Siphoner

A siphoner uses quaestus, an energy derived not merely from blood but from the stealing of it, to cast magic and steal power from others. They do this by tranfusing stolen blood into themselves, then casting spells by releasing that blood through wounding themselves.

Note: a user of blood energy is a bloodcaster, whose arts are similar but do not involved theft of blood. They are rarer and very misunderstood.

Strength From Strength

The art of blood magic is the art of stealing the vitality of another by stealing their blood. The act of theft, of exploitation, is critical to the generation of quaestus. While blood itself always contains blood energy, a nommic energy, the act of stealing it, of using it for one's own power, generates quaestus, which enables further exploitation of bodies.

Exsanguination

The art of exsanguination is critical to the craft of blood magic. To drain the blood from a victim, a siphoner must use special objects (see below) and rituals. Once taken, the blood retains quaestus for a short time unless stored properly. Even then, the quaestus will eventually fade unless used up.

Initiation

The initiation of a siphoner is what gives them the power to steal and wield blood. This involves the total exsanguination of a victim, usually a slave, in a circle of infernal power, and the forging of the siphoner's dagger. They also use their own blood in this rite, but this is the only time they do that without replacing it with other blood. This initial rite allows them to use the blood of another who is not compatible with them. If they do not perform this rite, they may still use blood magic, but only with the blood of people of the same species and a compatible blood type.

Release

The release of quaestus always occurs as the blood is moved from one vessel to another. The spilling of blood unleashes power.

Veins and Arteries / Spurting

Tapping veins or arteries (on themselves or others) is a delicate art. It requires not just special equipment, but an extremely steady hand (and strong stomach). If not captured, the blood will not generate quaestus. If captured immediately, the spurting itself may trigger the casting of a spell. Thus, siphoners are very, very careful about spurting, seeking to reduce it unless they intend to cast something.

Blood

The average human body has 192 fl. oz. of blood. In general, one fluid ounce of blood is a quarter of a point of energy (4 fl. oz. = 1 pt.). Because most exsanguination techniques fail to drain all the blood in a body, a siphoner can drain about 176 fl. oz. reliably, meaning an average human, completely drained, will provide a siphoner with 44 points of blood magic to wield. The size of a body does affect the amount of blood in it.

Different bloods will give the siphoner different effects. See Blood by Type.

Mixed or Pure

Most siphoners use pure blood, meaning blood from a single species of victim at a time. However, it is possibly to create more complicated effects by using blood from multiple species at once. For instance, the blood of a merfolk will have powerful properties related to water and fish, but combining it with the blood of a fish folk can make it much stronger when it comes to fish. Or combining the blood of both a ka'ar and fairy will create interesting effects invovling fire and illusions, perhaps a fire that seems larger than it is. However, mixing bloods can be difficult because the amount of blood used can complicate matters, the side effects can compound, and the effects are not always as predictable as when using a single type of blood.

Blood Rites

A blood rite requires the spilling of blood in a ritual that symbolizes death and rebirth, of taking and empowering oneself with the power of others. It takes many forms:

Body piercing

The most common ritual is the act of body piercing. The blood is spilled, washing the piercing material (jewelry or a needle), and the rebirth comes as the siphoner replaces their lost blood with the blood of another, either by consuming it or injecting it. The material of piercing can affect the ritual, and it must be prepared before hand by invoking the power of blood sacrifice. As long as the piercing is worn, the power of the spell lasts.

Blood sigils

Blood sigils are special forms drawn in blood for a ritual. These include circles and other symbols that invoke specific powers. The siphoner draws the blood and traces the sigil with a special dip pen, and the object the sigil is drawn upon is imbued with the effects.

Blood transfusion

Transfusions of blood give the siphoner different powers. They steal the blood from someone, inject it into themselves, then spill the blood with a cut of their dagger to release its power. This is the most common form of blood magic, the release of the mage's stolen blood and the power of the quaestus incubated in their bodies. The stolen blood must flow through their heart first before it is fully powered - which takes about 45 seconds.

Blood burning

Stored blood can be ignited within an infernal circle to invoke its power. This is done when more blood is needed than can fit in the body of a mage, and it is done when the effects wanted are intended to be long term. The blood must be put into a vessel (pot, urn, etc.) made of infernal or unaligned materials. The heat source, usually a direct fire, must be fueled by infernal or unaligned materials. The infernal circle must be drawn in blood from the caster (transfused or original). If the circle is flawed, the blood will boil instead of burn. If the blood boils, it will be ruined. Thus, the circle must be very well made. If burnt correctly, the blood will catch flame as if it is fuel, and the smoke released will be dark red.

Blooddrinking

Drinking blood directly will bring powers to the siphoner only. The blood must be freshly taken for this to work, and the effects will last as long as the dose is large - i.e., a few drops will last a round of battle, several pints will last maybe an hour.

Bloodbathing

Bathing in blood is the best way to maintain long-term effects. The blood must be freshly taken, and the tub must be made of infernal or unaligned materials. The blood should be poured in via vessels, usually jars or pots, of infernal or unaligned materials, and the bath should make sure every part of the siphoner is well scrubbed with the blood. It must last at least an hour, and the blood may not be rinsed off until the next dawn.

