Poisonous Ink

From: Grimroot

Lore: The lore of Poisonous Ink tells of a forgotten cabal of scribes known as the Cursed Quill Society. These secretive individuals sought to harness the lethal properties of Grimroot to create a unique form of communication that could double as a deadly weapon. They developed the recipe for Poisonous Ink, a concoction that blends Grimroot extract with ink to create a dangerous writing substance. The ink appears innocuous, but its hidden danger lies in the fact that anyone who comes into contact with the script is harmed.

Use: The primary use of Poisonous Ink is in covert communication and assassination attempts. The Cursed Quill Society employed this ink to convey secret messages, hidden warnings, or malicious intentions. When someone touches the script written with Poisonous Ink, they are exposed to the toxic properties of Grimroot, resulting in harm or even death.

Values (Tier One):

Stats:

• Contact Poison: The Poisonous Ink inflicts harm upon contact with the script. The severity of the poison’s effects may depend on factors such as the amount of ink applied and the duration of exposure.
• Stealthy Communication: The Poisonous Ink allows for discreet communication, as the hidden danger is not immediately apparent to unsuspecting readers.

Skills gained:

• Calligraphy: Characters skilled in calligraphy can effectively apply the Poisonous Ink, ensuring the script is legible and maintains its lethal properties.
• Deception: Characters proficient in deception can use Poisonous Ink to create hidden messages or mislead unsuspecting individuals, luring them into contact with the dangerous script.

Preparation: Crafting Poisonous Ink requires a keen understanding of Grimroot’s toxicity and expertise in calligraphy. The process involves extracting Grimroot essence and carefully blending it with ink to create a seamless mixture. The specific recipe and techniques are closely guarded secrets, known only to the members of the Cursed Quill Society or those who have managed to uncover their forbidden knowledge.

Cost: Due to its clandestine nature and the risks associated with its use, Poisonous Ink commands a high price. For a level one character, a small vial or enough ink to write a few pages with the lethal substance might cost around 50 to 80 gold pieces. The cost reflects the rarity of Grimroot, the dangerous nature of the ink, and the limited supply available.

Process:

• Grimroot Extraction: Characters must acquire Grimroot and carefully extract the essence, ensuring its toxic properties are preserved.
• Ink Blending: The Grimroot essence is mixed with a suitable ink, such as black ink derived from natural or magical sources. The blending process ensures the ink is uniformly infused with the lethal essence, without compromising its appearance or consistency.
• Writing: Using a calligraphy pen or quill, the characters write their messages or symbols using the Poisonous Ink. The script appears ordinary, concealing its dangerous nature until it comes into contact with someone.

Tags:

• Covert Communication: Poisonous Ink serves as a tool for secret communication, allowing messages to be exchanged discreetly while posing a hidden danger to the recipient.
• Assassin’s Arsenal: The Poisonous Ink aligns with the tools and techniques used by assassins and clandestine operatives, as it can silently incapacitate or eliminate targets.
• Hidden Danger: The ink’s innocuous appearance conceals its lethal properties, making it a subtle and insidious weapon.
• Additional: Lethal Ink, Subtle Weapon, Espionage Tool, Concealed Poison, Black Market Commodity, Secretive Craft, Toxic Writing, Assassin’s Instrument, Dangerous Artifact, Clandestine Communication

Note: Characters should exercise caution when using Poisonous Ink, as its application may be considered illegal, and its discovery may lead to severe consequences. The ethics of employing such a dangerous tool should be carefully considered, as the use of Poisonous Ink can cause unintended harm to innocent individuals who come into contact with the script.

The sale of Poisonous Ink is a covert affair, conducted within shadowy networks of underground traders, illicit marketplaces, and secret societies. Here’s more information on where, when, and how this recipe is sold, as well as the environments and end results associated with it:

Where: Poisonous Ink is not openly sold in regular markets or establishments due to its dangerous nature and potential for misuse. Instead, it finds its way into the hands of individuals with nefarious intentions through secretive channels. It is primarily traded within the black market, hidden occult shops, or secret gatherings of forbidden knowledge seekers. These locations are often tucked away in hidden corners of bustling cities, secret catacombs, or occult libraries.

When: The availability of Poisonous Ink can be sporadic and unpredictable. It may be tied to specific events, such as gatherings of dark practitioners, black market auctions, or secretive ceremonies. The ink may also surface when individuals associated with the Cursed Quill Society or other secretive organizations seek to distribute their deadly creation. Rumors and whispers within the underworld may offer hints regarding its availability.

