A Primeval Peril (v 0.

2)
This is a document about a sorcery fuelled by a force older than recorded time, perhaps older than time itself, that taints all that it touches. Its alterations of the human mind in particular have been known for millennia to the unfortunate few to study it as Kipu. The name has also come to be used to refer to this horrendous magic itself.

Blessed Scourge
Blessed Scourge is the oft self-ascribed term for those that have gained a Kipu Emotional Attribute exponent. There are three human-only Traits that denote this condition. But there are other creatures and beings best left unnamed that also have a Kipu exponent.

Accursed Traits
Touched By Madness (3 pts) (gain 1D Poisoned Affiliation or Reputation) The character has become tainted but they have not accepted nor wish to pursue the use of this newfound power. Dabbler In The Forbidden (5 pts) (gain 2D Poisoned Affiliation or Reputation) The character has become corrupted and likes it. With acceptance has come access to some basic abilities. They can learn any of the Accursed Skills and may attempt to Shake Faith and obtain Forbidden Knowledge. Wanton Practitioner (6 pts) (gain 3D Poisoned Affiliation or Reputation) The character has fully embraced their fate and actively sought out advanced knowledge. Beyond the Dabblers abilities the Practitioner can also invoke Curses and pronounce Profane Oaths. Permanently gaining a higher cost Accused Trait replaces the lower cost Trait. If an Accursed Trait is gained temporarily through a Curse, or other means the lesser and duplicate Traits are not lost but yield to the highest cost Trait for the duration. Any character without a Kipu exponent that gains an Accused Trait immediately gains the Kipu Attribute at B1.

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Poisoned Circles
The corruption of those tainted is subtle but very powerful and pervasive. It slowly drives a wedge between those it has touched and the rest of humanity. An existing normal or a newly created Relationship, Reputation, Affiliation, or Lifepath that has turned to one centred on hate or rivalry is referred to as a Poisoned Circle. The Enmity Clause effect on normal social skills is always in effect for a Poisoned Circle or an NPC contacted via a Circles roll that direct used one or more Poisoned Circles.

When a Poisoned Circle is first gained there is no guarantee that the character immediately knows the identity or even general details of the Poisoned Circle. The Stench of Corruption There is always something, usually several things, about a Blessed Scourge to make them stand out. An Poisoned Circle cannot be lost via declaring an identity change, although the identity change itself may increase the Ob of a Circles Test used against them. In spite of normal BWR rules, Poisoned Circles are always available for use in a Circles Test. If any of Accursed Traits is lost the Poisoned Affiliation or Reputation that was gained by it is still retained.

I Miss My Mind The Most

As Kipu rises a character gradually becomes more erratic. This behaviour may earn them extra Traits during Trait votes. Any character whose Kipu exponent reaches 10 has just seen and experienced too much. Their mind has touched the face of nameless horror and is lost forever. Some simply die outright. Others fly into a fit of self-mutilation, usually ending in death. Still others, called Thralls, are doomed to live out their days in a semi-vegetative state at the will of some ruthless master. In any case the character is no longer playable as a PC.

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Duel of the Wileless

The Enmity Clause +2 Ob penalty does not apply to Accursed Social skills. A Blessed Scourge may initiate a Duel of Wits with Beguile, Dominate, or Lambaste, in the process negating the Body of Argument Enmity Clause bonus their opponent would otherwise gain. A Blessed Scourge may also choose to use Lambaste or Belittle for an Incite action, and Beguile or Dictum for an Obfuscate action. However if the loser of a DoW used any Accursed Skill for the conflict, even via Help or FoRKs, they risk exposing their true nature and a having a Poisoned Circle imposed or increasing the potency of a current Poisoned Circle. The Poisoning is not necessarily with a direct participant in the DoW.

