Vitalis and the Magic of Blood

Vitalis is the term used by scholars and mages of Ravainia to refer to both the essence of all living things, a "life force" energy that allows a creature or plant to autonomously function. Therefore, it is present in every living thing. Vitalis is also considered the source of most magic. It can be harnessed to perform arcane magic through the use of specific components taken from living or formerly living beings. Through the use of ritual spellcraft, Vitalis can be taken from those components and shaped to create a desired effect. Once the spell has been completed, the components, now bereft of this vital essence, crumble into ash. The components containing Vitalis will vary based on the nature of the spell and the desired effect. For example, a spell that wishes to harness elemental energy will often require a Vitalis component aligned with that particular element--the scales of a fish for water, the eye of a salamander for fire, and so on. The most powerful and dangerous Vitalis component is blood from a creature with a soul. Blood can be used to amplify a spell and make the desired effect more potent, or it can be used as a replacement for any weaker Vitalis component. In general, a greater amount of a component will make a spell more powerful, and thus it stands to reason that more blood would also enable more powerful magic. This has led to some less scrupulous spellcasters sacrificing people for the purpose of using their blood in an arcane ritual.The Covenant of the Archlight declared the practice of using blood in magic heretical and burned any who used such magic at the stake. They also destroyed any copies of the spells used by these mages, though that does not stop others from attempting to recreate them. Because of this, the practice of blood magic became secretive and taboo, and now is practiced only by the Vampyr. While many only know of blood magic as the domain of murderers and necromancers, its functions are not always as gruesome as the legendary human sacrifices of old. Unlike any other Vitalis component, blood's efficacy varies according to the will of its donor. The person whose blood is used in a spell must give it willingly, or the blood loses much of its power. While it can still be effective, blood given unwillingly is less effective and therefore a spellcaster requires twice the amount to achieve the same effect. This is why many were killed by initial blood mages: they needed to spill more blood to achieve the results they wanted, which ended in the deaths of their victims. Willing blood spilled to the point of death is extraordinarily powerful, to the point of being near-miraculous. In fact, some of the Covenant's most revered Saints created miracles at the point of their martyring through the power of their own spilled blood. No one understands why the will of the bleeding matters to the power of blood as a spell component. Because blood magic is so rarely spoken of by the public, few even realize that a willing sacrifice is needed to produce a spell's greatest effects and as a result, blood magic is seen as the domain of the damned. Vitalis is also seen as a manifestation of the soul. Only creatures regarded to have souls produce vitalis. Therefore, those affected by the Hollowing who are devoid of souls as a result of the curse, do not produce Vitalis in their blood and cannot cast magic in the way most people do. The Vampyr, who are believed by many to be soulless, are said to consume blood out of a desire for Vitalis, and that without drinking the blood of those with souls, they cannot cast magic on their own. This also means that the blood of those without souls cannot be used by others to cast magic. Therefore the blood of the dead is uselesss in rituals requiring blood, as their souls have already departed the mortal plane. For blood to be used in a magical ritual, it must belong to a person who is still alive, though the more zealous of blood mages are well aware that a spell will succeed if the source of Vitalis dies in the course of the spellcasting.

Manifestation

Vitalis is a type of energy produced by the soul, and can rarely be seen on its own. It typically exists in the blood of a being with a soul, is indistinguishable from blood without Vitalis and only presents itself when magic is cast. The presentation often changes based on the personality and soul of the individual caster. It may take the form of an element such as fire or ice, a particular color of light or shadow, a sound of an instrument or a voice, or even a scent or a taste. The presentation of Vitalis during the casting of a spell is unique to each caster, and acts as a signature each time they cast magic. Because of this, knowledge of a caster's Vitalis signature can be used to identify them once a spell is cast.

Localization

Vitalis is present in the blood of a living creature with a soul, and therefore its presentation during magical casting is almost always localized to the person and their immediate surroundings. Depending on the strength of a spell, the caster may be the only person to notice their Vitalis signature, or the signature can expand to affect a wider area if the spell is particularly strong.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane