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One of the great primordial truths of the universe is that Gods (or at least supernatural entities indistinguishable from what human mythologies treat as Gods) are very real. There are terrible things that exist beyond the veil of reality in the warp that feed on the soul of humans, and, if their claims are to be believed, all souls come to them, eventually. However, it is from the souls they can twist and bind to their service that they get the finest meal from. Unsurprisingly, they constantly whisper, constantly beckon in dreams, and in the silence between lies. Your dreams and your lies, Agent.
Corruption is the process by which the Dark Gods wear away at the mind of an individual, slowly getting their hooks into the body, mind and soul in order to twist it to their purpose. Perhaps the most tragic thing about Corruption is that all but the most steely-souled individual can be twisted purely by the presence of the energies of the Warp or one of its denizens.


'''Corruption''' is represented by a process of temptation - before each event you will be issued a set of four '''Corruption Cards'''. The face of each corruption card contains two important entries: the first is the '''Temptation''', and the second is the '''Threshold'''.
=== Corruption Tracks ===


'''Temptation''' is a power often triggered by a need for just a -little- more power to do something. Very likely for the best reasons, like protecting a friend from harm, or saving innocents. The power offered by the temptation will give you that push each time you call on it to succeed - and that is where the danger with these things lies: it's’ easy to give in when there isn’t an obvious price for it.
Corruption in Death Unto Darkness is represented by the '''Corruption Track''', a track written for each PC and provided in advance of an event. There are five “levels” of effect cards, in ascending severity. The levels of Corruption are:


On lower level cards, this power will be subtle, as are the results, and they will not draw too much attention -- but as you fall more into temptation, the ‘gifts’ become more powerful, as well as far more obvious to others.
'''Brushed > Touched > Marked > Tempted > Overwhelmed'''


The '''Threshold''' is the number of times you can use a power before the grip on your soul gets tighter. The exact Threshold depends on what power has taken an interest in you -- certain falls are faster than others. Not all corruption is necessarily related to Chaos, however - for there are other things - other dark, dangerous things - out there in the universe that wish to draw you away from the light of the Imperium. But regardless of what thing comes from you, '''all corruption is deeply personal'''.
The first three levels, from '''Brushed''' to '''Marked''', are represented by personalised roleplaying effects that represent how the Warp is twisting an individual to its whims. No PC starts innocent of the Warp, and begin the game '''Brushed''' due to the prevalent presence of its creeping corruption.


'''Corruption''' comes (as noted) in levels of progression: each time you reach the Threshold on a  card, you '''must''' progress to the next level of Corruption. It is possible, however, for a character to be desperate enough to need to go straight to one of the higher tiers. In this case, they can use the card, but at the price of progressing past the Threshold of all previous levels, with the card’s level becoming their current Corruption level. Do note this can mean that your character becomes irredeemably corrupted, as higher levels of Corruption are hard to remove.
The game team will email your personalised Corruption cards to you prior to each event you play. '''You must print these yourself and bring them to the event.'''


Progressing through your Corruption cards is '''always''' consensual: other than accessing a Temptation of higher level, the only way to advance in Corruption level is to willingly deal with the Dark Gods and their Daemons, or to handle and utilise Corrupted Objects. At this point, the Game Team may decide you have to push you up to a certain level of Corruption, to represent having done significant damage to your soul. Still, you can always choose not to make such deals.


The levels of Corruption are:
=== Becoming Corrupted ===


PCs can advance along their corruption tracks up to '''Tempted''' in one of three ways:


<big>'''Brushed''' > '''Tempted''' > '''Touched''' > '''Marked''' > '''Overwhelmed'''</big>
*You hear the '''Your Soul is Tested'''! cue from a monster or a member of the Game Team, or by a written instruction in the game environment.
** The trait [[Willpower_Traits#Faith_and_Fire|Faith and Fire]] renders you immune to this call; you do not need to spend [[Willpower]], but should roleplay appropriately resisting the corrupting influence of the Warp.
 
