On Blood Magic and Details

Sheakhan

Sheakhan

Specialist
*A cold, empty voice echoes quietly through the dreaming like water droplets in a mausoleum falling on stone.*

Greetings,

I aim, in this thread of consciousness, to speak on several notions and coax free what details are lacking in my own observations.

It has become apparent through the evidence I have collected in my "shady dealings" as some have taken to calling my methods of information gathering, that the Savage Legion engages in magics of the Blood.
Upon further research it is evident that these magics are derived from Celestial roots, which to my observation makes naught but sense considering that blood is simply an extension of the elemental.

Furthermore they utilize this magic in conjunction with Ogre Mages. Not High Ogres as we are used to encountering, but rather their cousins, less diluted and refined in their lineage.
Evidence suggests these Ogres often serve as powerful necromancers and mages, but for what reason these roles are less populated by their physically weaker yet mentally superior goblinoid cousins is as of yet a mystery.

In addition to the preceding, I have learned that some of our enemies house within them an elemental shard. Some stone of power that I only discovered after having dissected several living specimens of their ilk, is not perceivable to the naked eye.

In this vein I would ask assistance from a Celestial or Earth caster of greater power than my own in divining a method for viewing this shard so I may employ my skills in surgery and magic to locate and carefully harvest one such specimen. From my understanding, it exists on two or more planes at once and may only be seen by an individual who can view both halves simultaneously.

I have not yet seen an example of such an ability and if it can be gained magically I will volunteer myself, as only makes sense, to be a "guinea pig" of sorts in determining a means for imparting this ability.

To those of you mentally capable of assisting in gathering further information on these subjects, as well as working a solution on how to locate and excise one of these shards, I invite you to speak here or privately as suits you.

-Roann Flynt of Light & Lies and Brother's Creed
 
It sounds like it may be the results of a Bound Shard formal ritual, which is cast with Celestial Magic. It is the same ritual that I cast in The Depths at the gather a month and a half ago, with a Death Elemental. If you bring me this shard at the next gather, I can identify if it could be a vessel for a Bound Shard.

Kasuni
 
That would be the rub, and perhaps I was not clear enough. The shard being invisible without the ability to view two planes at once means I am unable to harvest such a thing. Should someone either be willing to determine a method for giving me such an ability, or should someone with this skill be willing to serve as my eyes during the extraction (and possess a strong enough constitution to avoid purging themselves into the subject's exposed chest cavity) I will be more capable of obtaining a sample for you to identify.

-Roann.
 
I have a suggestion that might seem...different.

Ritual empowerments usually bestow some kind of aftereffect related to the original purpose. A ritual designed to preserve the duration of other rituals, for example, might also give a temporary protection against ritual destruction, as well.

What is the word? "Context?" This thing is important.

Rituals that are related to seeing or communicating into another plane might be able to be empowered into a lingering effect that could give such vision, as you describe. A Vision, Planar Gate, Summon, or Contact Other Plane may do it.

However, I suspect this would leave such a lingering effect on the caster, if at all.

Perhaps this might be useful to you.

-Zeth
 
Which corpse? And does a Lore cross planes?
 
Roann,

Thank you for sharing this information. This aligns with the information I gathered from the Cheif while he was in town.

I would like to talk to you further about offering my assistance. I see the good in knowing how blood magic works and how to counter it. Especially should any of us be forced into said ritual. I myself do not have the stomach for torture and would like to discuss the treatment of said subjects. If we can come to an agreement on that field I am willing to assist.

Might I suggest in the mean time talking to a celestialists who has seen a bound shard ritual cast and might further know how one would be reversed.

Or might I cast a ritual to see if I can empower it to do the effect Zeth has suggested?


Safe Wanderings,
Taliya
 
Zeth,

I believe, after experiencing Garrick's perusal of my mind and his ability to bring another with us on the trip, that it may be possible to, utilizing the same set of abilities, allow for the sharing of vision between two persons... albeit perhaps with a slight delay.
If this is correct, it would allow for a caster who has achieved such an effect to share with me his eyes to assist in excising a shard. Again, if this becomes the case I would urge the caster to be chosen based on constitution as I have no desire to shovel someone else's previous meals out of the subject I am working on.

Taliya,

I have no interest in torture in this particular instance as it is unnecessary. The information we require is not verbal.
That being said, I would prefer to work with a living subject and to that end I would suggest putting it into a deep sleep. Paralysis, while equally useful in subduing a subject also has the side-effect of allowing them to feel and witness their own body being violated. Though useful and particularly amusing under certain circumstances, I have seen such subjects expire from the stress of the experience and such an outcome would be counterproductive.

Regardless of who chooses to cast this ritual and assist my research, I will state now before it becomes a point of contention later that if I remove one of these shards I will consider it my personal property. This does not imply that I will restrict it's use for research or investigation, merely that I expect to be kept involved in all such uses so as not to be the last to learn of new developments regarding our understanding of it's function.
 
