Blood Shaper

Book 3: Chapter 60

“Our most vigorous and dedicated researcher-“

“Enough!” Kay interrupted Eleniah, still gasping for breath. “You have to stop so we can finish this up.”

Ahthia’s internal war was a loud one. Her obvious division between wanting to experiment with the Sublime Skill Kay had gotten from one of his tier five options battled against her obvious desire for what was the better path for both Kay and Avalon. And it was funny.

It was funny enough that Eleniah started teasing her about it and got Kay laughing hard enough that it was several more minutes before they could go back to recording and discussing Kay’s other tier five Class options.

Ahthia glared at the elven teacher with a blush, also still trying to get her breath back. “That was funny,” she admitted, “But he’s right; we do need to finish.”

“Alright, alright. What’s the next one? “Master of Shaped Red” or something?”

“Master of Shaped Crimson,” Kay corrected, “Here’s what it says.”

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Class: Master of Shaped Crimson (Combination of Blood Manipulator + Bloody Shaper + Blood Melder)

- Blood is your metal, mana your forge, will your hammer, the magic of others your fuel, and your creations testaments to your power. Create weapons, armor, accessories, and more from blood and enchanted items to meet your own needs and the needs of those around you.

Class Skill: Forge of Crimson

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Skill: Forge of Crimson (Level N/A)

- As a smith and enchanter construct with metal and magic, you will build with blood. The Skill allows the user to create permanent items made of blood through a ritualistic crafting process guided by the will and imagination of the user. The entirety of the crafting process must be finished in one continuous session, or all materials will be lost. This Skill allows the user to impart the items created with magic from outside sources through melding, including but not limited to other magical items, magical effects or abilities pulled from blood, or Skill effects or abilities pulled from blood. The mana costs of this Skill are dependent on what is being created. This Skill will compensate for failures in planning, imagination, conceptualization, and the balancing of effects or abilities when creating items, to a limited degree. Higher levels in this Skill decrease mana costs, increase the level of correction applied by the Skill in case of failures, and passively increase the strength of items created.

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“How is that a Combat Class?” Kay wondered after reading it out to them.

“It might not be,” Eleniah replied as she frowned at him, obviously thinking hard, “That sounds a lot like it would be a Non-Combat Class.”

“How do I combine three Combat Classes into a Non-Combat Class?”

“I think…” Eleniah trailed off for a moment before focusing on Kay, “Do you remember how I’ve talked about things with the System not making a lot of sense in certain circumstances. Sorry, not the System itself, but people’s theories or ideas about it,” She corrected herself.

“A bit; you haven’t talked about it in a lot of detail in a while.”

“But you know at least a little bit since I’ve mentioned it before. I’ve been studying a few different topics and gathering some information and some testimonies from people to get more of an idea, but I believe that most scholars and researchers leave out an important part of how the System actually works from their theories.”

“Which is?”

“Intent.” She frowned and glanced up into the sky, “I believe that the System gathers a lot of information about what we are aiming for and uses that to tweak our Classes and Skills just a little bit differently for each person. You haven’t actually been using Meld Blood in combat a lot, right? You’ve been using the results of it in combat, or others have, but you haven’t actually been using the Skill by itself in combat. You’ve been using it to craft things.”

Kay nodded as he started to catch on, “So the System sees what I’ve been doing with the Skill and is tailoring it to me, which is giving me a Class that is probably a Non-Combat Class…”

“Exactly. I have a lot more research to do to really put this out there as a theory, but it’s been working so far. The way people get offered their first Class and the way you can take vastly different tier four Classes and make them into an actual tier five Class, no matter how weird, both back it up.”

“Interesting,” Kay stared at the description while he mulled it over, “So if I use Meld Blood more directly in fights, I might be able to get offered a different tier five Class with the same combination of tier fours?”

Eleniah nodded, “That’s what I think. I’m hoping that with my position here in Avalon and the goal of finding out more so that we can grow better as a nation, I can get more people to give me details about their Classes so I can prove or disprove my theory. If I can document enough examples of people combining the same tier four Classes into different tier five Classes, or even into Classes with the same name but differences in the descriptions or effects…”

“Huh. Well, I can try and figure out a way to use Meld Blood more while I fight to try and get you another data point.”

