# Become the battle mage... siren... thing For those who know me well, you're aware that I'm a slow collector of [[Manifesting Gemmy|eccentric tattoos]]. Recently, I've finally decided to get the Siren tattoo I've been dreaming of for years. So, what exactly do I mean by 'Siren'? It's a [class](https://borderlands.fandom.com/wiki/Siren) in the [Borderlands](https://borderlands.2k.com/) game series, basically a battlemage with a side of gun-kata. Beyond having almost magical-like powers, every Siren has a unique tattoo that represents them and their powers. Rather than appropriate an existing Siren tattoo concept (As cool as the existing ones are), I took the idea, and added my macabre twist: The tattoos are the elements being unleashed from my body, at the cost of my organic being. I.e., Casting a spell doesn't drain mana, it consumes my skin, muscle, and bone—turning my body into the magic itself. I chose to use the elements found in [[Tiny Tinas Wonderlands|Tiny Tina's Wonderlands]]: [[Incendiary damage]], [[Explosive damage]], [[Cryo damage]], [[Corrosive damage]], [[Dark Magic damage]]. I also requested my own addition that is found in the game but is not one that players can use: [[Necrotic damage]]. These choices were not only due to the variation available for myself as a "battle mage" but due to the superb amount of reference material available in the [Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Art Blast](https://magazine.artstation.com/2022/05/gearbox-entertainments-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-art-blast/), [Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Season Pass Art Blast](https://magazine.artstation.com/2022/11/gearbox-softwares-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-season-pass-art-blast/), and the [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/) materials. It was something I knew my tattoo artist, [Erin Hunter](https://weirdink.com/erin/), would appreciate. This is going to be a multi-month, multi-session tattoo, and is going to take a lot of time. Feel free to join me on my journey towards the finished product. > [!abstract] The evolution of this tattoo concept > A long time ago, even before I had first played the game, I had wanted something a bit more tribal, but demented. The very first iteration of this concept was a snake burrowing its way in and out of my skin from arm, to shoulder, and all the way down to feet. > > Later, as I gained more understanding of [[The Dragon|how my mind works]], I shifted from the snake idea to something more runic, that would work on both the body of a human and the body of a dragon, and represent different abilities and aspects. ## [[Necrotic damage]] In [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/), necrotic magic is characterized by three colors and their varying shades: purple, pink, and cyan. You can see the coloration in the [Ossu-Gol concept art](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/B3JV49) by [Nick Pappas](https://www.artstation.com/nickpappas). In my personal headcannon, and personal lore of [[Bunkers and Badasses|Bunkers & Badasses]] Necrotic damage would have the following traits: Slow, drain, corruption. Slow reduces movement and cast speed, drain reduces health, vitality, but not armor and shields. Corruption is a stacking effect, where multiple exposure of necrotic damage creates status effects, that will end in effects like [[Sudden Death]]. **[[Appendix N]] effect** Necrotic magic damage is a very powerful effect, but it eats at the caster. Unlike other elements that a siren battlemage might use, necrotic magic damage cannot be healed by anything except [[Time magic|Time magic]]. It takes someone willing to rend their soul, to possible do the unthinkable, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to win, to wield this type of magic. It also, often enough, requires instruction by your local neighborhood bad-guy. Are you the baddie? Maybe. And unlike other elements, there may be no way back from that choice. **Sessions** - [[11-Σεπ|2024-09-11]]: Day one of what I knew would be a long journey, one that would be years in the making. We started at the wrist and began working our way up the forearm, laying down the foundational outline for what will eventually become my first elemental sigil. - [[25-Οκτ|2024-10-25]]: Day 2, we fill in a lot of the coloration. Highlights and fixes next, and then we move onto the next part. - [[29-Νοε|2024-11-29]]: On a much colder day than this time last month (a feels-like temp of 3F!), the first part of the piece is done. Next, we will move to the upper and outer arm. - [[05-Δεκ#2025|2025-12-05]]: We're starting on a new piece, on my neck. This time we're adding scales to it. - [[2026-01-30]]: And this one is finished up for a while. We may need to go back in and add highlights later. > [!grid] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-1.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-2.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647.png]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302190917.webp]] ## [[Incendiary damage]] In [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/), incendiary magic blazes with intense oranges, deep reds, and brilliant yellows. Its the classic palette of flame and destruction if you think about it. Almost as trope as triangles are evil. [Max Davenport's](https://www.artstation.com/daven) [Wyvern Bomber](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xYKPxY) perfectly captures the coloration going on in incendiary damage. Incendiary damage excels against flesh and organic enemies, with damage over time effects that continue burning long after the initial impact. For this sigil, I envisioned fire magic as the most primal and honest element. There's no subtlety, just ***pure destructive force*** made manifest. **[[Appendix N]] effect** Incendiary magic burns more than flesh. It consumes passion, creativity, and