LETHARGY
-1 Brawn / 20 minutes / 60 minutes

This ancient contact poison was used centuries ago in the Crescent Empire (and is still used today) to protect powerful rulers’ statues, artifacts, treasures, and other items prone to vandalism or theft, and it has made its way to mainland Théah through the Empire’s trade contacts in the Bernoulli family. It is a thin oil which spreads easily and clings to any metal or stone surface; it does not cling well to living matter such as wood or flesh. When completely distributed across a surface, the oil is barely noticeable, and remains viable for many, many years (unless it is disturbed).

The oil is intended to trap would-be thieves or (especially) tomb robbers by steadily sapping their strength, leaving them too weak to cart off whatever they have pilfered. While its use outside of museums, tombs, or treasure vaults is uncommon, crafty (and unscrupulous) Swordsmen have been known to coat the hilts of an upcoming opponent’s weapons with this oil, though applying the poison to these weapons is no small feat.

Twenty minutes after exposure, the victim loses one Rank of Brawn. Every twenty minutes thereafter, he loses another Rank of Brawn, to a maximum loss of three Ranks after one hour has passed. Once the poison has run its course, lost Ranks of Brawn return at a rate of one Rank per hour.

This poison can never reduce a victim below a Rank of zero in Brawn. Anyone with a Brawn of zero is so weak, he cannot even lift himself up and is effectively immobilized. He may spend a Drama Die to rise up for one Round; after that he collapses.