Yuri

Yuri, a controlled substance that boosts magic at a significant cost, creates ethical, social, and political conflict within Sangrithar. Its effects—along with the dramatic consequences it has on bloodlines and reproduction— make it a highly controversial and dangerous tool, especially as different factions align themselves for and against its use. It can be game-changer in terms of power struggles, military advantage, and intrigue, but with significant consequences for both the individual and the larger political order.

Properties and Effects

• Short-Term Boost: When imbibed, Yuri provides a temporary surge of magical power—enhancing the user's existing abilities, making them significantly stronger, faster, or more precise in their magic for a limited time, depending on the purity and amount consumed. The effects vary based on the individual’s bloodline (e.g., Archons may experience a massive surge in battle magic, while Mentats might gain a heightened, near-supernatural ability to manipulate the minds of others).
• Addictive Nature: Yuri is highly addictive, with users often coming to rely on it in high-stress situations (battles, political gambits, etc.). This addiction has long-term consequences, making it even harder for the user to resist using it, creating a cycle of dependence. Overuse damages a person’s mind, making them unstable or even mentally deteriorated after prolonged exposure.
• Reproductive Consequences: The most significant and devastating effect of Yuri is that it removes the ability to pass on the spark of magic to one’s descendants, effectively extinguishing their family’s magical legacy.
• This makes the substance particularly dangerous and intriguing. Only those who have not already bred are able to reap the benefits of the power surge from Yuri, as using irreversibly damages their bloodline.
• Underhanded Applications: Less honorable groups use Yuri as a poison to attempt to snub out entire bloodlines before they had a chance to breed an heir with the Spark. Nearly universally outlawed, its use is still rumored to be implemented by less ethical of the Empires and Peoples.
• Embraced Battlefield Implications: Some cultures such as the Emarian Moors embrace Yuri consumption and enlist a subset of their young sparkmages to be the end of their lines in exchange for significantly more consistent and applicable battlefield prowess

The Severed Blood

Descendants of Yuri using soldiers find themselves Unsparked as well as unable to pass any Bloodline magic off themselves. They are known as the Severed Blood to Sangrithar's Bloodline families, and are constantly aware of the very distinct thing that makes them different. Many of the Severed Blood fled to the banners of the Technos early in the faction's growth, seeing in it an opportunity to gain heretofore unreachable. Others see their status as the fuel to propel them to dedicated works within their communities in any number of civic capacities. They are often viewed as nearly apolitical by some Bloodline groups because of their lack of real bargaining chip as concerns marriage connections. This drives the Severed Blood to most often marry amongst themselves. Finally, there is a subsection of the Severed Blood that sees their status as rage-inducing and have been driven to deviancy, bandrity and worse. Their existence does not benefit the societal view of law-abiding citizens in the least.