How: Access to Poisonous Ink requires establishing connections within secretive circles, cultivating contacts with dark practitioners, or proving oneself worthy of gaining entry to the clandestine societies that possess the knowledge and resources to acquire and trade such dangerous substances. Buyers must navigate a web of secrecy, trust, and mutual benefit to obtain this deadly writing substance.

Environment: The use of Poisonous Ink is intertwined with environments steeped in secrecy, deception, and intrigue. It is sought after by spies, assassins, and those involved in subterfuge and covert operations. The ink’s sale and usage may occur within hidden chambers, secret meeting places, or during clandestine encounters. These environments can range from opulent manors of wealthy patrons to dimly lit backrooms of disreputable establishments.

Usage: The end results of Poisonous Ink are employed in various covert scenarios, including:

• Secret Communication: Poisonous Ink allows for the exchange of covert messages, hidden within plain sight. It is used to pass information between conspirators, spies, or individuals engaged in clandestine activities. The recipient, often unsuspecting, comes into contact with the script and is harmed, ensuring the secrecy of the message.
• Assassinations: Poisonous Ink serves as a tool for assassination, as it can be used to pen letters, invitations, or documents intended for specific targets. When the intended victim handles the script, they are poisoned, either leading to their incapacitation or, in severe cases, their demise.
• Misdirection and Manipulation: Poisonous Ink can be utilized to deceive and manipulate unsuspecting individuals. By writing false or misleading information with the ink, the user can lure or incriminate others who come into contact with the script, creating chaos, confusion, or advantageous situations.

It is crucial to note that the use of Poisonous Ink is highly illegal, morally questionable, and carries severe consequences. Possession of the ink or involvement in its distribution can attract the attention of law enforcement, rival factions, or vengeful victims seeking justice. Characters should exercise caution and consider the potential ramifications of engaging with this dangerous writing substance.

A Cursed Quill

In days long forgotten, when shadows whispered louder than voices and ink bore secrets sharper than swords, there was a cabal of scribes who dared tread paths of forbidden knowledge. They were known as the Cursed Quill Society, keepers of a perilous craft that walked the razor’s edge between wisdom and doom.

It was told that among their order rose a scribe of unmatched skill, Zhariv the Inkborn, who sought to create a medium through which silence could speak and death could write its will. From the Grimroot, a plant steeped in shadow’s venom, he harvested its essence and wove it into ink. With this Poisonous Ink, he penned missives of betrayal, warnings of doom, and contracts of binding sealed not by wax but by woe.

One such tale speaks of the missive that shattered a kingdom. A parchment bearing Zhariv’s cursed writing reached the hands of a treacherous prince who sought to claim his father’s throne. In his greed, the prince grasped the letter, and the ink seeped into his skin, silencing his ambitions forever. Yet the letter carried its tale further. Every hand that touched the parchment thereafter—be they spy, king, or scholar—met a fate sealed by poison. It was said that kingdoms fell not by the blade but by the quiet death whispered through Zhariv’s ink.

In time, the Cursed Quill Society vanished, swallowed by the weight of their sins or hunted to extinction by those who feared their craft. Yet the Poisonous Ink lingered, its recipe scattered like seeds in the winds of secrecy. Whispers remain of its creation, warnings etched into forbidden texts, lest history repeat the horrors of silent death.

Moral of the Story: Beware the tools that promise power, for their edges cut not just the hand that wields but the soul that dares to craft.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Type: Artifact/Toxin.
• Effect:
  • Upon contact, the target must make a CON roll:
    • Success: Suffer 1 HP damage and feel nauseated for 1d6 hours (-10% to all skill rolls).
    • Failure: Suffer 1d4 HP damage and fall unconscious for 1d6 hours.
• For investigators analyzing the ink, a successful Chemistry or Occult roll reveals Grimroot extract as a key ingredient.
• Use: Typically found in cult writings or used in assassination plots.

Blades in the Dark

Poisonous Ink

• Item Type: Special Alchemical Tool.
• Cost: 2 Coin.
• Effect:
  • When touched, targets must resist with Prowess (standard effect):
    • Success: They avoid serious harm but feel light-headed (-1d to actions for 1 score).
    • Failure: They become incapacitated for 2 hours.
• Can be applied to written documents or objects as part of a Flashback (1 Stress).
• Crafting: Requires Tier II alchemical workshop access and a successful Tinker roll.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Consumable)
• Effect:
  • When a creature touches the ink, they must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw:
    • On a failure, they take 2d8 poison damage and are poisoned for 1 hour.
    • On a success, they take half damage and are not poisoned.
  • The ink can be used to scribe documents that carry the poison, remaining potent for up to 1 week.
• Creation Requirements: Requires proficiency in Alchemist’s Supplies, 250 gp in materials, and 8 hours of crafting time.

