Blood Magic

Blood magic is a type of magic. Although any magic-user could use it, magical experts and authorities have forbidden its use because of its danger and cost.

Blood magic is only temporary if you are incredibly good at wording spells and ensuring they have no loopholes. Blood magic is specific.

— Yeliah Grange, General Magical Theory

Effect

Blood magic is not the manipulation or control of blood, it is the practice of drawing power from one's blood. Generally, magic is used by drawing from one's aura and one's natural affinity will respond. With blood magic, however, the possibilities are endless. Blood magic, as a type of life magic, can manipulate the very essence of magic and mold it into whatever the user wishes. A mage who usually leans toward elemental magic could use mental magic with

by Lilliana Casper

blood as their power source, or vice versa.
Blood magic is specific, requiring exact phrasing in its spells, clear intentions when casting, and complete confidence in what is happening. Blood magic becomes dangerous if any of those conditions are not met or held in question. Emotion feeds blood magic even more than other magic, giving successful spells more power and unsuccessful spells more of a recoil.

When used properly (which is rare), blood magic allows one to utilize and manipulate magic that is normally impossible. It can cross, mix, and muddle the lines between magic categories, twist life to its will, and break some of the most basic magic rules known to all. Scholars still are still in the process of researching whether blood magic can break the Mind-Body Link, but without access to blood magic (with it being forbidden and all), the research is slow-going.

Side/Secondary Effects

As great as the upsides to blood magic are, the downsides are even greater. Any blood magic is insanely powerful, and the backlash from a spell failing can be destructive, deadly, and devastating. However, just as worse than pure destruction are the effects of a temporary spell accidentally becoming permanent or the effect one desires being replaced by something completely different. If one word is wrong, if the intentions of the mage are uncertain, or if their power is insufficient, everything can go wrong.

by Lilliana Casper

A major concern with blood magic use is the possibility of bleeding out. The cuts used to draw blood for the magic will not heal until the spell is complete. Most mages who attempt blood magic and fail suffer from this or magic exhaustion. Because blood magic draws from the user's life energy, mages who use blood magic will be incredibly weak after attempting a spell

Most Celestials can use blood magic, you know. While the majority of those who use it are Dark Celestials, we prefer not to think of it as evil. Perhaps it is because we are not in danger of the side effects. Perhaps it is because we are too powerful for mage restrictions to apply.

— A Celestial

and can contract magical diseases if they continue to use blood magic.
Another side effect, one that has yet to be studied in-depth, is that using blood magic taints all other types of magic. Using blood magic can prevent a mage from using Jaquean Magic and is often seen as cursing mages with malevolence and maliciousness. Scholars have yet to determine whether this is true or simply a fable. Until proven otherwise, it is accepted as a consequence.

A blood mage's notes about a sigil by Lilliana Casper

Material Components

Blood

Gestures & Ritual

Drawing blood to start, usually by slicing one's fingers or the fingers of another.

Related School

Life Magic

Effect Duration

Temporary or permanent

Effect Casting Time

Several minutes

Level

High but forbidden

Applied Restriction

All use of blood magic has been forbidden by magical authorities. Those who use it are ostracized.

Sigils

Mages usually cast blood magic with spells. These spells require one of two things: an incantation or a sigil. A sigil is a shape traced into the air, on the ground, on an object, or something similar. It is drawn with blood, usually the blood of either the caster or the person they cut for magic to work. The shape of the sigil determines the type of spell and what its purpose is. The more elaborate a sigil, the more power the spell has. Sigil intricacy also corresponds to the difficulty of the spell.
When traced in the air, sigils appear as glowing red light forming the shapes that are traced. However, if they are skilled enough, the caster does not need to trace every line and can simply draw the important lines and focus their intentions on creating the shape. When traced onto objects, lines of blood are often left, but not every section must be visible. What matters is the magic in the blood.
Not all blood magic requires a sigil, but the most difficult and delicate spells should be done with one. Sigils help focus, direct, and contain the power used in blood magic. Celestials rarely use sigils, likely because they do not need them.