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The concept of using one’s blood to cast magic is not a foreign concept in media, and is typically portrayed as a kind of magic most vile, a visual representation of the uncaring sacrifice of human life for personal gain. In most ways,Dragon Age’srepresentation of blood magic doesn’t stray that far from that rendition.
Of course, Dragon Age is also a series that prides itself on the deep, interweaving nature of its lore. Blood Magic is more than just a theme, but a core element of the world to be unraveled. Yet across the whole series, Blood Magic still remains surprisingly light on concrete information. So let’s discuss everything we know about it instead.
Who First Used Blood Magic?
The world of Thedas is ruled by the views of the Chantry. While the Chantry itself is split between that of Tevinter and Orlais, they still stand resolute on the supremacy of Andraste, and a strong sense of human superiority comes along with that. As such,Blood Magic can be hard to track the history ofsince its greatest period of usage was prior to the birth of Andraste, and even before the very first Blight.
In common Chantry tales,Blood Magic was first used by the ancient Elves of Arlathanand they corrupted the minds of humanity by spreading this knowledge, leading them to a life indebted to demons and away from something purer. Of course, there is nothing to explicitly prove this, yet the Tevinter Imperium’s thorough destruction of Arlathan makes it hard to prove anything of the ancient elves.
By admission of the Imperium’s own history, however,the first known human user of Blood Magic was Thalsian. He was a Neromenian, one of the first humans to settle in Thedas and founded the city that would become one of the pillars of the later Tevinter Imperium. He claimed to haveheard the whispers of the Old God Dumatfrom beyond the Fade and that he taught him the art of Blood Magic. The immense power granted by Blood Magic, and the diligent proselytising of Thalsian, lead to the worship of the Old Gods to become the basis of Tevinter.
Thalsian was also a Dreamer,one who can physically enter the Fadewithout the necessity of Lyrium or Blood Magic.
Yet even Tevinter, in their modern practice, claims that Blood Magic came from the Elves. The evidence we have of this is next to non-existent, though Solas attempts to elucidate upon this somewhat. And indeed, he claims thatthe old Elven gods did utilize Blood Magic to control their slaveswith the Vallaslin being one such aspect of this. As a result, there is a genuine chance that humans learned Blood Magic from the elves of Arlathan.
The period in which Thalsian lived, around -1500 Ancient, is far before the collapse of Arlathan, andit is possible that humans copied the Elvesso that they could usurp the power of Arlathan.
Can Blood Magic Be Used In Place Of Lyrium?
At the core of all magic in Dragon Age is Lyrium. This mysterious substance that seeminglyonly Dwarves are immune to,Lyrium is the catalyst that allows magic to be used in the first place. It is the basis of how society functions in Thedas. Mages can be controlled if the supply of Lyrium is controlled. It a well-oiled machine of oppression. Blood Magic breaks the rules.
Blood Magic bypasses the necessity of Lyrium entirely, yet can still perform all the same magic. This confirms that Lyrium is indeed just a catalyst rather than imparting any properties in its own right, though opens up a wider question - why can blood work in place of Lyrium?
Whilecertain spells can only be performed with Blood Magic, this is more in relation to the physical nature of blood within the body rather than an intrinsic property of blood as a catalyst.
The thematic side is obvious, to break the rules of the world in pursuit of your own power. But the mechanics of the world suggest something deeper, a plot thread that is only pulled at in the Descent DLC for Dragon Age Inquisition. The idea thatLyrium, as well, is blood.
In The Descent, it is revealed that deep within the Deep Roads are the corpses of the Titans, beings from which the Dwarves draw their origins. In the time of Arlathan, theElves went to war with the Titansand buried them beneath the surface. It is because of this intrinsic connection that Dwarves are immune to Lyrium, but may also answer why Lyrium allows the usage of magic in the first place. It is blood, andlife itself is the actual catalyst for magic.
It can be assumed that the Elves went to war with the Titans fordominion over the Titans' powerful blood.
Yet Blood Magic is frequently shown to be much more powerful than that cast through Lyrium. Though there can be no definitive answer to this, it can be presumed that Lyrium, if we view it as the blood of the Titans, is stagnant.Blood of a living being is fresh, and thus more potent for use in magic.