Knave

Poisonous Ink

• Type: Consumable Alchemical Item.
• Effect:
  • When touched, the target takes 1d6 damage and must save versus poison or become incapacitated for 1 hour.
  • The ink can be used for writing documents or traps, remaining viable for 1d6 days.
• Cost: 50 silver coins per vial.

Fate Core

Poisonous Ink

• Aspect: “The Deadly Script”
• Use:
  • When a character uses the ink to write or as a weapon in a conflict, invoke its aspect to deal a mild consequence (“Poisoned”) to the target who touches it.
  • Overcome or defend actions against discovering the ink’s dangerous properties require a successful Investigate or Lore roll (Difficulty: Fair +2).
• Creation: Requires a successful Craft roll with a Difficulty of Great (+4) and access to rare alchemical ingredients.

Numenera & Cypher System

Poisonous Ink

• Level: 3 (Moderate Effect)
• Effect:
  • On contact, the victim must make a Might defense roll (Difficulty 3):
    • Success: The victim feels disoriented for 1 minute (-1 to tasks involving dexterity).
    • Failure: The victim suffers 4 points of Might damage and is immobilized for 1 minute.
  • The ink can be used for writing secret messages or creating traps.
• Crafting Cost: 50 shins and 1 hour of preparation in an alchemical setting.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Item Type: Consumable, Alchemical.
• Level: 3
• Activation: 1 Action (Apply)
• Effect:
  • A creature that comes into contact with the ink must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save:
    • Critical Success: No effect.
    • Success: 1d6 poison damage.
    • Failure: 2d6 poison damage and sickened 1.
    • Critical Failure: 2d6 poison damage, sickened 2, and slowed 1 for 1 round.
• Crafting Requirements: Requires Alchemical Crafting feat, Grimroot extract, and 10 gp of alchemical reagents.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Type: Alchemical Trap/Consumable.
• Effects:
  • When touched, the victim must make a Vigor roll:
    • Success: Shaken.
    • Failure: 2d6 poison damage and incapacitated for 1 round.
  • Can be applied to documents, weapons, or traps.
• Crafting Roll: Requires a successful Alchemy roll with a -2 penalty due to the complexity of the mixture.
• Cost: 150 gold for a small vial containing three uses.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Type: Toxin/Utility Item
• Availability: 8R
• Cost: 500¥ per vial (enough to write a small letter or coat a single small object).
• Effect:
  • Contact triggers a Toxin Resistance Test (Body + Willpower, Threshold 3).
    • Success: Target feels discomfort but no further effects.
    • Failure: Target takes 6P damage (Toxin) and suffers -1 to all actions for 1 hour.
  • Can be used for discreetly marking documents, traps, or weapons.
• Crafting: Requires Chemistry (or Alchemy) skill test (Threshold 4, 1 hour).

Starfinder

Poisonous Ink

• Item Level: 3
• Price: 350 credits
• Type: Hybrid Item (Alchemical and Magical)
• Effect:
  • On contact, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save:
    • Success: The target takes 1d6 poison damage.
    • Failure: The target takes 2d6 poison damage and is staggered for 1 round.
  • The ink retains potency for up to 1 week and can be used to scribe hidden messages or coat small objects.
• Crafting Requirements: Mysticism or Life Science rank 3, access to alchemical tools, and Grimroot extract.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Type: Special Substance
• Tech Level: 7
• Cost: Cr200 per dose (one vial for up to 10 uses).
• Effect:
  • On contact, the target must make an Endurance check (DM-1):
    • Success: Target feels a burning sensation but is otherwise unaffected.
    • Failure: Target takes 1d6 damage and suffers -2 DM to Dexterity-based actions for 1d6 minutes.
• Use: Primarily employed by spies or assassins for covert operations.

Warhammer (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, 4th Edition)

Poisonous Ink

• Category: Toxin
• Rarity: Rare
• Cost: 6 GC per vial (enough for 5 uses).
• Effect:
  • Contact triggers a Toughness Test (Difficulty Hard -20):
    • Success: Suffer 1 Wound.
    • Failure: Suffer 1d10 Wounds and gain the Poisoned condition for 1d10 minutes.
  • The ink can be used to write deceptive contracts, as a coating for traps, or for other covert applications.
• Crafting Requirements: Requires Trade (Apothecary) skill test at -10, access to Grimroot, and alchemical tools.