Post by vex on May 5, 2018 10:29:25 GMT
The Curse of Ironstone:
In the lands North-East of Sturnbridge where a lonely mountain meets both temperate forests and Cold Peaks stands the modest village of Ironstone. The residents of Ironstone were nor poor or rich, they made a fair income from their well skilled iron work. Their mines and forests were plentiful with raw resources and they rarely went with out. One day something was discovered in one of the oldest shafts of the mine, they cracked open into a small cave veined with what looked like glowing iron ore, specs of soft light floated in the air like little glow bugs. The raw metal had a strange appearance about it, like it had once flowed like melted rock and lava. The miners had to ideas as to its origin, but never-the-less they were amazed. With some great difficulty the miners managed to take some samples to the blacksmiths and smelters. The smelters tried to melt it into ingots but failed, they could make it glow bright with heat and fire but they were unable to melt, nor were the blacksmiths able to reshape it. Though, this may come to be the least of their problems..
Those in the village grew ill, as glow began to consume their veins in a fiery anguish. Their skin began to tear away in patches revealing a strange metal below it. The hearts of many failed to beat in the coming days, as they succumb to the pain. Those who did not found themselves deformed, whole limbs or parts of their body could not feel touch and were transformed into a metal like no other that veined with pulsing light. However, these few that did survive found themselves able to channel and call upon certain raw elemental energies such as lighting or fire and channel it into themselves or their weapons. Fewer still could focus on the metal and call on it to protect their whole body for a time, encasing themselves in a skin of armor with the strength of such.
Those that did perish often did not stay that way. Their hearts beaten back to life, but tainted and deformed. Driven by insanity to kill any life that does not beat with the same heart they do. While these "husks" were often very dull in intelligence their patchy metallic skin with the strength of armor made it difficult to land strikes that could harm them. Though with a trained sword and a sharp mind they can be lulled into attacking just right to take an opening for a killing blow. But, it was not only humans effected by this, but all manner of beasts and forest creatures that lived near the village of Ironstone.
Ironstone has long since been abandoned, their mine has been sealed with rubble and their houses burned to ash. The once prosperous village is no more, it's surviving residents have long since moved on. All we know how of Ironstone is the stories of those who lived to start again, Scarred by their experiences and their past. No one knows what caused the curse, some say they opened the tomb of an ancient power, others say it's a was a trap long buried to punish those with greed. Perhaps we will know the truth some day, that day however is not today.
Technical Details:
The Ironstone Curse turns parts of the body to "living metal". The area looses the sensation of touch but can still feel heat and pressure and the pain that comes with it. That area is as strong as metal that does not chip, damage or degrade with time. If the metal is somehow damaged it bleeds with glowing blue blood. The "wound" can heal but not by means of magic or conventional medicine, it can only heal with time.
The Curse is not transmittable to others, not even by drinking the blood, It can however make a useful alchemy ingredient or in paint as it never looses it's glow.
The metal cannot be melted by any conventional or readily available arcane means, the sensation of high levels of heat however are still increasingly painful but leaves no lasting damage.
(The pain from heat does not apply of the infected is the cause in cases of magical origin)
The infected can channel any type energy based form of magic (if the individual meets any restrictions for that magic) this means elemental magics such as water, wind and earth cannot be channeled.
(They can only choose one, and they are stuck with that one choice for life)
The individual suffers a penalty when trying to learn and use other forms that does not match their affinity as above, but also gains a slight bonus when learning their chosen type.
Some infected individuals can call upon the metal to cover their whole body for a time, in effect skinning them in a suit of armor. In this state they do suffer the increased weight of such making agility a far more difficult option, but also in some cases making a "direct approach" a good one. While in this state they are technically immune to fire, but the pain from prolonged exposure would very likely be crippling.
The metal is more vulnerable to blunt weapons such as maces and hammers, and strikes from said weapons are often far more painful and devastating than it would be other wise. This could be very bad if they are maced in the chest while "fully armored" since the metal won't just bend back, this means they could get winded and stay that way if the case is right and thus die of asphyxiation.
(the healing rule applies to these injuries as stated in the first technical note)
Possible Materials of Use:
(These are possible uses of and materials from fallen infected)
Blue Blood: Sometimes also called Iron Blood, this material is the blood that comes from "converted limbs" of those infected with the Ironstone Curse. The best way to gather this is to crush the limb until its released. It is best stored in clay or stone vessels as it is known to cause glass to shatter over time. Blue Blood always maintains it's bright glow and is very useful in the field of rune crafting as it can channel raw energies, making the runes more effective and potent. In its raw state Blue Blood is toxic, though not deadly. It can be refined by boiling it in stone or clay with plenty of water. Keep adding water as it boils off until the steam turns from blue to white again, then boil off the remaining water until all that is left is a blue powder that glows when taken out of the light. This when combined with tree sap and oil can make a paint that is potent when used in runes or other magical seals. Its trait of glowing in the dark also makes it popular with some select artists which call the color "Starlight Blue".
Weaknesses:
(This are some possible methods of overcoming the strength of the infected)
Blunt Weapons: Maces, hammers and other blunt weapons will be more effective in combat when fighting an infected then swords or other bladed weapons.
Geomancy: This is effective for the same reason blunt weapons are as objects such as rocks created by Geomancy will dent or crush their metal-like skin.
(Crushing is an effective method of combating them. While their limbs can fully recover from this, it takes a great deal longer than it would normal)
Pyromancy: While fire alone is not enough to kill an infected, a heat strong enough (such as that created with Pyromancy) can cause a crippling level of pain.
(One who suffers from the curse may even be rendered unconscious, leaving this as a less lethal option..)
Healing Ineffectiveness: Healing magic is completely ineffective, any injures suffered must heal on their own, which takes longer than an uninfected.
Stat Modifiers:
(These are the stat modifiers applied if the infected is a player)
+2 Strength
+2 Resistance
-2 Fortitude
-1 Dexterity
Revisions:
- Added Blue Blood as a usable resource.
- Added weaknesses.
- Added stat modifiers.
