic, the application of the rune of power allows blood mages who are enfeebled by magic to temporarily cast off their yoke at the expense of their magic. 

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Dubbed the ritual of engorging on account of its notion of filling one’s self with blood and therein power, blood mages can utilize clothing, armor, or other attire enchanted to embody the rune of power to undergo a quelling process to silence their enfeebling magics in order to temporarily undo its weakening effect on their body, most commonly employed to counteract the enfeeblement of Void magics. By willing the rune of power to take hold the blood mage becomes overwhelmed with lethargy for 10 emotes or 15 narrative minutes, making them wholly unfit for combat. As such blood mages engage their engorged attire far in advance of combat, often hours, lest they be caught off guard and effortlessly felled. This flip restores the blood mage to the bodily strength they would otherwise have - meaning a mage who studies and lives a sedentary lifestyle would have the typical strength of someone with such a lifestyle rather than being subject to Voidal or other weakness - and does not truly empower them, only restore them. In doing so an active mage may forsake their arts so they may efficiently take up a blade and heavy armor. Once the user chooses they may deactivate the rune to restore their magic and therein accept its weakness but doing so brings on the same acute lethargy and weakness protracted over 1 narrative hour or 15 OOC minutes, something done in seclusion and safety.

 

This ritual is conducted by inscribing a ritual circle with runes of flesh, mortality, binding, and silence, wherein a rune of power is put in the rune of mortality’s crescent just like ensorcelling and the article of clothing is put atop it. If successful a blood mage wearing the article can sense the rune of power’s effect and choose to embrace it, therein silencing their weakening magic for the trade of having their strength return.

 

Once the ritual circle is prepared at least two blood mages must activate it by placing open wounds against its outer edge, both of which must be at least tier 4. Then, the ST event actor presiding over the summoning will briefly teleport away to somewhere hidden to roll out of 20 in secret, add the appropriate modifier (see Blood Rites under Abilities), and return to roleplay the result of the ritual. 

 

Roll 1-4: the ritual catastrophically fails and may produce, among other effects, a violent elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a Voidal terror or inferis, and/or the appropriate mutation of the intended subjects spinning off  the runes and/or magics used, etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be lethal but what follows may be (e.g. a terror) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 5-10: the ritual fails with complications and produces, among other effects, an elemental explosion, the summoning of a hostile entity such as a lesser Voidal terror or inferi imps, a gravity well, blinding and choking smoke,  etc. The immediate result (e.g. explosion) should not be overly damaging and may knock back/over, wound, and/or impair but what follows may be more dangerous (e.g. imps) if the ritualists are ill-prepared.
Roll 11-20: the ritual succeeds as intended. If decided by the ST, even successes may have unintended results.

Engorge is a ritual that does not require an emote count but should take around 4-5 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood and the ritual activation. This ritual requires 5 units of genus.

 

Red Lines:
-Requires at least 2 blood mages, both of which must be at least tier 4.
-Engorge has no effect on individuals not practicing physically hindering magics, i.e. engorge could be used to make a human mage as strong as a human knight, but not a human knight as strong as an orc. 
-Only blood mages can use engorged attire.
-Because of how the ritual magically exhausts participants, those who participate in or lead the ritual cannot participate in or lead another group ritual for 1 IRL day.
 

 

 

Seal - Noncombative
In an advanced, ritualistic derivative of scabbing blood mages can act as impromptu menders and battle medics.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

After the turmoil of conflict a blood mage may rush to an injured individual and create a circle around them containing the runes of flesh, mortality, and life which, if fueled, the blood mage may use to briefly empower their scabbing in order to mend the wounded. If a second or third blood mage participates in this ritual the rate and extent of healing are increased. Because blood magic lacks the sophisticated, acute skill of healing as a divine power might the rite of sealing cannot rescue an individual from death who may have already sustained extreme damage such as disembowelment or exsanguination; at best it can stabilize a waning victim. The use of sealing is agonizing as an individual feels their muscles, skin, and veins twitch and reshape to form scabs and suture together and the event may cause subjects to become unconscious. Given its comparatively sloppy ability to mend, wounds healed through sealing typically leave scars and burn-like marks on the body.

 

One blood mage: Alone, a blood mage can seal all wounds on a victim within the dimensions of 6 inches long and 1 inch wide with thick, gnarled scabs to end bleeding. Doing so can stabilize an individual if they have not lost a lethal amount of blood already. This requires 2 units of genus.

Two blood mages: In a pair, blood mages can seal all wounds on a victim within the dimensions of 9 inches long and 2 inches wide with half-healed scars of twisted skin akin to burns and crusty veins of scabs. The mending also reaches into the body to half-repair organs enough to safely stabilize any individual and keep them conscious, therein possibly able to limp away from a battle scene. This requires 3 units of genus.

