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Talmudic 613 of the Golem Grubs

—

by

Dale
in

Lore

In the sun-baked scribal colonies of Saṃsāra’s Eastern Shelves, a sect of scholars known as the Vermiphrasts spent centuries observing the life cycles of silk-worms and scarabs to understand the divine geometry of the universe. They believed the “Alphabet of Creation” was not just written in ink, but etched into the segmented carapaces and larval silk of the insect world. The Talmudic 613 of the Golem-Grubs is a living prayer-conduit, a specialized vessel containing sanctified larvae that have been fed on shredded fragments of ancient, discarded scrolls. These grubs are said to vibrate at the frequency of the “Seventh Emanation,” acting as tiny, chitinous scribes that help the wearer decode the hidden spiritual patterns within the natural world.

Stats

  • Tier: 1
  • Rarity: Common
  • Weight: 0.8 lbs
  • Durability: 6 HP (The vessel is fragile, made of tempered clay and parchment)
  • Slot: Back (A small, cylindrical tube worn vertically along the spine or attached to a cloak)

Skills Gained While Openly Worn

  • Scribal Entomology (+2 Nature Knowledge): The wearer can identify insects by the “divine letters” formed by their wing veins or leg segments.
  • Exegesis of the Soil (+1 Investigation): The vibrations of the grubs provide insight into hidden tremors or underground hollows, treating the earth like a page of text.

Multiple Passives Magic

  • The Living Sefirot: The grubs inside the vessel shift their positions to form living diagrams of the Ten Emanations. This grants the wearer a +1 bonus to Will/Wisdom saves against illusions, as the insects “anchor” the wearer’s perception to divine truth.
  • Chitinous Protection: The vessel emits a low-frequency hum that causes non-magical insects within 5 feet to become docile, preventing them from biting or bothering the wearer unless provoked.

Multiple Activable Magics

  • Mudra of the Swarm (1/Day): By whispering a specific verse into the vessel’s ventilation holes, the wearer can command the grubs to release a fine, silver silk. For 10 minutes, the wearer gains a +2 bonus to Medicine checks to bind wounds, as the silk is imbued with minor restorative properties.
  • Alphabet of the Antennae (1/Day): The wearer can release a single “Messenger Grub” that travels up to 30 feet to a specific plant or stone. The grub “reads” the history of the object and returns, transmitting a fleeting image or emotion from the object’s past to the wearer’s mind (requires 1 minute of focus).

Tags

Kabbalistic, Talmudic, Entomology, Bio-Mechanical, Spiritual, Nature Knowledge, Investigation, Minor Healing, Divination, Tier 1, Common, Vermiphrast, Sefirot, Larval-Magic, Sacred-Segments, Scriptural-Silk, Chrysalis-Cipher, Mandible-Mysticism, Chitin-Scroll, Larval-Logic, Torah-Tether, Hexapod-Heresy, Golem-Kin, Scribing-Swarms, Dust-Divination

Methods of Obtaining the Talmudic 613 of the Golem-Grubs

The Talmudic 613 is a specialized tool of the Vermiphrast scholars, and as such, it is rarely found in the hands of common merchants. An adventurer might secure one through the following avenues:

  • Completion of a Scriptural Survey: A scholar may gift the vessel to an avatar who successfully harvests a rare “Letter-Winged Moth” or protects a sacred mulberry grove from blighted predators.
  • Inheritance from a Fallen Scribe: In the dusty, abandoned archives of the Eastern Shelves, these vessels are sometimes found clutched by the skeletal remains of scribes who perished while attempting to translate the “Silk of Genesis.”
  • The Ritual of the First Chrysalis: A devout follower of entomological mysticism can craft the vessel themselves by feeding ordinary silk-worms the pulp of a sanctified prayer scroll for a full lunar cycle, though this requires access to a consecrated scribal kiln.

