Blood Magic {Lore - Spoilers All} 

"Blood magic is illegal until it's convenient." Huh... this sounds strangely like reality...

**Watches blood magic video** **Learns about women periods**

"Can mages just reach down and use their tampon to summon a demon?" Is a quote that deserves to be preserved in amber and kept for future generations

Almost choked on food with the emo harry potter, school of blood magic lol. Great indepth video.

The question about period blood actually makes me happy because that means there are a lot of women players who would absolutely think about that because it is a huge issue in our lives. I was one of the 1 in 5, but am now in menopause which bring an interesting idea where a female blood mage may lose her edge with menopause? What if Wynne started having hot flashes instead, would her fire spells get stronger?

I'm just imaging warden amell like "If i'm suffering from this (heavy period), darkspaw will suffer more!"

I've been thinking about Blood Magic, Lyrium; the blood of Titans, and how they relate. Also about the magic that Genlocks wield... They were Dwarves, which makes their use of magic extra mysterious. Solas says that using Blood Magic makes it harder to enter the Fade, which is why he doesn't use it. So first of all, why does using Blood Magic make it harder to enter the Fade... and second, where does he say Blood Magic is used in place of a connection to the Fade and that it thins the Veil? As for the ethics of Blood Magic, I'm with Solas. It's quite simple: unethical use would be unethical; same as anything else, like a sword. There are grey areas with anything potentially fatal or harmful. Then again, Blood Magic seems to be 'necessarily' harmful and painful, but harm and pain are not innately evil. For example: the only way to grow and strengthen musculature is by harming it, causing pain, and then letting it heal. And I'd say it's close to a definitive "yes, you can use menstrual blood for Blood Magic," for me. It seems the goal-posts are changing on this topic. First it is said that Blood Magic is more like Life-Sacrifice, loss of blood being the cost/catalyst, but now with menstrual blood it is said that it wouldn't be effective because the pain is the defining factor behind the power of the blood, not the life energy... and you're taking it a step further by saying even though menstruation is painful, the pain itself isn't caused by the bleeding so it wouldn't work? I don't buy that at all. It should be perfectly viable in my opinion. Not only is it painful, it's also very emotional and distressing, and considering that you're literally losing some of yourself via blood, tissue, eggs, the sacrifice of life energy is definitely there; and here we have all the defining factors for powerful blood magic. The only grey area I can see is that it's not what we would consider "harm being inflicted," but if a woman must heal after menstruation, which I'm unsure of, then I'd say there isn't even a grey area. Great video, thanks for sharing. I just think we need to clarify and define what these concepts mean and how they function to achieve a full comprehension. Like what makes a mage and magic? A connection to the Fade. So a connection to the Fade is required to perform Magic, but there is also usually a cost/catalyst. Mana, Life, Lyrium... speaking of which, what even is Mana? Something in Mages gives them an innate connection to the Fade. What is it? Mana? We have to define the function of blood magic and the source of it's power. Is it sacrifice, pain, violent emotion, inflicting harm, or all of them? It would help us come to an understanding if we had a complilation of every single case of Blood Magic in Dragon Age to refer to. Anyway, the Seekers can gain a connection to the Fade as non-mages, while still being able to use magic. Their connection is based on a Spirit of Faith, so it seems a mage and blood, and whatever gives it power, is not necessary to establish a connection and cast magic. And the cost? They just breathe, using stamina to cast spells. Very interesting form of magic. As for the Genlocks, I believe it's only "Emissaries" which have this connection, and it seems reasonable to say that the Archdemon is responsible for granting the connection... as who else would they be an emissary/messenger of who has the ability to grant a connection to the Fade? Perhaps a Magister like Corypheus. It's also probable that they may have rituals for summoning demons to grant them a connection to the Fade. Then we have the Tranquil and Dwarves to factor in and why they aren't affected by lyrium as much. The Tranquil have lost their connection to the Fade, and thus their emotions. Therefore, their mind is calm; no ripples that can become waves under the amplification of Lyrium. Or that's how I think of it. The question is, what is the common link between Tranquil and Dwarves that allows them to handle lyrium? I presume it's their lack of a connection to the Fade. But why are they unable to connect? For Dwarves it may have something to do with their relationship to the Titans and how Templars use the blood of those Titans to reinforce reality when they "battle the Fade," so to speak. Similarly, Templars also perform the Rite of Tranquility, so it would make sense if lyrium was also used to reinforce reality around the subject's mind so that it prevents any connection. And as a final note, you have peaked my interest on the Mortalitasi and how Necromancy is considered Blood Magic. Especially considering Origins places Necromancy under Spirit Magic, not Blood.

