Blood

This is a Summer Camp 2026 article and therefore likely incomplete or otherwise under construction. You're welcome to enjoy it is as it is, of course (and thank you!), but if you're interested in updates, give Babikiye a follow!

Warning: Blood; Blood Magic; non-graphic depiction of old injuries relating to its inefficient collection

"Your blood is a precious resource. [...] It’s called “lifeblood” for a reason. Blood is the fuel that powers a healthy life."

— Cleveland Clinic

Blood is an essential fluid that flows through the veins of most complex creatures. It transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, in addition to a myriad of other critical tasks that keep you alive. Red blood is the most common color because of its iron content, but other colors/types of blood exist in nature, such as blue (copper).

Blood as a Magic Ingredient

There are few ingredients more potent and accessible in the practice of magic than blood. At the same time, there are none more inherently valuable than blood because it is essential to life. Not a drop should be wasted, and not a drop more than strictly necessary should be taken from the donor. The process should be as straightforward as donating blood at a doctor's office, if one uses it in an ethical manner.

Blood is the most powerful short-term conductor of spiritual energy. It is used extensively by cultures with the knowledge of magic but not the means to acquire an alternative conductor. Other cultures have made the connection between blood and magic, but without previous knowledge of magic and how to use blood, few if any of their rituals actually work.

Usage of Blood Magic by the Mapek Fas

The Mapek sought to practice magic independently as part of their mission to excise yashelin influence from every aspect of their lives. Blood-assisted magic was a gruesome yet common practice viewed as a necessity. It was embedded in nearly all of their major rituals. It was not extracted ethically.

Modern Mapek consider blood magic to be a relic of the past. This decision was not based on ethics, but on economics. First of all, the Mapek are the smallest Fas community and setting aside people for blood harvesting was impractical. Second and most importantly, the yashelin offered to trade their goods for a shockingly low cost. They even agreed to trade through Fas intermediaries. The Mapek at the time decided to take the deal, one of the only exceptions to their isolationism.

Samir takes off one of his gloves and hikes up his shirt sleeve to show the damage.

Seri physically turns away. Petal hisses through their teeth.

Coran stares in not-yet-processed horror. "What...?"

"They use knives?" Petal asks, sounding shocking cool-headed to their partners.

“You think they'd waste medical supplies on me?" Samir snaps. "I don’t know what else you all want from me, but I will indulge no more of your voyeurism.”

"Understood." Despite Coran's best effort to look back up at Samir, their eyes can't seem to leave Samir's curled, scarred hand.

by Bangsal Nam

Current Focus Relevance Notes

Samir's age is unknown because the Mapek kept their favorite source of blood firmly under lock and key from the moment he was chosen for it. He only became more sequestered the longer he survived. He narrowly escaped because a plague left a gaping hole in security. Their attempts to reclaim him only ended due to yashelin intervention, some thousands of years later, thanks in significant part to Samir's vulnerability during the scene snippet.