*You choose to increase your '''Corruption''' level because your character has been exposed to something of the Warp - for example they have come into physical contact with a Daemon, strayed close to a '''Psykic''' ritual going awry, or stared too long at an arcane ritual. We trust our players to recognise the corrupting influence of Chaos and increase their level appropriately, according to the particular vulnerabilities and protections of their Inquisition agent.
 
*Your character chooses give in to the temptations of the Warp. You immediately advance to the '''Tempted''' level and may make free use of any Boons. Doing this immediately ends '''all''' ongoing negative effects including Madness, lower levels of Corruption and other dramatic effects - but not '''Bloodied''' or '''Near Death''' or any lost Willpower, Endurance or Supplies.
 
'''However''', without attention being drawn to it by others, '''most characters will not be aware they are corrupted'''. The personality shifts associated with it are designed to act as cues to others that something is wrong with a character so they may take action. Unless it is identified by others, corruption is rarely something that a character is aware is happening to them unless it comes with visual manifestations. As such it should usually only be with the aid or guidance of others that they seek cleansing by an Exorcist.
 
=== Temptations of the Warp ===
 
The '''Tempted''' level represents that a character has drawn the notice of the Dark Gods. While they may not IC comprehend it, the gift-bringing whispers they hear come from the Warp. Rather than negative effects, the '''Tempted''' level provides one or several uses of a boon.


While a character who is Brushed or Tempted has some sense of the wrongness they are tapping into, a character who becomes Touched or Marked is actively under the influence of something terrible, and mentally do not want to give up what they have been given: either because they are willingly turning to the service of the source of their power, or because their perception is so twisted that they become arrogant enough to believe they can get away with it.
A character who uses one of these boons is considered to have '''Embraced Chaos'''. This has no immediate effect; however, should you be '''Exorcised''', you must suffer '''The Emperor’s Judgement'''.
You should look over your four first cards in advance, to plan how you might roleplay them when they are activated.
=== The Price of Corruption ===
In addition to the four cards that were issued to you previous to the game (and that you can read beforehand), at the event, all players will be issued with '''a fifth hidden card''': this is known as the '''Overwhelmed''' card, and is revealed '''only when the character passes the Threshold of their Marked card'''.  


The Imperium says that the price of temptations are always paid in full when the end comes…  but the Imperium is dogmatic and hidebound. Perhaps the powers beyond are far kinder, and all you will get is your just reward for being less blinkered…
If a character gives in to temptation and voluntarily advances to the '''Tempted''' level from Brushed or Touched, they are considered to have '''Embraced Chaos''' even before they have made use of any Boons.


=== Faith and Fire ===
A character that purchases the '''Faith and Fire''' trait replaces their '''Corruption''' cards with  '''Faith''' cards. This is a trait that represents utter and total devotion to one's faith. Where Corruption is a comfortable path, littered with rewards that will lead (according to the Imperium) to damnation, walking in Faith brings pain and suffering, and its rewards reaped only at the end.
Mechanically, '''Faith''' cards are identical to '''Corruption''' ones, with a '''Trial''' (instead of Temptation) that represent the trials and manifestations of Faith as they devote themselves to whatever they worship, as well as a '''Threshold''' that, when reached, will progress the character to the next level of Faith.
The thematic difference is deliberate: while Temptations freely gives you powers to immediately help yourself and others, Trials only grant benefits in response to negative triggers - and their rewards are far more subtle then their corrupting counterparts.
Characters with '''Faith''' will also be issued with an '''Overwhelmed''' card, representing the promised ‘reward’ for staying true to their path.
'''Unlike Corruption''', a character can never choose to increase their level of Faith willingly to reclaim a higher reward - there are no shortcuts with Faith. Additionally, the Threshold of the “Marked” card may not be numeric, but may have a specific condition that must be met before the character becomes '''Overwhelmed'''.
Note that, while this section on  Faith -presumes- worship of the God Emperor, alternative focuses of Faith can be discussed with the game team.
=== Damnation ===
The Imperium bandies the term ‘Damned’ around casually: a true scholar of the warp would refer to the Damned as those whose souls are so tainted that they are irretrievably promised to the powers they have accepted the gifts of.