Three blood mages: In a trio, blood mages can seal all wounds a victim has sustained that are not immediately lethal including the loss of limbs. This mending also reaches into the body to seal and repair organs which may otherwise be lost due to damage but cannot restore nonfunctional organs or lost body parts. This safely stabilizes the individual and keeps them conscious, therein experiencing a second wind of invigoration despite pain and injuries for 10 narrative minutes. This requires 4 units of genus.

 

Additionally, outside a post-combat scenario a group of 3 blood mages - one of which must be tier 5 - can conduct such a ritual to restore lost organs and even regrow limbs albeit to gruesome effect. A restored organ such as an eye is hideous and alarming where the eye is perpetually bloodshot and discolored whereas limbs or large regions of of the body that are regrown spurt out from the body in rapid growth and appear flayed and bare, muscle wholly visible in striations of red with pale tendons and sinew; such organs and limbs are entirely functional but appear grotesque. This requires 6 units of genus.

 

Seal is a ritual that requires 4 emotes to perform, including the drawing of the circle and its runes in fresh blood and the ritual activation. Sealing requires 2 units of genus to perform.

Red Lines:
-The non-post-combat ritual requires at least 3 blood mages, one of which must be tier 5. The typical post-combat ritual can be performed by any blood mage at or above tier 3.
-Sealing does not restore blood and usually only seals wounds rather than outright healing them meaning victims still have IRP weeks to heal from their injuries. What is mended by sealing leaves behind burn-like scars.
-Any organs or limbs restored through the latter form of the ritual are grotesque and cannot appear normal. Limbs are skinless (albeit functional and do not bleed or lead to infection), eyes are bloodshot, and so forth.

-The second wind a healed individual would feel following a 3 blood mage sealing ritual after combat does not allow for an increase in their usual strength, speed, etc. and only serves to allow them a brief stint of energy.
 

 

 

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Rune of Insight - Noncombative
With a specific symbol a blood mage may make contact with a bloodshard to awaken others and proliferate blood mages.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Not a ritual in of itself and instead an appropriation of vampire magic, the rite of reflection, blood mages who seek to teach others and spread the mortal art must do so via the Rune of Insight, a symbol inaccurately named for its use. In truth this rune is the silit signate of Eireamhan the Hermit incorporated in a lattice of other runes but its misunderstood use has led to its naming. The need for awakening mortals necessitated the need to access a bloodshard and this appropriation was devised by Cadmium to allow the least coveted and least protected bloodshare to be utilized without outright jeopardizing a significant artifact.

 

A blood mage teacher performs the rite of reflection and paints a lattice of symbol in blood upon a mirror or other reflective surface and unknowingly contacts the Archon, the image of a throbbing, crystalline surface appearing which is the bloodshard containing his soul. By touching this surface a prospective student makes magical contact with the bloodshard and becomes awakened. Since all blood mages of this generation in one way or another stem from awakening via this particular bloodshard the lattice of runes slumbers deep in their psyche and upon reaching an expert level - tier 4 - its provoking form haunts their sleep and moments of quiet. As such blood mages can self-teach this pseudo-rune to then teach others via the rite of reflection which is described towards the bottom of this thread.

 

Both the rune of insight and the rite of reflection can be self-taught by tier 4 blood mages.

 

Red lines:
-The Rune of Insight is not a ritual in of itself, rather just Eireamhan’s signate used in the Rite of Reflection, and requires the knowledge of that ritual to be performed. As well, because it is a signate any silit who observes this ritual will have its image burned into their mind if they do not already know it.
-Because the experience of becoming awakened - one’s mind being flooded with esoteric knowledge and the magical sensation of genus - is so intense and overwhelming to the senses a person who undergoes it cannot accurately recall the symbol used in the ritual enough to replicate it until they grow in power enough to fathom it themselves.

- One must have learned every base ritual and spell in blood magic to perform this and acquire a TA. This does not include siliti additions / rituals.

 

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Bloodbending

Much of the ancient ways of bloodbending have been lost to time and relegated to the most elite and potent of creatures. Nowadays blood mages can only dream of those powers and instead are left with the rather simple spells as though fate left them crumbs. Because they are relatively negligible, bloodbending does not cause exhaustion and can be flexed at will akin to cantrips.