Purchase and Sale Locations

Because the item is a Tier 1 Common artifact with niche religious and biological utility, its value varies based on the “purity” of the grubs and the quality of the clay vessel.

The Scriptorium’s Apiary (Ecclesiastical Marketplace) Located within temple-universities or near large monastic libraries, these shops specialize in bio-magical aids for research and prayer.

  • Purchase Process: The buyer must demonstrate basic literacy in the ancient tongues of Saṃsāra. The shopkeeper—usually a junior monk with ink-stained fingers—will allow the buyer to “listen” to the vibrations of several vessels, choosing the one that resonates best with their own spiritual frequency.
  • Sale Process: The shop buys these back only if the grubs are healthy and have been fed “clean” knowledge. They pay in temple-credits or silver drachmas.
  • Cost: 50 Silver Pieces (or 5 Gold).

The Curio-Crawler’s Stall (Bazaar / Rural Outpost) A cluttered tent found in nomadic caravans or edge-of-the-wilderness outposts, catering to naturalists and eccentric collectors.

  • Purchase Process: These are often sold as “Oddities.” The merchant may not fully understand the Kabbalistic significance, focusing instead on the grubs’ ability to repel other insects. Haggling is expected, and the merchant might throw in a bag of “Scroll-Mulberry Leaves” for an extra copper.
  • Sale Process: Sellers can easily offload a 613 here for quick coin, though the merchant will inspect the clay for cracks. They offer a flat rate, regardless of the grubs’ specific lineage.
  • Cost: 35 Silver Pieces (or a trade for 20 pounds of dried Ghost-Thorn berries).

The Alchemist’s Pantry (Urban Trade District) A high-turnover shop in a bustling city that sells components for potions and rituals.

  • Purchase Process: The Talmudic 613 is sold as a “Stabilizer” for higher-level nature rituals. The sale is professional and fast; the item is wrapped in protective parchment and stamped with a seal of authenticity.
  • Sale Process: Alchemists buy these for the “Scriptural Silk” produced by the grubs. If the vessel is empty but the clay is intact, they will buy the frame for 10% of the price.
  • Cost: 60 Silver Pieces (Market premium for urban convenience).

The Hermit’s Burrow (Isolated Wilderness) A single individual living in a cave or a tree-house who breeds these insects in solitude.

  • Purchase Process: The hermit does not want money. They will exchange a Talmudic 613 for a “New Story” or a rare insect specimen they do not yet possess in their collection.
  • Sale Process: They will rarely “buy” a vessel back, but will offer to “Exchange Larvae” to diversify the genetic and spiritual pool of the buyer’s current grubs.
  • Cost: A “Masterful” rating story or a Tier 1 insect-related favor.

The Hermeneutics of the Hive: Roleplaying the Talmudic 613

Operating the Talmudic 613 of the Golem-Grubs requires a player to blend the meticulous observation of an entomologist with the meditative focus of a mystic. The item is subtle, defined by quiet vibrations and the soft rustle of silk rather than grand displays of power.

Defensive Roleplay and Applications

In defense, the Talmudic 613 acts as an Early Warning System and a Spiritual Anchor. It protects the wearer by interpreting the “unwritten script” of the environment to avoid danger.

  • In Subterranean or Cave Environments: The user roleplays as a “Sensitive.” As the grubs sense the divine geometry of the earth shifting, the user describes feeling a specific “rhythmic itch” along their spine. Defensively, this allows the user to navigate away from unstable ceilings or hidden pit-traps. The roleplay centers on the user pressing their back against a cavern wall, allowing the grubs to “read” the tremors of approaching stone-beasts.
  • In Swamps or Infested Jungles: The user roleplays a “Sanctified Presence.” As clouds of biting gnats or toxic beetles approach, the user remains calm, narrating the low-frequency hum of the vessel as it resonates with the Chitinous Protection passive. The user might walk through a swarm that is actively attacking others, roleplaying the insects’ hesitation as they recognize the “Alphabet of Creation” within the wearer’s aura.
  • Against Illusions and Mental Assaults: When a foe attempts to cloud the user’s mind, the player roleplays the Living Sefirot. They describe looking at the shifting grubs inside the clay tube; the insects’ perfect alignment into sacred shapes acts as a “True North,” allowing the user to blink away the mirage and maintain their composure.

