Custom Blood Magic: Path

A perverse path of Thaumaturgy developed in pursuit of some other Arcane secret, this path allows the manipulation and study of the Soul using inverted principles of the Hermetic Emerald Tablet.

Though it is theoretically possible to have willing participants in this path, the direct ravaging of a creature's soul should almost always be considered an Inhumane act. Practitioners of this path will not likely be high Humanity.

Level 1 - Craft Soul Instruments

As with any procedure, good work starts with good tools. In order to use any of the other levels of this path, the practitioner must first enchant a set of Titanium or Stainless Steel Instruments - metals chosen for their useful nature in biological grafting and surgery. Once crafted, these Instruments are the key foci for subsequent uses of this path. The most fundamental Instrument created by this path is a long Nail; however, additional tools required for the higher applications of this path are also created using this level. This can include scalpels, staples, spikes, and sutures, so long as the tools created are sharp, as it is necessary to Pierce the soul itself.

System:  By imbuing thick metal Nail with both Quintessence (Blood) and Intent (Will), the caster can create the Thaumaturgical instrument that is required for all other levels of this Path. Other Instruments can be created, but they must be sharp in order to function. When applied, the Instruments always deal exactly one level of Aggravated damage to any creature that possesses a soul, as it directly pierces the pattern. This damage cannot be increased or reduced by any means - though it can be prevented by Aegis, or other means of entirely bypassing damge. The Instruments pass through all physical matter, and even ignore flesh.

Level 2 - Examine Sample

Using tools that can directly affect the Soul - known to the ancient Order of Hermes as a Pattern - the Tremere can inspect and study certain metaphysical aspects of it according to inverted principles of the Emerald Tablet.

System: By piercing or slicing a subject with an Instrument crafted in the previous level, a small portion of their Pattern is allowed to seep out.

Make a static challenge against the Willpower of the target: If successful, the thaumaturge gains information on the subject's pattern itself, including information that subject may not even be aware of themselves. The caster may spend up to 3 mental traits, and ask the Storyteller any information pertaining to the subject and expect a true answer. However, this information can only pertain to the creature itself, not its memories or desires.

Valid questions might be: creature type, true name, generation/rank/karma, path of enlightenment, clan/breed, etc...

Invalid questions might be: sect, status, societal or faction ties, coterie/pack, etc...

Level 3 - Excise Attribute

The first step towards the perversion of a creature's soul, the Path of Soul Grafting operates on the ability to carve off portions of a creature's soul. Such behavior is ethically dubious to say the least, and may not sit well with others who learn of this ability.

System: By using an Instrument to effect the Soul, a piece of a living Pattern is cut or drained away. The caster, upon successfully piercing their target with an Instrument, may remove from that target a single trait, temper, or ability for the next scene/hour.

Unwilling targets may first need a challenge to establish physical contact, as well as a contested Willpower challenge to cut out a piece of the soul, following the steps for Level 2 - Excise Sample.

At Storyteller dissection, other Spiritual aspects of a creature may be temporarily excised.

Level 4 - Graft Temporary Attribute

Normal Kindred feast upon the soul in a roundabout fashion, consuming the Vis found in their prey’s Vitae. A practitioner of this path can far more directly depredate a creature's soul, though doing so is a deeply inhumane act.

System: Using the crafted Instruments, the Thaumaturge may temporarily store anything stolen by the previous level in their body. Doing so requires they use their Crafted Instruments to affix the piece of stolen soul to their own, which requires free hands and a brief moment of unbroken concentration, sacrificing their next action. If at any point the Thaumaturge is interrupted while doing this, they must make a static mental challenge vs 15 to avoid breaking their concentration.

Anything stored in this matter drains from the practitioner after 24 hours.

Other attributes or aspects can be grafted at Storyteller Discretion, so long as they are stolen by the previous level.

Level 5 - Graft Permanent Attribute

Theft of the highest order, a practitioner of this path can permanently pillage an aspect of their subject's soul and affix it to their own. Though the subject will usually recover and regain what was lost, the Thaumaturge remains empowered by what was taken.

System: After stealing an Attribute using the third level, the Thaumaturge may graft that spiritual essence into another creature, permanently Grafting an aspect of another creature's pattern to another. To do this, they must in some way use the Crafted Instruments to surgically affix the stolen portion of soul to their own, usually using a nail or staple. This harrowing process takes an hour or more, and must be done in a stable environment with proper equipment, making it not possible to use spontaneously.

Doing so immediately brings the creature who's tempers are being stolen to the wounded heath level, and if they are not already Healthy, kills the creature. Killing a creature in this way doubles the amount of a temper or trait stolen.

Stealing a temper in this way costs a permanent expenditure of one mental trait for each temper or trait stolen. Anything stolen in this manner will remain available to the target so long as metal spikes grafting the two patterns together remain in the body; traits conferred in this manner may be considered Permanent, but do not increase your generational maximum. Should the Nail/Staples be removed or destroyed, the conferred benefits are immediately lost. Removed spikes must be returned within an hour, or become inert.

Nails/Staples have 2 health levels each, but are immune to any damage that is not inherently aggravated, and can not be destroyed through other means. Any person who knows about or can see the spikes may target the Spike with a contested physical challenge against the bearer with intent to remove or destroy the Spike.

Bearing the portion of another person's soul is an exhausting task however, even nailed in place. Upon waking up each night/day, the bearer of such nails must spend a Willpower - lest their own soul reject the Graft, rendering the Nails inoperable. If for whatever reason a person is perverse enough to possess multiple Nails, they need not spend additional Willpower.

As per level 4, other attributes can be grafted at ST discretion.