There are three ways a character can become '''Damned''':
=== The Emperor’s Judgement ===


* A character pursues their Corruption track until they are Overwhelmed.  
While the taint effects of Brushed to Marked can be contained by (albeit somewhat traumatic) not permanently damaging [[Exorcism]], a character who has '''Embraced Chaos''' must face the God-Emperor’s disdain.  


* A character with Faith and Fire abandons their Faith to willingly deal with dark powers. When such individuals fall, they do so by their own choice, with nobody to blame but themselves for being too weak as there will be no dark whispers in their dreams.
A character who is facing '''The Emperor’s Judgement''' has their [[Resources|endurance]] halved for the remainder of the event  and is assigned a '''penance''', a pattern of behaviour they must follow in order to remain protected against the warp decided by the Exorcist. Should they willingly fail to follow this penance or deliberately break it then they gain one use of their '''Tempted''' boon and immediately become '''Overwhelmed'''.


* Finally, both the hardest and swiftest method: a character with specialised knowledge of daemonology can make a deal in which their soul is offered as the price in exchange for power, damning themselves instantly.


Being '''Damned''' carries a number of effects:
=== Embracing Chaos and becoming Overwhelmed ===


* A Damned soul can never be a Penitent one; there is no redemption offered by the Imperium that can fix the damage done. This does not mean that the character has been turned by the Dark Gods, they may even be sorry for their actions - but even if they spend the rest of their days being saintly, they are always aware that their soul will go to the Dark Gods upon death.
A character that continues to '''Embrace Chaos''' by using the boons of their corruption track will eventually become '''Overwhelmed'''. Your '''Overwhelmed''' card is sealed and hidden but represents your character opening their mind to the warp and letting it in - knowingly or not.


* A Damned character's Corruption or Faith cards are replaced by Damnation cards, these are potent powers given by whatever has corrupted them - they are still consensual, as a Damned character still has a choice not to give in and use them.
A character who is '''Tempted''' cannot become Overwhelmed simply by further exposure to Warp phenomena or eldritch sights; they must ''choose'' to '''Embrace Chaos''' before they are truly Damned.


* When a Damned character reaches the Threshold of their Marked Damnation card, they cease to be treated as a player character. This represents them fully embracing Chaos, and becoming a Cultist. From this point on, the character is an NPC working against the Imperium and the Inquisition.
Choosing to become '''Overwhelmed''' by Corruption is likely to be a '''terminal decision for your character'''. If their state is discovered by other PCs or loyal Imperial NPCs, they are likely to be subdued and arrested or executed. A character who is '''Overwhelmed''' is usually not considered subject to the protections of the [[Player Character Conflict]] rules. It may be possible for an [[Exorcism]] to be performed on an '''Overwhelmed''' character, but the process will very likely kill the subject - even while saving their soul.
   
   


=== Redemption ===
=== Faith and Fire ===
A character that purchases the [[Willpower_Traits#Faith_and_Fire|Faith and Fire]] trait replaces their '''Corruption''' cards with  '''Faith''' cards and becomes immune to the call '''Your Soul is Tested'''. Like '''Corruption''' tracks, these cards are custom-written tracks which represent the trials and boons of fanatical devotion to the God-Emperor.


Characters who are on any level of '''Corruption''' up to '''Touched''' can still be saved from the corruption clinging onto their soul. This healing process is called Repentance and involves the character suffering '''Penance''' or an [[Exorcism]] depending on the severity of their taint.
This is a trait that represents utter and total devotion to one's faith. Where Corruption is a comfortable path, ending with rewards that will lead (according to the Imperium) to damnation, walking in Faith brings pain and suffering.  
   
   
'''Only Exorcists have any chance of rescuing a soul that has become Marked or Overwhelmed'''.
==== Oaths ====
 
At the '''Marked''' level of a character's Faith and Fire track they must swear an Oath to the God-Emperor that they must then enact. These offer no benefit for the character, as they are acts of sacrifice. The [[Willpower_Traits#Preacher|Preacher Oaths]] offer some ideas for the level of impediment a character might place on themselves in order to fulfill their oaths - ideally oaths should be specific: for example, enduring some kind of personal sacrifice or swearing to defeat a specific individual.
 
