Devorare

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Devorare

History

A fable to some, a very real curse to others, the origin of Devorare is obscure, occult knowledge coveted by very, very few. There is little documentation on the subject, and certainly nothing concrete, but those old enough– those of their own number– might recall whispers of it. Whispers which pointed them in the direction of ‘The Stranger,’ of ‘The Night-Father,’ of Nihilos, the would-be devourer. But before Nihilos would make his attempt to devour the Godheads, it created Blights– a contingency for if it should fail; a way for its influence to continue forth; agents to bring it back. To leave its mark, it twisted the Pacts of dead– of failed– gods, creating reflections thereof, bent in his influence.

Born from the Pact of Kratyx, a Godhead once associated with flesh, vitality, and strength, Devorare is one such Blight. Those with the resultant curse are something between man and monster, slaves to a sanguine hunger– but they are potent, they are powerful because of it. Working alongside other Blighted, their numbers are few and their spread is calculated, their power hoarded.

To most, however, Devorare is nothing but a fable, nothing more than a scary story people tell their children to keep them in line.

Acquisition

Like any Blight, Devorare is a curse to be spread by its practitioners. And in this case, it is a grotesque, difficult process that few survive.

To start, the only requirement for the transformation is that roughly 1 fl.oz. of a Devorari's blood must pass through the heart of a living target. The method of delivery varies from would-be sire to would-be sire, though it is a common superstition among their kind that a more violent initiation births a stronger childe. A technique typically utilized involves the would-be sire impaling their prospective spawn through the heart with a crystalline stake composed of their own blood, then quickly liquifying the implement once the deed has been done. Provided this does not cause death outright, the conversion will then proceed apace.

The first symptom to surface is that the prospective spawn will begin to bleed from all of their orifices. This is not initially painful, but their biochemistry will start to shift wildly, leaving them light headed, shaking and sick with a primal sort of terror. Then their body will seize as the Blight’s magic truly starts to take over, inciting a kaleidoscopic surge of Devorare’s varying spells. The taste of the blood in their mouths will feed them images of their own memories, and should they have any other personal magics, it will taste of them, too. Their blood may turn to acid and melt them from within; it may boil, conflagrate, crystallize or evaporate. Their bones will start to crunch and shatter as they writhe, joints bending far past their limits in tandem with the tearing of tissue. And they will feel every second of this vibrantly, wide awake from their hijacked endocrine system.

This process may continue for hours, sometimes for days, until, eventually, their nascent Vicissitude ends their agony, healing and reshaping them, then falling dormant until the newborn eventually finds the strength to wield it once more. And lo, born anew, a Devorari. Those that endure this process for longer are often said to be stronger for it.

Living as Devorari

Revitalized, Rebuilt

Being rebuilt by the Blight is effectively a form of rebirth, and as such, the spawn will discover that their body now functions differently.

A Devorari no longer needs to eat or breathe, though they may do either if they so desire– it simply offers them zero benefit other than blending in.

Their musculature is denser; they are much stronger and faster than when they drew breath, making them twisted exemplars of the strength once embodied by Kratyx.

They are more durable, their tissues able to sustain more trauma before breaking or tearing.

Their senses are heightened. Sight, smell, hearing and taste are all notably more potent than before.

They are notably lethargic in direct sunlight and incredibly weak to fire.

Sanguine Hunger

The most notable trait of the Devorari is, indeed, their insatiable lust for blood. It is omnipresent, there even when their thirst is slaked, gently gnawing a pit in their stomachs; inescapable.

To Feed or to Wither

If a Devorari neglects to feed regularly, they will find themselves gradually beginning to weaken. The only cure is blood, sweet vitality, though not all blood is created equal.

The blood of entities with higher concentrations of either Aether or Saol are the finest of ambrosias. Immortals, Fae, mages and the like all fit the bill.

Standard mortals are always satisfactory at a minimum, though some individuals are certainly superior to others.

Animals will do in a pinch. They are not the tastiest and one will need to feed more often, however, making it quite a bit more difficult to remain at peak potential feeding this way.

Blood Consumption Rates

As their power grows, so too do they need more blood to sustain them.

Some Devorari prefer to feed daily, keeping themselves always as close to sated as they can possibly be. However, all Devorari can go up to a week between feedings before they noticeably start to deteriorate– though minor weakness will start to set in after a few days.

After a week without feeding, a Devorari will find themselves waning, and after a month, they will become fully Ferine.