Heart removal

Ritually removing the heart of a victim is a very potent blood rite. The victim must be placed in an infernal circle, on altar of perdre stone. The victim is then painted with blood sigils to prepare them, leaving them awake but unable to act. Usually, they will be terrified, so their heart will be pounding. The sigils will amplify this so that the beats are visible outside the body. The siphoner must time their rite such that they open the chest cavity with their dagger such that the heart beats upward and into their hands. If they time it wrongly, the victim dies and the heart rots instantly. If they time it correctly, the heart will remain beating in the hands of the mage, and the victim will live, watching helplessly as their own heart is pulled from their body.

Once removed, the siphoner can do one of several things with it, depending on how they have prepared:

• Replace their own heart, magically and instantly doing a complete blood transfusion from the victim. The victim will live so long as their heart beats in the siphoner, and will be a mindless slave. Meanwhile, the siphoner will have all of the victim's blood to wield as well as their own. Once the victim's blood is used up, their heart will dissolve, the victim will die, and the siphoner's old heart will magically return. However, during this time, the siphoner's heart will be stored in a specially prepared jar (see below) that makes the siphoner vulnerable to attacks on the loosed heart. They perform this rite simply by pressing the beating heart to their own chest.
• Replace the heart of someone else, magically and instantly doing a complete blood transfusion from the victim. The same rules will apply here, but the other person will serve as a living blood vessel, and the siphoner will be able to draw from them as if they were the siphoner's body. This requires the other person be on an altar of perdre within the circle, and it requires the other person be sigiled. Usually, this person will be a slave of the siphoner (either an actual slave or someone who serves them and is unwittingly magically enslaved), but if it is a person of power enough to be able to take control, or if they are another siphoner, they may simply gain power without the siphoner's control over them. Some siphoners use this process to create special servants, such as blood knights.
• Plunge their dagger into the heart, causing all of the victim's blood to pour forth from the heart (even the blood that was elsewhere in the body). The victim will die, and the siphoner will have unleashed a very powerful spell that instantly used every point of blood in the victim's body.
• Burn the heart in a special container (see blood burning above), releasing an equally powerful spell as if they had plunged the dagger in, but with an effect that is weaker but lasts longer.
• Eat the heart, taking in all of the blood of the victim as if the siphoner were drinking their blood directly. This will give the siphoner special powers for a year and a day.
• Store the heart in a heart jar, preserving it, keeping the victim alive, and allowing the siphoner to draw blood through the heart jar rather than from the victim, for easier transport.

Effects

The powers of blood magic vary by the type of blood used, but there are five categories the powers fall into:

• Skill bonus: most bloods can be used to give a bonus to a specific skill. For example, the blood of a Wild Huntsman will give a bonus to hunting skills due to the b'qar in their blood; the blood of a minotaur will improve someone's combat abilities due to the d'qiarsea in it.
• Improved senses: most bloods can be used to improve perceptions. The blood of a dog gives bonuse to olfactory senses; the blood of an empath will give the target empathic senses.
• External power: an external power is an outward effect, one that affects targets that are not the siphoner. These can be attacks, defenses, improvements, changes, etc. The blood of an athak will unleash void in a powerful if used properly; the blood of an undine will allow the siphoner to affect and control water.
• Internal power: an internal power is one that affects the siphoner only. These are usually new powers based on the powers of the species the blood is taken from. A yeti's blood gives a siphoner resistance to low temperatures, and the blood of a fairy will allow a siphoner to glamour as if they were fey.
• Greater power: using a large amount of a victim's blood will allow the siphoner to unlock stronger spells. These greater powers vary greatly, but some examples include using the blood of a an animal to take an animal's form temporarily, using the blood of goblin to create living nightmares, or using the blood of a succubus to steal someone's soul.

Side Effects

Because siphoners usually transfuse or consume blood in order to cast it, their bodies take on major side effects as they use their powers. Some examples include

• The blood of an [[anzilaq] will cause the skin of a siphoner to granulate and become sand-like.
• The blood of brannishes causes a siphoner to grow nubs where the extra arms on a brannish are. If the siphoner is brannish or already has multiple arms, they grow lumps at the base of those arms.
• The blood of a mammonite will cause a siphoner's internal organs to begin to turn into white sludge that requires they devour more drenante in some form to survive.
• The blood of a validus will make it such that no matter what, a siphoner is unwelcome wherever they are.
• The blood of worms will cause them to become worm-like in appearance.

And so on. The side effects are usually physically unpleasant, though some are more metaphysical, depending on the energy involved.

Inventory

Siphoners have many infernal tools:

Dagger

In order to draw blood to use in a rite of blood magic, a siphoner must have a special dagger prepared. The dagger must be made of a neutral metal (tin, zinc, copper, specially tempered steel, or wolfram) or from an infernal metal (boreanic, marsu, or steuerungium). If made from a mundane metal, it must be stained with the blood of the user after forging and marked with a symbol called a ǽdre-weg ("artery", a series of swirling lines) drawn with the user's blood while forging.

