Blooded & Unblooded (Eladrin)

**Blooded** & **Unblooded** are a subrace of Eladrin native to Quayphaven.

## Description

A rare subrace of Fey, these Eladrin are 'born' under the full moon at the perceived age of 4 along with the other half of their 'pair' where they will be eternally bonded both physically and mentally. These 'births' are a rare occurrence, happening without regularity and without any foresight on where one will show, though a pair will never be born within the same ecosystem/location.

Their existence is heralded as a blessing as their birthplace is enriched with a bloom in the surrounding flora, allowing other fey who exist there to gain a plethora of benefits. Due to this, both Blooded and Unblooded are viewed in relative positivity and it is a wonderful thing to be allowed to guide them into their 'adulthood.' Once they've reached the perceived age of 18, they stop physically ageing, and the hunt begins.

## The Hound and the Stag

There are eight known pairs throughout Quayphaven, all of age and locked in their hunt. While younger pairs are known to be more volatile as they grapple with what it means to be an Un/Blooded, it is not unheard of for a fondness to grow through their time together. The love that can build between a bonded pair is hard to explain and complicated, but is something that can happen when one spends every moment with another, even in their dreams. It is said that the oldest known pair are even considered life partners, though no one seems to have been able to confirm this.

## Personality

Typically elusive hermits, Blooded and Unblooded often keep to their own or to those they've created tight bonds with, such as the ones who reared them into adulthood.

Personalities vary drastically, like any other fey. Though Blooded tend to be more confident than their Unblooded.

## Paired Abilities

* The pair is telepathically connected, though both parties must be 'open' to communication to allow the thoughts to go through.
* The pair do not sleep nor meditate. When they fall into any sort of rest, they will be met with their pair if the other is resting as well. Here, they may converse but not touch and are able to see into the others surroundings.
* A Blooded can innately sense the whereabouts of their Unblooded when at a great distance. However, once they've come within a close enough radius, this mental compass is seemingly disabled and they must now actively begin searching using their own abilities and skill.

## The Hunt (Blooded)

As a Blooded turns 18, they are overcome with the need to seek out and kill their Unblooded, in which they will use all their skills in tracking, hunting, and their psychic bond to find their Unblooded half. Depending on their Unblooded, this hunt can take a few days to months before finally catching their pair.

Each Blooded has honed their own set of skills for this lifelong endeavor. Since the moment they are 'born' they are taught various skills to survive in Quayphaven, making them one of the more honed fighters of the realm. Beyond this, they are taught the responsibility of their existence and what it means to be a Blooded by those that raise them.

## The Hunt (Unblooded)

As an Unblooded turns 18, they become the unwilling prey of their paired Blooded. This, for most, begins a lifetime of travel where they must leave their homes in an effort to put as much space between themselves and their hunter.

Fey that have a kinship with them have been known to deter the hunt as much as possible; leading the Blooded astray or pestering them until they have to leave, but they never directly attempt to stop the fight when it begins.

## Endless Cycle

When a hunt is successful, the Blooded will head back to their place of 'birth' to stock up on supplies and handle personal business. Only then, upon their return, does their Unblooded awake back in their own birthplace, where the hunt will then begin again. This is one of the minimum implements of "fairness" that are instituted in their existence, ensuring a Blooded cannot simply wait to kill their Unblooded instantly upon their wake.

In some exceedingly rare cases that an Unblooded doesn't just attempt to escape their hunt but manages to end the life of their Blooded, they do not need to return to their place of birth like the other must, but instead have only a week to prepare for the cycle to begin again before their Blooded awakes.

*It is considered taboo to interfere with the hunt. This isn't entirely well known to those outside of the social circles that revolve around these fey, but to intercede beyond simple deterrents is frowned upon as it is a direct violation of the life cycle a Blooded and Unblooded represent.*

Outliers

* If an *Unblooded* is killed by another creature that is *not* their Blooded, there is a painful and abrupt snap of their connection for the Blooded that sends them into a grief-stricken, frenzied rage. The hunt then shifts to the creature that has murdered their bonded pair, in which the Blooded will not rest until the creature is eliminated.

* If a *Blooded* is killed by another creature that is *not* their Unblooded, the connection is severed painfully, sending the Unblooded into a spiraling grief and feverish illness until their Blooded awakes again a week later.

## Threats

Besides the continuous hunt from their Blooded, Unblooded Eladrin's typically can travel with somewhat of a protective bubble around them. Most sentient creatures don't dare attempt to harm them in fear of earning the ire of their paired Blooded.

## Notable Blooded

* **Shrike** - Bellamy's Blooded
* **Tick** - An antagonistic Blooded who is searching for his Unblooded

## Notable Unblooded

* **Bellamy** - Unblooded currently travelling with the party
* Piccolo - Tick's missing Unblooded