The King Of The Moon

Made Moz Strimoza specifically to avoid interacting with orcs/shamans. No real qualm with shaman lore, and we kept the shamanistic Ikuras/Ixli origins. Just moving **** out of the spirit realm so we don’t have to have dumb arguments anymore. Is that a yes or a no? They respawn by the next person to talk to me about respawning in roleplay is getting added to a public shaming document. I swear to god if I see another argument over who died doing what at where in the middle of CT i’m gonna put a pipe bomb in the mail. Ok but that’s a relevant question so please write if they have a PK clause or if there’s a timer/ consequence for those that die and don’t PK... Or just clarify if it’s neither? Because like, it doesn’t say anywhere if a Zar’akal can have clones or a machine spirit or use blood magic rebirth just as examples of resurrection, all three of which would prove very problematic if not addressed in this lore piece.

-How does Zar’akal revival work? Do they follow the same ash system as Zar’ei? Something else? Are there any PK clauses? please don’t give them monk revival -Do Inferis made by Ikuras or Ixli retain the memories and abilities of who they were in life? Could I effectively un-PK a character as an Inferis if I find someone to give me a CA for it in this regard? I’m impartial on that I just think it should be specified. -Do Inferis still have their schpiel with the spirit realm as they did previously? IE where in the past a dark shaman would appear ‘marked’ as an inferis-to-be when spirit walking and shunned by the spirits for such, would they continue to be? Would a naztherak also be doomed to this fate and this unique interaction with the spirit realm? Also, what did the dragons do?

Even then, ignoring the fact people should RP failing it when learning, the implication of your comment is still that there’s little to no fail rate for higher tiers. That doesn’t seem like a “ask and maybe get” situation that seems like a “control” situation.

Druidism in no way ‘controls’ nature though. While yes, the skill is called Communion and Control, what is actually happening is a conversation between a druid and the subject. A request, if accepted, is carried out to the best of the subject’s ability/want of effort. A request, if denied, is not. I have yet to see a Druid RP nature politely refusing their ‘request’ but... if you say so.

So, I think you misinterpreted my comment a little bit. The list you’ve made in response to mine is full of objectively correct information for the most-part. It’s also unironically very useful and informative lore clarification in some parts. The point of the list wasn’t supposed to say “dark shamans, shamans do stuff similar so why can’t Weirhency?” the point was moreso that, from what I sarcastically wrote at the end and could’ve been clearer on: The argument I’m seeing a lot of people give in the comments seems to be fuelled by the presumption that “it use plant and animal and wild stuff so druidism but druidism already do?” and the problem I have with that argument is that ‘nature’ as a concept isn’t something that shouldn’t be thought of as exclusive Druidism lore, especially given the examples of how it (as all lore in the LoTC should) has its own unique interactions with other ‘areas’ of lore to keep compatible with the wider canon. This is part of a broader issue of magic/ deity/ creature lore having little continuity due to various submissions centred around a theme without taking pre-accepted lore into account but that’s a whole other can of worms not worth discussing on this thread, that hopefully explains “why it’s relevant” when using necromancy/ lifeforce as examples of nature not being druidism-exclusive. The IC ideology I mentioned (specifically Weirhency and the Way of Oaks) is also relevant because, to put simply, that’s a group of people who’s ‘RP niche’ (which everyone seems to keep rambling on about) isn’t fulfilled with current lore. I think this is explained well in Luka’s piece but a lot of people are either choosing to ignore it or are simply (and understandably, especially in recent months) ignorant of that ideology. That is exactly who my reply was supposed to address. I think there’s enough comments on here which are stating exactly that in the hypothetical circumstance you’ve given. I’d argue similarity in abilities to Druidism, albeit far weaker and without the deific involvement as well as a stark difference between ‘controlling’ and ‘influencing’ nature is sort of the point of the piece, at least from my reading of it. I’d also argue that it has abilities that are unique and unobtainable through Druidism. I would however agree it could do with more unique abilities and better fleshing out that which is already unique on there. Guessing this was addressing @Lukariatias and not me because by no stretch of the imagination is this my lore, I just gave Luka some feedback on emote counts and redlines that needed more detail, as well as point him to another (denied) lorepiece of a similar concept by Zarsies for inspiration and I wouldn’t want to steal Luka’s spotlight for the good parts of this submission.

Feedback noted.