“Try and meld different effects or abilities from monster blood into yourself while you fight,” Ahthia commented without looking up from her copious note-taking, “The description of Forge of Crimson implies that might be possible.”

Kay read it again and found what she was talking about, “Oh, I never even thought of that as a possibility.”

Ahthia looked up, her eyes blazing with excitement, “I added it to the things to test! It also implies that my previous idea could work if you get more levels in Meld Blood or maybe another Skill!” She poked him in the leg with her pencil, “Read the rest!”

“Alright, alright.”

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Class: Sanguine Broken Mirror (Combination of Blood Manipulator + Blood Melder + Simulacrum Creator (Blood))

- From their blood, a mirror, perhaps twisted or slightly cracked, but a reflection all the same. From their own vital fluid, birth a broken mirror that can end them with their own lifeblood.

Class Skill: Broken Sanguine Mirror

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Skill: Broken Sanguine Mirror (Level N/A)

- Create the Broken Sanguine Mirror and create a red reflection of whatever its bloody gaze lands upon. This Skill allows the user to create the Broken Sanguine Mirror, a flat, reflective sheet of blood powered by the user’s magic, for a high mana cost. By adding any amount of blood from a living being to the Mirror and catching a reflection of that being in the Mirror, the user may create an almost perfect copy of that being out of blood. Created copies of a being of a lower tier than the user have their Classes and Skills copied almost exactly; if a copy is created from a being of a higher tier than the user, the copied Classes and Skills will have noticeable flaws. The mana cost of copying a being is based on their tier, with copying higher-tier beings being more expensive. Only one copy of a being may exist at one time. Higher levels of this Skill increase the strength and quality of created copies and slightly decrease the mana cost of creating the Mirror and the mana costs of creating copies.

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“That’s… something? It seems strong, I think?”

“It’s in line with what you’ve been doing with your simulacra to an extent,” Eleniah commented, “Creating singular simulacra that are an attempt to make the best copy you can of whoever the simulacrum is of is something that you do often enough. Your other tier-five options have been closer to the idea of making multiple blood golem-type constructs, while this is more directly in line with the idea of making a simulacrum of someone. The Blood Pawns or Rooks you could make technically have other people’s Skills or Classes, or your own, but they don’t focus on that.”

“Should it go high on the list? Or further down?” Kay asked, unsure.

“Umm… I think this one is based more on your gut feeling or how interested you are in it.”

“Agreed,” Ahthia chimed in, “It’s not immediately useful like the upgraded healing Class, so I think it should go below that, but whether it’s higher than other stuff is up to you.”

Kay thought it over for a moment before shrugging. “We can circle back to it later. Everything else is a bit nebulous until I unlock the combination of all the Classes we decided on.” He moved on to the next Class option.

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Class: Sanguine Augmentor (Combination of Blood Manipulator + Bloody Healer + Blood Booster + Blood Melder)

- The veins in a body are a road network that carry both vital resources and information. Take those resources and that information and tweak them, changing both the roads and what is carried into something that is stronger and more in line with your vision.

Class Skill: Blood-Borne Augmentation

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Skill: Blood-Borne Augmentation (Level N/A)

- Take the blood of others and use it to fuel changes in yourself or others. The Skill allows the user to integrate mana-rich blood into their own body or the bodies of other creatures in order to create temporary changes in the recipient of the blood based on the physical or magical abilities, Skills, or Classes of the blood’s original source. Higher levels in this Skill will allow more complex or powerful effects to be implemented into the recipient or potentially make some changes permanent.

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The wide-eyed stares Kay got from both women after sharing this new Class option lacked the excitement and wonder from when they heard about the potential Sublime Skill and instead were filled with apprehension and aversion.

“That Class sounds like it has the potential for power and for exploitation,” Ahthia said slowly. “I can think of a lot of different effects you could get from monster blood…”

“But there’s also a lot of strength you could get from the blood of sapient beings,” Eleniah continued the thought with a grimace, “That sounds enough like a Vampyr that I’m leery.”