Is Blood Magic Connected To The Fade?
The Fade comprises a rather core element of Dragon Age. At the center ofthe Chantry’s teachings, the Fade is seen as the first realm created by The Maker, though one he forsook when its denizens began to crave power and attempted to corrupt his corporeal beings. As such, it is seen as a forbidden place,one that has been corrupted by older humanswho gave into the greedy thoughts implanted in them by demons of the Fade.
Life under the Chantry is lived in penance, hoping for The Maker’s forgiveness and the restoration of the Golden City. It is, itself, situated within the Fade, yet now lies in ruins as the Black City. What caused this change? None other than Blood Magic. When the Magisters Sidereal physicallyentered the Fade through the use of Blood Magicto meet their Old Gods, it is said that the act itself was an affront to The Maker, who left His throne in disgust and let the Magisters Sidereal bring back the Darkspawn with them.
It is claimed that, through the use of Blood Magic, one canalter the dreams of a person.
This is the origin of why the Chantry has such strong opposition to both the Fade and Blood Magic. YetBlood Magic is said to have come from the Fade entirelyby some accounts. An interesting reality, considering that the Fade is comprised entirely of ethereal beings. Yet in Dragon Age Origins, the only means of becoming a Blood Mage yourself is bymaking a deal with the Desire Demonthat has possessed Connor.
This does imply a deeper connection between Blood Magic and the Fade, yet it is never made explicitly clear.Lyrium is not native to the Fadeeither, yet magic does stem from the Fade all the same. With the knowledge revealed in Trespasser by Solas, however, we can posit a few ideas. Prior tothe formation of the Veil, the idea of a separate Mortal Realm and the Fade was non-existent. Magic simply existed.
As such, it is very possible that thedemons that potentially passed the knowledge of Blood Magic onto humansare ancient Elves that dwell in the Fade as spirits, or other ethereal beings that picked up the knowledge from the Elves of Arlathan. With the later creation of the Veil, it would then seem as though Blood Magic came from a plane completely separate from that of mortals.
Blood Magic is also one of the only ways for someone tophysically, rather than just spiritually, enter the Fade.
Why Is Blood Magic So Opposed To In Thedas?
On a high level, it is easy to see why the people of Thedas have such a staunch opposition to Blood Magic. Andraste, having been born as a slave of Tevinter, saw the ways in whichBlood Magic could corrupt a personand spoke against its excesses. Their most beloved prophet said so, and thus it must be the word of The Maker. It was passed on through the Fade from his jealous children, after all.
To Tevinter, this was a hard pill to swallow.Blood Magic built their empire, and yet nowthe prophet of their religionclaimed that it was a cruel tool of blasphemous ambition. Yet swallow their pride they did in the public shunning of Blood Magic. They then followed suit with the rest of the Chantry across Thedas in establishing the Circle of Magi and the Templars to manage them. Magic was a kind of infection, yet not one you chose. You could be forgiven if you controlled yourself.
Though Blood magic is publicly denounced in Tevinter, it is quite common forhigh-ranking Mages to perform it in secretto enhance their power.
Blood Magic was different.You chose to become a Blood Mage, and deserved no such forgiveness. You were reminiscent of The Maker’s greatest foes. This is all a very practical, theological reasoning. It is, of course, a much deeper yet simultaneously simple scenario. Mages are powerful and it is advantageous to control them.
From the moment a mage is born,they are put into the custody of the Circle. Those who are not are deemed apostates and are at risk of death if caught.Templars have almost complete impunity as to what happens to Mages. Should they be made Tranquil, or face their own execution in the Harrowing? Indeed, why not just annul them entirely? That power keeps Mages in place, and the preaching of a god who’s forgiveness they must earn keeps them religiously bound.
Blood Magic is the one form of magic that the Circle has no power over at all. They cannot withdraw their Lyrium because they no longer need it. They cannot keep them theologically subservient when a Blood Mage has typically seen a vaster version of the world.A Blood Mage is a Mage unchained. By all means, many assuredly fear Blood Mages for the genuine, unethical power they have over living beings. But for institutions, the Chantry is a convenient tool to keep Mages under their control, and the existence of Blood Magic lets them break free of those shackles.