I’m a big fan of the “this is FAKE DRUIDISM!” comments flooding this thread with no regard for: -The Aspects canonically having a group of followers which influence nature to their liking; their ideals and the work of the Druids in no way being the ‘natural order’ of things. -Current Dark Shamanism lore (which I wrote and think is bad and have since submitted a rewrite for) literally letting you have plant telekinesis and no-one questioning it. -Current Shamanism lore literally letting you manipulate biomes, plants and animals and no-one questioning it. -Current alchemy lore literally letting you use plants and minerals to shape both plants and animals. -Nature canonically being dependant on the natural flow of lifeforce and abuseable by previous generations of Necromancy. -The inspiration/ ideology of this clearly being pulled from the ‘Way of Oaks’ which has existed and been RP’d since 2016 and Thuleanism which is slightly younger. But... Yeah I guess sure “it has nature so therefore it’s Druidism” is a balanced, well thought out argument and a constructive piece of feedback.

If someone is a regular shaman with a regular TA they can teach someone who’s using the spirit’s true name instead of a usual pact (though I don’t really know what IC reasoning said teacher would have). If done in the reverse (where a dark shaman has a TA in the relevant subtype) then the student would have to either be pacted by another shaman before lessons begin or just read the book of names and become a dark shaman, as dark shamans (lacking pacts themselves) would logically be unable to establish pacts for others with spirits. Furthermore regular shamans can transition into dark shamans by learning the true names of the relevant spirits of their magics and abandoning their pacts. In this scenario they’d remain the same tier in elementalism, spirit smithing or witchdoctry but would immediately lose any of the more ‘religious’ and ‘involved’ subtypes like farseeing and lutaumancy upon forming their naakh as the spirits would shun them fairly promptly. Hope that answers your question(s)!

For now it will for reasons I’ve explained in PMs. That said I have made edits necessary for facilitating the general shamanism rewrite as per our discussion and I’m still happy with this lore being edited into the general shamanism overhaul when it is eventually posted, if the LT desires. Otherwise, though, the intention of this lore is still to fix the problem of current dark shamanism for the longterm and it will still function as a piece of lore by itself that will change with elementalism, witchdoctory and spirit smithing as they evolve, in a similar relationship to the previous ichorianism with druidism.

