Hello and welcome back to my channel Thedosians! With the end of this coming February, I'm sticking to the theme of Valentine's, with it being all lovey-dovey, blood magic is full of love! We have Jowan sacrificing his abilities of blood magic to save his lovely Lily. And what about Anders saying he would do anything for Hawke? Insert romance cards please!
Now, Blood Magic is like any form of magic, although it's not stated thoroughly how much limits can be put onto blood magic except being highly illegal or even frowned upon to even the extent in the Imperium. It has a lot of power, so, let's talk about it's down-lying abilities, to it's history, and maybe even some theories sprinkled around here and there.
So it first comes down to the question: What is Blood Magic?
Blood Magic or known as," the word "maleficar" comes from the Tevinter language, an old word meaning one who is depraved. Although many apostates never practice the forbidden arts, the stigma is such that many look upon all apostates as maleficarum. Blood magic allows feats otherwise thought impossible... Using pain or death to cast or strengthen spells is forbidden throughout Thedas. They say all blood mages who use their own blood will eventually find themselves tempted by the additional power to be gained from spilling the blood of others." - World of Thedas Vol. 1
Origin:
Now this subject on 'how did blood magic start' is pretty grey. In the lore of Dragon Age, it seems to be narrated that the ability of the dark art blood magic came from the Old Gods. Although, that could be just the cultural aspect of fearing magic straight from the Chant's propaganda, in which it's highly manipulated. Where the Magisters learned this type of magic to become powerful and god-like, and while that is entirely true, the original origin might be before the Veil, as the Veil limits magic in general.
"Mages of the Imperial Chantry today believe that blood magic was likely learned form the elves of Arlathan rather than from the Old Gods..." - World of Thedas Vol. 2
Before the Veil was present, Elvehnan was present, they used magic to create cities and things never known to ask man. But something did happen to it's downfall, the Imperium's downfall was because of the increase in blood magic. But again, if the Old Gods predate something that exists before the Veil, it seems highly likely for blood magic to exist before the Veil's creation as well.
In the Chant of Light, the Tevinter's began learning blood magic from the entities now known as the Old Gods. But it first came from Somniari, or, dreamers, one recorded named Thalsian,
In -1595 Ancient, "Thalsian, also known as the First Priest of Dumat, is the first known person to wield blood magic. He claims to learn the art after personally communicating with Dumat, an Old God.. For the glory of his god, he established the first temples worshiping Dumat, and the dragons became a symbol equated with divine power." -World of Thedas Vol. 1 & 2
Now regarding the Old God Dumat, he is the first to have started the knowledge of not just blood magic, but also to do the ritual to enter the Golden City in which brought upon the Blight.
"The ancient Tevinter magisters were the first to experiment with blood magic. They saw it as a means to achieve greater power in all schools. Over time, they discovered spells that could only be worked by spilling blood. Rituals involving violence became a significant part of the Old God worship, and blood mages rose to incredible heights of power and influence." -World of Thedas Vol. 1
Obviously the blood magic rituals for the Old Gods became rigorous, it became that the spells they worked on depended on how many should die for their tasks, and it led to the creation of the Blight entering this world. In about -365 Ancient, the Old Gods began to speak to these few Magisters, that they would claim them as Gods for their trials by opening the gates of the Golden City:
"Open the gates.
To my Golden City you must sojourn.
At the foot of my throne, I shall anoint you,
Most favored of my disciples,
And I shall raise you up to godhood
That all mortals shall know your glory,"
- Canticle of Silence 1:3
From then on we know that they used immense source of lyrium and sacrificed slaves using blood magic to physically enter the Fade. Which set forth the ultimate fear for this forbidden magic, when the Magisters realized all things were never Golden to start with, they felt lied to. The priests of the Old Gods started to uprise with murder against the Old Gods betrayal, using more blood rituals to hope to awaken their call. Introducing the Magisters who entered the Black City as the first Darkspawn, and leaving the deadly legacy of a Blight to uprise in Thedas.
So the Chant has a fair reason to blame blood magic, for someone to sacrifice a life, and only use the means of slavery to do blood rituals was horrifying for a society to live on heathily.
"I can't help but think of the old stories that cross the slave markets like lightning, how, centuries ago, the ancients built their cities with blood magic, raising the very towers and walls with terrible rituals using our lives as fuel. Thousands of slaves were sacrificed as we were forced onto the altars of the Old Gods." - Solvarin Brann, 8:65 Blessed
Abilities:
Mind-Control:
Using the effects of blood magic renders the effect of mind-control. This can vary, for instance, one blood-mage could only use it to effect getting the truth out of someone. Another instance could be brainwashing, like with Dorian into marriage possibly.
"Although lyrium will allow a mage to send his conscious mind into the Fade, blood would allow him to find the sleeping minds of others, view their dreams, and even influence or dominate their thoughts." -First Enchanter Josephus
Although, there's a problem with this ability, it's not really used frequently in Dragon Age games. It comes in the form of a seldom threat that they are controlled by blood-magic and so on. Which makes the ability seem hard to believe since it's mechanics aren't used a lot when they could have been. The only closest thing we got to mind control personally was with Hawke themselves dealing with the girl in the brothel.
