 |
| Oh what strange avenues we shall find in this city of change. Art by Quique Alcatena |
In this city, fear
and desire are found in a pound of flesh. Backstreet surgeons sling
scalpels to rearrange the form, taking the undesired in return for
idealized shapes. Hidden clinics, obscured not for a lack of
legality, rather to ensure readiness for change, a discovery quest
to give seekers time to examine driving desires. Washed upon a shore
of clinic stoops, the pilgrim pays Sarxists to lay them upon
alters and awaken within flesh looms. Here we will see what
it is to be pnuema within sarx, a ghost in bone and flesh.
I shall show you
fear in a handful of flesh.
Those that shape the
body form two camps, magical and mystical. Mages can cast Polymorph
Other, and in doing so, grant desired shapes. These granted
shapes are generic, with the magic only capable of granting idealized
beauty, rather than exotic allure. Vulgar magic, is not only
imprecise but also expensive, with mages being stingy with their time
and ask much for it. Those searching for a change in flesh, and
willing to search for for it, will find incredible skill and economy
in the temple clinics of the Sarxists of Saint Sushruta, most
often just called Sarxists.
To Sarxists,
the changing of flesh is a sacrament, and the search for their
clinics a holy pilgrimage. Their clinics are never in the same
place twice, having a different location for each seeker. The City
knows when a man or woman is searching for the Sarxists and
will adjust itself accordingly. For some, the door to their goal is
found in the fist back alley they ventured. For others it is a
journey of days, with nights spent scouring obscure streets.
 |
| An example of a pilgrimage scarf. |
Those on a
pilgrimage to find temple-clinics traditionally wear a sash or scarf
of many colors, visible to any who look upon them. It is by
tradition, and more over by fear, that such pilgrims are not harmed
or impeded by even the most vicious of street gangs. Alley-folklore
is filled with tales of those who broke the tradition of safety for
the scarf and sash wearers. These tales are rife with gang members
found with blank faces, devoid of features, their bodies still
twitching as they suffocate from a lack of nose or mouth. Other tales
tell of men and women found screaming in dark corners, every bone
below the waist removed without a single cut to the skin. The same
tales are told of those who abused the tradition of the scarf and
sash, those who wore such accoutrements without an intention for
change. This tradition is kept by most so strictly as to be
religious, a thing born of fear and now held sacred.
 |
| While the Sarxist mark can take many forms, it usually includes a labyrinth (to symbolize a journey) with a figure of dual natures at its center (to symbolize change). |
On
Reaching Destinations
OSR / AD&D /
LotFP / Into the Odd
To determine the
number of hours needed to find the door of a Sarxist temple
clinic, roll 1D20, add the character's Wisdom score to result, and
subtract it from 36. (ex: Bob the Bard wants to find a temple
clinic. He rolls 11 on 1D20 and adds it to his Wisdom score of 13 for
a total of 24. Subtracting 24 from 36 gives a sum of 12, meaning it
will take 12 hours of searching to find the door.) A character
must not leave the streets for longer than a hour, such as going
inside a building, those that do lose all progress they have made on
the journey and must start over again. In starting over again, they
must search for the same number of hours as per the roll they made
when they first began searching for the temple clinic. Any result
that is equal to or greater than 36 means that the character finds
the clinic temple down the first street they search.
 |
| A Sarxist cleric. |
On
Gaining What is Sought
Those that find the
door with the Sarxist mark are always warmly welcomed by an
androgynous human in dark robes. Different for each person, though
always the same for each person, even with multiple visits in
different areas. Each visit begins with a formal sharing of tea while
the Sarxist interviews the pilgrim to determine what they are
searching for. Once they understand what the pilgrim wants, and their
price is paid, they lead the searcher from a dark tapestry filled
room into place called the Theater.
The Theater
is a large, circular room of white marble, almost unbearably bright.
Atop a circular dais in the center is a simple altar, made of the
same marble as the room, with a device of metal arms and silk mesh.
