[Saber Cherry]

Actually the BEST way to enter blood is to find Garnet Amazons. That is my absolute favorite indy province; I rejoice when I find them=) The new fishman provinces are pretty cool too, though, and essential - Doms I was missing indy amphibious leaders (other than rare, low-leadership indy water mages).

All Amazon priest-mages make good researchers in a non-drain scale, or if you give them owl quills, BTW, since they are cheap and sacred. And the Garnet blood-mage/priests are super-cheap blood slavers.