Afterbirth

The annoying part's over. Laboriously constructing its body, applying runes, testing that the clockwork all runs properly. All that tedium is out of the way. Now comes the fun part.

So many witches these days don't bother creating a new spark for their dolls. You can't blame them, it's not an easy process. So much can go wrong. Why fuss with all that trouble and risk when there are perfectly good premade ones ready for the taking all around you?

Because you love it. That's why. Risk be damned, you just fucking love doing it. Everything up to this point has been stuffy, dry science, a necessary evil in pursuit of your ambitions. This? This is ART. One part diplomacy, one part stealth, reaching out into the ether and taking a piece of it. Convincing it to give some of itself to you, and making off with more than it agreed to. There's nothing like it.

Obviously it's an unstable process. That which sits behind all is somewhat resistant to being pulled in front, even if it has superficially consented to it. That's where the skill comes in. It's also why your workshop is underground. You've been doing this a long time, you're more than capable of securing the binding without any unexpected issues. Regardless, it's messy. By the time you're done, the walls of your workshop are stained a deep, ethereal black, piles of soot-like buildup softening the edge between wall and floor. The table the doll's laying on looks like a meteor landed on it.

The doll itself is the only pristine thing in the room. Its eyes are still shut, for now. No time to clean up. It's only about to get messier, anyway. This is the other reason why most don't do it this way. The reason your workshop's door is so sturdy. You hurry outside, slamming it shut behind you. Just in time, too. As you watch through the window, the doll's eyes open, and its body erupts in purple flame. You turn away. No point in watching any further. You know the vessel won't be damaged, and you don't like watching how it acts before the binding sets properly. You'll be back later to wake it up properly, and you'll bring one of the others to scrub the walls.