Alina was born to a clan far in the north where her thick fur was a blessing but the blood red color set her apart from those whose fur was instead shades of blue and white. So few in the north were born without that natural camouflage, and fewer still were born with the ability to use magic. With her birth the clan elders saw something that others could not, a sign that Alina was destined for greater things. As she grew they taught her to use her magic, and taught her the ways of blood magic as well; the use of blood from herself or another living creature to bolster her spell power beyond comprehension. This was not without its dangers, however, as the elders warned Alina she must never use blood from any source save herself or small animals lest the blood call become too great and drive her to insanity. That was the reason they had not taught anyone blood magic in so many generations and Alina had to learn from ancient books, the last few to learn had slaughtered nearly the whole clan in their madness.

Over the years Alina was careful, and didn't use her blood magic more than necessary for the practice the elders insisted on. They had the thought that Alina's fur color meant she was to learn, and she could not deny them, but even using her own blood or the blood of animals was a call in and of itself that she found hard to resist. Eventually Alina wanted to leave the clan, to travel the world and learn things to bring back to them for their betterment. Seeing this as another sign the elders let her go, though with a warning that the rest of the world would not be so kind towards her blood magic and she should not use it where others could see. They would not make the distinction between her not harming anyone to use it and those who did, the elders told her, and if the outside world did not kill her on sight they would imprison her.

For five years Alina wandered quietly, earning some stares as her race were not known to travel much outside their clans and a few more from people who knew that no matter the clan her fur color was unusual. She was outgoing, speaking to people and learning their customs and stories while sharing much of her clan outside of the blood magic aspect. Alina also had a strong sense of goodness in her; she could not stand back and watch the strong pick on the weak, or those who could not defend themselves be preyed upon by those who could. And this is what got her into trouble, as one day Alina was speaking with some humans who were homeless and sharing what little she had when the city guards came by to harass them. Standing up to the guards on behalf of the people was foolish, using her blood magic when the guards got aggressive with her was just plain stupid. While those she had tried to defend ran the guards called in reinforcements and Alina was overwhelmed even with the help of blood.

The guard captain could have had her killed, but instead chose imprisonment. To make her suffer for what he was sure was the suffering she had inflicted upon others. Alina was shipped back north to a prison in the middle if the icy tundra, and she spent the next decade of her life in unimaginable torment. A jailer who had lost his family to a blood mage made it his personal mission to make sure that every single day Alina wished for death and that she would survive to experience those same wishes the next day. He wore Alina down until she was just a husk of her former self, and she was sure that any day she might actually perish in that lonely prison far from home, her clan never knowing what happened to her.

Then as luck would have it a prison break happened. Alina battled with herself, wondering if she should go or if that would just make things worse. She'd be wanted and on the run, unable to go back to her clan because that would be the first place the authorities would look. But living like that was better than staying where she was, she decided, and with all the strength she had left in her Alina pulled herself up and escaped that day with several other prisoners. So many died around her during the attempt, but even that would have been better than her continued torment.

Since then Alina has been on the run. She travels, doesn't stay in one place too long if she can help it. The wilderness is her home now, giving her food and shelter where needed and towns are only for selling off pelts, skins and bones from creatures for a little coin that she gives to those less fortunate while she looked for information about if she was still being chased and other news about the world. Unfortunately as far as she's been able to gather the jailer who tormented her is still looking for her and offering quite the reward for it, wanting to personally see that Alina is returned to prison for the rest of her days.

As if that were not bad enough, during the escape Alina was forced to use the blood of a fallen guard to bolster her physical power and her spells so she could survive long enough to get away. For the first time she used the blood of another, and she felt what her elders had warned her about. The call is nearly irresistible when she hunts for food, and grows worse when she is in populated areas. The madness threatens to overtake her, and Alina can do little for it except stay away and try to keep living until things calm down and she can finally return to her clan.

Profile template by Lea

Story (and linked stories to Ao3) written by me

Based on a Dungeons and Dragons character I played for a campaign that used the sergal homebrew race, the Blood Mage homebrew class and the official criminal background.