Private Magic To Do

[Lucette]

The laboratory had that sterile tang of modern science, and minglings of ancient Sith alchemy. Shadowed by durasteel beams and blackstone pillars. It felt at once cavernous and intimate, like a fortress of knowledge hidden away from the prying eyes of the galaxy. The low hum of the containment fields resonated with the rhythm of the dark side itself. A subtle music that only the truly attuned could appreciate.

Lucy padded across the polished durasteel floor, her boots leaving faint echoes in the dimly lit chamber. Her eyes were sharp with the promise of discovery. The young girl scanned the glass tanks, the tanks brimmed with withering, half-formed things. Some as small insects, others stretching the boundaries of monstrous design. Every inch of the space screamed of her grandmother's genius, and her dominion.

The Dosuunian teenager could see a crimson-hued glow, one that illumianted the darkness. It was a stark contrast to the blackstone pillars that stood like silent sentinels. The air was alive with possibility, a heady mix of ozone and herbs that burnt with the flame of curiosity. As if the Force itself crackled with anticipation. There was plenty to do here, as she stepped closer the teenager spotted her grandmother.

She stepped forward, feeling the pulse of the dark side in her chest. A living thing, promising wonder and terror alike. Lucy wore a little wicked grin, a little nervous smile at the corner of her grin. "Grandmother," she addressed, "is this the first recipe? The first spell of the day? The first alchemical spark?"

Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Many people in the galaxy would be unnerved about a Sith biomancer's laboratory, positively fearful of the terrible creations that could be formed within such a facility or what they themselves could be changed into. The idea of what the alchemist's laboratory should look like from the galaxy was one of profane implements and forbidden rituals, the viscera of both success and failure scattered all about.

For Taeli, and her approaching granddaughter, the laboratory was one of their comfort places, somewhere they could work on unraveling the mysteries of life and death and creation and destruction. For one of the personal labs of the Sith known as the Mistress of Monsters, all the equipment was bleeding edge bioengineering and medical technology in a fully sterile and hospital level of sanitation mixed with... well what the galaxy expected from specimens floating in tanks of unknown elixirs to the small little familiars that ambled around to fill various flasks or carry implements their Mistress needed.

She would smile warmly at Lucette as she arrived, looking up at the half formed specimen she had been working on and what they would finish together.

"That's one way to describe what we will be working on today," she laughed. "We're gonna treat what we do here today as a little, we'll let's call it an open book midterm for you in Biomancy 102. To begin, what are the three bedrock materials to begin any sort of Alchemical warping of a subject?"

 

[Lucette]

Lucette had never feared her grandmother's laboratories. On the contrary, she adored them. To her, they were sanctuaries of learning, innovation, and boundless creation. In those shadowed halls of science and sorcery, she had quickly proven herself a capable and eager pupil. Under her grandmother's careful tutelage, Lucy had begun to grasp the foundational principles of biomancy with surprising speed and precision.

The laboratory itself was equipped with only the finest instruments sleek, humming, and precise. Lucette, ever curious, allowed her gaze to linger on the equipment before turning to her grandmother, her smile full of familial warmth and pride.

Her grandmother had described the day's work as something of an open-book midterm, a chance to see how far Lucette had truly come.

Lucette took a moment to think, her expression thoughtful as she turned the question over in her mind.

"Three bedrock materials…" she repeated softly. "Well, first, we need biological components, of course. That's the subject matter." She gestured gently to the array of samples beside them. "And second, the proper equipment." Her hand swept across the pristine workstations. "And… mmm." She tapped her chin, thoughtful. "Perhaps Force crystals?"

She wasn't entirely certain of the third, but her tone remained measured, inquisitive rather than unsure. She looked to her grandmother, awaiting either correction or confirmation, eager to learn more.

Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Lucette
​

She would offer her granddaughter a soft smile as she rattled off what she thought were the bedrock materials for alchemical alterations. Replying, she would say, "All very good guesses, and you are correct that those can be very important materials needed in the course of your work. Biomass and equipment are of course needed to work on a project, and Force crystals can be useful augmentations for both focusing the rituals and even implanting them into a subject. But no, they aren't the bedrock materials you need."