When the procedure begins, called the Ecdysis, the room is
filled with a soporific hum that numbs the body of the pilgrim as
they are laid on the altar by the Sarxist. Lowering the device
over the altar, the device being called a Flesh Loom, its
metallic arms shuttle and pivot as it unravels the pilgrim's old form
on the altar and reweaves the new one atop its silk mesh. In its
unraveling and reweaving the form of the pilgrim, the Flesh Loom
plays a particular note that is unique to each alteration procedure.
For a procedure in where multiple changes are made, the Flesh Loom
will play the notes in a song like pattern. It is unknown as to
if it is the mechanics of the Flesh Loom or the note it plays
that causes the changes produced.
 |
| What faces might we have, if they were sculpted not by the womb, but by desire. |
No price is too
high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich
Neitzsche
To ask for payment
of goods or money in exchange for a change in identity expression is
sacrilegious to the Sarxists. A change of identity expression
is paid for by an act that brings further change to the world.
Further forms of change, changes in the utility of the body, are paid
for in gold and goods.
A change in identity
is defined by the Sarxists as a change of physical features
(e.g. face, skin coloration, sex, etc...). Sarxists believe in
the fluidity of the form and the permanence of the identity. It is
held by the group that the identity is who a person truly is, while
the body is the expression of identity. The musical note of this
procedure is a C.
If a character is
seeking a change in identity-expression, the Sarxists of Saint
Sushruta ask for simple acts of change in the world. Below is a
table of possible acts asked for by the Sarxists.
Deeds
of Recompense - 1D8
Repaint a door in
the city that it not owned by the character.
Pull up 3
cobblestones from two different parts of the city and switch their
locations.
Explore
and find a new area of the city, then leave a small personal item
there.
Find
another pilgrim and follow them on their journey to a temple-clinic.
Learn a
new skill that will be useful to the character.
Make a
piece of art, working as hard as possible to create it, then give it
away.
Trade a
piece of clothing with a random stranger.
Find a
place where music is being played, and ask a random stranger to
dance.
For those who
look for a change in utility (i.e a change that changes the game
mechanics of a character) must pay for the improvements. Below, are
commonly sought after changes in physical abilities. Prices are
listed by gp/sp depending on the base currency of the game system
gold for AD&D and most OSR's, silver for LotFP.
OSR / AD&D
/ LotFP
Wernicke's
Potence: This improvement
to the character allows them to perfectly understand any written and
spoken language they encounter. However, they are unable to
understand magical or purposely obscured language. This improvement
does not allow a character to speak or write any language, only
understand them. A character must be physically able to see or hear
the language in order for the ability to function. Price:
5,000 gp/sp
Note:
A sharp.
 |
| It is my mind that understands the world, but it is my soul that shapes it. |
Broca's
Empowerment: This
improvement allows the user to accurately communicate concepts and
feelings with utterances, gestures, or pictures to anyone capable of
understanding such things despite any barriers in language or
mentality. The character does not use any specific language, rather
they innately understand what sounds to make, what gestures to
perform, and what images to make in order to get across their point.
Broca's Empowerment
only allows the character to communicate simple messages, advanced
concepts are beyond the capabilities of this improvement. The
byproduct of this ability is it allows the character to communicate
simple concepts to animals. It provides a +2 bonus to the Bushcraft
skill when interacting with animals (X out of 6 system) or +6 bonus
to the Animal Handling
or +30% to the base chance of success for those without the
proficiency (Skill Proficiency System).
Price:
4,000 gp/sp
Note:
G flat.
Fortified
Keratin Bellicoso: This
improvement bolsters the strength of a character's nails (finger and
toe) making them far more resilient and thicker. A character who
grows out their nails, and sharpens them, may use them to injure
others and improve their climbing ability. The claws do 1D3 damage
and grant a +2 (X out of 6 system) or +6 (Stat Rolls or Skill
Proficiency System) bonus to a rolls made for climbing attempts.