Snakudah, The Fourth (And Hopefully Final) Generation of Dark Shamanism Foreword: Back in 2017 DivineJustice, Lhindir and I went about the task of rewriting dark shamanism. We did so out of a desire to balance the magic, give it explicit restrictions and run with the theme of dark shamans simply being a corrupt alternative type of shaman, rather than an altogether separate concept. It is the opinion of myself and many others that we failed at this. Not only is the magic to this day relatively inactive and undesirable, it is also convoluted, vague, difficult at best to understand and worse to moderate. The intention of this lore is for dark shamanism to act as a feat in shamanism, not as a separate magic. The most logical way for the concept of dark shamans (tribalists who choose to pseudo-xionistically steal power from the spirits rather than be lent it in exchange for praise) to live on is for them to literally be shamans. That is, giving them access to learning shamanism in the same way as everyone else adhering to the same restrictions as the non-corrupted counterparts. I still however wanted dark shamanism to have its restrictions and not just be ‘shamans that can also learn void magic and be OP’ as they’ve been viewed in the past, which is why I’ve kept the concept of a ‘naakh’ from the previous generation (a physical object required to cast; giving rivals an opportunity to disarm a dark shaman of their magic) as well as a PK clause to hopefully ward off poor roleplay and inconsequential use of the magic. The decision was also made that, given their irreligious nature, it didn’t make much sense for dark shamans to be able to use the more ‘involved’ subtypes of shamanism: lutaumancy and farseeing. There was also a brief discussion following the initial posting where I was brought up to speed with the general shamanism rewrite to ensure this feat remains compatible once such has gone through. The snakudah (‘slave masters’ in the broken language of ilzakarn), previously referred to as ‘uluamirzgai’ (‘those who enslave’ in the old blah) more commonly referred to as ‘dark shamans’ have existed seemingly since the first men and later descendants formed pacts of mutual benefit with the spirits. For aeons there have been those that lent power from Apophet’s creations and for just as long there have been those that took it. In later years this has been achieved by loose pacts with Leyd, the greater spirit of domination, who permitted his irreligious disciples the knowledge of isthmus anchors: prisons for lesser spirits, and naakhs: a means of siphoning said spirits’ power. Though these means were limited; a spirit merely dominated will offer resistance to its enslaver, withholding its power. In the dark shamans’ endless lust for honourless power, then, they sought new technique. And one day it came. Eager he was, then, to grant them it. Ixli, the greater spirit of forbidden knowledge, had a long history with the dark shamans. Some say he taught the first, though broke his long tradition of betraying his spirit brethren - by gifting mortals the secrets of their undoing - when betrayed by the shamans three: Kulgarok, Gukdab and Kurag in their insatiable greed. But, the age of the uluamirzgai had passed with his three shunned apprentices and envious he had become as they had turned to Leyd for their latest methods. “Flawed.” He spat from atop his throne of secrets, upon stacked books that could kill gods filled with words that could topple nations. “The strength of Leyd grows and the war wages on, all the while those fools’ methods fail their intended purposes… I should’ve killed them.” The corrupted spirit rose from his seat, sick of pondering. It was time, he thought to himself as he drifted through his library, to get to work. A book was conjured in his hand, its pages wrought themselves together, words spilling over its vast contents with a snap of Ixli’s fingers, thread and leather coming together into the final product as its title came to be on the cover. Vaznakoh za'Kramutna – The Book of Names At its core, vaznakoh za’kramutna, the ‘book of names’ (also interestingly translating to ‘book of the shackled’) is what its title imples: a collection of the true names of lesser spirits. Nigh indestructible and bound to its makers beckon-call, the tome is written in Ilzakarn (the language of the inferis, believed to have been conceived by Ixli himself) and has the unique effect of causing its reader to memorise it regardless of their prior ability to translate said tongue. It is split into four main sections (denoted by the type of skin used as paper) with each containing the applicable names of spirits used in the shamanic disciplines: Elementalism (written on the skins of orcs) Spirit Smithing (written on the skins of muyakelgs) Witchdoctory (written on the skins of various beasts) Having a spirit’s name permits those who speak it to bend the spirit to their will, allowing for a relationship equal to a pact in the affairs of a regular shaman, albeit twisted. Whilst a shaman will need to achieve the spirit’s favour and stay in its good graces, a dark shaman has some dominion over the spirit and may act as they please, regardless of its feeling towards them. It should also be noted that this dominion, unlike a pact, cannot be disrupted or halted by the rites a usual shaman might undergo to ‘disconnect’ another. The