I'm pretty sure there was a journal of a slave (or some form of memory) that was talking about how all blood slaves are kept healthy and in good living conditions while regular slaves were poorly fed and lived in cold mud puddles or something. This would mean that poor health affects blood magic negatively. I don't remember enough to find the source though.

I'm calling dwarf bloodmage abomination sandal as the final boss of the franchise. The music swells, a single tear runs down Sandal's cheek, and he turns to the MC: "...Enchantment..."

Lyrium is the blood of a sleeping titan. So technically every mage is a blood mage. Haha.

Nevarra: “it’s not blood magic it’s necromancy” My brother in Christ that is not better

3:29 Did somebody called Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way?

I could be wrong about this so don’t quote me but I believe raw lyrium is more dangerous than the refined forms that people use, stated by the dwarf that sells you raw lyrium in origins. It is also shown that lyrium isn’t needed for spells but augments some spells and makes others possible similar to blood magic

the period discussion honestly brings to mind the possibilities of blood magic during childbirth

Plot twist, blood mages study it as a cure for erectile dysfunction

I was not expecting to see My Immortal surface on a video about Dragon Age but there it is and I am LIVING

The blood thirst ability for the warrior is one of my favorite throughout the game.

this makes me wonder about what you could do with templar blood (or from other sources that would also have a high lyrium content within the blood)

That.. was definitely not the question I was expecting, never occured to melmao

Yay!! I've been waiting for you to cover this topic:)

Hey! i just made my first theory on DA, and it absolutely held both the hard tinfoil theory at 1:14, and "is lyrium bloodmagic"... And now i have commented on one of your videos as well. Another step down the DA rabbit hole! (thank you for all videos, they are all great.)

9:54 oo oo make the veil!! Maybe that mural shows the power of a blood magic ritual on a titan that solas used to destroy the elven world!

So if you take the necromancy prestige class in DAI, you are actually doing a kind of blood magic? Cool. I didn’t T know there was a blood element to the Mortalitasi

When you mentioned at the end how we don’t entirely know how or if the participant’s health could affect the potency of blood magic spells, it makes me curious how much power someone with leukemia would/could have (leukemia is cancer of the blood btw)

you really want to meet a period mage?

The main theory I have on why blood magic can be use for dream walking but still lessen you connection with the fade. It is that it is a much more physical power, that effects the world from the physical side of the veil. A byproduct of this magic is that you are more firmly connected to the physical world thus weakening you connection with the fade, but you can still enter it by ripping the physical side of the veil allowing access.

I imagine magic might work somewhat like molecules, and when concentrated can change things on a quantum level. Lyrium is solid, liquid and its molecules probably float freely through the air as well. Similar to ice/water/steam. At one point it was very much present in the air that the elves breathed which allowed them to shape the world around them at will, until Solas 'held back the sky'. Like he changed the molecules in the air to be out of phase and it created this seperate dimension. The more concentrated lyrium gets, the more powerful it becomes; from simple enchantments infusing weapons and armor with a single property, refined lyrium for templars and mages to boost their natural abilities, to raw lyrium being deadly on touch but allowing Titans to reshape entire mountains. What this means is that if Solas wants to 'tear down the veil', he would have to reverse the proces. I see no problem with the gaseous form of lyrium coming back (besides people's dreams/nightmares/wishes/curses etc coming true with all sorts of consequences). But this all does not explain spirits, and they have proven to be the real danger when forced back into our reality. (I admit, I'm typing this at 1am after a long day so some of this might not make sense scientifically. If so, please reply with additions or corrections ;) )

Hmm what If the blight wasnt from the fade, but actually from a titan that was used in a blood ritual? Red lyrium is blighted lyrium so what if red lyrium is the initial blight form.

I did not expect a lesson on menstruation but I'm not complaining!

As far as the possibility of ethical uses of blood magic, I recently found out David Gaider in an interview years ago casually dropped that the Joining is also blood magic, which kinda makes sense since there is a tradition of killing a Darkspawn and getting its blood rather than just saving a cauldron of Darkspawn blood somewhere. So, as long as you view the Grey Wardens as a general good thing, then there is at least one ethical use.

