The concept of "witch blood" suggests something unique within witches, an unquenchable thirst for connection with others and the Earth. This idea, present in various witchcraft traditions, sparks questions about its nature: Is it biological, energetic, hereditary, or activated? Where does it originate?
Myths attribute its origin to angels, faeries, the Grigori, Watchers, Nephilim, or star ancestors, sometimes viewing these as references to the same beings. Some believe witchcraft is purely based on initiations. But who initiated the first witch? Witchcraft and magick are as old as mankind, much older than our evidence of initiatory traditions revolving it. Most of our information of ancient witches seems to suggest that initiations were something that the gods and spirits bestowed upon the witch, not other witches.
To understand the concept of a Blood Witch, it's helpful to consider various types of witches, each with unique specialties:
- Air Witch: Works with the element of air and its energies.
- Animal Witch: Works with animals and their energies.
- Ceremonial Witch: Practices ceremonial magick and theurgy.
- Cosmic Witch: Uses cosmic or astrological bodies in their craft.
- Cottage/Hearth Witch: Focuses on home, family, and creating a comfortable, protected living space.
- Chaos Witch: Draws power from chaos, performing emotionally charged magick.
- Dark Witch: Tunes into the darker side of the craft, often using traditional ceremonies.
- Desert Witch: Works with desert elements and spirits.
There’s something different about witches, something that draws you to other witches and to witchcraft in general. Something that tells you who is a witch and who isn’t, despite whether they proclaim themselves that or shy away from it. Something deeply felt where you know and sense someone else as your own kind.
The Burning Times | The History of Witches Part 1
Defining the Blood Witch
Blood Witches are beings who use magic to manipulate their own blood and that of other living beings, thus enabling them to control muscles and bones. Basically, their element is blood, so they can control muscles and bones. Through this, Blood Witches are able to fully puppeteer the bodies of other people and make them carry out their will.
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When using their magic, the eyes of Blood Witches glow a red colour, much like how fairies change eye color when they're channeling the elements. Unlike fairies, however, Blood Witches practice a forbidden magic that goes against the tenets of the Otherworld. They are said to draw power from human sacrifice according to the fairy Rosalind Hale.
When Blood witches use stolen fairy magic, instead of their eyes, their veins glow according to the element they use.
Historical Context and Lore
Blood Witches are not common, but they have existed in the Otherworld for a thousand years, dating back as far as the Dominion Wars.[1] During that time, Blood Witches were powerful enough to control people's bodies from miles away.[1]
For millennia, Blood Witches have had a hostile relationship with fairies of the Otherworld, which have escalated into violent conflicts between the two groups. Blood Witches have a similar physiology to humans and fairies.
According to Rosalind, the inhabitants of a local settlement called Aster Dell were Blood Witches.
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By 2004, a community of Blood Witches settled in Aster Dell, a village located in the realm of Solaria. Sebastian Valtor's father was a Blood Witch from Aster Dell who had an obsession with the Dragon Flame and the Dominion Wars.
Combining her magic with Farah Dowling and Ben Harvey, Rosalind conjured a lightning storm powerful enough to completely destroy Aster Dell, the Blood Witches, and the Burned Ones. Though Dowling and Harvey did not know the inhabitants of Aster Dell were Blood Witches at the time, they felt immense guilt in killing innocent people.
Abilities and Characteristics
Blood witches are often viewed as outsiders, or aliens. Some witches respond to this with pride, ignoring whispered slurs and snubs by society.
Witches use arcane magic in ways different from wizards and sorcerers, and at higher levels they tinker and improvise spells. They also use divine spells and divine abilities, powered by the immortal beings with whom they have forged pacts. They call spirits and souls to them, as servants and informants. They use secret ritual spells. They brew powerful potions and are adept alchemists.
Here are some key abilities associated with Blood Witches:
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- Spell Casting: Blood witches have the power to cast spells and rituals. Primarily, the rituals they do are sacrificial, as that's where their magic comes from.
- Hemokinesis: Due to their magic deriving from sacrifice, their element is Blood, and they are capable of manipulating people through it. It is said that they can control not only other people's bodies, but also their own.
- Organ Manipulation: Blood Witches have the power to manipulate people's organs, such as muscles and bones. Through this they can incapacitate people, torment or even kill them.
Bloodwitch is one of the rarest witcheries of all, and is deemed a Voidwitchery because of its connection to death. It is a magic that allows one to control another person’s blood (or one’s own blood). It also allows the witch to smell other peoples’ blood and track that scent across hundreds of miles.[1] It also allows the Bloodwitch to heal others, and heal themselves.[1]
When a bloodwitch uses their witchery their irises swirl red and are notably off-putting to bystanders. Bloodwitches cannot control their self-healing. There can be female Bloodwitches. Or male Truthwitches.
The Ethos of Blood
Blood is a powerful substance in witch magic, and if a witch draws blood with a weapon -- except when shedding his own blood to cast certain witch only spells or in witch rituals -- he cannot cast arcane spells again until that weapon is destroyed.
A blood witch casts both arcane and divine spells. Blood witch class levels can count as both divine caster levels and arcane caster levels for the purpose of qualifying for prestige classes.
The witch uses either Wisdom or Charisma, whichever is higher, to determine bonus spells and difficulty class modifier. If the witch's scores change during play, he can use the more favorable at any time. However, new bonus spells are gained only if the ability score change lasts more than 24 hours.
To cast a spell, a witch must have a Charisma or Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Like a sorcerer, a witch does not prepare his arcane spells in advance; instead, he has access to any spell on the witch list below and can freely choose from among them.
Ley Lines and Woldsblood
Unlike other arcane casters, witches draw the energy for spell-casting by psychically reaching into the Realm of Shadows and tapping the rivulets of Woldsblood that run there. Witches can sense the power echo that these rivulets make in the Wold, and call them Ley Lines. Witches speak of touching a Ley Line when they cast spells (except for their divine domain spells).
Every time a witch casts an arcane witch spell, he rolls a d100, called a Ley roll. On a roll of 81 to 100, the Line is especially well positioned, and the witch casts the spell but does not use up the spell's slot. On a roll of 1-10, the Ley Line shifts away unexpectedly, and the spell fails, a base 10 percent chance of failure.
Coven and Rituals
The Coven ability of witches allows three or more witches to gather in a circle. Many of these ritual spells use a cauldron. Cauldrons come in sizes tiny, small, medium, and large. A creature the same size as the cauldron can fit in it.
Using the right size cauldron to perform alchemical tasks grants a blood witch a +2 circumstance bonus to Craft (Alchemy) checks and Spellcraft checks to make potions and liquid wondrous items.
Final Thoughts
The concept of the Blood Witch is complex, blending elements of lore, history, and unique magical abilities. Whether viewed as figures of fear or venerated keepers of ancient traditions, Blood Witches occupy a fascinating space in the world of witchcraft.