Bloodletter

## Strength from Blood

   ‘Bloodletters’ is a term for a group of diverse races which has developed a gene mutation that added glucose to the individual’s blood structure, as well as further advancing metabolism and regenerative abilities. Whereas this forced mutation enhances most traits to one’s body, it also comes at the cost of a shortened lifespan and a dangerous addiction to blood. A bloodletter is usually recognized by their distinctive glowing red eyes, paler skin than most of their respective races, and their potential to manipulate blood from any source. It’s a common misconception that bloodletters are immortal, as they can still be killed just like their parent race; they rarely die from minor injuries though, as their regenerative capabilities would clot wounds faster to stop healing and eventually recover, but there is no recovering from deadly wounds unless their parent race already shared this trait. Even so, they’re still far more robust in combat due to their high chance of survivability over those without bloodletter genes.

## Origins

Bloodletters were an accidental creation, formed by introducing a diet of monstrous blood to pregnant female elves. The newborn of those experimented females became the first bloodletters: blood-hungry diversions of their mothers, superior in terms of both strength and agility. However, because of an unknown mutation, their blood would henceforth constantly produce glucose, making it a sweet delicacy, and they had to periodically drink blood in addition to almost copious amount of food to keep up with their hyper-metabolism. After an incident that saw a female bloodletter elf having a half-human child, as well as many subsequent similar incidences, it was also revealed that the child always inherits the bloodletter’s genes, in powers and defects alike. On the other hand, whereas the first generation maintained their natural lifespan, it seemed that later generations would die significantly earlier in life. The resulting experiments created a ‘caste’ of cattle subjected to bloodletting. This new caste comprised of slaves of various races with bloodletter genes, which were often forced to breed with each other to birth more of their kind. Male children were usually quelled in numbers, to weaken the population and reduce their chance of rebelling, whereas females would be in a near constant state of pregnancy once of age. This chattel-like slavery would end after the Matrons of Foundation's rebellion.

## Society

Due to the distrust of the other civilized nations to their race, Bloodletters never lived anywhere else other than their own clan cities. They have an isolationist policy to inhibit their own dangerous capabilities, and to shield their own people from the potential of bloodletting practice coming to relevance once more. The policy has always been a way of life in order to preserve their clan's future. As such, three saintly orders were built after a few years in order to keep the population controlled and to safeguard their own people against others: the first order is the Order of Saint Januvil, peacekeepers that roam clan cities as a fore to maintain disciplined harmony. Then, second is the Order of Saint Miladka, whose dedicated hunters secure Rogue Bloodletters and Bloodletters criminals in Bloodletter society where necessary. Lastly, the Order of Saint Danika consists of monster hunters that hunt non-sentient creatures for their blood and bounty, an often-cherished rank by the youth as they are the only ones allowed to set foot outside Bloodletter territory. The clan cities are each governed by their own respective clan leaders, but they all answer to 'Auverling', the de facto leader when it comes to external relationships, who is expected to always strive to uphold the Matrons of Foundation’s values. Usually, leadership roles are filled with females, as the male culling during the age of bloodletting saw very few masculine commanders in the Matrons’ army, but there is no law specifying such requirements, and in practice males are not unseen in higher standings either.

## Religion

The bloodletters worship their ancestors, specifically the Matrons of Foundation as they were the ones who broke the cycle of slavery. There are 7 figures within the group, the most prominent of which are now memorized within the three orders: Saint Januvil represents peace and freedom, Saint Miladka embodies community and collective effort, and Saint Danika symbolizes hard work. The other values of the remaining four patrons, being bravery, honesty, camaraderie and loyalty, are still highly valued, albeit not on the same level. Some dissidents however still recount the tale of the Matrons using non-bloodletter blood to enhance their ability, and most of all how they unjustly controlled others with said power. In theory this would explain the Matrons’ sudden rise to power, implying that they were rogue bloodletters before the term was coined to retain absolute power. However, this claim is commonly regarded as a blatant heretical attempt to remove the law of persecution against Rogue bloodletters, since there are no recorded Rogues in modern society that could control blood to such a degree.