Path of the Tarnished

Life.
Life finds a way.
Even in the darkest corners of the cosmos, where evil lurks and tries to ruin all that is good in the world, things change. It happens slowly, bit by bit, but the thing about life is that it survives. You may be familiar with the term, ‘survival of the fittest, and most take that to mean ‘the strongest survives’ - but the truth is that it has nothing to do with strength. It just has to do with being the best adapted for the environment. Sometimes, it simply needs to embroil itself in the madness, to become a part of the madness itself.
We’ve long observed the ‘Crimson Plague’ as some have started to coin it infest all manner of things - people, beasts, and things alike. If it is something the mold can cling to and spread Shuriig’s mind-altering influence, it will. It finds its way into the nooks and crannies of everything, like a rot.
And yet, because life is such a resilient, multi-faceted thing, it learns to adapt. It all started with a lone hellwasp, a larva bathing in the river styx when it was exposed. We don’t know why, but the Crimson Plague cannot spread through the waters, and those who live in it find themselves astoundingly immune. This wasp, once it reached maturity, was mutated … still infested, but it had full control of itself and its will. It began to produce honey, a honey that when consumed imparts the same altered strain.
With the assistance of the blood hunters and their monstrous techniques, we’ve found ways to temper this in a way that’s usable to individuals both strong of heart and of mind, but warn that ultimately, you are turning yourself into a monster, and while it does grant you freedom from Shuriig’s influence to use it against theirs and the Usurper’s forces, it only prolongs what may otherwise be inevitable. There is a good chance you’re shortening your lifespan considerably if you take this path, moreso if you use it to its fullest extent.

Echo - Crimson Plague

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)
To create this Echo, you must drink Tarnished Sap as part of a special ritual. Doing so permanently infests you with the Crimson Plague, even if you are normally immune to disease. The ritual consumes one of your attunement slots to keep the plague from completely overtaking your personality and destroying you as an individual.
Once infested with the Crimson Plague, you gain the ability to cast spells using your own body as an arcane focus rather than an item in your possession. Perhaps they are emitted from your eyes, a horn, or your finger. The decision is yours. The item otherwise grants the following Stored Echo properties:

• Creator (Aberration). Your body develops a red rash, typically near the heart, forehead, or hand. It may appear elsewhere on your body at your discretion, similar to a dragonmark. Your pulse is visible where the rash manifests. Depending on certain circumstances, the rash may begin to spread and grant more significant traits, as outlined in the “Crimson Corruption” chart.
• History (Sinister). Your creature type becomes monstrosity, and you project an atmosphere of unease that most folk can pick up on. Common folk and people unaware of your condition or disposition are likely to treat you with suspicion.
• Minor Property (Sentinel, Unbreakable). When an aberration or demon (fiend) associated with Shuriig comes within 120 feet of you, you can hear the Dark Power’s fell utterances guiding them like a whisper in your ear (they are otherwise unintelligible). You cannot be dismembered (though this does not prevent you from taking damage), and in the event you die, your body never decomposes and instead becomes petrified.
• Quirk (Hungry). You have acquired a ghoulish sense of hunger, requiring raw meat and fresh blood to survive. You can get by on other types of food, but must eat twice as much to gain the same benefit. If you fail to eat enough between rests, you gain a level of exhaustion.

You gain the following Echo properties:

• Core Augment (Armor). You gain a +4 bonus to your Armor Class while attuned to this Echo.
• Asphyxiated. You no longer require air to breathe. This doesn’t mean it’s comfortable when you can’t.
• Speed. Your speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
• Maddening Influence. Whenever you successfully deal damage to a creature with an attack, you deal an additional 2d6 psychic damage to that creature.
• Crimson Gestalt. Whenever you cast a spell, you may choose to ignore the spell’s material components. Doing so triggers your Crimson Corruption trait.
• Crimson Rage. As a bonus action on your turn, you may enter a monstrous fury and gain the following benefits, which last for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated. You can’t use this property again until you complete a long rest.
  • You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
  • When you hit with an attack, you can add your proficiency bonus to the damage roll.
  • Difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement, and you are immune to the paralyzed, restrained, and stunned conditions.
• Psychic Reflection. Whenever you take psychic damage, you can use your reaction to choose another creature you can see within 30 feet of you. That creature takes the psychic damage you would have taken (before resistances) instead.
• Crimson Corruption. Whenever you roll a natural 1 on a saving throw or an attack roll, whenever you use your Crimson Rage feature and it ends, whenever you use your Mind Blast, or whenever you use your Crimson Gestalt trait to negate the material costs of a spell, you must make a DC 14 Sanity saving throw, increasing the DC by one for each stage of Crimson Corruption you’ve advanced beyond Stage 1 (see below table). On a failure, you gain a level of exhaustion and experience a bout of short term madness at the GM’s discretion.

Crimson Plague additionally has the following Minor Artifact Property:

• You may cast counterspell without using a spell slot. After you cast the spell, roll a d6. On a roll of 1 or 2, you can’t cast it again until you complete a long rest. Alternatively, you can change the result of the roll to a 6 in exchange for triggering your crimson corruption trait. If you do not have a spell casting modifier, use your Charisma modifier to determine relevant DCs.

Irresistible Offence

Becoming the monster that you have, you find yourself imbued with monstrous powers giving you a savage edge in combat. You can bypass the damage resistances of any creature while you still walk this path (this does not negate immunity).

Crimson Mark

You gain the benefits of the aberrant dragonmark feat, including a minor flaw of your choice reflecting the discomfort the Crimson Plague inflicts on you after it has become a part of you. This dragonmark is considered to have already granted you a boon (Psychic Awakening) at no cost to your hit points.

Unique Traits

Mind Blast. As an action on your turn, you may emit a psychic pulse in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw (DC 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your Proficiency bonus) or take 4d8 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage and be stunned until the end of your next turn. If you are currently under the effects of Crimson Rage, increase both the DC and damage of this action by 5. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus before you must complete a long rest.
Maddening Touch. Once per turn, whenever you grapple or deal psychic damage to a creature, the creature must make a Sanity check or suffer a short-term madness effect for the next 1d10 minutes. The DC for this saving throw is 15 or the psychic damage dealt, whichever is greater. The creature may repeat its saving throw at the end of each minute, ending the effect on a success. A creature who succeeds is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours. Aberrations and demons succeed automatically.

Purification

There are only two methods of being released from this path: defeat Shuriig, or undergo the Purification ritual.

• In the event Shuriig is defeated, we have reason to believe the Crimson Plague will go with it. Anyone who’s taken this path will be returned to the life they knew before taking the path, though likely, the scars will remain.
• Otherwise, for those who undergo the ritual, you will be faced with a difficult trial. You will be pitted against the monster within you in one-on-one combat. If you win, you’re free. If not … well, you won’t know the difference, anyway.