The Knot

I don't know what's worse. The hallucinations or the excruciating pain...

Everyone gets degraded and humiliated in this world, friend, everyone. It can be for your race, gender, age, education, religion... so many reasons. We have so many things which set us apart from each other and yet, the one thing that unites us, the one thing all humanoids have in common, is going to be our downfall, it's our curse.

All sentient beings (also known as knotted-humanoids) have the ''Knot" in the back of their neck. It's a small piece of soft muscle tissue, which holds their brain from knocking inside their skull. Its shape is double curved, with the first curve starting as an extension of the nape skin, leaving behind a hanging tissue similar to an umbilical cord and the second part which ends up inside the skull attached to the brain.

Some of the functions in the deeper parts of the brain can be seen more as essential features to our evolution rather than 'primitive.' One of those functions is the part of the brain, the one where the knot is attached to, that electrifies the rest of our body, allowing us to feel, giving us the ability to emulate emotions. Many of the emotions that we experience, especially emotions with high intensity like love, bursts of happiness, relief, heavy anxiety, depression and more, stimulate the knot, causing dilation and a small discomfort.

There is one feeling in particular that causes much more.

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”
_{H.P Lovecraft}

Torn Knot

When dread overwhelms you in this world, the thin line that separates logic from insanity breaks. The victim after experiencing the terror that caused the dilation of the knot delves into an uncanny series of pain. Knot tissue gets violently ripped apart from the brain, leaving behind flows of blood, cerebrospinal fluids, and a damaged brain. Excruciating pain and Insanity follows...

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Torn Knot conditions

Roll 1d6 for the outcome when KP reaches 0

Paranoid

A paranoid character will not eat food, drink potions, use equipment, or accept healing from allies. In combat, the character can accept aid if they succeed on a DC15 Charisma saving throw.

Fearful

In combat, Fearful characters become frightened of one random enemy every turn. The target of this cannot be an enemy the character is already frightened of.

Hopeless

A Hopeless character cannot gain advantage on any rolls while in combat. In addition, on the start of each combat, all nearby allies of the Hopeless character suffer 1 KP.

Masochistic

A Masochistic character will not accept healing from their allies. In combat, a Masochistic character can only accept healing after passing a DC15 Charisma saving throw. A Masochistic character cannot disengage, and attacks of opportunity on them have advantage. Additionally, Masochistic characters have disadvantage on death saves.

Selfish

A selfish character will not share food, potions, or equipment with allies. In combat, a selfish character cannot target allies with any helpful spells, items, or abilities unless they pass a DC15 Charisma saving throw.

Courageous

A Courageous character stands tall, refusing to let themselves or their allies fall to fear. A Courageous character is immune to fear, and all nearby allies of the Courageous character have advantage on saving throws versus fear

In-game mechanics

Knot strength is 8 KP - Knot Points

• Nightmarish creatures damage the knot with their presence by 1d4 KP

• Fear effects on failed saving throws damages the Knot by 1KP

• Heroic actions of great danger damage the Knot by 1 KP

• Critical failures damage the Knot by 1 KP

• Healing effects that require a spell slot restores 1-2 KP

• Full rest restores full KP

• Entering a church of a good deity restores 1KP

• Inspirations restore 1KP