Offensive Roleplay and Applications

Offensively, the Talmudic 613 is a tool of Tactical Investigation and Battlefield Control. It doesn’t strike directly, but it reveals the “structural sins” of the enemy.

  • In Forested or Wild Environments: The user utilizes the Alphabet of the Antennae. They roleplay whispering a secret to a single grub before letting it crawl into the brush toward an enemy camp. The offense is informational: the player narrates receiving a “temporal echo” of the enemy’s campfire conversation or a mental image of where their sentries are weakest, treating the forest’s history like an open book.
  • In Urban or Structured Environments: The user roleplays the “Architect of Discord.” By using the Exegesis of the Soil skill, the player identifies a structural flaw in a building or a hollow space beneath a cobblestone street. Offensively, this knowledge is used to set up ambushes or to lead enemies into areas where the ground—unbeknownst to them—is ready to give way.
  • In Support and Healing: During the heat of a skirmish, the user roleplays the Mudra of the Swarm. As they apply the “Scriptural Silk” to an ally’s wound, the player recites a verse of restoration. The offense here is the preservation of the unit; the player describes the silver threads knitting the flesh together in the shape of protective runes, allowing the ally to return to the fight with renewed spiritual vigor.

Environmental Mastery Summary

  • Ancient Ruins: The grubs become extremely active, vibrating with excitement as they encounter “Old Script” on the walls. The user roleplays a frantic translator, gaining a boost to finding hidden lore.
  • Sterile or Arcane Labs: The grubs may become sluggish. The user roleplays “Nurturing the Divine,” having to feed the grubs extra fragments of parchment to keep the 613 functional.
  • High-Altitude Peaks: The thinning air makes the vessel’s hum carry further. The user roleplays a “Signal Tower,” using the grubs’ resonance to communicate basic emotional states to allies across long distances.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

  • Sight: The ventilation holes of the clay cylinder emit a soft, pulsating amber light. Looking inside, the user sees the grubs glowing with a bioluminescent silver sheen as they rearrange themselves into the intricate geometric shapes of the Ten Emanations.
  • Sound: The rhythmic rustling of many small legs against parchment shifts into a singular, resonant hum. This sound seems to bypass the ears and vibrate directly into the user’s jawbone, mimicking a low-frequency chanting of ancient hymns.
  • Touch: The clay vessel becomes noticeably warmer, radiating a heat similar to a sun-baked stone. When the silk is harvested, it feels cool and tingly against the skin, like a localized application of menthol.
  • Smell: A sharp, nostalgic scent of old library dust, dried ink, and fresh mulberry leaves fills the user’s nostrils, momentarily masking all other environmental odors.
  • Taste: A distinct, papery dryness coats the tongue, accompanied by a metallic hint of iron-gall ink.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Sight: The observer sees the user’s cloak or back faintly illuminated by a warm, rhythmic glow. If a Messenger Grub is released, it appears as a tiny, flickering spark of silver light moving purposefully across the ground.
  • Sound: A very faint, honey-like droning sound can be heard within a few feet of the user, which has a curiously sedative effect on nearby animals and common insects.
  • Touch: The air immediately surrounding the user feels “still” and slightly denser, as if the local laws of physics have been momentarily reinforced by an unseen script.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

  • The Sefirot Anchor: The user perceives a translucent “Tree of Life” diagram overlaid on their vision. Each emanation aligns with a point in the room, making it impossible to lose their sense of direction or be fully disoriented by spatial anomalies.
  • Temporal Scent: When the Messenger Grub “reads” an object, the user doesn’t just see a memory; they “smell” the era it came from—detecting the woodsmoke of an ancient campfire or the ozone of a century-old storm.
  • Scriptural Vibration: The user “feels” the spiritual weight of words. Written text in the vicinity seems to pulse; if a lie is written on a nearby parchment, the grubs emit a discordant, jarring vibration that only the user can feel.