Scared Stiff
When a character has experienced something not meant for mortals, unless their Kipu is larger than the Ob listed below, they must make a Steel Test. If they fail they choose either to Stand And Drool or Flee In Terror. Flee In Terror

means suffering a mental break and automatically receiving a mental defect trait during the next trait vote, intervening play informing the Trait selection. If a character without Kipu fails the Steel Test by more than 1 they immediately gain the Touched By Madness Trait Ob 1 2 3 4 Incident Looking upon a closed Forbidden tome Looking upon a cursed artefact or the pages of an open Forbidden tome Touching a Forbidden tome or cursed artefact Attempting to read a Forbidden tome; manipulating or in any way using a cursed artefact even as a simple tool; viewing another dimension via a dimensional gate Successfully reading a Forbidden tome; viewing a nonhuman servant of a powerful ancient being Witnessing a Forbidden ceremony; hearing any sound from a non-human servant of a powerful ancient being Participation in a Forbidden ceremony; being addressed verbally or via telepathy by a non-human servant of a powerful ancient being Unwilling participation in a Forbidden ceremony; coming into contact with a non-human servant of a powerful ancient being Experiencing non-Euclidian geometry; directly viewing a powerful ancient being or avatar of such Being addressed verbally or via telepathy by a powerful ancient being or avatar of such

5 6 7

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9+ 10+

Advancement
Kipu advances as per Greed for Dwarves. Tests that use Kipu directly, Shake Faith, Forbidden Knowledge, Curse, and Profane Oath, count towards advancement only if the Obstacle is met. A Blessed Scourge also counts a Test for advancement if they fail their Steel Test for Scared Stiff, logged as the highest category still required for advancement.

Accursed Skills
All skills rooted from Kipu are rolled open-ended. Beguile Mislead, misdirect, and manipulate someone into seeing things your way. FoRKs: Persuasion, Falsehood Skill Type: Accursed Social Root: Kipu Tools: No

Belittle Accentuate the negative, decentuate the positive. FoRKs: Ugly Truth, Rhetoric Skill Type: Accursed Social Ceremony of Bleak Rapture This is the skill for arranging and performing rituals to aid a Kipu Test via a Linked Test. The Obstacle is 2 less than the Obstacle of the Kipu Test. The duration of the ritual is anywhere from a few moments to days long and requires any number of props, reagents, sacrifices, and Forbidden Knowledge. Location and even time need not necessarily link in a normal causal way between the ritual and the Kipu Test being aided. FoRKs: Ancient History, Astrology, Ritual Skill Type: Accursed Musical Dominate Root: Kipu Tools: Yes Root: Kipu Tools: No

The puny shall cow before your might and acquiesce to your just demands! FoRKs: Frighten, Dictum, Belittle Skill Type: Accursed Social Frighten Scare the crap out of someone. This can range from a silent, piercing glare that sends a chill down their spine to a roaring fit of rage that sends them scurrying. FoRKs: Intimidate, Conspicuous Skill Type: Accursed Social Dictum For ordering the little people around so stuff gets done. Using this skill a character can reach through the fog in the mind of a Thrall to direct them to perform simple tasks. The Ob is 1 plus the number of Thralls being directed. If a Thrall receives contradictory orders they obey the one character with the largest margin of success. FoRKs: Command, Frighten, Conspicuous Skill Type: Accursed Social Lambaste This is just the skill to use when you need to reprimand that subordinate, henchmen, or hireling that just let you down, again. Usually this is to little benefit because they are just too stupid to learn. Root: Kipu Tools: No Root: Kipu Tools: No Root: Kipu Tools: No

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FoRKs: Belittle, Ugly Truth Skill Type: Accursed Social

Root: Kipu Tools: No

Forbidden Knowledge
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Ecclesiastes 1:18, The Bible

There are things that humans should never attempt to understand. But you having a craving for this knowledge, so what are you to do? Divine them using occult methods of course! A character may Age of Information Bonus use Kipu in place of any Academic skill for A century or less None the purpose of gaining information, with A millennium or less +1D some provisions. Apply a +1Ob if the topic is Millennia +2D only tangentially related to Kipu, and a +2Ob if the topic is unrelated to Kipu. There Before time itself +3D are also bonus dice for the age of the information, as given in the chart to the right. Success usually does provide the information directly but instead provides a location or useful description of how to obtain the desired information.