Hey Ghil, great vid as always. I'm curious though, do you think could blood magic be applied to/useful with healing? Like, I don't *remember* there being any precedent for it in the series but couldn't the whole, controlling the flow of someone's blood thing be extremely helpful when dealing with terrible wounds/amputations and such?

"In Tevinter It's Common For Parents To Teach Their Children A Bit Of Blood-Magic - Even those That Are Generally Against it" Do you know On the Top of your head where this lore comes from?? :D It's interesting & i wanna read it! 5:06

Do you think because lyrium is the blood of titans, and the Titans had the power to shape the world, that's why lyrium a give mages more power to bend reality, while giving templars the power to negate that? Either way you are shaping the world.

Very cool!!!!!

If blood magic can cure tainted eluvians and griffon eggs, I hope it can cure the Wardens too. or at least mix some dragon blood in there since, iirc, they posses some form of defense against the blight (i.e. maric’s dragon bone blade)

Like everything, everything in moderation can be good and prohibition never works.

My grandmother told me “monthly” magic carries great weight. Ffs 🤣😂🤣 I actually asked her if it matters.

To add to the menstrual blood magic thing: periods change after having kids or menopause or even transitioning, so by all accounts it wouldn’t be the best blood to use. Also those who suffer from endometriosis may suffer enough pain for the blood magic to work.

If it's not the blood but the life force that allows the magic and since we've already entered the realm of uncomfortable topics (didn't expect to think about period blood for magic when clicking this lol): I wonder if semen could be used in magic and get similar results. If it can I wonder if the same could be done with female Egg cells. Since these sprout forth life it may even be more potent then blood. Just a thought.

Starting to wonder about the team that created blood magic and Reave. Somewhere in there someone at Bioware _obviously_ had actual energy work/Magickal training. Mercedes Lackey was one of the first writers who I read who was actually a worker, and it showed. Sometimes the magic state is realistic enough to make me go 'eeeeesh.'

Blood and Lirium magic are kinds that can enable anyone to use magic which is pretty cool. Solus complaining about it just sounds like one more thing that’s his fault! 😂

Anyone else think she was talking about her personal life when she said don’t ask about her personal world state.

Caitie, what about demons and binding? Like how the Grey wardens used blood sacrifices and then binding the demons?

"Imagine the power using a Titan In a blood ritual, all the power you could hold." Well idk let's find out 👀 someone's gonna make a very foolish or very good idea

as noted in DA3 with it's ability to be blighted Lyrium is alive in it's own right even in it's minable state thus it's age doesn't matter as it's the act of using it that takes the life force of the Lyrium so mechcanically it'd work the same way as blood magic in how it gets the power just said power is used in different ways. this would also work for darkspawn mages as they don't use blood magic as people know it but draw the magic from the blight which is also in their blood and even allows darkspawn to not need to eat or drink ever it would suggest magic in general even that done by the old elves just takes power from life in one form or another

so do we have any codex's on tainted Titians? or did red Lyrim come later?

BLOOD MAGIC YESS!!!!

Blood magic is my personal favorite aspect of Dragon age. Not inherently unique as a work of fiction but it’s depiction in DAO and DA2 is awesome

The psychic damage I took at 3:28...

My go to sourse of magic 🙃🫢

Can animals be used in blood magic?

I just don't understand why Solas says that using blood magic weakens one's connection to the fade since it also weakens the veil. From what we know until now it seems contradictory since we assume that the veil being thinner the connection to the fade would be easier. Just seems like there's a link missing.

If the energy that is powering the spell comes from the energy released from a person losing life force, shouldn't you be able to siphon that energy from a person dying of a fatal disease w/o bleeding them?

I don’t know if Titans could count as blood magic because what a titan isn’t actually known. Is it a actual an actual creature or person or is it more like a golem a mix of rock, magic, and something spirit-like that is probably a little on the feral side.

Could Bloodmagic could be used to heal someone or yourself?

I view Blood Magic in 2 groups Light using yourself or someone willing to give freely and Dark using others against their wills. That being said I would try to use it as defensively as I could pretty much Shielding myself from blood mages

I still wonder if using lyrium is blood magic

I clicked for Ghil content, stayed for the menstrual cycle crash course I love you xD

What about the joining for grey wardens or drinking dragon blood and becoming a reaver

The solution is simple: Stalk battle fields and use the death and agony of the mages and soldiers to get permanently stronger.