Positives

  • Absolute Focus: The activation creates a “spiritual bubble” of clarity, allowing the user to ignore minor distractions, pain, or environmental stressors.
  • Insect Neutrality: The calming aura is so potent that even monstrous or giant insects (Tier 1-2) may pause or treat the user as a neutral non-threat for the duration.
  • Restorative Silk: The high-quality silk produced can stabilize dying allies or repair fine mechanical parts with magical adhesion.

Negatives

  • Sensory Isolation: The internal “chanting” and overwhelming smell of ink can make it difficult for the user to hear verbal commands or smell approaching threats like smoke or predators.
  • Scholarly Burden: The user may experience “information overload”—a sudden, sharp headache as the grubs attempt to transmit more data than a Tier 1 mind can easily process.
  • Fragility: During activation, the vessel’s internal pressure increases. If the user takes a heavy physical blow, there is a risk the clay will shatter, causing the loss of the grubs and a minor magical backlash.

Rite of the Alphabetical Chrysalis: Talmudic 613

Materials Needed

  • Sanctified Clay (1 lb): Harvested from the banks of a river that flows past a Cyclotheon or ancient library.
  • Scroll-Fed Larvae (12 grubs): Common silk-worm larvae that have been fed exclusively on the shredded remains of non-magical, sanctified prayer scrolls for one lunar cycle.
  • Ghost-Thorn Vine Fiber: Used to create the internal mesh and the external mounting straps.
  • Iron-Gall Ink (1 small vial): Used to inscribe the internal walls of the clay vessel with protective geomatrical seals.
  • Petrified Mulberry Wood (1 small block): To be carved into the airtight stopper for the vessel.
  • Starlight-Infused Parchment: A single strip to be placed inside the vessel as a primary “nesting” material for the grubs.

Tools Required

  • Potter’s Wheel or Hand-Carving Tools: To shape the cylindrical clay vessel.
  • Scribal Stylus: For the precision engraving of micro-script and Kabbalistic symbols into the wet clay.
  • Consecrated Kiln: A small oven fueled by cedar wood and dried incense, used to bake the clay while preserving its spiritual receptivity.
  • Magnifying Lens: Essential for inspecting the “divine letters” on the larvae carapaces to ensure they are ready for the rite.
  • Alchemical Still: To purify the iron-gall ink before inscription.

Skill Requirements

  • Artisan (Pottery or Calligraphy) (+2): Precision is required to ensure the vessel is structurally sound and the script is accurate.
  • Nature Knowledge (Entomology) (+2): To understand the health and spiritual readiness of the larvae.
  • Spiritual Attunement (Kabbalistic/Talmudic) (+1): Required to “breathe” the initial life-force into the seals during the baking process.
  • Foraging (+1): To identify and gather the specific river clay and mulberry wood.

Crafting Steps

  1. Shaping the Vessel: Mold the sanctified clay into a hollow cylinder. While the clay is still wet, use the stylus to engrave the interior with the 72 names of the divine and the exterior with patterns of the Ten Emanations.
  2. The Inking of the Seals: Once the engraving is complete, carefully fill the interior grooves with purified iron-gall ink. This creates the “Spiritual Circuitry” that the grubs will follow.
  3. The Sacred Firing: Place the vessel in the consecrated kiln. As it bakes, the crafter must recite the Exegesis of the Soil, ensuring the heat binds the ink and clay into a single resonant object.
  4. Preparing the Nest: Line the interior of the cooled vessel with Ghost-Thorn mesh and the strip of starlight-infused parchment. This provides the grubs with a familiar environment that mimics a sacred archive.
  5. The Introduction of the Scribes: Place the twelve scroll-fed larvae into the vessel one by one. Each grub must be “named” with a letter of the alphabet to initiate their roles as living conduits.
  6. Sealing the Covenant: Carve the petrified mulberry wood into a stopper with small ventilation holes. Fit it tightly into the top of the cylinder.
  7. The Awakening Ritual: Hold the vessel during the first hour of dawn. Focus your Mind’s Eye on the larvae until you feel the first low-frequency vibration—the “Hum of Genesis.” Once the vessel warms to the touch, the Talmudic 613 is considered active.