 

Augmentation - Combative
Once the hallmark of blood mages and the instrument of their primal magic, this basal bloodbending strips genus from blood to empower spellcraft.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

In ages past augmentation bore the most addictive facet of blood magic, power, but its evolution amidst the fluctuations of cosmic forces has whittled it into a meager but vaguely useful trick. Still, experimental practitioners toy and attempt to refine augmentation in employing genus to invigorate and mutate other magics, particularly the divine whose powers twist and uniquely unravel from its visceral and unruly nature.

 

Augmentation entails stripping 1 unit of genus’ worth of fresh blood from one’s immediate vicinity wherein the iconic red mist of blood magic spills into the air and dissipates with a flash of its user’s aura color or a highly saturated tinge such as virulent green or nauseating yellow. By exhausting the blood of its energy the user absorbs it into their body and should they initiate casting a spell within 4 emotes it will be bolstered by the surplus mana allowed by the freed and fleeting genus. Augmented spells are cast at a higher tier as follows:

 

Tier 1: The spell is cast with +1 to its tier. The blood mage must touch the blood they mean to exhaust.
Tier 2: The spell is cast with +1 to its tier. The blood mage may extract genus from blood within 1 foot of themself.
Tier 3: The spell is cast with +1 to its tier. The blood mage may extract genus from blood within 1 foot of themself and may empower others via touch.
Tier 4: The spell is cast with +2 to its tier. The blood mage may extract genus from blood within 2 feet of themself and may empower others via touch.
Tier 5: The spell is cast with +2 to its tier. The blood mage may extract genus from blood within 1 block of themself and may empower others via touch.

 

All mortals and immortals are nonetheless limited by the confines of their bodies and souls and as such cannot cast beyond tier 5. Additionally, augmentation does not unlock or teach information or spells of a magic meaning a user can only augment spells they already know and only spells which scale with tier; non-scaling spells are unaffected. Augmentation is useful for aspiring students yearning for masterful spellcraft but loses its relevance to higher wizards.

 

Augmentations requires 2 emotes to cast where the blood mage exhausts fresh blood of its genus represented by the formation of red mist and a flash of their aura and then they absorb the energy into themself or push it into another. The blood is then left inert.

 

Red Lines:
-Augmentation does not lower the emote count of other spells and the 2 emotes to cast it do not count towards the casting of other spells.
-Augmentation grants power, not knowledge, and only spells which the caster knows can be used as per normal and if they do not normally scale with tier then they are unaffected.
-Genus-empowered spells do not act differently compared to their normal implementation and appropriate marriage lore is required for mechanical alterations to be made to other spells.

-Repeating the above, augmentation cannot cause a spell to be cast above tier 5 as no such definition for those spells exist nor can mortals cast at such a high level.

 

Hemorrhaging - Combative
By reaching out to the throb of genus within others users may tamper with their blood pressure, causing inconsequential bleeds from an assortment of locations.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Primarily utilized for intimidation, hemorrhaging is the truest form of inhand bloodbending. With this spell blood mages are capable of reaching out to insignificantly tug at and tamper with another’s circulation, causing a myriad of results across a range of tiers. Bleeding subsides after a set amount of emotes but a who character applies pressure to the area, bandages it, or otherwise makes an attempt to clot or cover bleeding areas will shorten the effect down to 1-2 emotes.

 

Tier 1: Blood mages are capable of starting or stopping a nosebleed on one target, as well as the feeling of one’s heart uncomfortably pounding in their chest up to 2 blocks in front of them. These bled locations must be in the blood mage’s line of sight. Bleeding subsides after 3 emotes unless addressed.

Tier 2: Blood mages are capable of starting or stopping a nosebleed, as well as the feeling of one’s heart uncomfortably pounding in their chest, bleeding from the ears on 2 targets up to 4 blocks in front of them. These bled locations must be in the blood mage’s line of sight. Bleeding subsides after 4 emotes unless addressed.

Tier 3: Blood mages are capable of starting or stopping a nosebleed, as well as the feeling of one’s heart uncomfortably pounding in their chest, bleeding from the ears and tear ducts on 3 targets up to 6 blocks in front of them. These bled locations must be in the blood mage’s line of sight. Bleeding subsides after 4 emotes unless addressed.

Tier 4: Blood mages are capable of starting or stopping a nosebleed, as well as the feeling of one’s heart uncomfortably pounding in their chest, bleeding from the ears, tear ducts and gums on 4 targets up to 8 blocks in all directions around them for which line of sight is not required. Bleeding subsides after 4 emotes unless addressed.

Tier 5: Blood mages are capable of starting or stopping a nosebleed, the feeling of one’s heart uncomfortably pounding in their chest, bleeding from the ears, tear ducts, gums and even coughing up blood on 5 targets up to 10 blocks in all directions around them for which line of sight is not required. Bleeding subsides after 5 emotes unless addressed.