book also details the rites necessary to enter the spirit realm, create a naakh and its place used alongside these disciplines though it does not give proper instruction into the paths of elementalism, spirit smithing or witchdoctory; further study would be required. Ixli’zak Naakh – Ixli’s Gift The naakh is an essential tool for the dark shaman. Being shunned eternally by the spirits, a dark shaman cannot risk siphoning a spirit’s stolen power through themselves like a regular shaman lest it promptly bring about some swift vengeance. Instead, a dark shaman must bind an object to themselves and use it to channel their powers. The naakh can be an object of any variety so long as it’s no smaller than a ring nor larger than a chestplate. Binding is a ritual of sacrifice, in which a dark shaman must forsake a significant part of their body: an eye, a hand or a foot. Once removed the bodypart must be set alight, during which time a dark shaman must quench their naakh of choice in the blood of a shaman (dark or otherwise) or inferis before bathing it in the flame. Following the loss or destruction of their initial naakh, a dark shaman may forge a new one by spilling their own blood over an object and igniting it with shamanic fire or malflame. Upon creation of a naakh, a dark shaman’s name will be added to the book of names (making it a ‘true name’ akin to those of the spirits, whereupon Ixli can use it to enslave the dark shaman in the afterlife should he wish) giving the dark shaman the potential to link with the spirits (without needing a pact) though their soul will be blemished forevermore; should they come to manifest in the spirit realm they will find themselves hideous and corrupted, appearing as an inferis and shunned or even attacked for such by most spirits. This fact is known by the dark shaman then when next they sleep, wherein they shall be given visions of their potential fate; damned to wait beyond the gates of stargûsh'stroh for eternity, or serve in the mazes of forbidden knowledge as Ixli’s slave in the afterlife.  Furthermore, this corruption of the soul will draw them from the soul stream and straight to their fate. In this regard a dark shaman can not be resurrected by the wilven monks and must either rely on another method of revival or be later captured as an inferis by a naztherak, otherwise their fate is sealed. When utilised the naakh will take on a lightless, pitch black appearance and alert nearby shamans (within /q range) of a disturbance to the spirits. This would occupy a similar frame of time to a regular shaman calling upon the spirits to begin casting. Requiring physical touch for its use, a dark shaman stripped of their naakh by physical force (naakhs can not be ‘grabbed’ using telekinesis or elementalism) will be completely without their shamanic power lest they wish to be immediately identified and slain by the spirit from which they are stealing. The abilities granted by the naakh then are entirely dependant on the school of shamanism (restricted to elementalism, spirit smithing and witchdoctory) being practised through it. The progression through these disciplines will mirror that of regular shamans. General Red Lines Of The Dark Shamanism Feat -The feat alone will not give any power besides the ability to spirit walk and create (useless) Naakhs. Any shamanism practiced by a dark shaman will require an MA in the relevant sub discipline. This can either be the MA of a shaman that wishes to realign themselves and forsake their pacts or a new SA (that would still require a teacher). -The feat must be obtained by reading the book of names and translating its instructions. -Dark shamans can only learn elementalism, spirit smithing or witchdoctory. They can not farseeing or lutaumancy. They can however learn any other non-shamanic magic in line with their own requirements. -Dark Shamans must adhere to the same redlines, guides, tier progression and emote counts (albeit replacing prayer emotes with naakh emotes) as regular shamans using elementalism, spirit smithing or witchdoctory. They are, for all intents and purposes, still regular shamans who differ exclusively in their relationship with the spirits and dependence on a naakh. Knowing the true names of the spirits serves as an alternative to pacting, not a fast track or substitute to learning elementalism, spirit smithing or witchdoctory. -In order to make a naakh (necessary for all spellcasting) a dark shaman must sacrifice one of their own eyes, hands or feet. These cannot be regrown with alchemy or holy magic though they can be replaced with prosthetics. -Without physical touch of their own naakh (they cannot borrow another’s) a dark shaman can not use any of their shamanic magics. The naakh is also immune to the grasp of telekinesis and elementalism. -If lost or destroyed, a naakh can not be replaced via the above mentioned ritual within a span of 6 hours. -If killed a dark shaman can not be revived by the monks if killed via roleplay combat and is subject to PK with the exception of approved lore resurrections (such as utilising kloning, machine spirits, undeath etc). Once killed they will narratively become an Inferis over the course of a full month but will not be made playable without a relevant CA and Naztherak creator. Credits: Shamanism Shamanism Addition Dark Shamanism (Outdated With This Lore’s Approval) Stargûsh'Stroh

