Bloodlings

The Wyrm were titanic creatures roamed the World of Teréth End in the days long before the Yrūn rose from Emer. The Bloodlings are believed to be the children of Dru Irígrim, the Eternal Tree. A few of their legendary numbers are thought to have survived into the Late Ages. While classified as Awakened creatures, it is unknown whether the Wyrm were sentient or not. Many believe that the Bloodlings were little more than elementals.

Wyrmflesh

Wyrmflesh refers to the meat of Bloodlings and Dragul (i.e., Wyrm-kin).

There are many stories regarding the follies of mortals who have dared to face Bloodlings. Most of their stories end there. There are a handful however, sprinkled among the legends of many world peoples that tell of great heroes (or villains) that have defeated members of the great race. Among these names there are conflicting accounts (or no accounts at all) regarding those that have feasted upon the bodies of their vanquished enemies. Somewhere within these accounts can be found threads of truth, but where truth begins and ends is an altogether different puzzle.

Legends tell us that feasting upon raw Bloodling flesh has a profound effect on the eater. The reasons for this can be debated by sages and philosophers. It is accepted that the eater inevitably undergoes a transformation depending upon the type and age of the wyrmflesh. If the legends are to be believed, the following conclusions may be made: a) the flesh is addicting, b) the flesh tastes horrible and c) some part of the Bloodling’s power is inherited by the eater. It is this last point that is the source of most interest.

  • Addiction. Addiction has two parts. First, anyone eating a serving of Bloodling flesh must make a Will check or help themselves to another serving. If someone intervenes between the eater and their next portion, the eater becomes blinded with violent rage until the next portion can be gained. Between each portion another Will check must be attempted. The eater’s capacity for food is irrelevant to the quantity of wyrmflesh they can eat. Second, if at any time during the feast a character misses a Will check against the flesh, they are forevermore addicted (see Dependency).
  • Taste. Wyrmflesh tastes horrible. The older the Bloodling, the more awful the taste. One must overcome the foul taste of the flesh after the first bite can be completed in order to continue eating (and keep the first bite down). Overcoming the taste requires a HT check. No HT check is required if the person is addicted. One reason the flsh may taste so bad, is because it is poisonous to those that are not magically Awakened. When a character is done feasting, they must make one further HT check (-1 for every serving eaten). If this check is failed, bad things happen. If this check succeeds, the character may enjoy the benefits of this culinary ordeal without the poisonous side-effects.
  • Power. Between the horrid taste and the dangers of addiction, why would anyone want to eat flesh of Wyrm? It should be noted at this point that traditionally, the Shajk-lar of Wurm do not partake in the “Dark Meat” of Draguls. They believe that the Dragul are corrupt creatures and that taking their flesh into oneself kills the soul. It is also believed in that region that because the Dragul prey upon their people, to eat the beast is to feed upon the bodies of their families. Others however, are not so inhibited by these “superstitions”.

For these few, great and ancient power lies only few bites away.

As stated earlier, the power gained from eating wyrmflesh is a point of contention among sages and those that busy themselves with such hypotheticals. The reason for this confusion (though unknown to worldly scholars) is three-fold, a) there is a small sample of information to analyze, b) different Bloodlings seem to confer different powers, and c) sometimes more than one power manifests. Some of the effects noted in stories are as follows:

  • Irrevocable madness
  • Ability to speak with animals (by type)
  • Ability to access the Skein (Magery 0)
  • Fertility, boost of virility