 

Hemorrhaging requires 2 emotes to cast during which time the blood mage must be relatively still (Still able to talk, read, and gesture And at look around) and at lower tiers must keep their target(s) within their line of sight. A blood mage casting this spell is not without fault however, as the mage would be notably distracted or aloof and unable to keep an active conversation or interaction. Given the same amount of emotes, a blood mage can overcome and protect themselves from hemorrhaging utilized by another blood mage of the same tier or lower. 

 

Red Lines:
-Hemorrhaging can be cast at any time, regardless of combat, but can have no impact on it. It is a primarily aesthetic ability. Whilst blood lost from any type of bleed can be as aesthetically gruesome and as copious as the victim decides, nosebleeds, bleeding ears, eyes, gums and coughed up blood as a result of hemorrhaging will not physically harm victims past very functionally negligible blood loss and feelings of discomfort. Further, induced effects such as raised heart rates will have no impact on body functions, nosebleeds will have no impact on breathing or smelling, bleeding ears will have no impact on hearing and bleeding eyes will have no impact on sight and bleeding gums will have no impact on breathing, speech or taste. Blood coughed up will have no impact on breathing and can at most interrupt speech. Hemorrhaging does not interrupt spell casting or otherwise cause real harm.
-Blood spent with hemorrhaging is inert and has no impact on the amount of genus a person has, and similarly cannot be utilized for its value in genus. 
-Hemorrhaging only functions on genus-having blood, though does not act as a genus-detecting radar. When cast on their area at higher tiers (as opposed to on individuals, up to the blood mage’s discretion), those who are out of the blood mage’s line of sight will be considered as affected by accident and the blood mage is not supernaturally alerted to their presence. Further, hemorrhaging attempts on creatures without genus would simply fail. 

 

 

Scabbing - Combative
A favorite among blood mages, scabbing is the essential tool for users in sealing cuts for rituals and cleaning away evidence.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Scabbing  allows blood mages to manipulate very small amounts of blood in order to convert it into scabs and seal cuts or rend it into a fine mist to disappear, useful in erasing runes or cleaning bloodstains. Scabbing, while not healing or a method to mend violent wounds, can prevent blood loss and help blood mages tend to themselves or clean surfaces of ritual circles or themselves.

 

Tier 1: the blood mage can reach out to the genus of others and stitch close wounds no longer than 2 inches long and half an inch wide by coagulating blood into a thick, crusty scab.

Tier 2: the blood mage can render blood into a fine mist which then disappears with their touch, highly useful for erasing runes or cleaning weapons or attire.

Tier 3: the blood mage can scab wounds no longer than 3 inches long and 1 inch wide and can now scab themselves.

Tier 4: the blood mage can efficiently eradicate blood, able to erase blood in 1 block spaces per emote and at a range up to 2 blocks away.

Tier 5: the blood mage can masterfully dissolve blood, able to erase blood in 2x2 block spaces per emote and at a range up to 4 blocks away.

 

Scabbing requires 2 emotes, one to touch and one to heal or erase with a sputter of red mist. Multiple applications of scabbing cannot achieve results beyond its first application in closing cuts but can be used repeatedly to scrub areas clean.

 

Red Lines:
-Scabbing cannot outright heal wounds, only cover the surface level damage and prevent more blood loss. Scabbing doesn’t replenish blood, negate pain, or mend anything more than skin.
 

 

Siphoning - Combative
An uncommon feat used by both the benevolent and selfish, siphoning allows users to conduct swift blood transfusions on members of the same race.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

A straightforward spell, siphoning involves the lacing of two wounds together with a tether of floating blood which streams from one individual to another to fill their veins. Mortals can only accept the blood of their own race, the blood of others don’t take to the body and spill out from the wound in rejection. Siphoning is typically used to stabilize others or in less common scenarios to replenish a blood mage after a fight. The individual giving blood must be willing or incapacitated/restrained with an open wound for the receiver to accept it, willingly or otherwise. This transfusion can only take place within 2 blocks of the blood mage casting.

 

Tier 1: the blood mage can transfer up to 1 pint / 0.5 liters of blood between 2 individuals.

Tier 2: the blood mage can transfer up to 2 pints / 1 liter of blood between  2 individuals.

Tier 3: the blood mage can transfer up to 2 pints / 1 liter of blood from 2 donors to 1 receiver, therein lessening the amount drawn from the pair losing blood.

 

Siphoning requires 3 emotes to perform wherein streams of blood float out from an open wound of the donor(s) and weaves into the receiver’s body via an open wound.

