Gnawing, Endless Hunger

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. At the end of the ritual one of the contributors is chosen to deliver the curse with a pronouncement of doom.

This effect is a curse. A target may be under more than one curse at a time.

Effects

This ritual creates a curse that is delivered to a target with a pronouncement of doom: one contributors is chosen to deliver the curse, and they must do so within fifteen minutes or it falls on their own head.

While under the curse, the target experiences a powerful roleplaying effect; they are constantly hungry and thirsty. Wholesome food or drink consumed tastes of nothing at all, but the ritual gives no ability to consume rotting meat or other unwholesome substances which will taste just as unpalatable as ever..

In addition, while under the curse the target cannot benefit from Bladeroot, True Vervain, Marrowort, Cerulean Mazzarine or Imperial Roseweald, nor any potion brewed from them. The herb or potion is used up, but has no effect. If a character applies a herb to you using the physick skill, you should let them know afterwards that it has had no effect..

The victim of the curse is also unaffected by ingested herbal poisons, including Gutwrench, Tisane of the Stuttering Fool and Tincture of the Whipped Cur. It even provides protection from the potent poisons created through the Winter Moon and the Assassin's Gate, provided the curse is in place before the poison is administered. The exception to this "protection" is that the VENOM and WEAKNESS calls from Redwillow Paste and Oil of Blackthorn have their full effect on you.

The effect of the ritual lasts for a year (until the start of the Profound Decisions Empire event four events from now).

Removing the Curse

The curse can be removed by certain powerful creatures or items. It could also be alleviated by a powerful effect that removes hunger..

Description

This horrible curse creates a constant, gnawing hunger and unquenchable thirst which serves to make the target miserable. The curse is horrible, but it is doubly horrible to warriors or magicians who expect to place themselves in harm's way because it also robs the wholesome qualities of herbs. This means that not only can the target not be treated by the herbal arts of the physick, they cannot benefit from the many useful potions created by an apothecary. Consumables that are not made from herbs will have their normal effect, although they will still taste bland - for example, a target could not drink beggar's lye or sea-water safely.

Until the curse is delivered (or fails), the ritualists who performed the curse also feel ravenously hungry and thirsty. While this may make them uncomfortable, it does not prevent them from benefiting from or being harmed by herbal substances.

Common Elements

As with many curses this ritual often involves a recitation.of the grievances against the target; the destruction of wholesome food or drink - wine mixed with blood or spit is often poured out onto the ground. The rune Naeve is an obvious fit for this ritual, and the rune Kyrop is sometimes evoked as well, symbolising the weakness that the curse will bring.