This sly ritual makes use of the magic inherent in the crescent moon tattoo shared by all Hand members. It allows the blood magician to mystically store vitae in the brand itself, where it remains completely inert until such time as the bearer of the mark chooses to draw upon it. This cached blood cannot be detected by any normal means until it is drawn upon, and then it is typically too late to do much about it. Although only small amounts of blood can be stored in this manner, the rite is a staple nonetheless and has saved the unlives of more than a few Hand members on more than a few occasions.
After a successful activation roll, the caster carefully pours a single blood point’s worth of vitae over the target’s (or his own) crescent moon tattoo. The blood quickly seeps into the brand itself, during which time the tattoo briefly glows a faint red. When the mark has soaked up enough blood (one point’s worth), it “seals” off and any further blood dripped onto it thereafter is wasted. From that point on, the bearer may, as a silent act of will, call upon the blood mystically hidden within the tattoo at any time. This counts as a reflexive action and does not count toward the user’s blood point per turn expenditure limits. This blood point may be used for anything fueled by vitae, such as boosting Physical Attributes or fueling Disciplines. Once the blood within the mark is spent, the tattoo “unseals,” allowing the ritual to be cast upon it anew. It is important to note that this ritual works only on mystical brands such as the mark of the crescent moon. Although it is possible for one to place additional brands on other parts of the body (for use as blood receptacles), this practice is unheard of in the Hand. Only one mark is given by the leaders of the subsect, and any additional ones are fraudulent at best and security risks at worst. All the same, if a character wishes to place more tattoos on his body, there is a spatial limit to consider: For game purposes, a character can have no more than five such reservoirs at a time. Any additional “space” on the body canvas is wasted. There are rumors of a higher-level, more powerful version of this ritual, one that allows ordinary tattoos to acquire similar properties, but such a ritual is certainly not nearly as common nor as subtle.