 

Red Lines:

-A receiver does not benefit from regained blood if it is not from a member of their same race.
-Siphoned blood is bereft of genus once given and does not increase a person’s genus count.
-Donors must be willing or otherwise incapacitated or restrained in order to give blood.
 

 

 

Tearing - Combative
The peak of bloodbending among modern practitioners, tearing is the act of violently bisecting, dismembering, disemboweling, or otherwise fatalling mauling an individual in an act of execution.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Tearing is solely an aesthetically styled execution wherein a victim who is already incapacitated or otherwise defeated through combat and has sustained multiple injuries where they cannot escape, resist, or save themself from impending death. In this event a blood mage may reach deep into the body of their victim to harness their blood and violently maul them in dramatic and gruesome fashion which may be as creative in display as the blood mage chooses. A victim may be split in half at a distance, their limbs may be pulled off, their skin may be flayed away in an instant, they may peel apart into layers, and so forth where the blood mage has complete creative freedom to style however the individual dies. Doing so exhausts the victim of all of their genus and is therein considered a wasteful practice by Hazmic sorcerers, a deed used only when a kill is personal.

 

Use of tearing requires the blood mage player to contact their victim OOCly to confirm they are comfortable with horror and gore themed roleplay and give them ample opportunity to soulstone away, /D20, or otherwise leave prior to emoting the execution.
 

Tier 4: a blood mage unlocks tearing, the peak of their bloodbending ability and a rare weapon.

 

Tearing does not have an emote count but should take around 3-4 emotes to perform, rendering their victim into a heap of quivering gore.

 

Red Lines:
-Tearing requires OOC consent from the victim where they accept that their character has no avenue for escape and can no longer resist and must be performed after battle which has already spilled blood and exhausted the individual. Tearing does NOT necessitate a PK.
-Tearing cannot be used in any other situation unless specifically allowed by ST during an event.

-Due to the nature of the implied graphic descriptions the blood mage player must confirm with their victim and those around them that they are comfortable with horror and gore writing and to otherwise keep descriptions to a PG-13 standard as to adhere to server rules and guidelines.

 

 

Invoke Ignorance - Noncombative
In an act of apostasy against the birthright of their mortality, a blood mage may use this ritual to unlearn their blood magic through the Rune of Silence.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Typically invoked to undo the consequences of harnessing genus, particularly to stave off aging among mortals of longer lifespans, this ritual requires a circle of alternating runes of silence and draining to be drawn repeatedly facing inward towards a smaller circle within which the blood mage kneels and inscribes the rune of power. Alone, the blood mage activates the circle fain and knowingly wherein their knowledge of rituals, runes, and their sensitivity to genus is drained from their psyche and forcibly stripped as though their intuition and memories on the topics bled out their ears into the ether. This rite can be learned by any blood mage at or above tier 2 through experimentation and is inherently understood to be a tool of magical erasure.

 

Red lines:
-This ritual can only be used on one’s self and not against others nor can a character be forced, goaded, or instructed to perform it against their will through a magical effect such as the rite of restraints as it cannot succeed unless the character as well as the player consents (but it can be done under duress). Succeeding entails denying the character’s blood magic MA and they cannot recall any details about blood magic or the rituals, runes, silit signates, or bloodbending they once knew in a manner to reproduce them or teach them to others.

 

---

 

Red Lines

 

-Given awakening and the use of blood magic including the activation of rituals require the individual to have genus-having blood, blood magic cannot be learned by people or creatures without it. Entities which cannot use blood magic include animals, golems, animii, atronachs, sorvians, liches, darkstalkers, ghosts, gravens, wights, eidola, striga, and vargs. Because of this above blood magic is compatible with kharajyr, frost witches (bar frost mothers who do not have biological hearts or blood), siliti, tree lords, anthroparions, zar’akal and inferi who have magic slots, and Voidal horrors. As well, blood magic is compatible with all magics and feats 
-A blood mage must PK via dying of old age if they reach their 2 IRL year time cap. This can only be escaped by dropping blood magic (Invoke Ignorance) or by becoming ageless / immortal.
-Runes do not have powers on their own, they are merely shapes that evoke meaning for combination in rituals; writing a fire rune on a tree won’t ignite it.
-All rituals and spells must be learned through roleplay and must be recorded on apps by having ST comment on them denoting the name of the ability and who taught it (MC name).
-Genus is held in the blood of greater soul-having creatures meaning sentient life (most of which can learn or cast magic but not necessarily) and not animals. Fresh blood is defined as blood spilled within one narrative day or 3 OOC hours. Blood cannot be stored in order to remain fresh.
-Players cannot deceive or misinform ST on the functions of the magic as to aid themself in a ritual, including giving an ST an incorrect modifier on a ritual’s roll.