• Novice: 1.3 gallons (21 cups) per week
• Apprentice: 2.2 gallons (35 cups) per week
• Journeyman: 3.1 gallons (49 cups) per week
• Expert: 3.9 gallons (63 cups) per week
• Master: 5 gallons (80 cups) per week
• Ascendant: 4.5 gallons (72 cups) per week

Mageburn Symptoms

• Lesser: Lightheadedness, Lethargy, Anxiety, Muscle Aches and Pain, Mild Hyperthermia
• Moderate: Mild Bleeding From Orifices, Moderate Hyperthermia, Vertigo, Headache, Panic Attacks
• Greater: Major Bleeding From Orifices, Major Disorientation, Tachypnea, Intense Paranoia, Aggression, Short Temper
• Ferine: To become Ferine is to lose oneself and not return. These individuals become slaves to not only their hunger, but to the predator within, losing their higher intelligence and surrendering themselves unto their primal, bestial desires. They will hunt, they will rip, they will tear, they will destroy– and then they will feed; that is all that they'll be capable of, that is, until they are inevitably put down.

Spells

Hemomancy

Also called Blood Sorcery, Hemomancy is a Devorari's ability to manipulate blood by harnessing the Aether therein to devastating effect.

Augury

Referred to by some Devorari as Blood Divination, Augury allows for the caster to glean information about individuals and their lineage from their blood.

Vitalitas

Vitalitas is the manipulation of hormones and other chemicals which influence the body’s natural functions.

Vicissitude

Also known as flesh sculpting, Vicissitude is how a Devorari makes structural modifications to their bodies and the bodies of others.

Tiers of Mastery

Novice

Just starting out, a novice will spend their time simply learning how to grasp the Aether in blood and are only able to access a tiny fraction of Devorare's potential as they grapple with their newfound hunger.

A novice may only manipulate their own blood or that which is spilt from a wound of some sort.

• Hemomancy:
  • A novice may manipulate up to 8 fl.oz., or 1 cup, at a time.
  • They may shift blood’s state of matter from liquid to gas or to a hard, crystalline substance with the fragility of talc (1 mohs).
  • They are capable of willing small amounts of blood through the air as well as shifting its state of matter, converting the liquid to a gas or crystallizing it into a hard, glass-like substance.
• Augury: As a novice, this skill is inaccessible.
• Vitalitas: As a novice, this skill is inaccessible.
• Vicissitude: As a novice, this skill is inaccessible.

Apprentice

Still in the process of finding their footing, an apprentice Devorari will continue to develop their Hemomancy alongside figuring out the foundations of Augury.

An apprentice may only manipulate their own blood or that which is spilt from a wound of some sort.

• Hemomancy:
  • An apprentice may manipulate up to 24 fl.oz., or 3 cups, at a time.
  • They may shift blood’s state of matter from liquid to gas or to a hard, crystalline substance with the fragility of fluorite (4 mohs).
  • They may increase the temperature of blood up to a maximum of 110°F.
  • They may shift the acidity of blood to a point where it would cause a painful stinging sensation and minor inflammation if tissue is exposed to it.
• Augury:
  • An apprentice may detect echoes of the emotions, thoughts and memories their ‘donor’ had up to 2 weeks before the blood was harvested.
• Vitalitas: As an apprentice, this skill is inaccessible.
• Vicissitude: As an apprentice, this skill is inaccessible.

Journeyman

A journeyman has, at this point, become comfortable with their Blood Sorcery, able to now devote more of their time into developing the additional skills of Augury and Vitalitas.

A journeyman may only manipulate their own blood or that which is spilt from a wound of some sort.

• Hemomancy:
  • A journeyman may manipulate up to 80 fl.oz., or 10 cups, at a time.
  • They may shift blood’s state of matter from liquid to gas or to a hard, crystalline substance with the fragility of glass (5.5 mohs).
  • They may increase the temperature of blood up to a maximum of 150°F.
  • They may shift the acidity of blood to a point where it would cause a painful stinging sensation and begin to eat away at flesh or similar substances if exposed to it.
• Augury:
  • A journeyman is capable of gleaning flashes of the emotions, thoughts and memories of their ‘donor’ from up to 6 months before the blood was harvested.
  • They may be able to tell what race a creature was, as well as basic information such as general health and age, provided they know how to parse this information by taste.
• Vitalitas:
  • As a journeyman, a Devorari may only manipulate their own biochemistry through Vitalitas.
  • A journeyman’s manipulations may last for up to 8 hours.
  • They may alter hormones and neurotransmitters to manipulate both their physical and mental states.
• Vicissitude: As a journeyman, this skill is inaccessible.

Expert

With many succumbing to their hunger and never making it to this point, Devorari of expert potency are beasts of fable, finally able to begin making drastic changes to their bodies, boil the blood of their foes, provide themselves with supernatural enhancements and much more.

An expert may now begin to manipulate blood within the body of another living thing, though only insofar as focusing on a particular vein or artery and ripping it open, thereby creating a wound for them to further manipulate. They may only do this to one person at a time.

