The Bloodborne, The Avatars of War and Carnage

The bloodborne are mages Awakened by vast amount of blood-tinged life-force. Every war sees at least the creation of a partial bloodborne. In such cases, they only gain the ability to draw stamina from a kill and are limited by their own beliefs. They cannot adequately control their spirits and possess rudimentary aura senses, being able to perceive aggression and killing intent through their spirit but no more.

Partial bloodborne are known as Slaughterers. They are not proper inheritors of the power of blood and instead only borrow a semblance of that awful and terrible force.

True bloodborne possess large affinity for the manipulation of saguinai (also known as cruorai, blood mana, blood essence, or vitality). Large swathes of them are the progeny of sorcery and vampirism, their spirits resonating with the powers of their abusers and predators. This cycle is vicious, causing a feedback loop in which most vampiric bloodborne to turn full addicts of blood itself. As such, vampirism and other forms of undeath spread through a twisted and indirect method. Victims take the very same blade that defiled them and in turn become monsters themselves.

Not all bloodborne succumb to the Call of Blood. They feel distinct hunger and desire to blood, be it of their own kin or of beasts. Yet, this does not necessarily damn nor doom them. Do not all warriors feel the lust for their foes blood? Does one not need to hate their enemy to vanquish them? Let not preconceptions without proper experience taint one's thoughts. But, let not these words become reason to let one's guard down. Play not with fire, but don't call it names either. Without the flame, there is no good food nor warmth.

Blood is composed of many different nethers, be it of earth, water, air, or the confluence of flesh itself. These discordant nethers combine together to bind both middle and high-spirit to the corporeal vessel. And when enough blood is spilled, the Veil and Myst writhes. The unseen spirits that wander aimlessly feed upon the aether and ether brought forth by the conductor known as blood. The essence takes a life of its own, condensing to form a higher existence of itself. The process exponentially grows until blood spirits are birthed. These are elementals that may take the form of beasts or aberrations and are to be treated with hostility. Blood devils are nefarious and tether onto the emotions of violence and hatred of the dead. Both the Wellfont and Shadowfel empower the spirits further.

At times, if there is a beacon of hatred and aggression. If there is a willingness to spill further blood. To seek vengeance and gain power. Then, the blood elemental will not form. Instead, the vital essence will be imbued onto a person that would carry its creed of carnage.

Bloodborne may be spiritualists with aetheric manifestations or spiritual mutations. They may become sorcerers or arcanists with blood-ridden arcanums. They may even become pseudo-wizards that draw power from the belief in blood. Theirs are a varied progeny and kind. The Void may align with them to bring the baleful dead from the Pale or the Aether may take them in bask in the hunt of anomalies. Bloodborne are neither inherently good nor bad, and neither are they aligned with any plane in particular. They may present and attune with any of the various veils of reality. And they have no fixed place upon the Wheel.

Blood Spiritualists

Blood spiritualists can manipulate and bend blood. They are most often called blood benders by their ability to manipulate their element by somatic sympathies. They may lean towards wizardry and arcanistry if they so choose, but most often, they absorb the blood of their felled foes. Bloodborne imbue this blood unto their spirits, condensing orbs of crystallized vitality capable of giving them Atlassian strength.

Sanguine Sorcerers

Sanguine sorcerers Awaken with a blood arcanum of some sort. Not much difference from a blood spiritualist, only that the mage is also capable of sorcery. Usually more dangerous than a bloodborne spiritualist.

Cruel Sympathists

These bloodborne are capable of cutting theirs or a single enemy's flesh, and in turn, affecting a whole swath of opponents. A single knight possessing such a talent can turn tides of a skirmish or battle if a unit or formation of soldiers is without defense of a mage.