Core:Death Scars

If you pull 2 or more black stones from the death bag, you gain a death scar. This is a permanently lost memory or spiritual or personality change. This is also a physical scar, as whatever it was that caused your death does not fully heal (although this has no mechanical consequences). Death scars are chosen by the GM but are not typically crippling. Instead, they should provide a new narrative hook and may be fine tuned in collaboration with the player. The GM may take into account the history of your character, the circumstances of their death, or other factors when writing a death scar. They may also roll or pick one of the example death scars.

Example Death Scars

	Name	Description
1	A Forgotten Face	You lose the memory of one important person from your past. You recognize their name, but not their significance.
2	A Broken Promise	You forget a promise or vow you once made. The world may still expect you to keep it.
3	A Mystery Talent	You forget how you learned an ability, fluency, or formative lesson. You are still able to perform it, but have no memory of its origin, training, or teacher.
4	A Severed Bond	An emotional tie such as friendship, love, or loyalty feels muted or absent, though you know it used to be stronger.
5	A Faded Triumph	A great personal victory or achievement becomes foggy, as if it happened to someone else.
6	A Blurry Past	A whole period of your life becomes a blur of sensation without detail. This period could span months or even years.
7	An Emotional Scar	You lose the ability to fully feel one specific emotion.
8	A Shattered Conviction	A belief that once shaped a core aspect of your identity (religious, philosophical, political, etc.) becomes uncertain or hollow.
9	A Meaningless Word	A specific word or concept ("mercy", "honor", "home", etc.) becomes difficult to interpret, feel, or relate to.
10	An Unanchored Dream	You forgot your reason for pursuing a some dream or life goal. The aspiration itself remains, although you no longer know why you pursue it.
11	An Unsteady Hand	Something you once performed with pride (calligraphy, an instrument, a spiritual practice, etc.) now feels "off" in a way you have trouble describing. This may or may not be noticeable by others.
12	An Unfinished Story	A key moment in your backstory (your first love, first battle, first Elder Sorcery, etc.) is lost. There is no vague memory of it. It is a completely blank page.
13	A Recurring Nightmare	You gain a new recurring nightmare or dream and may attempt to uncover its meaning or follow its instructions.
14	A Phantom Pain	You forget the cause of an old wound or trauma but not the emotional weight of it. It lingers without context.
15	A Lost Secret	You forget a secret you were keeping. It may be one that others were relying on you to hold.
16	A Displaced Memory	You gain a vivid but false memory that feels real, replacing a true one.
17	An Unanswered Question	Something existing mystery or question becomes an obsession.
18	A Misaligned Compass	You sense of some moral, practical, or metaphysical direction (right/wrong, trustworthy/untrustworthy, finite/infinite, etc.) is lost. You are unable to fully distinguish whatever this is.
19	An Unopened Letter	A specific memory that once provided closure becomes locked away. You may vaguely remember the event, but not how it ended.
20	An Untethered Identity	You forget your place in a social structure or group. It could be your rank, your role, or even why you left.