Shake Faith

Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens. J.R.R.Tolkien

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Shake Faith is a technique to stare into a soul and challenge the very core of someones motives. The Dabbler or Practitioner selects one of the Beliefs of the target and roll an Ob 2 Kipu Test. If they succeed the next time the target is faced with a dilemma involving that Belief the magic is triggered. If the target solidly reaffirms their Belief they immediately gain a Persona Artha. If they fail to act positively and concretely in support of the Belief it is lost forever. Every time the target prevails against a Shake Faith it becomes more difficult to Shake Faith on the target. Apply +1 Ob for each time the target has earned a Persona Artha via Shake Faith.

Curses
I shall curse you with book and bell and candle. Sir Thomas Malory

A Curse bestows a Trait upon a target character. Even if the effect of the Trait is considered beneficial by the target the nature of Kipu is such that it is still termed a Curse. Invoking a Curse is a Kipu Test, aided by dice from the Practitioners Stains (see A Soul Stained). An extra die is gained if the player offers both an appropriate, and colourful or florid verse or chant and a description of the Curses intended effects. If the Test succeeds the target gains the Trait for the

duration chosen, target does not resist nor is Eldritch Sink or other magical shielding protection in the face of a Curse. In Fight! Curses require a number of actions equal to the Ob. In Duel of Wits and Range & Cover Cures require one volley per 5 Ob, or portion thereof. Curse Obstacles The base Ob of a Curse is 1 + half the Trait cost, rounded up, plus modifiers from the three tables below. Ranges are as described page 208 of the BWR. Duration Single Test Conflict Session Adventure Campaign Targets Lifetime* Intergenerational* Modifier None +1 Ob +2 Ob +3 Ob +4 Ob +5 Ob +6 Ob Breadth Self Single target Group, Handful Crowd, Copse, Cluster Village, Outpost, Pond Town, Countryside, Castle City, Forest Sky, Ocean Range Modifier None +1 Ob +2 Ob +3 Ob +5 Ob +6 Ob +7 Ob +8 Ob Modifier

* These Curses must name an extra appropriate condition or event for the termination of the Curse beyond the implicit condition of death of the target(s).

Learning A Curse

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Until a Practitioner has learned a Curse there is an additional +1 Ob. A Curse is considered learned if the Practitioner is using a Trait Stain that provides at least +1D or has at least one successful Test logged. Corrupting A Trait

Personal Origin Presence Origin Sight Origin Out of sight

None +1 Ob +2 Ob +3 Ob

Any Trait, that has not been bestowed by a Curse, can be negated via a Kipu Test with an Ob equal to that of a Curse that would bestow the Trait. Intergenerational Feud If the invoker has offspring they can dooms them to be likewise tied to the Curse as a tool for carrying it out the conditions of the Curse, joining in the suffering with the targets prodigy. Doing so negates the normal listed Intergenerational Ob modifier and implicitly adds an additional exit clause for the Curse, the death of all lineages on one side or the other.

Consequences of Failure
Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long back on itself recoils. John Milton

Failure in attempting a Curse meets with swift, harsh, and unpredictable punishment. The GM applies any one consequence from the following. Poisoned Relationship The GM assigns a Poisoned Relationship to the character, as per the Poisoned Relationship section. The margin of failure determines which options are available for imposition. The GM may choose from a lesser margin of failure. Failed By 1 2 3 4+ Available Options Relationship w/minor character, 1D Reputation Relationship w/significant character, 2D Reputation, 1D Affiliation Relationship w/powerful character, 3D Reputation, 2D Affiliation 3D Affiliation, Circle

Delayed Backlash All Stains applicable to the Curse are charged with a potential energy set to backlash the next time, and only the next time, any one or more of these Stains are used. The backlash manifests as secondary Curse that automatically befalls the Practitioner or some other incontinent target. All backlashs stored in the Stains used are triggered, so a single Curse might trigger multiple backlashes.

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The GM secretly selects the backlash Curse when earned and the target when triggered. The Ob of the backlash may not exceed 2 + margin of failure. The Abyss Looks Back The Practitioner has accidentally glimpsed into the endless void. They must roll as per Scared Stiff with an Ob equal the Ob of the Curse except nothing can prepare a human for this. They are forced to Test Steel even if the Ob is less than their current Kipu.

