====== Blood ======

{{:misc:magic:blood.png?nolink }} **Blood** is a fell path of [[Magic]]. A Sorcerous path in previous games, the ancient stigma against Blood has grown so great that it has been cast off, though the amoral still dabble in its ways.

Blood magic is a series of exchanges, trading in the vital forces of living beings. Thus, when the great mass of life swells in size, there is (in theory) more to trade with the blood-starved forces of the Lower Planes. Unfortunately for **Blood Mages**, the low and shattered forces are not as starved as their titles would suggest; they are very picky, accepting only {{gems>B}}[[Gems|virgins]] of most-pristine quality.

===== Blood Spells =====

Most spells in the Pantokrator-forbidden school of **[[Blood Magic]]** are rituals; the path is just more suited for [[Laboratory|lab]]-work, given the careful prices and procedures for various goods and services.

The world is not particularly kind to Blood magic, due to multiple bans in olden times, so the prices and the required skill needed to get through the Spheres is quite high by arcane standards. It can be argued that the price is paid solely by those exsanguinated and carved up, but this ignores the logistical nightmare of [[Blood Hunt|gathering virgins]] and attracting [[horror-mark|unwanted]] [[assassin|attention]].

On that note, you can count the number of Blood spells that **don't** require Blood Slaves on one hand.

==== Pure Blood ====

^ Skill Level ^ Early Research (0 - 3) ^ Medium Research (4 - 6) ^ Late Research (7 - 9) ^
| {{path>B1}} (a dabbler) | Blood-attacking \\ Imp-summoning \\ [[Demon]] [[instakill|De-Summoning]] \\ [[Communion|Sabbath]] \\ Self-Healing \\ Melee [[Life Drain|Life-Draining]] \\ [[Magic Sites|Site-Searching]] | Monster-summoning \\ [[Age|De-Aging]] | Ranged Life-Draining \\ [[Damage Reversal]] |
| {{path>B2}} (average) | Weaponizing Pain \\ Elite troop-summoning \\ Vampiric Recuperation | Demon-strengthening \\ [[Charm|Charming]] \\ [[Afflictions|Organ]]-attacking |
| {{path>B3}} ("mastery") | Self-Empowering | [[turn order|Magic Phase]] movement \\ Battle-wide [[Fear|Scares]] | Immense targeted damage \\ Army-strengthening \\ |
| {{path>B4}} ("god-like") |  | Stealing 1 HP from everyone \\ Magic Phase invasions |  |
| {{path>B5}} | Blood Range-boosting | Magic Phase [[assassin|Assassinations]] \\ Menagerie summons | Long-ranged Heretic summons \\ **Heliophagus** summoning \\ Citadel-building |
| {{path>B6}} |  |  | Elite squad-summoning |
| {{path>B7}} |  |  | **Blood-Slave-generator** |
| {{path>B8}} |  |  | **Demon invasion global** \\ **Demon Lord** summoning |

==== Crosspaths ====
A bunch of Blood spells and rituals require another path, targeting the various Lower Planes (or even the spaces between the Spheres), or stirring darker aspects of the paths with dark bargains or corrupting power. The Lower Planes are in conflict with each other, with only the Abyss or deeper realms accessible with just "pure" Blood; lest someone wants to pull an insignificant ??Imp??, a Demon Lord, a careful balance from multiple realms, or an entire war from Hell.

  * Blood/**Fire** allows contact with the **[[Inferno]]**, home of ??Hellfire??, ??Fiery Imp??s, and ??Devil??s. It also allows for banishment there, albeit with mastery of Blood and high levels of research.
  * Blood/**Air** allows contact with the Tempest, home of ??Storm Demon??s and Pazuzu's foul winds.
  * Blood/**Water** allows contact with **[[Kokytos]]**, home of ??Frost Fiend??s. It also allows for banishment there, albeit with mastery of Blood and high levels of research.
  * Blood/**Earth** allows contact with the Kingdom of Hell, where dukes lead their ??Demon Knight??s to war with each other. A Blood/Earth Mage can also raise ??Illearth?? from the bloodstained ground, and vent ??Infernal Fumes?? upon distant provinces.
  * Blood/**Astral** allows **[[Horrors]]** to be called and sent, from some sort of [[Void]], but they are not controlled by the summoner. It also allows for sinister ??Astral Corruption??, and the staining of the Moon.
  * Blood/**Death** allows for ??Vampire??s to be made, and lets dead Demons known as ??Bone Devil??s be summoned.
  * Blood/**Nature** allows the promotion of [[Scales#Growth-and-Death|riotous profusion]] in the world, even profusion [[Cross Breeding|between different species]], and lets ??Dark Vines?? be summoned. A Blood/Nature mage can also give [[Poison Resistance]] to their entire army.
  * Blood/**Glamour** allows contact with Succubi and Incubi, dark [[Seduction|Seducers]] who spawn ??Cambion Progeny?? when they succeed. Blood/Glamour mages can also steal fellows away more effectively than regular Blood mages.

===== Indirect Magic =====

{{:abilities:profuse_bleeding.png?nolink }} A mage with {{path>B3}} has 5 additional [[Hit Points]]. A mage with {{path>B4}} or higher has 10 additional [[Hit Points]] (instead). This is presumably because they have better command over their own life force.

{{:abilities:blood_searcher.png?nolink }} Blood Mages are better at [[Blood Hunting]], too. The base chance to get anything out of a Blood Hunt is 10% plus the mage's Blood level, and one additional Blood Slave is found on a successful hunt with each level.

{{:misc:gui:undeadleadership.png?nolink }}{{:misc:gui:magicleadership.png?nolink }} Last but not least, every level of Blood skill gives a mage 10 [[Undead]] Leadership and 10 [[Magic Being|Magic]] Leadership; the former lets them command [[Demon|Demons]] as well, while the latter is just nice to have.

===== Path Boosting =====
There are eleven different Blood-boosting [[items]], but 5 are artifacts (one-of-a-kind and requiring very high [[Construction]] research), two are incredibly difficult to forge, and two of the remaining four items fill the same item slot. The easiest Blood booster to acquire is the ??Blood Thorn??, at {{path>B3}} and with Level 7 Research; the ??Armor of Souls?? ({{path>B5}}), ??Brazen Vessel?? ({{path>B5}}), and ??Armor of Twisting Thorns?? ({{path>B3N2}}) are all at Level 5 Research.