I... did not expect the final question, but the answer was informative and interesting. Good video. Have to say though, if necromancy is a form of blood magic, then sidestepping the blood magic tree by calling it 'necromancy' in Inquisition is hardly an improvement...?

This video does NOT show up in the Lore playlist, dont know if that was intentional, just wanted to point it out

Well it was gaxkan( don't quote me on the name) in 1 that taught humans how to use blood magic, not really a debate since it's in his character lore

If blood magic is more about the life force coming from the blood, and less on the blood its self, do you think we could get the same effect, if not more powerful effects, if we were to find a way to syphon that life energy directly off someone? Perhaps in a time oriented chronomancy type way, sucking the very years of life off someone? Or even sucking the very spirit out of someone? Id think that if that were to be able to be done, it would be an even more "pure" form of life essence, and could perhaps be even more potent then regular blood magic.

The ban of blood magic is treated like necromancy is in other games like in oblivion

I think lyrium usage is blood magic. I just think it’s more acceptable and they obviously forgot about titans over centuries I think it’s the same as the joining, power of blood or the phylacteries .

Period blood....at first I was like that's GENIUS!! But then I was like Really?! 😑 Lmao 🤣

I doubt that necromancy is necessarily blood magic. Looking at the DAI necromancy skill tree and comparing it to the blood mage specialization in the previous games, especially DA2, it really does seem like bioware just made a class that mimics the playstyle of a blood mage. The inquisitor being a blood mage would break the lore so I would go with the explanation that necromancer was just a replacement for blood mage. Also, the spells and some of the passives in necromancer (ie. spirit bomb, getting mana from fallen enemies, horror, etc.) were apart of different schools of magic before and they weren't considered blood magic. The Nevarran necromancers may use blood magic in their necromancy but the necromancer/blood mage thing in DAI's class specialization mechanics wouldn't be good evidence for it.

to respond to the quote about the lovers. That quote essentially suggests that sacrificing your own life for another is evil. Under most circumstances a lover sacrificing their life for the one they love would be considered heroic and romantic. but because he uses blood magic to save his lover rather than taking a bullet for her suddenly the ethics of his sacrifice are called into question? that makes no sense!

Do a video on dream walking

Huh... A Blood magic sacrifice on a Titan.... That would be powerful..., One might even say it could reshape the world...

Things turn very grey, very fast, huh? It's been like that since we first met the Grey Wardens. 😆 Thanks for another great video, Caitie! PS, you forgot trans men and NB folks. We bleed by the moon too. (Get with it girl, DA Day is around the corner and you got to up your game and stuff! 👏👏👏)

Why would someone have that question?

0:58 - I actually think the Tevinters both learned it from the ancient Elves AND from the Old Gods, as I think both are closely related.

I wish the inquisitor could use blood magic. I play a blood mage in the other games. Sucks they took it away

The introduction of mage spell-sword class would be an awesome addition for DA4. Conflict naturally causes pain and draws blood, should the spell not require a lot of time, it may be a valid combat tactic… just sayin.

Is dragon age the only series that has blood magic?

3:00 BeCauSe ItS MaGiC Lol

so. I'm one of the people who could use my period for blood magic apparently

Magic is Magic like water is water proper study cen be safe i use my mage exstra mana scource but Magic made harvester need be forbidden

I miss the blood From origins it made the mage so much more powerful

I've always wondered if it was possible to be a blood mage and became an expert on it without loosing yourself to the demons. I mean... We can play as a Blood Mage Warden and a Blood Mage Hawke, but neither of them really show much expertise on the matter. Besides, the mechanical implications that becoming a blood mage have wouldn't be possibly put on the game, mostly because it's a bit too much effort for just one possible path that the players can take. But returning to the origin of my question... Is it mandatory that all Blood Mages end up calling and summoning demons for more power? Is it because the most powerful Blood spells are only known by demons, or just because they're the easy way to get them?

I think you underestimate the amount of blood people lose during their period. The average is apparently 6 to 8 teaspoons (though mine for example is significantly more when I don't take the pill. In the first few days I'd go go through that in a day probably.) Heavy menstrual bleeding is defined as losing 80ml or more in each period. When you think about how characters use pretty destructive spells with one cut to their arm, I'd say you get a decent amount of power from that. Generally though, the amount of power from blood magic isn't exactly well thought out in the games and people seem to just jump from cuts to their own arm to mass murder as the next step...

