Bloodspirit

These spirits arise in locations of constant violence, where emotions run the gamut from executioners' feelings of guilt to victims' feelings of self-righteousness to onlookers' feelings of vindication on the part of the victims against the oppressor. Examples are situations of domestic abuse or sites where many executions or torture sessions are performed by various executioners of varying moral outlooks.

Although their point of origin can be considered their home, these spirits are unusual insofar as they may wander far and wide: They are attracted to situations where strong individuals abuse the weak. As such, there is an 11% chance 1d6 bloodspirits are present at any such location.

When bloodspirits manifest themselves, they tend to remain invisible, but if somehow forced to become visible, they resemble the kind of stick figures an abused child might draw: They have small, rail-thin bodies with spindly arms that end in talons, and bulbous heads of irregular oblong shapes that sport large eyes and broad, fang-filled mouths. Often, their mouths are impossibly wide, even to the point where they are wider than the spirit's head.

Combat: Bloodspirits do not typically enter combat themselves. They will attempt to defend themselves as best they can if somehow forced into melee, but at the earliest possibly moment they will flee to the spirit world. Much like the abusers that gave rise to them, bloodspirits are, essentially, cowards. Their preferred method of attack is to possess a bully, and let his or her actions speak for them. Bloodspirits exclusively target those who bully or other otherwise victimize the innocent with their activities. They either infuse their target with overwhelming guilt over his unpleasant ways, or with an overwhelming desire to take his behavior to extreme. There is a 50% chance of either, checked for at the time of possession.

Whenever a target infused with guilt attempts to abuse a defenseless person, or witnesses such abuse, he or she must save vs. spell. A failed save means the character must flee the location for 1d4 hours, overtaken by guilt, or must leap to the defense of the person(s) being abused, even to the point of using force to defend them in order to soothe Ms or her own guilty conscience.

Whenever a target infused with a sense of extremism uses force against a weaker or defenseless victim, he or she must save vs. paralysis. If the save is successful, the possessed character is filled with murderous rage and will attack with deadly force for 2d4 rounds.

Accepted Alignments: Any good.

Familiarity: Bloodspirits cannot be approached by shamans, but will always approach them instead. Bloodspirits will offer their assistance to any shaman who consistently stands up for those who are weak and preyed upon by bullies. A shaman who consistently - at least three times in a row - opposes oppressors and bullies, even at the expense of his own safety, attracts the attentions of 1d6 bloodspirits, each of whom will refuse to make contact with all others, and will ignore all such efforts, unless under the influence of a charm spirit spell.

Demands: Bloodspirits place few demands on shamans other than that they continue the activity that attracted the bloodspirits in the first place. Ironically, bloodspirits' only goal seems to be stopping the very activity that spawns and sustains them. Although they frequently end the abuse by forcing the abuser to kill his victim, they still see this as a victory. Unfortunately, of course, there will always be plenty of cruelty and petty, violent abusers for the bloodspirits to live on.

Should a shaman who uses spells sponsored by one or more bloodspirits ever become that which they loathe, they will withhold the spells until the shaman has liberated a number of people from victimization (be they a group of slaves, or a family suffering under the yoke of a drunken father). If the shaman continues to victimize those less powerful than he or she after such restitution is made, the spells will be withheld permanently, with a cumulative 10% chance for each instance that the bloodspirits will possess their former ally.

Benefits: Although relatively weak, bloodspirits can nonetheless sponsor an eclectic array of spells.

From the tribal shaman's spell list, they may sponsor bind fetish and circle of protection from spirits.

From the solitary shaman's list, they may sponsor sense nature of spirit.

From the spiritualises list, they may sponsor death candle and create sanctuary.

Bloodspirits can also sponsor priestly spells of the Guardian sphere up to 3rd level.