d100 magic knucklebones. Surgically implanted, they grant unnatural powers in exchange for the nutrient salts of the wearer's blood. Artifacts, all. Ancient, all. Knucklebones' powers and accompanying prestige are worth any and all suffering and disfigurement entailed in their implantation within the delicate structures of the hand.
Adventurers do not abide the competition. Should a rival venturing party be meet in pursuit of the same goal, they are often swiftly bound to violence. In the field, or in the hole, as it may be, a gang of cutters faced with a fellow gang will near-invariably set upon each other like lions. Cautious, skirting diplomacy may sometimes occur, rarely. But when it does, it is backed by a slow retreat, by hands left uneasily to rest on gun-grips and...
The Reaction Roll: The following is a mechanic from the Incunabuli Playtest: Intelligent NPCs determine their starting disposition toward individual player characters via a reaction roll. The roll is made upon first meeting the character, and should be made again after some time has passed or circumstances have changed.
In the mild autumn of 3.444, aliens landed on the balmy shore of peninsular Alagór. Aliens in boxy arks with sails battened like webbed fingers. Furry, wet-eyed, long-tongued creatures, reminiscent of otters or long-bodied bears.
On the cobbled gatepost, there sat a skull. A human skull, set in a divot midst the stones. Brown and crusted. A fresh wreath of dried daisy pixies, their heads torn off, crowned it. A lump of clay was tied in its gaping jaw, traced with runes. On the road, two Ward Rangers stared at […]
There exists in the cells of some humans a rare genetic quirk. A survival mechanism mutated seemingly at random and without hereditary president, so rare that it is practically unknown to science. It is expressed only after apparent death.
Everyone's got a teaspoon of salt in their coin purse. Everyone civilized, at least. And not typical salt, either, but the magical and curative grey salt grisodate; the mineral by which tenuous civilization survives. * Steely grey grains, crushed to powder among the pence and the little farthings.
To recollect a topic, a character must reasonably possess some proximity to it. It must plausibly relate to their sort, species, background, culture, land of origin, or other experience that might provide range of knowledge. If so, they may immediately learn up to 4 levels of Lore in the topic. They must spend XP to do so, as normal, and may apply any discount furnished by their Intellect.
A rattleshake is a monstrous scavenger from another world. Where, precisely, none can say. Only that the monster was never ago known in the time of Noren.
Lotus fruits are a very rare and popular drug. Removed as they are from the isle of the lotus tree, from an unending source of the fruit, recreational eaters need not fear a perennial stupor; though habitual users quickly develop a gnawing addiction. Nevertheless, mainly due to its scarcity and potency, there exists an unending demand for the fruit, which cannot be grown on the mainland