How this oath plays out depends on the nature of the oath. A melee character whose oath is, for example, sacrificing the use of their dominant arm may be expected to do so until the Saturday of the next Campaign Event (numbered DuD events). If a character were to literally carve their arm from their body as a demonstration of their faith, it would likely fulfill the oath there and then (though replacing the limb at the game with a bionic would probably void the sacrifice). We recommend considering the consequences you are physically and mentally willing to roleplay and physrep when considering your Oath. Such demonstrations of faith are often rewarded then with miraculous displays of the power of Faith, but are often then followed by the angry backlash of the Dark Gods.
 
==== Consequences of Faith ====
 
Characters with '''Faith and Fire''' upon completion of their Oath receive two things, a '''Miracle''' representing the God-Emperor's reward for their sacrifices in service to Him and a '''Curse''' representing their actions drawing the attention and ire of the Dark Gods or some other foe. The Game Team have likely pre-written an appropriate Miracle for your character, but you can always '''ask a member of the game team''' if they have an idea for an appropriate miracle in the heat of the moment. Their Curse only comes into effect after they perform their '''Miracle''' and is given to you in a sealed envelope.
   
   
Characters who are '''Damned''' or have '''Faith''' tracks cannot seek Redemption in any way. Only those with '''Corruption''' tracks can be redeemed.
'''Unlike Corruption''', a character can never choose to increase their level of Faith willingly - there are no shortcuts with Faith. Instead, each level of Faith will be marked with a specific requirement for progressing to the next level which represents a form of suffering or trial which the the Faithful much undergo before progressing.
'''A character can only benefit from Penance once per event.''' The guiding theme of Penance is that a price must ALWAYS be paid by the character - in some mental or physical fashion - to restore the sanctity of their soul.
After a character has completed the penance (following the roleplay guidelines below) they may '''drop their Corruption by one level (i.e Marked->Touched)'''. A character who has undergone Penance may not use any of their '''Temptation''' powers until the next Sunrise - unless they actively attempt to make a deal with whatever power has been seeking their soul.
   
   
'''Faith and Fire''' is only available to those who worship the God-Emperor but '''Unique Traits''' representing different expressions of Faith if approved by the Game Team are likely to follow a similar format.
=== The Aftermath ===
The Inquisition has a number of methods to aid its Agents who have been afflicted by the horrors of the Warp - penance, Exorcism, spiritual purges and various forms of ritual cleansing.
At the end of an event, it is assumed that your character has an opportunity to restore their soul to a healthy state. You may reset your ''Corruption'' level completely between mainline events. This is to be decided by the player - the game team will not dictate the narrative of how your character recovers (we are always happy to give suggestions, but they will be no more than that).
However, we also recognise that players might enjoy incorporating a permanent RP effect into their character. For this reason, you are free to decide that your character's soul is not restored following the game, and continue roleplaying a level of Corruption. In some cases, this may also be the basis of a very valid Scar, if you want to add a spiritual one into your character.


==== Roleplaying Redemption ====
If you have '''Faith and Fire''', you cannot reset or reduce your level between events. You may choose to abandon your faith: you get the trait slot back, and the Chaos Gods will reward you far more handsomely than those who have not walked the path - for your soul is stronger, and will make a far finer reward when you go to them.  
The process of Repentance is a combination of a character seeking '''Guidance''' and undergoing '''Penance'''.
The need for '''Guidance''' represents the need for a character to reach out to an individual of significant spiritual importance to guide them back to the ‘path’. A character seeking this should approach one (or more) other characters, who will serve as the ‘anchors’ who will aid them through the penance. Within the Imperium, those trained to deal with situations such as this are traditionally Priests of either the Machine or Imperial Cults (this is why most branches of the Imperium have some kind of chaplaincy). It is important to believe strongly in the spiritual guidance of the other individual, and Commissars (as well as other pillars of Imperial authority) might also serve the same purpose. There is no specific Trait required to oversee a character’s Penance.
'''Penance''' represents that there is no ‘easy way’ out of ridding yourself of Corruption and it should have a deep impact on the character undergoing it. Though the ordeal itself doesn't have to be performed with great fanfare (though it is allowed and encouraged to do so), you should roleplay the price paid in an obvious and distinct manner. A change should occur in the character between the moment before and after the Penance, as it affects the character quite deeply on either a mental or physical level, or both.
Though the process of the Penance does not have to be public or ‘shouty’ in itself, the resulting impact (mental or physical) should be noticeable to other characters (ritual scarification, brands, heavily impacted functioning for a number of scenes, etc.) that the Penitent character has undergone some form of suffering.