“Mind if I copy your homework?” Thalassos and World of Warcraft: “Sure just change a few things so it’s not obvious.”

To quote the Striga lore: “Even though a greater striga’s body may be totally destroyed and their ‘life’ ended, they are not so easily eliminated. A byproduct of the curse is that the spirit lingers on (Initially bound to the general area of the site of death - upon discovery by another striga it may move in order to commune with its corporeal comrade)” There is no reason for these spirits to behave especially different to anyone else’s souls. Striga lore is – at least for the time being – still part of LoTC’s lore and has no cause for it to be kept separate from it in this regard. If this submission is passed and you’re still adamant the reference to Striga should be removed then you can take it up with the LT but for the time being I’m not editing it out.

As far as im aware neither of those pieces use the word vivification to describe what ive submitted; if the team has a problem with the name alone then im sure thats something that can be changed when they review it. The idea of waiting to submit based on that alone seems a bit silly If/ When striga are removed, sure.

The one titled “there is no format explicitly listed for feats I guess you’ll just have to read 9 ENTIRE paragraphs with appropriately situated redlines” on the thread, fear not.

Vivification - The Curse Of True Sight Foreword The Elysian Wastes: A Place Caught Between The Curse Of True Sight

“uh oh, a guard! Time to disguise...”

#1: Remove clotting.

Accepted

Accepted

Accepted. Seek me out in Gladewynn.