• Hemomancy:
  • An expert may manipulate up to 24 cups, or 1.5 gallons, at a time.
  • They may shift blood’s state of matter from liquid to gas or to a hard, crystalline substance with a hardness of topaz (7 mohs).
  • They may increase the temperature of blood up to a maximum of boiling, or 212°F.
  • They may shift the acidity of blood to a point where it becomes properly corrosive, able to now slowly eat away at metals such as iron.
• Augury:
  • An expert is capable of gleaning flashes of the emotions, thoughts and memories of their ‘donor’ from up to 5 years prior to the blood being harvested.
  • They may be able to tell what race a ‘donor’ was, as well as basic information such as general health and age, provided they know how to parse this information by taste.
  • They may discern what types of magics a ‘donor’ wielded, provided they recognize the taste.
• Vitalitas:
  • As an expert, a Devorari may manipulate both their own biochemistry and that of those they have physical contact with.
  • An expert’s manipulations may last for up to a day.
  • They may alter hormones and neurotransmitters to manipulate both their physical and mental states.
  • They may also channel the Aether in blood to give themselves minor temporary boons to strength and alacrity.
• Vicissitude:
  • New to Vicissitude, an expert may only make minor bodily alterations such as basic cosmetic changes, fortifying their tissues, growing horns, talons and so on. These changes are quite slow and can only be reversed manually.

They may sculpt the tissues of others, though only through touch.

Master

A creature of legend, there are probably only a handful master Devorari in existence. Mastering their hunger and their powers, they are wicked things many on Antarok only believe exist in nightmares.

A master is capable of ripping blood from the living just as an expert can, but they may also harden, evaporate, ignite, or acidify blood from within. They may only do this to up to 10 people at a time.

• Hemomancy:
  • A master may manipulate up to 240 cups, or 15 gallons, at a time.
  • They may shift blood’s state of matter from liquid to gas or to a hard, crystalline substance with a hardness of diamond (10 mohs).
  • They may increase the temperature of blood past boiling, and even go as far as to immolate it, setting it on fire.
  • They may shift the acidity of blood to a point where it becomes incredibly corrosive, able to now rapidly eat away at substances like iron, and while slowly, it can even corrode things like zirconium and titanium.
• Augury:
  • An expert is capable of gleaning flashes of the emotions, thoughts and memories of their ‘donor’ from as far back as the its memory spans.
  • They may be able to tell what race a ‘donor’ was, basic information, and more advanced information such as genealogy.
  • They may discern what types of magics a ‘donor’ wielded, provided they recognize the taste.
• Vitalitas:
  • As a master, a Devorari may manipulate both their own biochemistry and that of those in their line of sight. Breaking line of sight does not cancel the effect, as Vitalitas manipulations last for timed durations.
  • A master’s manipulations may last for up to a week.
  • They may alter hormones and neurotransmitters to manipulate both their physical and mental states.
  • They may also channel the Aether in blood to give themselves major temporary boons to strength and alacrity.
• Vicissitude:
  • A master may make any manner of bodily alterations, with some fancying themselves ‘artists’ of flesh and bone. The more drastic a change, the longer it takes. Reverting changes is far quicker at master than expert.
  • They may sculpt the tissues of others, though only through touch.

Ascension

If they were ever mortal, an Ascended Devorari will have fully shed whatever was left of it. With markedly few, if any, in existence, it is beyond the purview of most to even fathom what dark magics they may wield.

The Ascended may remotely manipulate the blood of the living with ease, capable of affecting up to 100 people at once.

• Hemomancy:
  • A master may manipulate up to 2400 cups, or 150 gallons, at a time.
  • They may shift blood’s state of matter from liquid to gas or to a hard, crystalline substance with a hardness twice that of diamonds.
  • They may increase the temperature of blood past boiling, immolate it (setting it on fire), or even cause powerful explosions (equivalent to a stick of dynamite & requiring at least 24 fl.oz. of blood to detonate).
  • They may shift the acidity of blood to a point where it becomes incredibly corrosive, able to now rapidly eat away at almost any substance that isn’t heavily magically enhanced against acids.
• Augury:
  • An expert is capable of gleaning flashes of the emotions, thoughts and memories of their ‘donor’ from as far back as the its memory spans.
  • They may be able to tell what race a ‘donor’ was, basic information, and more advanced information such as genealogy and even flashes of their ancestor’s memories.
  • They may discern what types of magics a ‘donor’ wielded, provided they recognize the taste.
• Vitalitas:
  • Now ascended, a Devorari may manipulate both their own biochemistry and that of those they are capable of perceiving through sight or magical means. Losing perception doesn’t cancel the effect, as Vitalitas manipulations last for timed durations.
  • A master’s manipulations may last for up to a month.
  • They may alter hormones and neurotransmitters to manipulate both their physical and mental states.
  • They may also channel the Aether in blood to give themselves otherworldly temporary boons to strength and alacrity.
• Vicissitude:
  • As an Ascendant, a Devorari may sculpt their tissues into anything they so wish and at startling speeds, morphing back to their biological ‘default’ with ease should they so wish.
  • They may sculpt the tissues of others, though only through touch.
  • They may also infuse their other personal magics into their alterations.