Profane Oath
For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying out for mercy. Monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona, book curse

At the core these are Curses but have some extra properties and requirements. A Profane Oath includes a preset condition to trigger the Curse to take effect. The target of the effect is typically whoever triggers the conditions. The pronouncer or inscriber of a Profane Oath must also give due notice of the trigger conditions. Kipu is not about trickery because it does not need it. So there is no effort made to hide the knowledge about the trigger conditions. The

trigger conditions of a pronounced Profane Oaths are, initially, widely known and scribed Profane Oaths are usually written using very durable methods. Example: If the trigger condition is breaking into a tomb then the Profane Oath is normally inscribed in plain sight directly into the seal or into stone or other hard material near the entrance. However Kipu is also not about coddling or entertaining excuses. So it is entirely indifferent as to whether or not the trespasser expends the effort to study archives about an area, takes the time to read the text or glyphs of the Profane Oath, or even has the skills necessary to do either of these. Ignorance of the law provides no defence under the law

By The People, For The People

From Hell's Heart I stab thee; For Hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee. Herman Melville

Buried in the heart of humanity is a seed of spite awaiting the opportunity to blossom. Upon death any character can attempt to invoke, pronounce, or inscribe a Curse or Profane Oath upon those they feel greatly wronged by. If the character lacks a Kipu exponent they may through sheer hatred spontaneously convert their Will exponent to Kipu, in the process sealing the fate of their own soul.

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A Soul Stained
They are the proof of something was there and no longer is. Like a stain. And the stillness of them is boggling. You can turn away but when you come back they'll still be there looking at you. Diane Arbus

Over time, as worms through wood, Kipu slowly eats a Practitioners humanity away, filling the voids with a palpable nothingness. The good news is that these holes, referred to as Stains, allow the Practitioner to partly bypass their own ego and are thus ideal conduits for directing and focusing Kipu. A Stain is associated with either a circumstance or an individual trait. To the right is the cost schedule Rating Circumstance Stain Trait Stain for Stains. The free 0D Stains Free Free may be added to a character 1D 10 rps 5 rps sheet at any time. They do not 2D 25 rps 9 rps give a die bonus but are used 3D 50 rps 12 rps for tracking advancement towards gaining 1D for that Stain. If game play is being unacceptably slowed by a player hunting for traits it is recommended that Traits used be limited to those already researched by the player and recorded in the characters list of Stains. When a Practitioner succeeds in a Curse or Profane Oath a tally is counted towards any one Stain that was identified as involved with it, including 0D

Stains. To advance to the next die level a Trait Stain must receive a number of tallies equal to the Practitioners Will exponent. Circumstance Stains advance with Will exponent + 2 tallies. Circumstance Stain A Circumstance Stain consists of a name and short sentence or two identifying the special conditions under which it may be used. The special conditions may be type of target, a physical or planar location, a Practitioners motivation, the targets circumstance, a relation between Practitioner and target, an act performed at the time of the invocation, etc. Circumstance Stains must be appropriately narrow for the setting and agreed upon unanimously by the players. As a guideline, Circumstance Stains that are applicable more than 20%-25% of the time are likely too broad and should be narrowed. Examples Stain of Fear Practitioner is Cursing whatever it is that they fear the most. The Red That Stains My Hands Practitioner draws the blood of the target or, when dealing with self or bloodless targets (inanimate objects or nameless horrors), the Practitioners own blood. The Darkest Stain of All Practitioner dealing with the nameless horrors from beyond time, space, and sanity or with their non-Euclidian technology. Stain of the Circle Practitioner uses a particular ritual circle to work the curse. One specific circle at one specific location only, non-transferable. Stained Host - Practitioner curses someone who is under their hospitality.

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Beyond Knowable
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. - William Shakespeare

For the safety of the reader and the author this document is not a complete accounting of all procedures and powers of Kipu. Beyond there is awesome, horrible magicking that lays bare the true extent of everything and nothing. It is capable of such things opening portals to other dimensions, altering time itself, and twisting reality in ways that have driven mad those that have dared attempt comprehension.