-All Spells need to be learned to obtain a TA in blood magic. This includes the two slot spells which can be learned. However, in order to lead them you must dedicate a second slot. 

-Spells cannot be self-taught unless outlined in their respective spell description.

Tier Progression

Tier 1 - Novice lasts for 2 weeks. The blood mage begins to take on faint physical and mental changes and may access Ensorcell Material, Ensorcell Flesh, Hemhorraging, Scabbing, and Siphoning.
Tier 2 - Apprentice lasts for 3 weeks. The blood mage further develops physical and mental changes and may assist in more complex rituals.
Tier 3 - Adept lasts for 3 weeks. The blood mage’s physical changes reach their completion and they may lead group rituals.
Tier 4 - Expert lasts for 4 weeks. The blood mage may lead or assist in more complex rituals.
Tier 5 - Master is reached at 12 weeks (3 months in total). The blood mage’s mental changes reach their completion and they may access all of blood magic.

Purpose

After a year of use I recognize the (glaring) flaws of Pale Blood Magic and how it has constrained and disgruntled users to the point of avoiding use and therein avoiding roleplaying as opposed to encouraging repeated use. While I am still fond of its rolling system - it’s still in this version - I see how it was overly punishing and often left blood mage players dissatisfied when they’d fail 3 rituals in a row which had a 3 IRL day cooldown each time or would spend multiple hours in event CRP over a failed ritual for a very mundane, cantrip-like enchanted item, some of which generally sucked and were never worth attempting to get. I’ve also reconciled with my bitterness towards the abuse of some old rituals and bloodbending spells from Third Gen which I’ve removed and others I’ve redesigned to be less abusable and added proverbial guardrails. Overall I hope this piece serves as the most balanced blend of original blood magic’s core concepts, Third Gen’s bloodbending, Awakened blood magic’s rituals, and Pale blood magic’s rolling system. It shouldn’t be overly punishing and risky but it also shouldn’t be completely without risk so ideally these numbers and modifiers appeal to both sides of the argument where large cabals are the best answer to stable rituals but there is no true cure and a critical failure of a 1 is always a failure.

 

It is the most neutral and creative of dark magics meant to be used in a person and unique manner, fit for magic users of all types - Voidal scholars, holy priests, occultists, etc. - with avenues for extensive group roleplay as to encourage users to not sit in their towers and cut themselves in solitude for OP rewards as previous iterations have. It can be benevolent and constructive, malicious and destructive, and anything in between without being overtuned to outclass the magics which specialize in specific areas. I’ve always believed blood magic is a core aspect of dark magic on LotC and deserves a place in the canon between players, events, and historical lore and hope to present this as a final or near-final iteration to say.

 

I have additions in mind but those will have to wait.

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

Silit Lore Modifications

 

If approved, this section will be removed and the edited rite will be kept on the silit lore. The purpose is straightforward; since PBM is changing so drastically the old Rite of Rousing must be reworked as there are no longer tiers split between lesser and greater.  The new rites reads:

 

Rite of Recollection - Noncombative
The marrows throbbing within a silit act as a font of blood magic which a silit can align to artificially grant their own knowledge to practitioners like the bloodshards of old.

Spoiler

Mechanics:

Bloodshards have acted as coveted, occult lexicons to blood mages throughout history and in the same manner in which they can psychically grant information - sparking one’s sensitivity to genus, granting runes, granting rites - a silit’s array can mimic this property. This rite is conducted by a silit drawing their signate on the forehead of a blood mage and offering them their blood be it by chalice, poured into the mouth, or suckled from a wound. With the initial taste the blood mage will experience a heart-pounding, uncomfortable rush and their cranium will strain with pressure while information and insights into blood magic become familiar to them in an instant as though they had studied it as extensively as the silit had. After 2 emotes of enduring this discomfort it fades and the blood mage finds themself keenly familiar with any rites, runes, and/or signates the silit chooses to share with them as though they were taught extensively. However, unlike bloodshards the implantation of knowledge by siliti and their marrows is imperfect and cannot exceed detailing 3 rituals and 2 bloodbending spells lest they overwhelm their student and cause them to slip into unconsciousness. This rush of artificially implanted knowledge leaves the mind sore and aching and the student cannot be subject to this effect again for 4 IRL weeks lest the attempt cause them to go unconscious and the information is lost. This does not bypass tier progression, rather it often serves as a quick method of updating a blood mage who may have fallen behind. Teachers are still fully obligated to teach their students when using this and do so OOCly by explaining any and all rituals and answering questions about them.