emotional depth. Each time the incendiary sigil ignites, it feeds on the caster's inner fire. Frequent users become increasingly cold and detached, their capacity for joy, love, and inspiration slowly burning away until only ash remains of their former selves. However, just like embers in the coals, a little bit of fuel can get this fire blazing once again. Incendiary casters can restore their inner flame by nurturing creativity, practicing genuine acts of passion, and sharing warmth with others. Teaching, inspiring, or simply taking time to appreciate beauty can reignite what the magic has burned away. **Sessions** - [[2025-01-17]]: We have begun working on the incendiary damage. Outlines first. - [[2025-03-22]]: We started adding fire to the incendiary damage tattoo. - [[2025-04-22]]: Still continuing on the incendiary damage. It's about 80% done. - [[2025-05-16]]: Here we go again, finishing up the incendiary damage sigil. Next, we'll be working on corrosive damage. > [!grid] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-3.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-4.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-5.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-1.png]] ## [[Dark magic damage]] In [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/), dark magic magic is characterized by three colors and their varying shades: red, purple, and black. Out of the available art left in the art blast, the [demi-lich](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/B3JLQr) by [Max Davenport](https://www.artstation.com/daven), with pink/purple behind him is the closest as far as the dark magic damage presents. The white fades into black once the leech starts. Dark magic damage is 90% effective against all enemies, regardless of difficulty setting or enemy health type. This element drains enemy health, transferring it to the caster. Thus, this any activation of this type of sigil will be a leeching effect. If a siren battlemage did not have any way to heal themselves from the effects of *most* of their other damage, they would be toast. But... **[[Appendix N]] effect** As with any type of occult magic, Dark magic's leech effect comes with a price: each time you drain life from another, a small part of their essence mingles with yours. Over time, dark magic users begin to take on traits, memories, or even personality fragments from their victims. The sigil doesn't just transfer health, so use it sparingly, or else there might be nothing of *you* left. Meditation, journaling, and regularly affirming your core identity can help maintain the boundaries of self. Dark magic users who practice mindfulness and maintain strong connections to their values, find they can resist the erosion of their essence. **Sessions** - [[2025-01-17]]: We have begun working on the dark magic damage. Outlines first. - [[2025-02-22]]: Coloring in the dark magic damage first. This is about 70% done. - [[2025-03-22]]: We added some "Goth confetti" on the dark magic damage tattoo, and will likely consider this done until touch ups down the line. > [!grid] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175647-3.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175648.webp]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175648-1.webp]] ## [[Corrosive damage]] In [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/), corrosive magic is typically characterized by sickly greens, acidic yellows, and toxic red, colors which suggest poison, decay, and industrial contamination. [Damian Kim's](https://www.artstation.com/damian3d) [Corrosive crab](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/yJBBn5) perfectly captures the variation of color that can be found in corrosive damage effects. Corrosive damage excels against armor and mechanical enemies, eating through protective barriers that other elements struggle with. For this sigil, I envisioned corrosive magic as the most insidious element, not the dramatic flash of fire or the mystical corruption of dark magic, but the quiet, relentless breakdown of everything it touches. It's entropy made manifest, the slow dissolution of order into chaos. [[Becoming the battle mage#Dark magic damage]] still beats it as far as consistency, but corrosive is much more flashy. **[[Appendix N]] effect** Corrosive magic doesn't just dissolve enemies. It contaminates everything it touches, including the caster's environment. Each use leaves trace amounts of magical acid that slowly eat away at equipment, clothing, and even the air itself. Frequent corrosive casters find their belongings constantly degrading, their living spaces becoming uninhabitable, and their very presence becoming toxic to others. It can be very lonely. But corrosive casters can maintain relationships through careful preparation and environmental control. Using protective barriers, regularly cleansing spaces, and being transparent with loved ones about the risks allows for connection despite the contamination. The magic corrodes materials, not necessarily bonds of trust and understanding. **Sessions** - [[2025-06-27]]: And here we go, with our corrosive element outline. I need a name for the happy little corrosive damage dude. Erin recommended I check out *[[Tales from the Gas Station]]*. She also suggested a podcast named [[Midnight Burger]]. She also suggested I check out the [[Monster of the Week]] TTRPG. I am full on in [[Dungeon Crawl Classics]] and [[XCC RPG|XCrawl Classics]], but maybe I can slot that in. I told her about [[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book 1)]]; she is hooked. Expect a future tattoo about the System AI, Gerbils, and Feet. - [[2025-07-26]]: Back in for the first round of color for the [[Corrosive damage]] element. This is the first time getting tattooed on some of my more sensitive areas and.. yeah. It sucks. I can go 5-6 hours easily on an arm, but on the chest? I was tapping out at 2.5 hours but we needed to last the