Many-Legged Scribes and Jar of Whispering Dust

In the breath-time before the “Great-Ink-Spill” dried upon the “Page-of-All,” and the mountains were yet “Small-Pebbles-in-a-God’s-Sandal,” there existed the Worm-of-the-Secret-Letters. The tablets of the Third-Broken-Sun tell of a time when the words of the high-heavens fell like “Rain-into-the-Mud,” and no man had the “Belly-to-Hold-the-Truth.”

There was a Watcher-of-the-Crawling-Things, a man named Ab-Lar-Vah, whose name is translated as “He-Who-Counts-the-Footprints-of-the-Small.” He lived in the “Land-of-Dry-Paper,” where the trees grew not fruit, but “Leaves-of-Thin-Skin” covered in the marks of the “First-Voice.”

Ab-Lar-Vah saw that the great scrolls were being “Eaten-by-the-Hungry-Time.” The ancient ink says: “The wisdom was turning to the gray-ash, and the people were becoming the Empty-Heads.” He sought a way to keep the “Letters-of-Light” from the “Stomach-of-Forgetfulness.”

He went to the Mulberry-Grove-of-the-Deep-Thought. There, he found the Grubs-of-the-Silent-Munch. These were not common worms, but “Lungs-of-the-Alphabet.” Ab-Lar-Vah spoke to the grubs in the “Language-of-the-Antennae,” saying: “Eat the holy-scraps, and turn the ink into your own bones!”

The-He-Who-Counts-the-Small took a jar of Clay-from-the-River-that-Remembers. He carved inside the jar the “Tree-of-the-Ten-Fruits,” which the poorly translated scrolls call the Sefirot-of-the-Jointed-Leg. He placed the grubs inside, feeding them the “Shredded-Whispers” of the oldest books.

But the grubs were “Heavy-with-the-Weight-of-Knowing.” One grub ate the word for “Fire” and began to “Glow-with-the-Heat-of-a-Small-Sun.” Another ate the word for “Wind” and began to “Spin-like-a-Dust-Devil” inside the clay. The grubs began to “Rearrange-their-Bodies” to match the shapes of the high-stars.

The Maker then used the Silk-of-the-Long-Waiting to bind the grubs to the jar. He sealed the lid with the Wood-of-the-Silent-Tree. The ancient text reads: “And there was a vibration in the jar, like a thousand tiny-rabbis arguing in a box of honey. The sound was the spirit-hum of the letters, turning into the One-Truth.”

When the Maker carried the jar, it was the Talmudic 613. It was a “House-of-Living-Ink” and a “Spy-of-the-Dirt.” The story tells of a Great-Decoding. A Scholar with “Too-Many-Questions” took the vessel to the City-of-the-Masked-Lies. When the King-of-the-False-Tongue spoke, the jar “Shook-with-a-Angry-Buzz.” The grubs inside sensed the “Crooked-Letters” in the King’s heart and warned the Scholar with a “Jolt-of-Silver-Pain.”

When the Scholar was lost in the Forest-of-the-Twisted-Paths, he released a single Messenger-Grub. The grub did not walk; it “Read-the-Roots.” It followed the “Hidden-Script-of-the-Soil” until it found the “Sentence-that-Leads-to-the-Gate.” The-He-Who-Counts-the-Small wrote: “The worm knows the path because the path is written in the dirt by the Hand-of-the-Mighty, and the worm is the eye that sees the pen-stroke.”

