Dark Idea, Putting the gore back in magic. Options

[Ancient History]

Any number of cultures believe in the magical potency of human remains, from the flayed human skins used by Aztec priests to the baby fat purportedly used by witches in Europe. So why not use this?

Specifically, NPCs may use animal materials from human beings in their magics, giving that little something extra to freak out PCs. Examples:

A necromancer builds and enchants a golem...out of human body parts.

After making a sacrifice, an Aztlan blood mage flays the victim and uses their skin as a component in their foci.

A bruja creates a Hand of Glory (unique focus or radical to be used in some ritual or just to cause trouble.)

A Toxic Shaman who can't learn Sacrificing nevertheless begins slaying his victims, and using the blood in Aztec-style rites to cleanse the elements (great for misleading PCs!)

A shady talismonger sells street magicians bits of paranormal animals for their foci...only they're actually human remains, and the talismonger is a vampire disguising her feeding.

A helpful magician is selling magical compounds or "healing potions" (anchored "Heal" spells)...but the potions contains bits of human skin and blood, and the magician is a Wendigo corrupting his victims.

[Grimtooth]

AH those are AWESOME hooks!!!!

Mind if i borrow?

[Ancient History]

Be my guest.

[Siege]

The practice still exists in Africa and other places, although it's heavily discouraged.

The idea stems from a sympathetic relationship - in this case, human body parts linked to benefits like luck or courage.

One article involved a woman being tortured and skinned alive, slowly recycled for her body parts to use in a spell.

-Siege

[Backgammon]

I don't think MiTS insisted enough on the rituals mages perform. As I explained to a new player, hermetics or shamans or whatever are effectively priests of their religion. They STRONGLY believe in something or other, and just about all religions have ceremonies. I mean, people do wierd ceremonies today and they don't even get to throw lightning bolts around for it. A focus should be a lot more than a focus. Mages should have to do ceremonies for the hell of it during downtime.

[otomik]

rituals are for religious mages, some aren't, and won't perform a ritual unless there's a clear function to what they're doing. so i wouldn't insist on it, there's a lot of magical traditions with very scientific outlooks. observing the changing seasons and stars really doesn't matter as much in a non-aggrigrarian metroplex.

[tjn]

Hermetics are in no way a priest of a religon.

They have a lot more in common with science then they do with religion. Both were attempts to explain the world with causal relationships. It just happens that the relationships as defined by Hermeticism aren't truely relationships. Least until the Awakening.

Hermetics can have no beliefs whatsoever and still function fine because hermetic magic is powered by the self. The only time they need to do a ritual is when they are trying to accomplish something.

Just because someone says the word "magic" does not mean it's automatically magic replete with spooky music, strange happenings, and wierd ceremonies.

On to the topic at hand.

There have been many items of inheirancy assigned to the human body over the millennia. One that pops into my head right now is a form of magical leonization.

Only one treatment needed, no nasty drawbacks, and no mucking around in one's genetic code.... They just don't tell you the bath one has to submerge themselves in is entirely made from baby's blood.

Ritualistically plucking an eye from a sacrifice to use as a divination foci.

Making jerky as a powerful expendable focus. Part of the whole cannabalism thing is to subsume the power of one's foes...

There is an entire host of magically potent items that no one with morals would touch. In fact, that's kinda why they're so potent.

[snowRaven]

AH, I have been thinking along the sae lines recently for some darker sides of the shadowrun world, but some of those plot hooks were just genius! I especially like the Wendigo one :vegm:

Thank You!

[Backgammon]

[Ol' Scratch]

By that logic, everyone is a "priest."

Example: Do you believe that eating is essential to stay alive? And because of that belief, do you eat on a regular basis? Then you are a "priest" of your religion -- eating.

[BitBasher]

Religion is centered on faith, science is centered on proof.

[Ancient History]

snowRaven: thankee.

[Backgammon]

I'll aknowledge that my definition of "religion" and of a "priest" is pretty wide, but here's the most important part of what I said:

Science tries to explain the world just the same as anything else.

So no, believing that eating is essential and then practicing eating does not make you a priest. A "faith", a "religion", consists, in my context, of a string of tenants and beliefs that make up your understanding of how the world works.

[Zazen]

[snowRaven]

[BitBasher]

[Ancient History]

Hmm. I wonder if a protective amulet made from a baby's caul would work?

Anywho, how about a Triad incensemaster who uses the blood and ground bones and scales of drakes to make the inks for his Quickened tattoo magic?

[Kanada Ten]

How about a Triad Incensemaster who causes terror and fear until he has drained all hope from a victim and then exchanges the victim's eyeball for his freedom (which is then one part of a powerful detection focus). The most potent things are given willingly and have a special astral imprint. That's why the virgin is so powerful as a sacrifice: it is unscarred by carnal knowledge and unsoiled. Thus when it goes willingly into the dragon's lair or alter the power is magnified and untainted...

[Herald of Verjig...]

That and dragons don't like knowing that they got a mere mortal's leftovers.

[Necro Tech]

There is actually nothing in any book that defines what can't be a focus. Hell, since humans are as natural as it gets you could use any part of a person that doesn't decay completely as the basis for a enchanting test. It would probably be considered virgin if your specimen was young enough. No, I'm not talking sexually. Just unaltered by man or his environment.

[Kanada Ten]

I would use Essence as the determining factor for virgin.

[mfb]

not a bad idea. no essence loss or bio index, you've got virgin telesma.

[Siege]

Using the blood and body of living being - sounds dangerously close to Blood Magic.

-Siege

[Necro Tech]

Absolutely. But as this thread is Dark Idea.......

[Lucyfersam]

For those of you interested in comics, Warren Ellis's Strange Kiss series could provide a fair bit of inspiration along these lines. One of the more recent sets, Strange Killings: Strong Medicine is about a guy using ritually sacrificed body parts from black children to start a race riot in London. A similar vein story in Shadowrun might have a crazy Alamos 20Ker or some such using meta children in an attempt to bring about another Night of Rage or some such.