Ossomancy and Somaturgy

Primarily employed by the Morticians of the Usokufa, this application of blood magic has evolved over thousands of years into highly refined techniques for maniuplating the bones and muscles of creatures, both alive and dead. Many across the sunside lands practice parts of these disciplines, including The Flaming Brand and others who undergo klomerati symbiosis. It is the Usokufa who are the masters of the art however. Their techniques have been perfected and industrialised within the Mortuary of The Gleaming City in the production and maintenance of Bodyservants.
These magics leverage the symbiotic power of Klomerati tendrils and require complex rituals of Blood magic to be employed by the practitioners as they construct and animate the dead.

Ossomancy

Ossomancy refers to the manipulation of bone, cartilege, ligaments and other structural elements. It can take days or even weeks to perform the rituals required .

• It is commonly employed to heal fractures, or strengthen the bones of those who require the additional strength or defensive capabilities.
• More advanced augmentations will enable the growth of additional limbs, or to increase the reach, or similar enhancements to physical capability.
• The Morphologists will re-construct and stengthen the skeletons of the bodyservants they animate.

Ossomancy can sometimes be tuned to more destructive or adversarial ends, but it is not a quick process, so is not useful in any type of combat situation.

• Over time, bones within the unwary can be made brittle or soft.
• Ligaments can be strained, and pain can be induced from within.
• Some within the forces of the Flaming Brand use Ossomancy as a form of torture when quesioning enemies

It is extremely difficult for the long rituals required to be able to be performed without the victims knowledge, so beyond its use in punishment or torture, this type of use is very rare.

Somaturgy

Somaturgy refers to the manipulation of muscle, organs and circulatory elements of the bodies the magic is performed upon. Its rituals are much quicker to perform than Ossomancy, but still require time. Simple manipulations can be done in moments, but the most complex can take hours or even days.
Common usages include:

• the healing of flesh wounds
• grow and tranplanting replacements for damaged organs.
• the bulking of muscles for strength, or improving flexibility for agility.
• pain-receptors can be reduced or turned off completely
• circulation improved for greater endurance.
• Embalmers use somaturgy to clean and repair organs and muscles of their bodyservants

Adversarial uses can include:

• the wasting of muscle in enemies
• to stifle flexibility to the point of immobility.
• Circulation of blood can be slowed and even stopped.
• Somaturgy is used to briefly weaken opponents, or to increase the impact of fatigue during battle.

Somaturgy takes time, so in the heat of battle the affects will be minor. Larger changes require longer rituals, and freedom from interferance or resistance.

Discovery

Many believe that there is some connection between the arts of Ossomancy and Somaturgy with the Soulhusk Chimeras Rumours abound as to the origins of the Usokufa, and whether they honed their techniques by observing the Chimera, or if indeed the Chimera are the result of early Usokufa experiments.

Related Species

• Bodyservants
• Klomerati Symbiotes
• Klomerati tendrils
• Soulhusk Chimeras