18 réponses à ce sujet

[Gervaise]

I was reflecting on the number of uses that blood has in the world of Thedas:

• It can be used for blood magic to gain power from a demon.
• It can be used for blood magic to raise corpses and shades to fight for you.
• It can be used for blood magic to control the minds of others (not sure whether this is what you need the demon for)
• It can be used by Templars to track mages
• It can be used by Reavers (dragon blood) to enhance fighting prowess
• Specific blood (darkspawn) can be used by Grey Wardens for their ritual
• Specific blood - that of Callenhad's descendants - can be used to reawaken dragons.
• Specific blood - that of a mage can be used to fashion a magical prison and, in the case of Malcolm's kin, unlock it.
• It can be used to breach the Veil - deliberately or accidentally.

It is interesting that it can be used for so many powerful purposes when it is so easily available and sustainable.   So long as you have living people, you have a source of power.   I wonder if that is why Tevinter ruled for so long and still continues to survive, albeit on a reduced scale, since it was almost impossible to limit their fuel source, unlike lyrium that (prior to red lyrium appearing on the surface) had to be brought up from the depths.    Clearly that is why the Chantry banned blood magic as they could have no real control over this whereas they could limit the supply of lyrium, both to mages and Templars.

 

Why do you suppose that blood has so many uses?   Why in fact does it give power at all?    Is it the blood itself that attracts demons or the emotions that go with the shedding of it, since this often involves pain, fear and suffering?    In ME possession was linked to the blood shed but in DA2 it seemed that it was the extreme emotion that allowed the demon to enter the mage.      Thoughts please.

[king jacky]

to kill

[KainD]

The power of bloood, that comes from abooove.

Anyway, blood has as many uses as magic does, it's a source of power just like lyrium or mana. Why blood is a source of power, I have no idea. And naturally any magic and emotion weakens the veil and attracts demons.

[myahele]

I'm guessing blood = life force energy; hence, why it's so potent. When you think about it, even in older religions (even in the bible, actually) there's plenty of blood (human or animals) sacrifices to appease gods.

 

Maybe this is where they were getting at?

[Wulfram]

The power of blood is a curious thing

make a one man weep, make another man sing

 

World of Thedas seems to suggest it's more about pain and suffering than life-force

[MisterJB]

When did DA become VTM?

[EmperorSahlertz]

Blood Magic draws upon the pain and suffering endured by a person when the blood was utilized to cast a spell. That means that the "donor" has to be alive, so in a way Blood Magic draws upon the power of life through the pain suffered.

[dragonflight288]

With your list, the second one is wrong. Blood magic can amplify an already existing spell to raise the dead. That's in the school of spirit. No blood magic needed.

[Gervaise]

Okay so it simply makes the spell more powerful than being the origin of the spell itself.   It still doesn't take away from the fact that blood seems a very potent source of power in Thedas.   However, it seems that it has to be the blood of a humanoid creature.   Otherwise it would seem far less wasteful of human life if you could use the blood of other living creatures and yet (with the exception of dragon blood which is a special case) you cannot.    So it cannot be simply the life force that you are utilising because that would apply for any living creature.   They can also feel pain and fear, so it is not simply emotional state either.   It seems to be connected in some way to the intelligence or may be even the soul of the creature (if you accept that animals have spirits but not souls).    May be I am over thinking this but the mechanics of what is going on is a puzzle.

[Incantrix]

All those uses you mentioned ties right into blood magic. Just a random thought of mine.

[Innsmouth Dweller]

tranquil mages have their connection with fade severed. this makes them unable to cast spells and dream/feel emotions. it means emotions or dreams are related to spellcasting somehow.

 

blood sacrifice causes pain. pain usually comes with suffering, fear, anger and bunch of other strong emotions.

 

if emotions are related to spellcasting (assumption) and lack of those equals no magical abilities, the abundance of them should maximize the effect (another assumption).

 

conclusion: blood magic amplifies the spell more than usual mana/lyrium usage

 

bonus: cry-baby Jowan is even more powerful than regular blood mage

[KainD]

if emotions are related to spellcasting (assumption) and lack of those equals no magical abilities, the abundance of them should maximize the effect (another assumption).

Not an assumption. Remember what instructor in origins says to the guy practicing fire magic? "Careful, it reacts to your emotions."

[dragonflight288]

Not an assumption. Remember what instructor in origins says to the guy practicing fire magic? "Careful, it reacts to your emotions."

 

More than that. The mage practicing his shield spell has his instructor tell him fear is his enemy, and is a weakness demons can exploit, and his fear was holding him back from keeping his shield strong. 

[In Exile]

More than that. The mage practicing his shield spell has his instructor tell him fear is his enemy, and is a weakness demons can exploit, and his fear was holding him back from keeping his shield strong. 

 

All of which is because magical aptitude appears to be closely tied to will lore-wise, but since gameplay you need two stats for dmg and mana pool, willpower is actually more of a dump stat for mages. 

[Gervaise]

Thinking back to ME, in a place where the veil is already thin, it is the emotions displayed by Celene and Briala that allow it to be breached.   It is presumably why a calm mage hardly ever gets possessed but a fearful, distressed, anxious one seems to invite demons in.   Pretty hard on apprentices who are undergoing the harrowing if the presence of a Templar with a big shiny sword makes you nervous.    Nevertheless Jowan, despite the appraisal of Irwin, never actually becomes possessed.   May be his love for Lily protected him.   Or we must assume that Irvine was complicit with Templar ideas that you make a mage Tranquil because they are a potential threat and may be dabbling in forbidden arts, not just because they may be at risk of possession.   Plus Chantry rules are meant to be that the rite is only performed with the agreement of the mage.   After his recapture, Jowan probably agreed to this because then he wouldn't have to feel guilt any more.   Still I do find it a puzzle why displaying strong emotion makes some mages at risk of possession and others not and why it seems that anyone's emotions can allow the demons to breach the veil, not just mages.  It is a wonder there weren't more demons running around long before the latest tear.

[KainD]

More than that. The mage practicing his shield spell has his instructor tell him fear is his enemy, and is a weakness demons can exploit, and his fear was holding him back from keeping his shield strong.

Depends, fear makes different people act differently. Jowan feared for Lily as well, but his fear gave him strength.

[Pateu]

• Specific blood (darkspawn) can be used by Grey Wardens for their ritual

You forgot Avernus' research.

 

Blood Magic can also be used to make up for the lack of lyrium and power up spells.

[Rosey]

Honestly I believe the reason Blood Magic works in the setting is because of the inherent "otherness" that Humanoids possess.

 

We're going on the assumption that Animal blood doesn't work, correct? Well there isn't a lot of stories within the world-build that has animals using magic. They can be possessed, but they aren't able to actively participate in magic usage. Thus it lends to the reason why only Humanoid (Humans/Elves/Qunari/Dwarves by extension) blood works for Blood Magic.

 

Taking that basic logic, it then leads to the idea that the blood of the Humanoid is already infused with magic, much the way Lyrium is. Which lends further to the understanding that Humanoids are the "Otherness", with their given intelligence and sentience.

 

As stated above, if you take the theory that animals have spirits but not souls, aka the Thedas version of Creationism, then the very essence of a soul is what creates the bond of magic within Humanoids. Humanoids were created differently/to be different then animals, and because of that, they already attached to the "Magic" surrounding that creation.

 

Aka: Blood magic is Soul Magic in the world of Thedas. It taps into the power of Humanoid souls and their corresponding life force and emotional states.

 

 

 

 

Or, you know.... it works because it just does

[GDog89]

Im hoping we bend blood to are will I love smash some a giant fiat made of blood of even prehaps mind control