Life Mage

The Three paths of the same road

By Keith Graham

"So does it hurt when I press HERE?"

"We must bleed away the evil spirits trapped in her body."

"Well, blood charms are illegal in this town, but...."

"Bring me more slaves! The ritual must have more power!"

Life Mages work with natural sources of magical energy and the patterns of living things. Life Mages study naturally occuring sources of magical power, such as certain plants, magical animals, and blood magic. Their spells frequently work with the energies of Name-givers. Their studies tend to focus on Name-giver anatomy and the interaction of magic and life patterns. Life Mages are frequently the creators of the blood charms and healing potions available for sale across Barsaive. They are also responsible for many of the atrocities before the Scourge and were involved in creating Blood Wood and the dozens of other blood magic rituals involved in sealing many of the Kaers.

There is a strong prejudice against Life Mages. Legendary Life Mages have spent the Life Magic of unwilling victims, including slaves, in their quest for power. Thousands of people were sacrificed in attempts to defend against the Horrors. There are even rumors that Theran Life Mages still practice powerful magics fueled by the lives of slaves. People are rightly fearful of Life Magic's dark side. However, most practicing Life Mages in Barsaive specialize in Healing, and have taken Healer vows to never use their powers to hurt another Name-giver. Very few people today realize that their village healer could shatter a bone as easily as mend it.

Life Mages use a variety of implements, tools, and gadgets to perform their magic. They always seem to be surrounded by piles of ingredients, raw materials, potions, dusts, salves, and things that might be mistaken for instruments of torture. They claim that these tools can be used by anyone who "understands," but even other magician Disciplines can never seem to make the vast majority of them work.

A member of any Name-giver race has the potential to become a Life Mage. Dwarves are particuliarly well-suited to be Life Mages because of their hearty bodies and studious temperament. Typically, obsidimen find Life Magic extremely distasteful, and so only a handful are Life Mages, and they usually specialize in healing and calling forth power from plants or animals. Many Windlings and Elves are too fragile to power many spells, but this hasn't stopped several of the Elven elite, the Blood Warders, from mastering the Discipline.

More so than any other, the Life Mage Discipline suffered during the Scourge. A number of exotic herbs, strange and unusual animals, and other ingredients needed to produce Magical Tools and potions were simply not available inside the kaers. As old tools were slowly broken or lost, new ones couldn't be made. The Healing Arts have yet to fully recover from the loss of knowledge. There are no known Life Mages in Throalic Barsaive above Eighth Circle, although legend tells of Life Mages and Healers of higher Circles. The state of the Discipline elsewhere, including Thera, is unknown.

Important Attributes: Perception, Willpower, and Toughness.

Racial Restrictions: None.

Karma Ritual: A Life Mage draws a ceremonial circle on the ground. He stretches his awareness out, and then in, examining the life forces of those around him. He then makes a small cut on both hands, and a thin, glowing trail of blood passes between the two nicks.

Artisan Skills: Tattooing, Scar Tracing, Perfuming, Metal Working.

FIRST CIRCLE

Talents