Tattoo

Siphoners use their magic to empower tattoos on bodies, mixing the bloods they use as fuel for their magicks with inks to create permanent effects on themselves or others. These are always blood sigils, but ones of great power.

Bandages

Given that they cut themselves often, siphoners are often seen wearing bandages. They do this not just to protect their wounds, but also to gather up more blood. Used bandages are sometimes used as vessels for the casting of spells.

Open Wounds

Some siphoners go around instead with open wounds, gathering their own blood from those wounds to cast spells. They use their arts to tattoo themselves with protections that keep the wounds from infecting, closing, or killing or weakening them.

Jars

Siphoners must keep the blood they use in pewter jars (which has no effect on blood energy) marked with the blood of the user. Jars must be stopped with a special pewter stopper also marked with the caster's blood, and then kept in a warm place (not cold, as one might expect) in order to magically preserve the blood within the jar.

Heart Jar

A heart jar is a specially made jar of infernal glass or pottery, marked with sigils, that is made just like a blood jar otherwise. They are made to store hearts of either victims or the siphoner themself, keeping the heart alive and beating, magically transferring blood to the jar and through the original owner of the heart at the same time.

Dip Pens

Dip pens are old-style ink pens that are dipped into ink in order to write with. Siphoners use them with blood in order to draw blood sigils. Any kind of dip pen will work, but ones made from infernal materials work best (especially those with feathers from infernal birds).

Slaves

Almost all siphoners have the wealth and power to keep slaves, which they use as sources of blood.

Blood Knights

Blood knights are warriors created through a heart removal blood rite (see above) who gain power as they draw blood from others through combat. Blood knights are always created by siphoners. Some are slaves, some have independence, but they depend on siphoners to be created and for their magical arts. A blood knight gains certain powers through wounding others, eventually creating weapons and armor out of the metal from the blood of their victims, which they can command and which is both solid and liquid. Because culturally they come from feudal settings, they are known primarily as "knights" and take on the role and armaments thereof. However, there are variants from other cultures and settings. Two common variations are specially created assassins called droppers and specially created pirates called sanguinos who have the same powers as blood knights, simply using different milieus.

Sillero

A sillero is a slave who carries people, a transport-slave, who is owned by and created through heart removal blood rites. They do not need great strength; they have the strength of those whose bodies have no will but that of their master. Therefore, exhaustion does not apply.

Variants

Some variants include

• Eft-eádig: a siphoner who is a powerful, wealthy capitalist.
• Frigenes: a siphoner focused on the legendary Puzzle of Bloods.
• Haimasef: a siphoner who focuses on consuming blood, either for themself or others. They create food and drink based on stolen blood.
• Mengednys: a siphoner who mixes bloods to create concoctions. They are less focused on creating consumables than concoctions that can be wielded.
• Peculator: a siphoner who uses their powers to aide in theft.
• Scholastic: a siphoner who writes in blood on parchment made of flesh. These scholars study anatomy, biology, medicine, and other such sciences in order to perfect blood magic.
• Splash artist: a siphoner who makes paintings with the blood they steal. These paintings are inlaid with sigils to make them powerful vessels of magic.

Similar Occupations

Other users of quaestus include

• Anselmuccio: a maladroit who works as a clown rather than a jester.
• Bleeder: a leecher who works as a street medic.
• Contessa: a noblewoman of Endruin who comes from a tradition of blood-bathing. They are extremely powerful siphoners with special abilities.
• Eald-Wita: a priestess of Mal'och, usually from Endruin, who uses the same abilities as a contessa.
• Leecher: one who uses blood magic to heal, but at a great price.
• Maegth: one of the blood witches of Endruin.
• Maladroit: a jester who uses blood magic to improve their performances and who is usually a serial killer.
• Nalezca: an secret police agent of a contessa who operates the same as a pinkerton.
• Pinkerton: brutal detectives who work for powerful siphoners, operating similarly to blood knights, but with different powers and complete mental autonomy.
• Tife: a person, usually not a noble, who has the same abilities and works as a contessa would, but is a sex worker or seductress, usually a commoner.
• Wystelan: a scop who improves their performances by using blood magic.
• Yee Naaldlooshii: a skin-walker.

Societal Role

Siphoners are a major part of the ruling class of the empire of Endruin and several other places around the world. They are perceived as masters, rulers, rightful owners of the means of production. They are seen as the epitome of feudal/capitalist ruling classes, the physical embodiment of ownership, and therefore, they are touted as great leaders. Many who are more aware and free of the indoctrination of ruling classes see them as the parasites they are.

Skills

Common skills include

• Surgery
• Sterilizing cleaning
• Ancient lore
• Anatomy
• Biology
• Medicine
• Cooking
• Chemistry
• Esoteric lore

Stats

The typical siphoner will have the following variations from the base stats of their nation/species:

PRO +2
ATH -2
STR +2
AWA +3
WIL +6
STH -1
PRS -3