 

An alternative use of the rite comes in the form of sharing memories wherein a silit through intense concentration can project a memory or dream across any reflective surface for another to witness in the same vein as the rite of reflection (albeit without the necessity for drawing runes). Conducting such would be done in the same manner as the aforementioned rite, utilising the same timescales and restrictions, though the key difference being a silit would apply their own signate to the reflective surface, as opposed to that of another silit they would usually contact.

 

Sharing information in this manner would take the same amount of time narratively as a conversation describing the information, and could not be done in combat, and witnesses to the rite would see the silit’s memories from their perspective with the same level of natural clarity and detail as in the silit’s mind, meaning identities of individuals the silit did not know would remain for the most part obscured and the recalled events will be no more intricate than the details the silit already is aware of (for instance a silit could not use this rite to look back on a memory and pick up on clues they did not notice at the time the memory was created). 

 

Further, a silit performing the rite on a reflective surface would have to remain within three meters of the object or entity in question, whilst also focused and fixated on keeping the rite active, at most able to naturally gesture and hold conversation atop the projection (making the rite unusable in combat). 

Red lines:
-The rite of recollection is only accessible to well fed siliti.
-The rite of recollection can not be used in combat.
-When used outside of blood magic teaching, the rite of recollection is subject to all of the redlines, timescales and restrictions of the rite of reflection. Doing so requires a TA in blood magic.
-Visuals and sounds shown upon reflective surfaces are unmistakably false and intangible to onlookers of intelligence higher than that of a small child or Olog, and cannot be used to deceive an individual as one might using sensory illusion.
-The identities of individuals the silit is not familiar with (due to either three consecutive interactions or a formal introduction) cannot be clearly defined when shown by the rite of recollection (IE linking their minecraft skin would be considered attempted metagaming), though creature types, races  and other prominent features - ie red eyes - or details that could otherwise be verbally described are fine to show.
-This does not increase the speed of learning blood magic, meaning it does not increase tier or allow the use of rituals above a blood mage’s tier. A blood mage can know a ritual that is too advanced for them (above their current tier) but cannot attempt it until they fulfill the necessary requirements.
-A silit cannot impart rituals, runes, and/or signates they do not know themself. All information that is given must be told explicitly OOC and rituals that are documented on app comments must be added as to maintain the paper trail.
-A silit can only perform a rite of recollection to teach blood magic rites, runes and abilities once every 3 IRL days as it is a strenuous act to force their magic into a mortal which tires their marrows. This does not apply to sharing memories.

-Similarly, a student cannot be subject to this type of lesson more than once in a 4 IRL week timeframe. A second attempt causes them to black out briefly and the injected information does not hold. A use of this rite cannot teach more than 3 rituals and 2 bloodbending spells in 1 use; runes and signates are not limited.

 

Another change we are making is to clarify a previously vague subject in that siliti cannot practice a list of soul-involved magics / be other creatures but it was not specified whether such users or entities could become siliti. This is clarified with a rewritten rite of rebirth which reads as follows:

 

Rite of Rebirth - Noncombative
First theorised by Malghourn and Hazm Alhazred, the rite of rebirth is the convoluted process of sculpting a descendant’s body and soul with an array of marrows, remaking them as siliti.

Spoiler

The rite of rebirth is a closely kept secret involving the remaking a descendant’s soul blueprint through the filter of countless runes, which shall persist as ethereal marrows forevermore, the ritual process of creating further siliti is not one shared lightly, invoking the attention of each bloodline’s respective Archon.

 

A harrowing experience, the process begins with an array of runes being painstakingly torn and carved across the descendant’s skin, drawing from the tried and tested arrays that were once used in various crafts of earlier blood magic such as the lost creation processes of dreadknights, rifts, soul transference, and countless other ancient sacraments. 

 

The end process of these wicked cuts will usually deprive the descendant of a bewildering amount of blood, enough to kill them were they not being sustained by the rite at which point a final mark is made upon the subject’s forehead.

 

Using an implement covered with their own blood, the silit conducting the rite will ceremoniously close their eyes and cite the Archonic tenets, allowing their cut to be driven by unseen forces in shaping what is said to be the subject’s soul blueprint made manifest as a blood rune: their signate.

 

Upon completion all blood runes cut into the subject (including any preexisting rune of binding from enthrallment) will begin to glimmer a brilliant red before burning away, with pain beyond the scope of words passing through the subject’s body, mind and soul before said markings vanish into ethereal marrows, as a new silit is born.

