Death Mark

There are forces in the realm of mortals that inspire its name. These effects keep us from living forever — quite actively, in fact. A situation that inflicts lethal debilitation upon a living creature through physical, magical, or spiritual means could potentially hand them a Death Mark.

When you receive a Death Mark, part of your life ebbs away. A Death Mark first moves you down one stage of the Knockout Track. Second, it occupies that stage; it steals that portion of your energy. Not only do you sustain the −2 penalty to all rolls that a stage of the Knockout Track brings, but you continue to sustain the penalty until the Death Mark is removed.

What that means is that no amount of napping or coffee can unburden a creature of the malaise and fatigue that accompanies a Death Mark. When creatures bear five Death Marks, they gain the unconscious condition. A creature bearing six Death Marks must pay the toll to the ferryman and expire.

Death Marks represent an ongoing, life-threatening circumstance: for instance arctic skinny dipping, rooms with no air, or involuntary fasting. They cannot be removed until the circumstances are at an end. When a creature is freed from the harmful situation (e.g. finding a warm cabin, fresh air, or a hero's feast), a single Death Mark releases. Any remaining Death Marks can be released one at a time, with a full night of restful sleep required for each.