Blood Mages
Levels: 1-12 d6, 4-7 d6 checks
Somewhere in a castle, cavern, or fortress, an arch Vitaen Lich keeps a retinue which they instruct in their magic through rites and rituals which are often painful and test the strengths of their retinue. The members of this retinue are Blood Mages. Over time, they go through changes, which result in corruption of their bodies, through their strict, ritual practices. At first, they grow pale, and later have the appearance of gaunt humans or elves (their race). Through this metamorphasis, they become a unique kind of vampire, which have none of a vampire's weaknesses, and only a very few of their inborn advantages. The sun does not harm them, they can still eat food, they attain haste, and Kahiran Presence. They do not decline any further than the gaunt stage. These Mages have ranks, and each rank is identified by the robes which they wear. They have a strict limit to how many members can join their order and fill a rank, and like it or not, they remain at that rank of power until a brother in the next rank needs to be replaced, usually because they are slain, or leave the order (in what case their memory is altered and all secrets of their society are erased from their knowledge).
Ranks | Robes | Disciples
Apprentice (gray-Levels 1-6) 6
Priest (brown-Levels 7-13) 9
Blood Templar (white-Levels 14-19) 5
High Priest (indigo-Levels 20-26) 6
Bishop (red-Levels 27-32) 1
Arch Regent (black-Levels 33-38) 1
Arch Lich (red and black 39-40) 1
Lake of Life
These mages practice a great deal of their magic in a temple called Tirhas Sûil (shrine of blood), which is usually a great tower or keep, and below this shrine, is a large pool of blood. This blood remains fresh by ancient powers which flow through the lake's deep basin of rock and the shrine above it. These lakes are many thousands of years old, and are filled with the blood of countless thousands of enemies (and sometimes unfortunate curiosity seekers) who were sacrificed over the ages to their God, Kahir. This pool is called Anûn Morsûil (lake of life), and is used for many of their most pivotal and life altering rituals, and they are made immortal through these rites of passage, while their physical forms become a sort of vessel for power. The source of their power and life comes from the pool and empowers them with a vital flame phylactory they all share in common, their 'Heart of Fire,' which is well protected by layered shields called layers of life (1 shield per level, 100-HP per layer). These mages are difficult to kill, and if someone attempts to slay them, and succeeds in the wrong way, the mage is reborn through their heart, and are more powerful when they remanifest than before they were killed. An added 'layer of life' forms around their phylactory heart, and they gain power (+1 level), and a more normal appearance (less gaunt or pale). There are four Blood Mage orders, each with an Arch Regent Lich. The order of Kahir (by far the oldest) led by Rafael Hadrian, The order of Doom Mages (the second oldest) led by Agminon Torll, the order of Lasmoas, led by Diegva Lasmoas, and the order of Vahseva (the only female order) led by Moraela Velgosa. If these mages attempt suicide, or arrange their own death in an attempt to gain more power, the power of the Anûn Morsûil soaks all of their power, and their heart is left protected by only one layer of life. The mage's order may then decide to sacrifice the power grubber to Kahir.Disadvantages
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Destruction of their vital flame destroys them. A specific rite must be performed to snuff the Heart of Fire. A weapon must be dipped in the Anûn Morsûil of the mage's order, and the command, "Sacrifice of the many fell the one," must be spoken while the wielder adds his own blood to the weapon by cutting their palm. The shields protecting the heart must then be broken down until none remain, and the blood imbued part of the weapon must be thrust into the mage's heart. Unearthing this secret is difficult in and of itself.
Advantages
Transient Death Advancement: +1 level, +1 layer of life, become less gaunt or pale.BULLET CONTENT
Temporary Immunity: spells which hit them affect them once, but if cast again will have no affect for 1 day.
Layer of Life: 100-HP per layer, gain +1 layer per invalid death. Start with 1 layer. Protects their phylactory heart.
Phylactory: Level x 30-HP.
Health Points: Level x 30.
Fortitude: +1 per level.
Supernatural Haste: +1 movement per success, +1 AR per ace.
Kahiran Presence: see below.
Kahiran Presence
1-Shake Courage: -1 courage per success.
2-Stupify: subject is stupified for +1 turn per ace. No defense while stupified.
3-Entrance: subject is mesmerized and susceptible to mental suggestion, for +1 turn per ace. No defense while mesmerized.
4-Mind over Body: By overtaking the will, force subject's physical or emotional actions for +1 turn per ace.
5-Chaotic Mind: breaks concentration, -1 HB per ace, -1 d6 AD per ace.
6-Astral Projection: project self up to +1 times per ace. Range; at up to +1 mile per ace, anywhere on same land mass with a crit, or called range with 5+ aces.
7-Petrify: -1 HB per ace, -1 AR per ace, -1 courage and willpower per success, lasts 1 AR per ace
8-Dupe: Fool the senses or mind into believing something, even the unbelievable
9-Hypnotic Dominance: Hypnotize someone and imbed commands in their mind which are triggered by called catalists.
10-Superior State of Mind: +1-HB per ace, +1 focus per success, +1 mental checks per success, +1 stamina per success as mage boosts all of subject's mental falculties to a state of perfection which overcomes flaws. Lasts 1 AR per success
11-Immobilize: Overcome the body through the mind to cause muscles to fail or lock up implicitly as called, lasts 1 turn per success or as called on a crit
12-Master of Presence: mage applies his presence to attain a called effect over the mind, spirit, or will. Create Presence Artifacts which contain the will of the maker. Enhance other powers of presence, call effects
Magic
Blood Magic
Blood Sorcery (often using a blood staff)
Invocation, and Curses
Kahiran Blood Magic