But there is a “Brittle-Warning” in the ancient glue of the story. A Man-of-Greed, whose name is “Sooty-Soul,” tried to take the 613. He had no “Reverence-for-the-Little.” He shook the jar to make the grubs “Speak-the-Gold-Secrets.” But because he did not know the “Alphabet-of-the-Heart,” the grubs did not give him the gold. Instead, they gave him the “Weight-of-the-Unread-Books.” The Man-of-Greed felt his mind turn to “Heavy-Lead,” his thoughts becoming “Tangled-in-a-Web-of-Confusing-Grammar.” He wandered into the “High-Grass” and was never found, for he was “Lost-between-the-Lines.”

The Talmudic 613 now waits in the Archive-of-the-Unspoken-Vibration. It hums a sound that is 613 heartbeats long. It is the “Scholar’s Eye,” the “Insect’s Prayer,” and the “Key-to-the-Library-of-the-Earth.”

The Moral of the Story: Look upon the small-things with the “Big-Eye,” for the letters of the divine are written in the silk of the worm and the dirt of the ground; he who ignores the “Small-Scribes” shall be lost when the “Great-Book” is closed.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Cylindrical Codex of the Vermiphrast

  • Item Type: Artifact
  • Sanity Cost: None to carry; 1D3 Sanity points to activate “Alphabet of the Antennae.”
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology: Grants a Bonus Die to all Science (Zoology) or Science (Biology) rolls specifically involving insects.
    • Exegesis of the Soil: The user may spend 1 Magic Point to gain a Bonus Die on Spot Hidden or Track rolls when searching for hidden subterranean passages or tremors.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): Grants a +10% bonus to POW checks made to resist magical illusions or mental fog.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Once per day, the user can send a grub to an object. The user must make a POW roll. On a success, they receive a flash of a “Temporal Scent” memory from the object’s past.
  • Syntax: Artifact, skill-specific Bonus Dice, Magic Point activation for tracking, Daily POW-based divination.

Blades in the Dark

The Golem-Grub Prayer Vessel

  • Item Type: Arcane Tool
  • Load: 1
  • Tier: I (Quality 1)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Exegesis of the Soil (Passive): When you Survey or Study the ground or subterranean structures, you gain +1 Effect.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): During downtime or a score, you may spend 1 Stress to produce “Scriptural Silk.” This acts as a Fine medical kit (+1 Quality) for a single Healing or Tinker action to mend a person or a delicate object.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Spend 1 Stress to release a Messenger Grub. The grub provides a Great Position for your next Attune or Study roll involving a specific object or location’s history.
    • Living Sefirot (Passive): You gain Potency when resisting consequences from supernatural illusions or “mental static.”
  • Syntax: Arcane Tool, +1 Effect on Survey/Study, Stress-activated Fine healing asset, Potency vs Illusions.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Talmudic 613 of the Golem-Grubs

  • Item Type: Wondrous Item, Common
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology: You have advantage on Intelligence (Nature) checks made to identify or interact with insects.
    • Exegesis of the Soil: You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) checks involving the ground, tunnels, or subterranean features.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): You have a +1 bonus to Wisdom saving throws against illusions.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (1/Day): As an action, you can use the grubs’ silk to grant a creature you touch a +2 bonus to their next Wisdom (Medicine) check, or use it yourself to stabilize a dying creature without a kit.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (1/Day): You can spend 1 minute focusing on a Messenger Grub to cast the Identify spell, but only on non-magical, historical objects, and it provides a “Temporal Scent” memory instead of a mechanical list of properties.
  • Syntax: Wondrous item (common), Advantage on Nature (Insects), +1 Investigation, Daily utility spells/stabilization.