Kay chuckled humorlessly, “My first thought went to experimenting on people since it says ‘potentially make some changes permanent’. But yeah, harvesting people of their blood so I can give myself some magic or a Skill’s effect temporarily sounds like a problem too. I say this Class goes on the maybe list, and we discuss this with the rest of my council later.”

“’Agreed.’”

“I hope these last two aren’t going to make my head hurt like the last two.”

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Class: Blood Knight Originator (Combination of Blood Manipulator + Blood Shaper + Blood Melder + Simulacrum Creator (Blood))

- Blood is as much an identifier as it is a source of life, as much a font of creation as it is a vital flow. Take strength, direction, and gear to form knights that will serve under your banner. These knights take the form of any ally or enemy you have the blood of; armed and armored in their gear, they will sweep aside your foes and bring order to your lands.

Class Skill: Create Blood Knights

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Skill: Create Blood Knights (Level N/A)

- Knights, armed and armored in the gear of those you bleed. This Skill allows the user to create up to three sets of strong simulacra from blood that copy the Classes and Skills of any individual whose blood is used as part of the creation of the simulacra. The blood of up to three individuals may be used to create the three sets, with each set using a single individuals blood per set or the blood of one individual being used for all sets, the individual(s) being copied must be of the same tier or less as the user, and the Skills and Classes of the individual(s) being copied are reduced to one-third of the copied individuals Skill level and Class tier. All sets of simulacra are created bearing arms and armor that match the fighting style of the copied individual(s) or shaped to the will of the user. Higher levels of this Skill increase the number of knights created per set, increase the strength of copied Classes and Skills, and allow the creation of more powerful arms and armor.

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Class: Blood Champion Originator (Combination of Blood Manipulator + Blood Shaper + Blood Melder + Blood Enhancer + Simulacrum Creator (Blood))

- Blood is as much an identifier as it is a source of life, as much a font of creation as it is a vital flow. Combine form, power, magic, gear, and ambition to become the originator of champions that will unleash destruction or bring order as you command. These champions will be in the form of your allies or enemies, born of their blood, and will be the strong arms that bring your ambitions into reality.

Class Skill: Create Blood Champions

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Skill: Create Blood Champions (Level N/A)

- Staunch warriors born from the blood of friend or foe. This Skill allows the user to create up to four sets of powerful simulacra from blood that copy the Classes and Skills of any individual whose blood is used as part of the creation of the simulacra. The blood of up to four individuals may be used to create the four sets, with each set using a single individuals blood per set or the blood of one individual being used for all four sets; the individual(s) being copied must be a maximum of one tier higher than the user, and the Skills and Classes of the individual(s) being copied are reduced to one-half of the copied individuals Skill level and Class tier. All sets of simulacra are created with weapons, armor, and gear that are enchanted with magical effects that match the fighting style of the copied individual(s), with magical effects added that benefit said fighting style(s). The gear and enchantments may also be tailored as the user desires instead. Higher levels of this Skill increase the number of champions created per set, increase the strength of copied Classes and Skills, and allow the creation of stronger weapons, armor, and gear with improved magical effects.

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Both of the last two tier five Class options were increased versions of the Blood Pawn Originator Class and followed the same direction of increases that Blood Rook Originator started. Although there were some interesting divergences that Kay wasn’t sure about.

“Why does the Class with just Blood Melder added allow me to make simulacra sets with weapons and armor without magic, but the one with Blood Enhancer lets me add to magic? That doesn’t seem to match the Classes that get added to the combination.”

“Maybe the simulacra need the power from Blood Enhancer to stay stable with the added magic?” Ahthia suggested, “They are all being made out of the same blood in one go, after all.”

“That’s interesting, but why is it saying these ‘Blood Champions’ will be your strong arms? That’s my job!” Eleniah complained.

“You think you’re both of my arms? I’d agree that you’re probably my left hand, but both arms?” Kay teased her.

“Hey! You’re right-handed! I’m your right hand!”

“No, Amanda is definitely my right hand. She gets so much more work done than you do.”

“Why you!” Eleniah dove at him and turned their mostly serious training and information-gathering session into a playful wrestling match that delayed even more of the work that they all needed to be doing.

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