Dragon Age - blood magic is basically Harry Potter the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra, the Cruciatus Curse, Crucio, and the Imperius Curse, Imperio. Haha 😄 🤣 unforgivable lol

Now for the *really* gross, REALLY gross question: [ Trigger warnings: blood, pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage ] what about miscarriages? something like half of all "pregnancies" are terminated by the body within the first week or two and aren't noticeably different from a normal late period, but, would the auto-termination of the fetus be considered a greater form of suffering, for the fetus or the mother? or would the magic consider the fetus to have been already dead, or never alive? Buuuut, stepping outside of the lore for a second- there is no way to tackle that question without tackling the question of abortions, and I am ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAIN that Bioware will not ever introduce a magical form of *The Abortion Question* in their series. xD So i suppose the only answer we'll ever have is: "however it works, it isn't relevant".

Lol! 1 in 5 is 20% of women! 1 for every 5 you see. That’s…….not even a little bit minuscule 😂 (I saw your moment there when you realized what you said)

Funny how Entropy is considered ok, how Death magic is considered ok (both from DAO), but Blood Magic is not xD I fundamentally disagree with that quote which was used. The sacrifice of that man is no different than the sacrifice of someone who threw themselves at a blade to protect someone they loved. In both scenarios the good person dies, and we could debate if that death was necessary, but it is ultimately an act of sacrifice. I personally am not a big fan of the whole "let's sacrifice ourselves for that other thing", but it's not proof of it being amoral or wrong to sacrifice one's own life to save another, and a lot of characters in DA do just that.

So a dev said necromancy is blood magic, but I don't really see how that can be a universal truth. They establish a few times that blood magic uses blood to *power* or *fuel* the spell. So because necromancers don't *have* to consume life in order to draw spirits into the bodies of the dead, then necromancy is not inherently blood magic. Right?

Sorry I can't help this comment: Sandal is the Maker! Okay random comment is done. (Bows)

So shapeshifting isn't blood magic :/

Elf bias is a common denominator in videos. "Elves probably taught it to humans." Meanwhile it is clearly stated Dwarves uplifted humans from hunter gatherer tribes, not elves and blood magic was common in Dwarven society. Runes for instance are blood magic, gangue is bad blood of the stone/lyrium, we even call mineral deposits veins.

Hot Take but the fact that Blood Magic called for violent death doesnt mean it's evil. Thedas is a cruel world and the magic does not pass moral judgement: yes a blood mage has incentive to kill someone extremely violently, but a Reaver has incentive to hurt themselves, doesn't mean they can't control it or do it continuosly. A mage could decide to use blood magic fighting templars to defend himself and he could kill the templar by making on them suffer in an horrifical way while their blood strangle the others and summons a demon to serve the mage. But who got hurted? Innocents? They did not. The only people that got hurted was a group of people that was trying to kill the mage in the first place and so even if their death was extremely painful to make the mage stronger, it's still self-defence. It's not different by a fire mage burning someone horrifically to scare enemies away. It's a demonstration of power and violence. For which cause and when to use it it's still up to the single individual.

There is not ethical blood magic under Andrastianism.

Thats funny. People would run in fear of a blood mage on her period like, Maker, she's cramping, everybody run!

Personally I think that we should see truly benevolent blood mages around. People who’s intentions are good and methods only hurt themselves but provide them with the tools to help people like any other mage. Maybe there’s a blood mage who has the ability to cure diseases and poisons by preforming a complex ritual in which they use their blood to cleanse the diseased body of the recipient in some form of blood circle. It could symbolize purification by joining two life forces together, requiring good in the mage in order to work.

Before getting really nerdy, I'd like to be annoying and point out that some trans men also menstruate and some cis-women don't. Just a quick correction. OK, so here's something fun to think about instead: Blood magic is probably (according to the lore) the best path for any mage character that is in your party in any of the games to take. Why? Because the game is fundamentally built around running around, murdering any foe that comes in your way, causing pain and death, fueling that mage's blood magic. I mean, if you get in that many fights on the regular, why not use it? What I think I'm trying to say is that blood magic cannot function the way it does in the lore because it would break the game, so it has to work that way. Doesn't make sense that blood mages aren't used in that way to win wars to win in lore unless I'm mistaken because literally, all the lore I know are what I remember from your videos.

i dont wanna be that annoying transguy haha im so sorry but when talking about menstruation its generally better to say 'people' or something as opposed to 'women' as many transmen and non binary people still menstruate

Not all people who menstruate in the DA universe are women. Just sayin'