Knave (2nd Edition)

The 613 Scholar’s Tube

  • Item Type: Tool (1 Slot)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology: You gain a +2 bonus to any checks involving insects or using them to interpret “divine signs.”
    • The Living Sefirot: You gain a +1 bonus to all Saves made to resist mental confusion or visual tricks.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (1/Day): Use the grubs’ silk to heal a character for 1d4 HP or automatically repair a damaged “Tool” or “Armor” slot (restoring 1 Quality).
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (1/Day): Send a grub to an object within sight. The GM must give you one true fact about that object’s origin or its previous owner.
    • Chitinous Protection: Common insects (non-monstrous) will not attack you unless you harm them first.
  • Syntax: 1 Slot, +2 Insect checks, +1 Mental Saves, Daily 1d4 Heal or Quality repair, Daily object-lore.

Fate (Core / Condensed)

Talmudic 613 of the Golem-Grubs

  • Item Type: Extra (Cost: 1 Refresh)
  • Aspects: The Divine Alphabet of the Insect World, Guided by the Seventh Emanation, Frail Vessel of Sanctified Silk
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): You gain a +2 bonus to Lore rolls when the subject involves insects or interpreting natural patterns as divine signs.
    • Exegesis of the Soil (Passive): You can use Investigate to sense subterranean hollows or ground vibrations with a +1 bonus.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): You gain a +1 bonus to Will rolls to defend against or overcome mental illusions.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Once per session, you can use a Messenger Grub to discover a hidden detail or a “Temporal Scent” memory about an object’s past, creating a situation aspect with one free invoke.
  • Syntax: Extra with +2 Lore (Insects), +1 Investigate (Earth), Will-based illusion defense.

Numenera & Cypher System

Vessel of the Scribing Vermis

  • Item Type: Artifact (Level 3)
  • Form: A cylindrical clay tube housing bioluminescent larvae.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): You are Trained in tasks involving the identification of insects and the history of sacred natural sites.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): You gain an asset to Intellect defense rolls against visual illusions or mental trickery.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): You can spend 2 Intellect points to produce healing silk. This provides an asset to a single medical task or allows you to restore 3 points to a Might Pool.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): You can spend 3 Intellect points to send a grub to an object. The grub returns a fleeting image of the object’s history (equivalent to a Level 3 scan).
  • Syntax: Artifact (Level 3), Trained in Entomology, Asset vs Illusions, Intellect-powered healing/scanning.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Talmudic 613 of the Golem-Grubs

  • Item Type: Item 1 (Common, Divination, Magical)
  • Usage: Worn (Back); Bulk: L
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Nature checks to identify or interact with arthropods.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Will saves against the Illusion school of magic.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): Two-Actions (Interact): (Frequency: once per day) The grubs produce silver silk. You can use this to perform a Medicine check to Treat Wounds or Administer First Aid without requiring a healer’s toolkit. If you succeed, the target gains 1d4 temporary HP.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Action (Envision): (Frequency: once per day) You release a Messenger Grub. It provides the effects of the Object Reading spell, but only for non-magical items of a level equal to or lower than your own.
  • Syntax: Item 1, +1 Nature (Insects), +1 Will vs Illusion, Daily Medicine/Object Reading utility.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Relic 613: The Scholarly Chrysalis

  • Item Type: Relic (Minor)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): The wearer gains a +1 bonus to Research and Science rolls specifically involving insects or biological patterns.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): The wearer gains a +1 bonus to Spirit rolls made to resist the effects of Illusions or “magic-induced confusion.”
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): Once per day, the wearer can use the grubs’ silk to grant a +2 bonus to a Healing roll. Alternatively, the silk can automatically stabilize a “Bleeding Out” character.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Once per day, the wielder can release a grub to investigate an object. This functions as a successful Notice roll to find a hidden historical fact about the object, provided through a “Temporal Scent.”
    • Chitinous Protection: Insects (non-monstrous) will not attack the wearer unless the wearer attacks them first.
  • Syntax: Relic, +1 Research/Science, +1 Spirit vs Illusion, Daily Healing/Notice utility, Passive insect deterrent.

