Desiccation

**Desiccation** is a weakness of immortals, original vampires, vampires and hybrids that occurs to their bodies due to the lack of blood consumption. This is an automated process where their bodies dry out due to lack of any type of blood in their system.

In addition, this can also be achieved by bleeding out the body or stopping the heart from pumping.

## **The Effects of Desiccation**

When a vampire does not drink blood their bodies begin to dry out, due to their physiology being forced to feed upon itself in order to survive. When this occurs, overtime the vampire in question becomes weak, and their skin becomes pale.

The vampire in question also becomes weak as a result of a lack of blood, but not enough to kill them. Vampires who have been desiccated for a long time look disturbingly similar to mummified bodies.

After a long period of time, the body of a vampire undergoes a process similar to fossilization, and their limbs become impossible to move unless they are fed. Once a vampire begins to feed again, they return to normal.The color of their skin returns to normal, and they regain their strength. Apparently, desiccation can also happen if the vampire dies in what can be described as a "slow" death, and could also happen at the final stages of being bitten by a Werewolf.

## **Desiccation Spell**

While it is possible to desiccate a vampire by simply withholding blood from him/her, there is one other method that can be used.

Like regular desiccation, a vampire that is desiccated using the desiccation spell can regain their strength when they feed again.

### Methodology

The spell works by stopping a vampire's heart. The spell is considered Dark Magic because it does not rely upon magic that comes from the earth (which is pure), but rather it draws it's power inwardly.

One must also strike a balance with the living. This means that a witch must use a human heart in order to stop the heart of the vampire she wishes to desiccate.

In addition to this stopping a human heart, one must also make a physical connection with the vampire that one wishes to desiccate. To do this you must make a physical connection with something that is connected with the heart of the vampire. It can be a vein or an artery or the heart of the vampire itself. You must also maintain the physical connection with that part of the body that you are touching. If the person in question is no longer touching that part of the body that is connected with the heart or if they are no longer touching the heart itself, then the connection will be broken and the witch performing the spell can no longer desiccate the vampire.

After a vampire is desiccated using this spell their skin becomes grey, and the vampire loses all of their strength. The vampire who's desiccation has been completed can no longer talk, nor walk, nor move at all. They are completely immobilized. The only thing a vampire that has been desiccated can do is move their eyes a little. They can open and close their eyes whenever they wish, though all other parts of their body are completely immobile until someone gives them blood to drink.

### Petrification Spell

**Petrification** is an advanced form of desiccation, capable of witches utilizing Expression to forcefully turn beings into stone at unnatural speeds. It is a critical weakness of immortals, neutralizing them and their advanced psychic abilities and one of the few methods capable of stopping them, albeit temporarily.

## Trivia

* Practitioners of Sacrificial Magic practice a variant of desiccation by touching the victim.
* Practitioners of Expression are able to petrify their victims in a more advanced and instantaneous manner, similar to desiccation.
* Vampires are able to avoid natural desiccation by consuming just a few drops of blood a week
* The White Oak Ash Daggers will almost immediately desiccate an Original Vampire whose heart it pierces, and they will remain desiccated as long as it is in their hearts. When it is removed, they will gain life and mobility enough to walk around but will require blood if they want to regain their strength.