[[Category:Rules]]
[[Category:Rules]]

Latest revision as of 10:47, 17 January 2024

Corruption is the process by which the Dark Gods wear away at the mind of an individual, slowly getting their hooks into the body, mind and soul in order to twist it to their purpose. Perhaps the most tragic thing about Corruption is that all but the most steely-souled individual can be twisted purely by the presence of the energies of the Warp or one of its denizens.

Corruption Tracks

Corruption in Death Unto Darkness is represented by the Corruption Track, a track written for each PC and provided in advance of an event. There are five “levels” of effect cards, in ascending severity. The levels of Corruption are:

Brushed > Touched > Marked > Tempted > Overwhelmed

The first three levels, from Brushed to Marked, are represented by personalised roleplaying effects that represent how the Warp is twisting an individual to its whims. No PC starts innocent of the Warp, and begin the game Brushed due to the prevalent presence of its creeping corruption.

The game team will email your personalised Corruption cards to you prior to each event you play. You must print these yourself and bring them to the event.


Becoming Corrupted

PCs can advance along their corruption tracks up to Tempted in one of three ways:

  • You hear the Your Soul is Tested! cue from a monster or a member of the Game Team, or by a written instruction in the game environment.
    • The trait Faith and Fire renders you immune to this call; you do not need to spend Willpower, but should roleplay appropriately resisting the corrupting influence of the Warp.
  • You choose to increase your Corruption level because your character has been exposed to something of the Warp - for example they have come into physical contact with a Daemon, strayed close to a Psykic ritual going awry, or stared too long at an arcane ritual. We trust our players to recognise the corrupting influence of Chaos and increase their level appropriately, according to the particular vulnerabilities and protections of their Inquisition agent.
  • Your character chooses give in to the temptations of the Warp. You immediately advance to the Tempted level and may make free use of any Boons. Doing this immediately ends all ongoing negative effects including Madness, lower levels of Corruption and other dramatic effects - but not Bloodied or Near Death or any lost Willpower, Endurance or Supplies.

However, without attention being drawn to it by others, most characters will not be aware they are corrupted. The personality shifts associated with it are designed to act as cues to others that something is wrong with a character so they may take action. Unless it is identified by others, corruption is rarely something that a character is aware is happening to them unless it comes with visual manifestations. As such it should usually only be with the aid or guidance of others that they seek cleansing by an Exorcist.

Temptations of the Warp

The Tempted level represents that a character has drawn the notice of the Dark Gods. While they may not IC comprehend it, the gift-bringing whispers they hear come from the Warp. Rather than negative effects, the Tempted level provides one or several uses of a boon.

A character who uses one of these boons is considered to have Embraced Chaos. This has no immediate effect; however, should you be Exorcised, you must suffer The Emperor’s Judgement.

If a character gives in to temptation and voluntarily advances to the Tempted level from Brushed or Touched, they are considered to have Embraced Chaos even before they have made use of any Boons.


The Emperor’s Judgement

While the taint effects of Brushed to Marked can be contained by (albeit somewhat traumatic) not permanently damaging Exorcism, a character who has Embraced Chaos must face the God-Emperor’s disdain.

A character who is facing The Emperor’s Judgement has their endurance halved for the remainder of the event and is assigned a penance, a pattern of behaviour they must follow in order to remain protected against the warp decided by the Exorcist. Should they willingly fail to follow this penance or deliberately break it then they gain one use of their Tempted boon and immediately become Overwhelmed.