I will help for the sake of gathering information, but I must caution against the idea of attempting to utilize this power for our own. I've seen far too many examples of power being granted through pacts and agreements here. While the tactical advantage of assimilating this magical strength would be considerable, the cost may be too high. I am literally dealing with a place where this type of escalation took place right now. The former Empire of the Iron Hand lies in ruin for this very reason.

I am willing to participate, but the moment the subject of binding ourselves as the pawns of the elemental planes, fae, extraplanar beings, etc. comes into play I'll frown quite visibly. I've no interest in becoming the lapdog of an elemental just so I can throw an extra fireball or two each day.
 
Roann,

I would strongly advise against the sharing of such vision using Biata telepathy, as it's almost certain to connect them to the Celestial magic used to obtain it.

The results would...probably not be good.
 
A fair point. A stone elf... No... Nevermind, I would sooner verbally communicate than allow a stone elf in my mind.
 
Blood magic is of the old ways, primal, and feeds on the life force of the subject(s). I have done some preliminary exploration with said old ways and have discovered that the goblin blood carries with it a tie. A tie to another being. This being was aware, I assume based on reactions that I heard in my minds eye while working, that the blood was being used. Perhaps it was unwilling? Not sure. But I will delve into that more later with the appropriate resources, and tools.

As for what I can tell you for sure. There is something in the nature of the goblins here that makes their blood potent, and carries a bit of power. The goblins are able to sacrifice this blood to fuel their sorceries to augment themselves, restore themselves, and achieve strange effects that normally lie outside the realms of celestial, earth, chaos magic. What we have seen thus far flies in the face of even Earths dark cousin.

My blood carries little weight if any at all in these lands, thus far just the goblins. But, there may be additional sources of it for those native to Calliphestus. Regardless we should continue to exercise due diligence in not allowing our fallen to remain in their hands.

I will continue my research, and share what I have discovered.

-Sir Krieger
 
Krieger,

The "other" in this case being an Ogre that subjects are "fed" to. I'm not certain if this method empowers or creates the shard.

These creatures are capable of using blood to restore themselves physically and magically.
 
Sheakhan said:
I have no interest in torture in this particular instance as it is unnecessary...
Click to expand...
Perhaps, son, you would like to explain when you would be interested in torture.

Joetor said:
I will help for the sake of gathering information, but I must caution against the idea of attempting to utilize this power for our own. I've seen far too many examples of power being granted through pacts and agreements here. While the tactical advantage of assimilating this magical strength would be considerable, the cost may be too high. I am literally dealing with a place where this type of escalation took place right now. The former Empire of the Iron Hand lies in ruin for this very reason.

I am willing to participate, but the moment the subject of binding ourselves as the pawns of the elemental planes, fae, extraplanar beings, etc. comes into play I'll frown quite visibly. I've no interest in becoming the lapdog of an elemental just so I can throw an extra fireball or two each day.
Click to expand...
I concur that caution in this situation is absolutely critical.
 
It may very well be an Ogre. I was more looking into the source of the power of the blood itself. An ogre seems unlikely as the ultimate source but stranger things have happened. Perhaps next gathering we should coordinate our efforts to see if we can further tease out this information.
 
Krieger,

I can only agree.

Durnic,

I am not your son. The useage of torture is rarely worth pursuing as given enough physical trauma most sapient creatures will seek whatever means necessary to alleviate their suffering, including fabricating information. I would be hard pressed to present a scenario in which I would be inclined to trust the results of torture in which information was the desired outcome.
 
Sheakhan said:
I am not your son.
Click to expand...
No, your past actions as part of this community make it clear that you are not.

Sir Krieger,

Do not hesitate to ask me for my assistance if you need any more effort from me at a future gathering.
 
<a feeling of pervasive chill precedes the following response>

Also, torture is just a pretty terrible thing to do to someone.
 
I'm curious, Durnic, at what point this incessant rekindling of past issues borders on a form of torture itself.
The events in question have no bearing on the matter at hand, nor should they.

Zeth,

So I have been told.
For what it's worth, in a society that seems to believe strongly in the "eye for an eye" philosophy, I would not engage in torture unless it was absolutely necessary for the reasons I have already established, and if I were to stumble into a situation where such a thing was warranted, I have personally performed every technique and method I would employ in torture on myself so as to be perfectly aware of the physiological impact on a potential subject. I would not perform a technique without first verifying its efficacy on myself to establish a baseline.
 
As a note, we (perhaps Taliya) may be able to cast a Vision on any shard that is within a creature without it being removed at all. Magic is likely able to see through the barrier of their flesh, and erase any reason whatsoever to harm them. A Vision, when performed properly, shouldn't cause any harm at all, and it may help get the information that you seek. They could then be either released or killed, as seems to be the more honorable choice in a war.

I would encourage trying to obtain the information in this more peaceful way - there seems little reason to not try.

-Kasuni
 
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