By the hand of the Archon Hallin Kord, who sought to conscript the defeated Zar’akal of Moz Strimoza into his own silit legions, the rite of bebirth was evolved to purge deific, mortal-dark, and even demonic influence from the souls of converts, purging souls of both their taints or blessings and securing the remnants within the marrows of the siliti. In effect, devising a manner by which all mortal servants of the divine or practitioners of the unhallowed and even immortal beasts of the night might be born anew, forcefully rid of their past boons and banes and reborn as a silit.

 

This severance and ritual blockading of the subject’s soul from their former nature leaves them scarred and tormented, traumatised by their past nature and unable to perceive such in a positive light again; these broken silit will forever associate their former curses, blessings or covenants with feelings of betrayal, disgust and guilt, coming to embrace their new form as if it were an evolution from a flawed and misguided past. Whilst capable of reverting damage and mutation to the flesh of these transcendent individuals, the rite is not capable of reverting a being touched by the soulstream to the living condition that is silit; undead creatures remaining beyond salvation.

Further, as new marrows are laid upon a fresh convert's soul, any injuries suffered short of dismemberment that've been inflicted within a narrative day, as well as scars inflicted by the force ritual seal, would be reverted and healed upon the rite's completion. This is oft utilized by cruel silit lords looking to expand their covens, historically by granting the desperate and wounded a choice: to die as men, or keep living as beasts.  

 

Red lines:
-Because siliti have a PK clause and under no condition can they ever be cured of their vampirism, only imprisoned, being turned requires OOC consent.
-The memory of the Archonic tenets is burned into the new silit’s mind upon the ritual’s completion, never able to be forgotten and always present at the back of their conscience as the laws to adhere to.
-The memory of their signate is burned into the new silit’s mind as well as the minds of the siliti present for the rite, never able to be forgotten and always present at the back of their conscience.
-Those bound by the rite of restraints before being turned into siliti will be freed from their enthrallment with full preservation of their memories. 
-Due to the complexity of the runes carved, the rite must be explained in depth to those wishing to learn it. It cannot be self taught by having the rite conducted on oneself or simply spectating.
-The bloodline inherited by the new silit will be that of whichever silit’s blood is used when carving their signate upon them and cannot be changed.
-Practitioners of Necromancy, Mysticism, Naztherak, Shamanism, Paladinism, Enaction of Yeu Rthulhu, Clericalism, Druidism and Templars of Malchaediel as well as Treelords (without an active Soultree), Epiphites, Demi-Djinn, Strigae, Vargs and Frost Witches will lose their respective MA(s) or CA in the transition to Siliti, their appearance reverting back to their natural form prior to undergoing said magic or CA. For instance a Treelord turned into a Silit would simply be a Silit, having their Treelord CA as well as any Druidism MA(s) denied upon turning and therefore rendered incapable of benefiting from said creature or magic’s traits. 
-Draconic, ‘true’ Infernal (excluding Zar’akal, which are technically still living though corrupted mortals) and Undead creatures cannot be turned into Siliti, along with  any magic or CA not listed above. 
-Whilst the rite of rebirth could be utilized to save someone from a fatal wound by converting them into a silit - keeping them unnaturally sustained until the rite's completion and their silit regeneration - it would have no effect on a dead body, no matter how fresh.
 

Magic slot change

As with Pale Blood Magic, siliti have an inherent, irrevocable capability in blood magic quite unlike any other creature, being awakened by default without the aid of the rune of insight, their CA doubling as an MA should they be able to study under an approved teacher. 

 

In this sense a silit does not require a magic slot for Blood Magic, though in turn must permanently sacrifice one of their five slots when turned, meaning siliti may only learn four magics with blood magic being their only option as a fifth. Rituals are therefore recorded on their silit app since it functions as a blood magic MA. 
 

Citations

Pale Blood Magic
Siliti
The Nine Archons
Malghourn

 

Credits
Mordu (Co-author)
Zarsies (Co-author)

 

Marriage Pieces

Infernal Blood Rites
 

[The King Of The Moon 5117]

 

[UnBaed 8910]

 

red soup wizard

[bumblefina 2244]

[Pompilidae 237]

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[Tentoa 1991]

[JEEGK 1253]

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[Kholibrii 978]

[HurferDurfer1 2584]

[BobBox 3200]

LET'S GOOOOO

 

[_Sug 2554]

HUGEEEEEEEEEE. We men are monsters.

Edited May 31, 2021 by _Sug

[JoanOfArc 4586]

1 minute ago, _Sug said:

HUGEEEEEEEEEE. We men are monsters.

an ithelanen smirks

[RaindropsKeepFalling 884]

 

[Jaelon 288]

unhygienic gaming

[Synasthima 58]

dunno who a malghoul is but seems cool

Edited May 31, 2021 by Synasthima