three hours a we were mid blocking in of color. Next time, we can limit it to 2 hours work time. Erin is almost caught up on [[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Series)]], so we talked about what we could without me spoiling further. - [[2025-08-29]]: This is the last round of color for the corrosive element. Unlike the other work on this.. which sucked, this one was outright painful. More than I expected. We made the comment to each other that the more our mental health seems to get in order, the more that it hurts to get a tattoo. Makes sense, from an association and guarding standpoint. But I am glad this one is over, and it looks badass. > [!grid] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175648.jpeg]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302175648.png]] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302190133.webp]] ## [[Shock damage]] In [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/), shock magic blazes with electric blues, stark whites, and crackling neons. Basically, the palette of a storm mid-strike. It's the only element that looks like it's moving even when it's still. Shock damage excels against shields and energy barriers, overwhelming defensive systems before they can react. For this sigil, I envisioned shock magic as the element of overwhelm - where incendiary is slow and consuming, shock is immediate and total. It doesn't burn. It doesn't corrode. It seizes everything at once, forcing every circuit to fire simultaneously. **[[Appendix N]] effect** Shock magic doesn't just stun enemies. It rewires the caster. Each activation sends feedback through the nervous system, training the body to live at high voltage. Over time, shock casters find themselves increasingly reactive - startled easily, unable to rest, always scanning for the next threat that hasn't arrived yet. The sigil wants the user wound tight. But a nervous system running at full capacity will eventually short-circuit. Grounding - literal and figurative - is the only discharge. Time in stillness, deliberate rest, and learning to let the alarm system stand down are what keep the shock from turning inward. One can't run at maximum output forever. Eventually, a user will have to let the static clear. **Sessions** - [[2026-02-14]]: Why not be statically charged for Valentine's day? :) Session 1, many lines. We will add [[Lichtenberg figure|Lichtenberg figures]] in a later session, and then go wild with colors. This is my left side of my body. > [!grid] > ![[Becoming the battle mage-20260302193003.webp]] ## [[Cryo damage]] In [The Art of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720522/the-art-of-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-by-written-by-amy-ratcliffe/), cryo magic is all deep blues, pale silvers, and whites that sit right on the edge of colorless - the palette of frost before dawn, or the inside of something that hasn't been warm in a very long time. Cryo damage excels at slowing and freezing enemies, trading raw damage output for control. Where corrosive dissolves and incendiary consumes, cryo simply stops. It's the most patient element - it doesn't destroy so much as it holds everything in suspension, waiting. For this sigil, I envisioned cryo magic as the element of stillness weaponized. Not peace. Not rest. The kind of stillness that means nothing can move, nothing can change, nothing can escape. A sigil [[Demeter]] would be proud of. **[[Appendix N]] effect** Cryo magic doesn't just freeze enemies. It teaches the caster that absolute stillness is safety. Each use reinforces that lesson - slow it down, lock it in place, nothing can hurt you if nothing can move. Over time, cryo casters find themselves applying that logic to everything: opportunities, relationships, grief, growth. Better to freeze it than risk what it might become. The sigil is not wrong, exactly. Stillness does protect. But a life held in suspension isn't a life that's being lived. Cryo casters have to actively practice letting things thaw - accepting that motion means uncertainty, and that uncertainty is not the same thing as danger. Some things are worth the risk of letting them move. **Sessions** TBA ## [[Order magic]] In [The Art of Borderlands 4](https://www.darkhorse.com/books/3014-368/art-of-borderlands-4-hc/), Order magic runs in cold yellows, pale golds, and the kind of white that feels clinical rather than clean - the palette of something designed to look benevolent and wasn't. Order magic doesn't deal damage the way other elements do. It controls. Where shock overwhelms and cryo suspends, Order reaches into the nervous system and _redirects_. Order magic users favor tech as a secondary - specifically the Bolt, a triangular implant seated at the base of the skull that embodies exactly what this magic does: it attaches, it observes, and when needed, it overrides. For this sigil, I envisioned Order magic as the element of imposed structure. Not the chaos of [[#Corrosive damage]], not the honest destruction of [[#Incendiary damage]]. Something that looks like peace and functions like a leash. **[[Appendix N]] effect** Order magic doesn't just control enemies. It seduces the caster with the idea that control is the same as safety. Each use reinforces the logic: if you can see everything, predict everything, manage every variable, nothing can go wrong. Over time, Order casters find themselves building systems within systems - not to organize, but to avoid ever being caught off guard again. The yellow filter settles over everything. It feels like clarity. It isn't. The sigil's greatest lie is that order and peace are the same thing. They aren't. Real peace requires tolerating uncertainty, trusting others to act without your intervention, and accepting that some things cannot and should not be controlled. Order casters who learn to put the override down - rather than just switching who holds it - are the ones who survive themselves.. **Sessions** TBA