However, these claws are very obvious to anyone looking at the
character's hands or feet, requiring gloves or shoes to hide them.
Price:
800 gp/sp Per Appendage
Note: D.
 |
| That which might bring mercy, and bear away evil. |
Protractile
Keratin: This
improvement improves the character's ability to grow keratin in order
to grow claws. The improvement also allows the character to retract
these claws, allowing them to hide the presence of these claws. The
claws do 1D3 damage and grant a +2 (X out of 6 system) or +6 (Stat
Rolls or Skill Proficiency System) bonus to a rolls made for climbing
attempts. However, these claws are very obvious to anyone looking at
the character's hands or feet, requiring gloves or shoes to hide
them. If the character already possesses the Fortified
Keratin
ability, or gets it later, the damage done by the claws improves to
1D3+2 damage and improves the climbing bonus by +1 (X out of 6
system) or +3 (Stat Rolls or Skill Proficiency System).
Price:
900 gp/sp Per Appendage
Note: D
sharp.
Fortify
Quadriceps: This
improvement increases the character's running/walking speed by 50%
and doubles their maximum jump height and distance. (ex:
A character with a base speed of 40 feet would have their speed
improved to 60 feet. A character who is able to jump vertically 18
inches (average human jump height), would gain a jump height of 36
inches with the improvement).
Price:
2,500 gp/sp
Note: E.
Fortified
Trapezius and Deltoid:
This improvement increases a character's carrying capacity, without
being encumbered, by 50%. For the Lamentations
of the Flame Princess system:
0
– 15 pts: Unencumbered
16
– 23 pts: Lightly Encumbered
24
– 30 pts: Heavily Encumbered
31
– 38 pts: Severely Encumbered
39+
pts: Over Encumbered
Price:
1,000 gp/sp
Note: A.
 |
| I share flee this place upon wings of my own making. |
Blessings
of Daedalus: This
grants the user a pair of wings with a base flight speed equal to the
character's unimproved based walking/running speed. The character's
flight maneuverability is considered clumsy.
A character can improve their flight speed with an improvement
similar to Fortify
Quadriceps,
and a cost 1,800
gp/sp.
Price:
7,500 gp/sp for Bat Wings.
Price:
7,800 gp/sp for Feathered Wings
(Feathered Wings require more alterations to the physical makeup of
the individual in order for the wings to be natural)
Notes: F
(Bat Wings) F sharp (Feathered Wings).
Eyes of
the Pit Viper: This
grants the user the ability to see in the thermal spectrum, similar
to that found in Pit Vipers. Two small 'pits' are implanted in the
space between the character's eyes, these 'pits' resemble very small
nostrils. These pits allow the character to sense variances in
ambient temperature. The improvement also doubles the number of rod
cells in the character's eyes, which increases their ability to see
in the dark. All of these improvements grant the user the ability to
see in total darkness, not including darkness created through magic.
This improvement grants the user Dark-Vision
and
Thermal Vision.
Price:
2,000 gp/sp
Note: E
flat.
 |
| What might you see if I shaped myself, rather than being shaped by another. |
Perfection
of the Soma and Pneuma: This
is the catch all term for the improvement of the basic capabilities
of the body. These improvements can only push a character's body to
the maximum their species is capable of. In game terms, this
improvement increases a character's base stats to their racial
maximum, and cannot improve them beyond that point. A character may
improve a stat to their racial maximum all at once, or over multiple
visits.
Price:
10,000 gp/sp per point of
improvement.
Notes:
Strength
– C
Dexterity
– C sharp
Constitution
– D flat
Intelligence
– G
Wisdom
– G sharp
Charisma
– A flat
Into
the Odd
 |
| At the heart of all fantastic creations, is a truly strange mind. |
Wernicke's
Potence: This improvement
to the character allows them to perfectly understand any written and
spoken language they encounter. However, they are unable to
understand magical or purposely obscured language. This improvement
does not allow a character to speak or write any language, only
understand them. A character must be physically able to see or hear
the language in order for the ability to function. