The Gembound: The Price of Keeping Chapter 66: Stats of the Crimson Scars

Read chapter 66 of The Gembound: The Price of Keeping by Taliorn on NovelPedia.

Stats of the Crimson Scars SCYTHE (formerly Kael Sharp) — The Infiltrator Tier 3 Enhanced. Bond: Oath Coin + Field Ledger + Code Wheels + The Leech (Willing). Blood-Linked Subversion Specialist. Ten years as Ferric Lieutenant. Surrendered when survival looked smarter than pride. Transformed with ancient pre-Conclave blade that feeds on blood and turns death into life. Black veins run through his body like new roads. Eyes gone pale gray around black pupils. Canines sharp. Skin two shades cooler. Predatory where clerics are merciful. "I was Kael. That man died when he surrendered. Call me Scythe." ATTRIBUTES: MIGHT 12 — Enhanced strength, precise rather than overwhelming GRACE 17 — Lethal precision, fingers elongated for blade work FORCE 11 — Moderate magical output through The Leech WILL 14 — Chose transformation deliberately, understands exactly what he traded HUNGER 12 — Blood dependency, deteriorates without periodic feeding from Yara PRESENCE 15 — Predatory charisma, officers follow him or fear him Traits: The Leech's Thirst : Must feed on Yara's blood periodically or deteriorate. Not hunger—NEED. Measured, scheduled, controlled. One drop steadies him. Missing feedings causes physical breakdown. The ancient blade's price woven into his flesh. Surgical Subversion : Dismantles armies from inside. Sours water, salts grain, spreads whispers, arranges "accidents." Officers fall in ladder formation—the ones men look to at dawn and dusk. Makes collapse look inevitable. Ferric Mastery : Knows Vanguard systems intimately—cohort formations, supply protocols, whistle-codes, officer psychology. Ten years of training turned into weapon against former comrades. Can predict Ironheart's moves because he learned from same doctrine. Heartbeat Sense : Can hear living heartbeats within range. Tracks targets through walls, knows when people lie (pulse changes), detects ambushes. Not Harry's (fragment), not other Enhanced (different rhythm). Living humans only. Vampiric Strike : When he wounds someone, siphons vitality burst. Eases his own fatigue temporarily, extends time between blood feedings. Makes him stronger in combat, more dangerous when pressed. Blade-Born Body : Fingers elongated, nails hardened to something between keratin and blade. Can fight unarmed effectively. Moves with predatory grace. Younger and older simultaneously—ageless but sharp. Physical Form: Appears simultaneously younger (lines erased) and older (edges sharpened) Pale gray irises, black pupils that dilate when feeding Black veins visible under skin, mapping every blood path Sharp canines, not obvious until he speaks or smiles Skin two shades cooler than living—not corpse pale, just less alive Fingers longer than before, nails that catch light wrong Predatory bearing—moves like something hunting Bond Notes: His oath coin held ten years of Ferric service. His field ledger held tactical knowledge, supply systems, officer profiles. The Regent's code wheels held communication protocols. The Leech—ancient pre-Conclave blade that feeds on blood—held hunger older than kingdoms. The Gem merged them: loyalty + knowledge + systems + ancient hunger = perfect infiltrator. Now he serves Yara with same precision he served the Vanguard, except he can't stop. The binding won't let him. "I should be more afraid of this. But I'm not. Is that the binding?" Yes. And the part that chose survival over pride. Uses: Strategic infiltration and army subversion. Planted inside Ferric forces to dismantle from within. Reports nightly through Weaver's shadow scouts (one rat, one rook). Knows how to make armies collapse—supplies first, morale second, officers third. Makes defeat look inevitable so survivors scatter or surrender. Yara needs him to break professional forces without costly battles. "Marcus knows how to keep a city breathing. I know how to steal an army's breath." Cost: Blood dependency means he's tethered to Yara permanently—misses feeding schedule and he deteriorates. The binding driv