Runes of Qeplue

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A woman tried to sell me some pebbles today, claiming there were runes written on their surfaces. She told me to be glad that I could not see them, that they are meant to punish the worst among us. I still turned her away, I've no need for plain stones.

— A Rektouzk trader

The Runes of Qeplue are mysterious symbols created to attack wielders of manipulative magic.

In Plain Sight

Runes of Qeplue can only be seen by their targets— those who have consumed at least two human hearts, and begun to change into something other. As such, the grand majority of Qet's denizens are entirely unaware of their existence— even when they may pass by these runes on a daily basis. To those who can see them, however, they appear as twisting, curled forms that dance before their eyes— sharply glowing when first encountered as they begin to effect their target.

Minor runes have, well, minor effects— such as causing dull pain, or turning the target around. Their strength reflects that of those who can see them— weak manipulative magic wielders.

Major runes can have more impactful effects, such as branding its targets, causing accusatory hallucinations, making the target temporarily unable to eat, or blocking a path.

Not all runes have a negative impact, however— there are a rare few which aid wielders of this dark, powerful magic. These must have been created by another manipulative magic wielder— or someone sympathetic towards them.

Writers

The runes of Qeplue have spread throughout Qet since their creation by the founder of the Qrol,? finding use not only by magic hunters, but also by occultists, the superstitious, and the curious alike.

Unknown Origins

The creator of the runes was incredibly secretive— not even his closest allies were made aware of the runes' source. Some have speculated that their creation came about as the result of a deal made with something inhuman...

Despite this, she took a knife and scrawled something into the side of my bag with a dagger— yet I could see no marks in its wake. She smiled at me as she walked away.

— A Rektouzk Trader

An Obstacle

The Runes of Qeplue are found in the Qet TTRPG! Just about anywhere they may go— characters that wield manipulative magic will inevitably encounter them...

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