Pamphlets litter the realm, advertising a bizarre group. The Order of the Scarlet Fist The Order of the Scarlet Fist is an organisation of warrior monks that mean to uphold the descendant cause in all walks of life. They are keepers of Order in these trying times through the means of flesh and steel; the very things mages see as beneath them, the Order means to upend the scales of power and liberate all born amidst the chaos of magic, the tyranny of the divines or the rage of the unhallowed. Their symbol - a red circle – embodies ‘the Crimson Dawn’, the birth of a new world following the eve of magic and marking the start of the age of mortals. The Descendant Cause Children of Horen, Malin, Krug and Urguan. Descendant sons and daughters of this world, we are plagued. In years past our forefathers faced the scourge that was not only the dark|¹|, Iblees and his minions from below that has always been but newer enemies of the natural order... But today’s threats come from above. The void, the stars and the hellscape ever testing the borders of the delicate world we inhabit. Hide contents The void’s existence is an inescapable fact of life, but there are those that invite it in. Wizards have long polluted our world, celebrated by the ignorant and whimsical as ‘wisemen’ and ‘prophets’. Arrogantly we ignored the Aspectists and Canonists of yore that warned of what they would bring as raw chaos was invited into our world. The age of magic reached its peak in the continent of Axios, when mages ran rampant throwing spells and crafting hand-cannons of astral power. In this realm they invited Horrors to walk amongst us, they marvelled at the cosmic monsters from beyond the stars and worshipped them as gods. Now they lurk in the far corners of the world - Sutica, Fi’Halen and the other degenerate states – gathering strength, praising a more prominent void-dweller named ‘The Yellow King’ whose rule would mean void upon the living realm. I foresee holes in the sky, tendrils parting the clouds as they reach down to a scorched earth and a world of chaos if the Mages are not brought to heel. The stars pierce our night sky and their inhabitants would claim to look down upon us. Nay, it is we that look down on them. These beacons: worlds ruled by Aenguls and Daemons that would measure themselves as equal to if not above the Creator. Their cultists – degenerate clerics, mutant ascended and tyrannical paladins – bring foreign energy into our world, radicalised by their false gods. Their alleged targets have been the undead until present, yet such creatures have only distracted them from their true purpose. I ask: when did you last gaze upon a being of undeath? A Necromancer? A Mystic? The unliving – Iblees’ blemish on the balance of things – are fading from this world; when the scourge’s twilight finally ends the ‘holy’ will soon shift their gaze. What authority has Xan to interpret ‘order’ above a nation’s law? What authority has Tahariae to interpret ‘purity’ over a legitimised priest? I foresee the free peoples of our world under conquest, the acolytes of the self-proclaimed divine marching on our natural rights, rattling their aurum chains if the deific cultists are not converted or slain. The hellscape is one that many speculate was brought into this world by mages both ‘holy’ and voidal. Those that delved too deep into their cosmic magics - thinning the walls of creation – left a crack in the space safeguarding our realm from otherworldly conquest and opened a doorway for the monstrous. Demons as they’re known to most, they call themselves a plethora of names: Zarkiel, Zar’akal, et cetera. Their heralds are warlocks, wielders of grimoires written in tongues of fire and throwers of corrosive flame that scorches the soul. There are demons amongst us, monsters of all shapes and sizes and their numbers grow by the day and with each new demon comes a shift closer and closer to the hellscape where their full force prepares for war on the descendants. I foresee the collision of this world with the countless others bathed in hellfire and a siege upon every continent if the warlocks are not be converted or slain. It is the descendant cause to rival these forces where able. To achieve the ‘Crimson Dawn’; order in this world by expelling all things foreign to it. Upon the crimson dawn the sun shall rise over a world free of mothers whose sons were burnt alive by pyromancers, free of souls damned to walk in undeath, free of demons from the hellscape and horrors from the great beyond. The first light of the crimson dawn will shine on a world of peace and prosperity, and with it the age of magic will be but a distant nightmare for those that dare to dream in the age of mortals. This is not the cause of Xion, which would forsake morality in favour of conquest, nor is it the cause of Canonism that has grown too intertwined with politics to raise successful holy knights, nor even Aspecticism whose followers have time and time again proven themselves incompetent to handle the threats to nature. Though separate from the aforementioned, the descendant cause does not oppose them either. It is acts that disturb the fragility of our world that our cause scorns; magic|² is anathema and must fall. The Dark pertains to all magics and creatures not native to the natural world. In this context all things fae, unliving or demonic are ‘dark’. As are the magics of the Shades, Frost Witches and others. Magic in the context of the descendant cause is all power foreign to our realm. The voidal, spiritual, aengu-daemon or soul fueled practices are the prime examples of magic in this context. The mundane energies are not magic as explained below. The Mundane Energies The mundane energies are canonised by the Order as permissible weapons against the anathema. In short, such energies that are merely the capitalisation of dormant substances and power in – and originating from - our world, in line with the laws of physics we rely upon. They are ‘supernatural’ in the same sense one might regard aurum – a natural metal – as such. They are as follows (though the list may be expanded): Hide contents Kani - the manipulation of resonant force present in this world through mastery of the martial arts and mind over matter. Labelled ‘monks’ to many, the oscillit (users of Kani) make up an elite fighting force without need for magic or weaponry. Relying on the body and metaphysics with no otherworldly force, kani is accepted by the Order. Natural Philosophy - the understanding and manipulation of our world’s natural resources to an efficient standard. An Alchemist is expected to have some understanding of botany and the mundane energy found within plants, but also minerals and other material, for the production of various tools, potions and machines. Relying on the land’s bounty and science with no otherworldly force, Alchemy is accepted by the Order. Ichorianism – the efficient use of the blood of men, ichorianism was once falsely known as ‘blood magic’ by its corrupted users and ignorant onlookers. The mistake is simple to make, granted the extraordinary effects of the art, though should be interpreted correctly. When the world was forged the first men were born of the creator’s own blood in his image; with the curses lain upon the Four Brothers came a withering of this blood, though the creator’s energy is still potent to an extent as ‘Genus’ in descendants. It is the natural control between descendants of this blood without the need for mana that proves its legitimacy as non-magical; the various runes and rites written by ichorians are echoes of the Creator himself and allow for his influence to linger in the natural world when used responsibly, though such power – not meant for all men – ought not to be used by all or without heavy regulation lest the Creator is mimicked outright. It is also worth noting that unlike all workers of ‘magic’ ichorians suffer no taint upon the body or mind, the wise furthermore are enlightened to the laws of the universe by such practices. Relying on the body and metaphysics with no otherworldly force, ichorianism is accepted by the Order. Remedium‘The Ferrum Fist’: founder and present grandmaster of the Order. Members are split into the two paths in relation to their specialisation, symbolic of the right and left fists: The Way of Flesh: Symbolic of their bodily mastery and the core fighting force of the order. Monks of the way of flesh are usually irchorians, knights or oscillits uniformly versed in melee combat. Their role within the order is that of the well trained mage hunter, wielding mundane power against those that would threaten the descendant cause or the present dojo’s surrounding state. The Way of Ferrum: Symbolic of the new world to be forged without the crutch of magic and the taint of the realms beyond. Monks of the way of iron take the role of craftsmen, philosophers, negotiators, and alchemists. Their cause is study, spreading the cause and creation through mundane process, theorising and practising the advancement of the descendants without the perversion of magic. Knowledge seekers and spreaders, be it forging automaton warriors or equipping their peers with potions. It is expected of all members regardless of path to serve the descendant cause in exchange for tutelage and brotherhood, as well as share their own wisdom with the order and initiates upon mastery. The present dojo is located upon the peak of Gladewynn, there initiates will be tested by the Grandmaster to prove their worth. All will be expected to fill out an application as listed below and, if successful, wear the appropriate attire at all times: (Training Robes) (Leather Uniform) (Plated Uniform) Application Form Name: Race: Age: Past Combat Experience: Noteworthy Skills: Magic Status/ History: ((Discord: )) ((Private applications can be made on Discord to Mordu#6495. If you forum PM me I likely won’t see it.))

