BloodSpeakers

[Valodya Bassarov]

This is not a political group, but a cult.

Bloodspeakers
Fascist

The bloodspeaker cult is dominated completely by Kaonashi no Oni. Every bloodspeaker gains their power at least indirectly from Kaonashi no Oni and they are all linked to his whim. The cult believes themselves to be superior beings, and they use the power of maho to mercilessly subjugate others.

Kaonashi no Oni is pragmatic, and he is willing to align with other factions. He is currently considering an alliance with Red Infinity, he is honest enough to admit that he doesn't, nor will he probably ever have the power to take them down. However, Kaonashi still holds hope that he can make an alliance on his own terms, perhaps allowing his cult to operate autonomously outside of Red Infinity's stranglehold on the world.

As Kaonashi recruits more subjects, he will try to spread his influence across the known world. Already he has several potential generals, and he knows that many people will be more than willing to foolishly accept the power he offers.

[Zinn]

Just out of curiosity, what are the negetice aspects of maho, honestly. Don't lie and say none. I just want to know exactly what's happening to Irvine.

[Kaitalish]

Ah, sorry, I didn't realize Bassarov had provided me with this discussion thread. The ramifications are as follows:

Once a character has become tainted, the taint begins to take over every aspect of their being. Like a cancer it spreads throughout their soul, a small black mark that continually grows until it consumes them.

The taint has many effects, both physical and mental. Even if maho is rarely used, it still spreads, though maho accelerates the spread of the taint. Also, certain maho spells that are heavily tainted, such as Kaonashi's Cloud of Taint and Tomb of Earth can drastically increase the taint level.

The following is copied from my Joining Thread, and details the effects being tainted has on you.

Mild:
Nausea, vomiting
Pain in Joints
Skin Thickens, cracking and turning leathery
Skin seeps greasy, yellowish "sweat"
Eyelid swells, obscuring vision
Hair goes white
Phlegmy, wracking cough
Pale, grayish dead complexion
Sunken eyes, cracked lips
Mild paranoia
Disorientation
Mild hallucinations
Increased aggressiveness

Moderate:
Bones begin to warp and thicken
Black lichenlike growth across skin itches incessantly
Reddened, burnlike sores and scars
Eye clouds or blood vessels break, obscuring vision
Lips shrink back from gums
Gums swell, bleed, and rot
Bleeding from eyes, nose, mouth, ears, or lips
Hair falls out
Uncontrollable seizures that wrack the body with spasms
Eruption of painful sores
Sores ooze blood, pus, foul-smelling ooze, spiders or insects, thick pasty substance, maggosts, acidic green slime
Hears voices of evil spirits
Severe paranoia
Fits of uncontrollable, disturbing laughter
Disregard for hygiene and cultural mores.

Severe:
Flesh of nose rots away, leaving skull-like openings
Mutated, deformed fingers, toes, leg, arm, head, ear, eye, or teeth begin to grow on inappropriate parts of the body, then shrivel, rot, and eventually fall out.
Spine twists, back hunches
Severe warping of skeleton, skull enlarges and deforms
Great swollen growths on the body
Lungs eaten away from inside, wet, labored, painful breathing
Eye falls out, leaving gaping socket that glows with eerie green light
Skin peels off in papery sloughs at the slightest touch, leaving red, raw flesh beneath
Fingers or toes begin to web and fuse
Irresistable, murderous urges
Reduced to primitive behavior
Eats inedible or still-living things

Any more questions?

[Anaxrete]

Just one...
HOW THE HELL DO YOU COME UP WITH SUCH NASTY CRAP!!
Hell I dont think anyone will want that power if piece of them will fall away...

[Kaitalish]

Though not at all beyond my ability to create, in this case the concept of the taint is derived from the Legends of the Five Rings CCG storyline, which I merely adapted for this.

And as far as nobody wanting it, I beg to differ. I make a point of telling everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE exactly what will happen should they accept the power that I offer, including my ability to control them through Kaonashi, the side-effects, what have you. People have still taken the power for their characters. Nobody can or should accuse me of saying that I don't tell them what will happen OOC because I make sure that I do.

Oh yes, as far as the taint effects go, that is easily taken care of. There is a power that most of my tsukai have taken called "Taint Surpression." It, in essence, masks the phsyical changes, so the person is more or less normal, though the mental effects do still manifest.

[Zinn]

Hmmm, sounds lovely.

Taint only affects people that use maho, right?

[Kaitalish]

Yes. In the system from which it is adapted, you can get tainted rather easily, but I made it so that you MUST accept the power of maho in order for it to affect you, again for the fairness reason.

[Zinn]

OK. I like this. Do people stay alive indefinitely, no matter how bad the taint gets, or do they eventually die due to the effects?

[Kaitalish]

They don't die. The more tainted you become, the easier it is for me to control you through my "By Ties of Blood you are My Slave" power. Another thing I'm thinking of is having them transform into Oni if the taint gets bad enough, but I must take that up with Bassarov. In the book the taint either kills you, or it consumes you utterly and you become a mindless creature of the taint that follows the commands of the oni without question, depending on how robust you are.

[Kaitalish]

Maho Tsukai:

Kaonashi has been recruiting many humans to his side since he's been active, and chapters of the maho cult can now be found in even the most unlikely of places. Most cultists are human, and have turned towards maho for various reasons, most prevalent amongst the reasons being power.

All Maho Tsukai are bound to Kaonashi no Oni's whim, and any PC bloodspeaker who takes the "By Bonds of Blood You Are My Slave" power can directly control them as well, though they will usually follow orders.

Maho Tsukai usually come in one of these groups:

Loner: A lone practitioner. Most likely to sacrifice taint surpression in exchange for another power.

Small Cabal: Usually consists of three to five practitioners. Might contain a few without taint surpression.

Cabal: Around ten members. Occassionally has a member or two without taint surpression.

Large Cabal: Around twenty five members. Will usually have one or two members without taint surpression.

Chapter: Around fifty members. Almost always has at least one member who doesn't have taint surpression.'

Tsukai Powers: Maho Tsukai gain no powers like ordinary characters, but they do benefit from having some link to Kaonashi.

Maho: A Maho Tsukai can use any one power that Kaonashi no Oni already possesses. They usually have different powers, and have trained to use them in order to compliment each other. Maho Tsukai generally may cast their maho no more than five times.

Maho-Tsukai: All powers require blood in order to work. The amount of blood used determines the potency of the spell. The blood doesn't necesarily have to be the caster's, any blood will suffice. Drawing blood is so natural to the casting of the spell, it takes almost no time at all.

Taint Surpression: Maho Tsukai repress the effects of the taint, and appear as natural humans. If they were to be cut open, the awful truth would become more apparent, as they would have massive bloody pustules and extra limbs growing within them. Sometimes a Tsukai will opt not to take this power in exchange for another Maho ability.

[Kaitalish]

It should be noted that the physical effects of the taint are not felt by Vampires and Demons. Other races, however, feel the full effect.

[Faust]

Wow, what do you know. Im both a vampire and demon. So, im supposed to see you?

[Kaitalish]

Yes.

[Edea]

It seems all of us Bloodspeakers are here.

[Lisa]

yeah....what other peepz r bloodspeakers?