Possession:
The difference between this ability and mind control and that mind control partially can control the brain, or situations. But possession takes control of a entity entirely. Now this could be to find out what a person or entity's thoughts are and predicting their outcome.
For instance, in the Last Flight, Two Wardens Isseya, and Calien decide to use blood magic to dominate a genlock into finding where the darkspawn reinforcements where coming from.
"Calien snapped his hand up the instant that the darkspawn moved. The genlock froze, a quizzical snarl trapped on its lipless mouth. Then it closed its watery yellow eyes, shool its head like a dreamer awakening from unhappy sleep, and turned its back on them to lope away over the barren rocks." -Last Flight, Chapter 10
Again, it's hard to discern the differences between possession and mind control but I believe it's because there is a fine line between them. They must use the same maleficarum to enter into one's minds, whether to control a small decision or to take over and indoctrinate one's physical body and mind.
Entering the Fade:
Now in the case of laws of magic within Thedas, the limits of entering the Fade usually the body remains behind, putting someone into a conscious like dream. But as Tevinter used hundreds of slaves and a third of lyrium into the walking the halls of the Golden City physically, this was made possible by using this type of magic.
Obviously, the question comes to mind that if one can enter the Fade physically through blood magic, why does blood magic limit the ability to use Fade magic? It seems very confusing to even put into words, but thinking about this ability raises questions onto why does this dark magic even come down to if it completely breaks the laws and limits around magic themselves?
I guess it's just because most of the 'unprohibited' magic comes all down to using their essence from the Fade. Whereas, constantly using blood magic prohibits that ability of using Fade magic, making blood magic addictive.
Mana Energy:
Now blood magic brings a sort of energy that boost against those who oppose them. For a time in the Imperium and still today it really isn't frowned upon because of the surge of power this magic receives when doing maleficar.
Blood magic gives the power to bring in deadlier destruction, turning people against each other, bringing a demise to a kingdom, or resurrecting someone from their pitiful death. Blood magic receives beyond comparison to any other form of magic, except for lyrium or Blight magic. But comes at a great cost of becoming more possessed by demons and twisted creatures in the end.
"And what of Magister Calanthus, that fool who believed he could make himself the Ascended Man with blood magic? Thirty-three slaves died in that rite, and Calanthus became an abomination so horrific that his apprentices tore out their eyes at the sight of him." - Magister Aestlia, 7:70 Storm
Summoning Demons:
This ability is pretty common among most blood mages mostly because demons are the ones who teach these mages the art of malificar. They send demons from the Fade to fight against those who oppose them. Or even sap the strength of enemies by demons bargaining them a deal.
I guess this is beneficial both ways; in the demons side, they are being called from blood, which gives some sort of pull and strength to them in general. They pull themselves into the waking world to destruct or corrupt what opposes the mage. Eventually they are given what they ask, themselves, or maybe that mage themselves is a demon taken over.
To be honest, a lot of this forbidden magic wouldn't be on the demon's spectrum if blood magic wasn't feared. Hear me out, demons feed off of the unknown for living things. Whether is be the fear of oblivion and so on, their purpose is to teach this mages or those who are threatened to a last case scenario in order to get what they want.
These demons are following their own code, if blood magic wasn't feared, I believe they move on to another case, maybe teaching these blood mages more rituals, all to get what they truly want, a waking body to be theirs, and power....
Blight:
This might come to a surprise and honestly I was pretty shocked when I saw this myself, but yes, blood magic is produced in the form of Blight magic. Or least, some blight uses use blood magic, which honestly doesn't seem like a surprise when thinking about it:
"Some darkspawn, including a few alphas, may prove adept at magic. These darkspawn, dubbed by the Wardens as emissaries, tend to only show themselves on the surface during Blights. The spells they cast arc rooted in a strange form of blood magic." -World of Thedas Vol. 1
Now as we know from the Chant that the 'first darkspawn' happen to be great users of blood magic. The Magisters such as Corypheus and the Artichect do know this art quite well and for darkspawn to be produced constantly brings the problem to elvehn broodmothers. Those mothers are the ones who create these emissaries using blood magic. So yes, blame the elves for this one.
On a retrospect, ironically Blood magic can somehow cure the taint. Like with Merrill healing the taint out of her own eluvian using blood magic, and also in the Last Flight, no spoilers there, but it has to do with griffons. Both of these examples renders the fact of pulling essence out of an object or living being and putting on themselves, or another entity.
What about the Wardens? Isn't the Joining a blood magic ritual? Where they drink tainted dawkspawn blood to hear the Archdemons calling as a side-effect. Seems pretty malificar to me, that is surprising that it's excepted even when the Chantry stands with it.
Again, we know in Legacy, after the death of Dumat, Corypheus is contained in a blood magic ritual from a blood magic ritual, which evidently is broken.
In general to all of these abilities it renders the fact that each of these are completely useful in their own form of purposes. By opposing even highest of powers, to bringing the highest of chaos along with it. Either way, blood magic is a form of magic used to reach where the other laws of magic falter. I guess these powerful magics like lyrium is all blood magic since that's titans blood as well.
Have any questions or comments, leave them below, and we can discuss them together. If you want to follow me on other social media, or check out my blog, all of these links are down below as well. Again, thank you for supporting me, or if your new, like and subscribe for more BioWare content like this, and I’ll see you in the next video!
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