"All power demands sacrifice and pain. The universe rewards those willing to spill their life's blood for the promise of power."
— Sindri, Alpha Legion Sorcerer, Warhammer 40,000
GG: Whoa. That's neat. I wish I could do that.
Erik: Don't you have the ability to say you have that power then makes it so you have that power or something?
GG: Well not exactly. I can only do that when I'm not exactly doing it on purpose. Because when I do it on purpose, I'll have to pay the price. And I really don't like paying the price.
Erik: Oh... Can I ask what the price is?
GG: Blood and/or physical health. The amount of price is always related to the impact of what I change. But the exchange rate is horrible. Remember when I said I lost the bones from my right hand? That happened after I changed Asagi back into a human. It's always very— Oh, you know what? Let me just show you. [GG looks at Erik for a moment] You are orange. [Erik's green features turn orange, and a large cut appears on GG's left cheek; he bleeds rainbow-colored blood] See? I just changed your color and what I got is a nasty cut.
Erik: Don't you have the ability to say you have that power then makes it so you have that power or something?
GG: Well not exactly. I can only do that when I'm not exactly doing it on purpose. Because when I do it on purpose, I'll have to pay the price. And I really don't like paying the price.
Erik: Oh... Can I ask what the price is?
GG: Blood and/or physical health. The amount of price is always related to the impact of what I change. But the exchange rate is horrible. Remember when I said I lost the bones from my right hand? That happened after I changed Asagi back into a human. It's always very— Oh, you know what? Let me just show you. [GG looks at Erik for a moment] You are orange. [Erik's green features turn orange, and a large cut appears on GG's left cheek; he bleeds rainbow-colored blood] See? I just changed your color and what I got is a nasty cut.
"So much blood, waiting for purpose."
— Blood Lord Vladimir, The Crimson Reaper, League of Legends
"While the aristocratic vampire bloodlines bestow potent supernatural powers, some devote themselves to further occult study, honing their magical craft. Cut off from anima as a source of power, they have learned to cannibalize the energies from the stolen blood in their veins. This renders them physically weaker than their earthier kin, emaciating their frames with the purge of every ritual. They claim to require the blood of the magically abled, but this is an affectation rather than a scientific fact."
— The Buzzing, The Secret World
"You want? You bleed."
— Nigsu Ga Tesgu, by Jeff Somers
Dean: I hate witches. They're always spewing their bodily fluids everywhere.
Sam: Pretty much.
Dean: It's creepy. Hell, it's downright unsanitary!
Sam: Pretty much.
Dean: It's creepy. Hell, it's downright unsanitary!
Cleo: We do, however, know the name of the ritual King Alberius performed.
Notte: Oh yeah? What's that?
Cleo: It was called the Blood Casket.
Notte: What?! That sounds terrifying! What's in the casket? And why is it BLEEDING?! Are you trying to give me nightmares?
Notte: Oh yeah? What's that?
Cleo: It was called the Blood Casket.
Notte: What?! That sounds terrifying! What's in the casket? And why is it BLEEDING?! Are you trying to give me nightmares?
"There is power in the blood... for those with the fortitude to pay the price."
— The Ancestor, Darkest Dungeon, when recruiting the Flagellant
Kintaro: I'm sorry, Ranma, but all the signs point to this being a blood spell of some kind, and spells cast with blood are not only nefarious and unscrupulous in the extreme, but very hard to break.
Ranma: A blood spell? What the heck is that?
Kintaro: Just what it sounds like. A spell cast with the blood of a living creature. The more powerful the creature, the more powerful the spell. From what I can see in your aura, I would guess that the blood used was at least human, or possibly even that of a magical animal or spirit beast.
Ranma: A blood spell? What the heck is that?
Kintaro: Just what it sounds like. A spell cast with the blood of a living creature. The more powerful the creature, the more powerful the spell. From what I can see in your aura, I would guess that the blood used was at least human, or possibly even that of a magical animal or spirit beast.
Hadrathus: Why have you delayed? Why have you allowed so many of your allies to fall pierced by arrows and spitted on spears?
Xaltotun: Because blood aids great sorcery! Because no wizard wastes his power thoughtlessly. Because I would conserve my powers for the great days to be, rather than employ them in a hill-country brawl. But now, by Set, I shall loose them to the uttermost! Watch, dog of Asura, false priest of an outworn god, and see a sight that shall blast your reason for evermore!
Xaltotun: Because blood aids great sorcery! Because no wizard wastes his power thoughtlessly. Because I would conserve my powers for the great days to be, rather than employ them in a hill-country brawl. But now, by Set, I shall loose them to the uttermost! Watch, dog of Asura, false priest of an outworn god, and see a sight that shall blast your reason for evermore!
Hemalurgy, it is called, because of the connection to blood. It is not a coincidence, I believe, that death is always involved in the transfer of powers via Hemalurgy. Marsh once described it as a "messy" process. Not the adjective I would have chosen. It's not disturbing enough.
— Mistborn: The Original Trilogy, epigraph for book 3 chapter 11.
Kulan Gath: This is but the first step. Soon, I will have power enough to spread my master spell across the face of the world—to remake it, and all humanity, in my image!
Spider-Man: No foolin'? Tell me, Kuley—what provides the power?
Kulan Gath: Why, blood, of course—the hot fresh life essence of innocents... and heroes!
Spider-Man: No foolin'? Tell me, Kuley—what provides the power?
Kulan Gath: Why, blood, of course—the hot fresh life essence of innocents... and heroes!
—Uncanny X-Men #191