Here's a properly formatted doc should you wish to avoid the seventh circle of hell that is LoTC forum formatting. Preface “There is no power more pure than what hides in blood.” Third Generation Blood Magic (Pending acceptance to a series of IC events that will be executed to introduce this iteration to blood mages) There are few powers as raw and primitive as blood magic, an ancient art which predates most existing schools and studies. The oldest accounts of blood magic use date to antiquity in the elder mage wars of Aegis where sorcerers hurled great elemental spells across scorched and devastated battlefields. Among the most obscure, grey, and secretive of the dark arts, blood magic is an art of sacrifice and cruelty for its spells and rites are drenched in the crimson of the living, donated or stolen. The origins of this grisly art are cloaked in mystery for only the Great Stone Serpent is close to being considered a true master for knowledge is what separates the breeds and iterations of blood magic and this, third generation blood magic, is the lineage of Malghourn and he will not so willingly give up his secrets; other names speckle history regarding the bloody wizardry of this art, dubbed “hemomancy,” “blothr-bhakthal,” and “valmir’taliyna”. It is “genus” which fuels blood magic and its machinations, an incredibly esoteric yet tangible substance which blood mages reach out to in order to cast. It may be consumed by a blood mage and used to empower their next spell -- imbuing it with the raw, primeval strength of mortality and inciting chaos -- or may allow a target for force to be applied to with bloodbending as well as be inscribed in the form of runes for blood rituals. Genus is a thing of primeval strength, it supports the machinations of the soul in life just as lifeforce supports life itself yet genus may be exploited, both unshackled with augmentation and manipulated with bloodbending. So too is there an ancient, mystical language of blood, an unspeakable yet written language whose words invoke power which blood mages inscribe; there is an immense lexicon of knowledge based in genus and its uses and runes albeit much has been lost to the many bygone eras of the past and a vast majority of those runes and powers are forgotten and those employed by present day blood mages are mere fundamentals. Gone are the days of colossal firestorms and conjured earthquakes, gone are the days of spirits leashed to metal suits of armor and careless enslavement. Come are the days of newfound, once-forgotten power and great achievement through not just blood but gore; the lost and refound potential of berserkers and rogues alongside mages. Genus, whilst potent and volatile, is a fleeting thing. It is found only in superior-soul-having mortals such as typical Descendents and only flows in fresh blood for once the life has passed or blood has been spilt and left unused it becomes inert and dries. Animals have no such power hidden in their veins. As such, the blood mage is one ravenous for such a costly substance, often losing themselves in the carnage of their art with an addiction to power. Blood magic use, however, is not without its consequence as the addictive powers of genus will soon become a crutch to a blood mage who chooses to dabble in other arts alongside hemomancy. Indeed, a blood mage may only master one other magical skill before their dependance on genus limits growth in other arts. Augmentation acts to counterbalance this, allowing a blood mage - through brief empowerment - to rival masters in other skills though they shall never be able to reach such heights naturally. After touching a bloodshard and gaining the knowledge of blood magic’s most basic principles, blood mages become quickly addicted to its effects and find themselves dissatisfied with most other magic, unable to bring themselves to reach their full potential as long as they carry the mantle of ‘blood mage.’ -Blood magic may only use fresh blood for its machinations. “Fresh” meaning spilled no longer than a day in narrative-time and cannot be derived from animals. -Blood mages may only have blood magic and 1 other magic at tier 5; the rest are capped at tier 3. There is no way around this. Blood magic is not without its perils. To be awakened by a bloodshard is to invite the eldritch knowledge of slaughter and bloodshed into one’s deepest memories, an injected lesson of the secrets of crimson. Those who undergo this awakening are thus disturbed by it mentally and changed by it physically. Bloodshards and the Red Nexus The eldest known living blood mage is no man of Horen, Malin, Urguan, or Krug but a great serpent of Dragur; granted sentience by Setherien following his defeat in the North of Anthos, the drake Malghourn reigns supreme over his lineage of students. This drake-breed of blood magic is what is known today as the third generation and thus is closely related to Malghourn. Donated an original bloodshard from Setherien modeled after the drakaar’s lexicon and dubbed the Red Nexus, the crystalline mass of congealed blood has been chipped at nine times, forming ten shards with the Red Nexus being the prime leftover of the original, colossal bloodshard. These nine gems of coagulated blood borne of Setherien-era hemomancy act as smaller lexicons for Malghourn’s superior Red Nexus which at a mere touch inject knowledge into the mind. To grace a bloodshard is to accept the information of genus’ nature, the craft of blood magic, and the tools to use it. Such complex ideas and philosophy cannot be spoken or instructed, only shown, and thus bloodshards are conduits for making bloodmages. Familiarity with genus and the runes permits a masterful blood mage some vague understanding of the complex language with which Malghourn has stored knowledge into his Nexus. This allows master blood mages to tap into the near infinite knowledge of the Red Nexus at times and potentially glimpse its libraries or adversely communicate with Malghourn through it. Weightless and massive -- no smaller than nine meters and no larger than thirteen -- these floating crystals are spread across the mortal realm and are dearly coveted by blood mage cabals. They are coveted things and as such are often hidden, tucked away things or disguised as mere rocks for they have the durability of stone and the texture of a crystal. Whilst destructible, master blood mages may reconstruct these shards of the Red Nexus from any piece of their remains as well as smaller gems -- dregs -- to either restore a bloodshard or create dregs. -Bloodshards allow individuals to become viable for learning blood magic. There are, at all times, nine, and Malghourn may move them at his will (LT discretion). -Bloodshards MUST be physically built upon the map. -Any tier 5 blood mage may restore a bloodshard with any amount of its fragments. Attempting this without a fragment or after the last of the nine have been reformed it results in the creation of a dreg. -Bloodshards may grant tier 5 blood mages knowledge of all spells thus keeping the magic spread at all times; no knowledge can be hoarded and/or hidden. Future discoveries and additions may also be spread through this manner. -ET/LT events may be held for blood mages who touch bloodshards to commune with Malghourn to whatever end. