Haematomancy

Haemotomancy is a conceptual mystical skill that revolves around blood.

Haemotomancy can be used to drain the blood from others to lethal effect, and then use this drained blood to create a variety of different effects. Whilst leeching enemies is most of what this skill does, transfusions and blood control are also utilities of the Haemotomancer.

Haemotomancy effects are normally created by the wearer of a phylactery. The phylactery is worn as a belt as a set of phials, and contains the vital essence which Haemotomancers use to hold more blood while also acting as a magical focus. Only small feats can be achieved by somebody without one.

The command to create haemotomantic effects is Haemo [Haemotomantic Effect] (Target[s]) [(Secondary Target[s])]. Using the command Haemo alone will return a basic readout which includes information about the user's blood supply.

Haemotomancy is a powerful and unique system of magic which relies on blood pools stored within targets and the phylactery. A good haemotomancer is well aware of combat beats, and will often play in an ebb and flow manner, switching from passive resource gathering to powerful offensive or defensive capabilities with every pulse. Drawn out conflicts will leave the haemotomancer thirsty as their personal blood supplies and the available blood dries up, but enemies (and sometimes even allies) will also suffer the negative effects of extreme blood loss.

This use of alternate resources pools allows for an interesting and fun playstyle. Those who really get into the beats of combat will find that this ability has a high skill ceiling, and a high skill reward if used correctly.

### Sample Haemotomantics

Pulse - Count a target's pulse, revealing their health and blood pool.

Leech - Draw out the blood from a target and store it in your personal pool or phylactery if your personal pool is full. This reduces the blood pool of the target and deal health damage. This does more damage to enemies with no blood in their pool, but does not draw blood. You can leech blood from objects or the room if there is some nearby.

Transfuse - Perform a rapid blood transfusion, bolstering the blood pool of a target and restoring health. This restores more health to targets who have a full blood pool. If used on self, this just consumes the blood.

Exsanguinate - Causes a target to begin rapidly bleeding. This will deplete the target's blood pool and cause damage over time. Blood lost through this is stored in a pool on the ground.

Armaments - Create powerful blood armour and weaponry from your blood pool. You can create these armours or weapons on others.

Disperse - Consume your entire blood pool to become a red mist, reducing the damage you take by a flat amount and gaining the ability to use Haemotomancy abilities free of cost for the duration.

Pump - Fill a target's blood pool from their lifeblood, dealing large damage for every point of blood missing. This is an offensive ability but can be used on allies or yourself out of combat, or accompanied with healing in combat.

Still - Slow the flow of blood in a target, damaging their stamina and focus, with increased effect on those who are already missing a lot of blood.

Spate - Cause a rain of blood from your pools, which will slow movement from the room and decrease accuracy as people slip and slide.