Three small vials would float over to rest on a nearby desk.

"Blood, however, unlocks greater potential within any alchemical project," she would continued, gesturing at the three vials. "Specifically, blood of a love one, blood of one you hate, and blood from yourself. Most alchemical projects can be done with one of the three, but as you add more of these types of blood, the stronger the project can become and more secrets of alchemy you can discover. These particular vials come from blood I collected from myself, from Coren Starchaser, and from a medical exam from my sister Melori when we found her following an old battle on Prakith."

 

[Lucette]

Taeli Raaf ​

Lucette listened attentively to her grandmother, Taeli. They were good guesses, she was nearly certain of that. Having base materials, sufficient biomass, and Force crystals for augmentation all seemed fundamental to their work. Equipment, naturally, was essential. The teenager remained still, composed, and followed her grandmother's gaze toward three small vials resting on a display.

With a subtle motion, the vials floated toward a nearby desk. Grandmother spoke of blood, its potency, its resonance, the way it could unlock deeper potential within any alchemical project. The blood of loved ones, of enemies, or even of oneself. The latter, Lucy had already begun to experiment with in her own modest way.

Granny explained the provenance of the blood samples: one belonged to a Jedi named Coren Starchaser, a name Lucy recognized from her Commonwealth history lessons. The second was Taeli's own, and the third came from her sister, Melori.

"Blood," Lucy echoed thoughtfully. "I've done a few experiments myself, nothing as advanced, but I've used my own blood before. Mainly to help the creatures remain bonded to me."

She paused, weighing her next words carefully. "But I wonder, Grannny… what role does blood truly play in the biomancy that we practise? Is it simply a tether for control and loyalty? Or is it something deeper?"

Another question soon followed, her curiosity ever insatiable. "And by incorporating different blood types, those of different origins or Force alignments, does it amplify the power of the project? Alter its intent?"

Lucette's tone remained gentle but precise, the edge of academic rigor in every word.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Lucette
​

Her smile would widen at both the observative musings from her granddaughter and the questions that followed. It was good that Lucy had been experimenting on her own with utilizing her blood as a means of ensuring loyalty, something that was essential for any biomancer worthy of the title. It would be a shame, and a point of demerit from higher ranking biomancers, if your creations got turned against you by an opponent easily and blood made that so much harder. But it went further than that, as she would explain.

"Besides what you mentioned, there are many uses for blood within the work we do," Taeli remarked, the vial containing her blood now floating over at her direction. "We will begin with an explanation of how your own blood as a component empowers the work. Your own blood, as you correctly concluded ensures a closer bond with your creations, making it much more difficult for another biomancer to turn them against you. But there are other benefits to it as well. Your blood carries your midi-chlorians, increasing the resonance of your powers and spells because they recognize your essence. It can thus increase the potency of your creation, giving you greater control over how the biomass is reshaped and responds to alterations."

The next vial, the one containing Coren's blood, would join the first.

"The blood of your enemy, whether it be a Force Sensitive or not, can be further used to empower the rituals. Once you are skilled enough in Sith spells, or even Dathomiri magicks, you can call upon the echoes of memory within the blood itself, bringing out all of the emotions and conflict the midi-chlorians in the blood remember. It can also be useful in creating species that target certain enemies, such as the terentatek and their proclivity for hunting for Force Sensitive blood, particularly from the Jedi, or giving a creation a specific advantage against an enemy."

The third vial, the one containing Melori's cloned blood, would join the other two.

"The blood of a loved one likewise further strengthens the power from your own blood, drawing upon the ethereal connections between you and that other to further empower the rituals and warping of the creature into the form you desire. This component is always the hardest come by, especially among Sith that have cut themselves off from their humanity, but it can be potentially the most potent when added to a ritual. It can be the difference between a Knight-level creation and Master-level one. That's merely a base explanation of it, but blood magic is an essential component and base foundation for the more advanced techniques and reshaping rituals."