Embracing Chaos and becoming Overwhelmed

A character that continues to Embrace Chaos by using the boons of their corruption track will eventually become Overwhelmed. Your Overwhelmed card is sealed and hidden but represents your character opening their mind to the warp and letting it in - knowingly or not.

A character who is Tempted cannot become Overwhelmed simply by further exposure to Warp phenomena or eldritch sights; they must choose to Embrace Chaos before they are truly Damned.

Choosing to become Overwhelmed by Corruption is likely to be a terminal decision for your character. If their state is discovered by other PCs or loyal Imperial NPCs, they are likely to be subdued and arrested or executed. A character who is Overwhelmed is usually not considered subject to the protections of the Player Character Conflict rules. It may be possible for an Exorcism to be performed on an Overwhelmed character, but the process will very likely kill the subject - even while saving their soul.


Faith and Fire

A character that purchases the Faith and Fire trait replaces their Corruption cards with Faith cards and becomes immune to the call Your Soul is Tested. Like Corruption tracks, these cards are custom-written tracks which represent the trials and boons of fanatical devotion to the God-Emperor.

This is a trait that represents utter and total devotion to one's faith. Where Corruption is a comfortable path, ending with rewards that will lead (according to the Imperium) to damnation, walking in Faith brings pain and suffering.

Oaths

At the Marked level of a character's Faith and Fire track they must swear an Oath to the God-Emperor that they must then enact. These offer no benefit for the character, as they are acts of sacrifice. The Preacher Oaths offer some ideas for the level of impediment a character might place on themselves in order to fulfill their oaths - ideally oaths should be specific: for example, enduring some kind of personal sacrifice or swearing to defeat a specific individual.

How this oath plays out depends on the nature of the oath. A melee character whose oath is, for example, sacrificing the use of their dominant arm may be expected to do so until the Saturday of the next Campaign Event (numbered DuD events). If a character were to literally carve their arm from their body as a demonstration of their faith, it would likely fulfill the oath there and then (though replacing the limb at the game with a bionic would probably void the sacrifice). We recommend considering the consequences you are physically and mentally willing to roleplay and physrep when considering your Oath. Such demonstrations of faith are often rewarded then with miraculous displays of the power of Faith, but are often then followed by the angry backlash of the Dark Gods.

Consequences of Faith

Characters with Faith and Fire upon completion of their Oath receive two things, a Miracle representing the God-Emperor's reward for their sacrifices in service to Him and a Curse representing their actions drawing the attention and ire of the Dark Gods or some other foe. The Game Team have likely pre-written an appropriate Miracle for your character, but you can always ask a member of the game team if they have an idea for an appropriate miracle in the heat of the moment. Their Curse only comes into effect after they perform their Miracle and is given to you in a sealed envelope.

Unlike Corruption, a character can never choose to increase their level of Faith willingly - there are no shortcuts with Faith. Instead, each level of Faith will be marked with a specific requirement for progressing to the next level which represents a form of suffering or trial which the the Faithful much undergo before progressing.

Faith and Fire is only available to those who worship the God-Emperor but Unique Traits representing different expressions of Faith if approved by the Game Team are likely to follow a similar format.


The Aftermath

The Inquisition has a number of methods to aid its Agents who have been afflicted by the horrors of the Warp - penance, Exorcism, spiritual purges and various forms of ritual cleansing.

At the end of an event, it is assumed that your character has an opportunity to restore their soul to a healthy state. You may reset your Corruption level completely between mainline events. This is to be decided by the player - the game team will not dictate the narrative of how your character recovers (we are always happy to give suggestions, but they will be no more than that).

However, we also recognise that players might enjoy incorporating a permanent RP effect into their character. For this reason, you are free to decide that your character's soul is not restored following the game, and continue roleplaying a level of Corruption. In some cases, this may also be the basis of a very valid Scar, if you want to add a spiritual one into your character.

If you have Faith and Fire, you cannot reset or reduce your level between events. You may choose to abandon your faith: you get the trait slot back, and the Chaos Gods will reward you far more handsomely than those who have not walked the path - for your soul is stronger, and will make a far finer reward when you go to them.

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