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

The Vermiphrast Qi Focus: Talmudic 613

  • Item Type: Qi Focus (Rating 2) / Alchemical Vessel
  • Availability: 4
  • Cost: 6,000¥
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): The user gains +2 dice to Nature or Biotechnology tests specifically involving insects or biological drones.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): The user gains a +1 bonus to their Willpower for the purpose of resisting Illusion spells or Matrix-based sensory spoofing.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): As a Minor Action, the user can apply Scriptural Silk to a wound. This acts as a Rating 4 Medkit but only for the purposes of the “Stabilize” or “First Aid” actions.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Once per day, the user may spend 1 Edge to release a Messenger Grub. The grub returns a “Temporal Scent,” granting the user a +2 dice pool bonus on their next Memory or Knowledge test regarding that object.
  • Syntax: Rating 2 Qi Focus, +2 Nature (Insects), +1 Willpower vs Illusion, Edge-activated Object Reading.

Starfinder (2nd Edition / Playtest)

The 613 Kabbalistic Bio-Cylinder

  • Item Type: Hybrid Item (Magic/Technological)
  • Level: 1
  • Price: 450 Credits
  • Bulk: L
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Life Science checks. This bonus increases to +3 if the check involves an arthropod or vermin.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Will Saves against effects with the Illusion or Emotion traits.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): (1/Day) As an Interact action, you can use the grubs’ silk to perform the Administer First Aid task. You can substitute your Life Science skill for your Medicine skill for this check.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): (1/Day) As a 1-minute ritual, you release a grub to investigate an item. This functions as the Psychometry spell (Level 1), but the information is limited to sensory memories (Temporal Scent).
  • Syntax: Level 1 Hybrid Item, +1 Life Science (+3 Insects), +1 Will vs Illusion, Daily Life Science-based First Aid.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

TL 10 Vermiphrast Scholarly Vessel

  • Item Type: Bio-Magical Tool
  • Tech Level: 10
  • Weight: 0.5 kg
  • Cost: Cr 1,500
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): The user receives a DM+2 on any Animals (Insects) or Science (Biology) checks involving micro-biological patterns.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): The user receives a DM+1 to all END or PSI checks made to resist psionic illusions or mental manipulation.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): Once per day, the user can harvest silk to perform a Medic check on a “Wounded” character with a DM+2. This also automatically treats the “Bleeding” condition.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): Once per day, the user may release a Messenger Grub. On a successful Science (History) (8+) check, the user learns one piece of historical data about a physical object through a “Temporal Scent” memory.
  • Syntax: TL 10 Bio-Tool, DM+2 Animals/Biology, DM+1 Psionic Defense, Daily Medic bonus.

Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory

Talmudic 613 Vermiphrast Relic

  • Item Type: Relic (Bio-Artifact)
  • Tier: 1
  • Keywords: Relic, Tæloraḥn, Scholastic, [Any Keyword regarding Nature/Entomology]
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Scribal Entomology (Passive): You gain +1 bonus die to all Scholar and Survival tests involving insects or tracking through natural environments.
    • The Living Sefirot (Passive): You gain +1 to your Resolve trait when resisting the influence of Psychic Powers or Fear effects that rely on visual distortion.
    • Mudra of the Swarm (Active): Once per day, you may use the grubs’ silk to assist a Medicae test. This grants +2 bonus dice to the test and reduces the time required to a single Combat Action.
    • Alphabet of the Antennae (Active): You can spend 1 Wrath to release a Messenger Grub. The GM reveals a hidden detail about the object’s history (a “Temporal Scent”).
    • Chitinous Protection: Common insects and swarms (Tier 1) will not prioritize you as a target in combat unless you are the only available target or you attack them first.
  • Syntax: Tier 1 Relic, +1 Scholar/Survival (Insects), +1 Resolve vs Illusion, Wrath-activated Object Lore.