#RPGaDay2024 Day 8 – Experiment

Day 8 #RPGaDay2024, once more into the fray, continuing with the alternative prompt challenge list by Skala Wyzwania. For more information, see David Chapman’s Autocratik blog post for RPG a Day 2024.

The RPG theme for today is Experiment. Rolling a 1d10 for the quest. The result is 8. Present an idea for a random encounter.

Blood-Stained Philosophers

After the Night of the Weeping Starfire and the coming of the Nocturnal Potentates, the nature of mortals changes. The blood in their bodies bears the curse of the dark rulers of the night. All those born under the auspice of a constellation of the Nocturnal Potentates (see #RPGaDay2024 Day 3) have cursed blood. Only the Brothers and Sisters of the Order Crimson Hands can touch the blood of those cursed and not have the blood warp and mutate them. But there are not many members of the Order of the Crimson Hand, and others risk themselves as healers, chirurgeon, and bloodletters. Those brave or foolhardy enough to do this, for whatever reason, have their bodies changed, their bodies twisted, and are called the Blood Stained.

Others engage in bloodletting purposefully and experiment with the effect that the tainted blood has on them and others. You encounter one such Blood-Stained Philosopher. The person dresses like a healer or chirurgeon; they will offer to help the adventurers, plying their trade, but on close observation, they do not take the precautions other Blood Stained often do. They seem to revel in the experience. They frequently have a hat, hood, or other head covering, hiding mutations on their heads. They may have humps that seem to move, pustules of scabs of unnatural color. Alternatively, the philosophers may not be mutated themselves but have victims traveling with them covered to hide their mutations. Often, in a stupor produced by secret brews, the philosopher feeds them. Any healing performed by the Blood-Stained Philosopher can infect others as they treat different patients without taking care of not mixing their patients’ blood.

Thanks for reading. This one was tougher than I imagined. What format to use was a challenge. Do you think what I wrote meets the idea presented by the quest? Let me know if you think it worked.

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See you tomorrow.