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Powers of Blood Magic Augmentation The first and prime tool of blood mages, ichor may be sacrificed and converted into additional mana in order to empower spells by reaching out to genus and freeing it from its shackles within blood. This unbinding dissolves blood into a fine, glowing red mist which siphons into the blood mage to bolster their next spell or into another mage to strengthen their next spell, unlocking the potential of a master in that craft to the most lowly of apprentices. In doing so a blood mage incites wild, primitive power in the spell no better than a master’s affluence. Bloodbending A second and more vicious tool of blood magic, the lifeblood of others may be manipulated in various manners to puppeteer bodies after the great blood mages of yore. Unlike most other types of sorcery, users of blood magic are more volatile the closer they are to others as well as when near bare skin or open wounds. Bloodbending may take the form of controlling another’s limb, inducing paralysis, or bursting veins. Blood Runes and Rites The third and more complex tool of blood magic, runes and rites are forms of ritualistic acts where genus-bearing blood may be used to write glyphs, each embodying meaning and power structured and fueled by genus, either alone to some effect in the case of Force runes or in circles full of various runes to create a complex ritual. Runes There are many runes to blood magic, its unspoken, sanguine language a thing used to invoke primal powers. Detailed in the countless pages of Malghourn’s ethereal tomes of his Red Nexus, taught by the tutelage of a blood mage or a bloodshard’s touch, these glyphs produce abilities born of genus. Runes, words, and rituals, elaborate sentences, both are pure invocations. -Without the setting of a ritual where effects are specified or may be experimented with, runes act simply as an esoteric alphabet. Drawing one without the proper preparations would yield no special consequence. Rituals Blood Rituals are dependant upon runes chiefly followed by sacrifices used to empower said runes which - with the right management - can achieve great feats. The genus required for specific rituals is measured in units, a unit of genus referring to a non-fatal measure of a non-magical human’s blood, approximately a third. Mortals may have 1 unit of blood safely drawn from them; a second unit would result in death. Genus count varies from person to person, the specifics outlined below: -Average, typical people have 3 units of genus, equating to 1 body’s full blood reserves. -High elves and mages have 4 units of genus as per their magical affluence. (This is the maximum amount of genus a natural body can produce, meaning a High Elf who also practices magic will still only have 4 units of genus). -Zephonym have 4 units of genus due to their excessive reserves of blood. -Azdrazi, dragons, tree lords, ascended, zar'ei, and zar'akal have 5 units of genus due to their supernatural or superior states. -Celestials and berserkers have 6 units of genus due to their Voidal saturation and immense genus stores respectively. -Voidal Horrors have 12 units of genus due to their immense Voidal saturation. -Average, typical people can regenerate 1 unit of genus per 24 hours unless their lore states otherwise. Where runes are words which invoke meaning alone, rituals are sentences which create elaborate effects. There are four types of rituals: elemental, summoning, creation and force. Runes can be inscribed for rituals within a relatively short frame of narrative time (provided there is sufficient genus available to fuel their creation) or be painstakingly drawn over the course of weeks and months, though any rune left after a narrative month (an OOC day) without use would dry; any fully prepared ritual in this circumstance would take an additional unit of genus to awaken. -Runes drawn for rituals must be done with immense precision and focus, effectively impossible to scrawl down during combat. -A ritual that takes more than 1 IRL day to prepare will require an additional unit of genus to activate. Berserkers and Rogues Borne of savagery and slaughter and sacrifice, blood magic is not limited to mere bleeding wizards and sanguine warlocks. Where mages dabble in finesse and tactful sorcery there are those who are steeped in the carnage of both battle and loss, be they rogues who sneak and dance or berserkers who frenzy and lead warpaths. Their physical strength forsakes magic in favor of raw grit and gore found in runes written upon totems binding marrows, ethereal organs which empower their physicality. Art Sources: References: Blood Magic Blood Magic Rewrite Blood Rituals and Runes Blood Shards Blood Rifts Zarsies’ Blood Magic Guide Awakened Blood Magic Previous and referenced lore writers: Raptor14 TauFireWarrior Mephistophelian Swgrclan Sorcerous_ Credit for this lore: Zarsies (Author) TheKingOfTheMoon (Co-Author)

Fliers are sent out across Atlas, advertising thus: "Masters of Axios, warriors, monks, rogues and combatants: I seek tutelage, mastery in the physical crafts. I wish to learn the way of the warrior, to master the martial arts. For my tutelage I offer good coin, brotherhood and apprenticeship. The price I name for your expertise unto me is 1,500 mina, would you accept it? I am available within the Twin Tailors' Garments and Armour, left of the main gate to the Dominion of Malin. I look forward to your business. -Alwin"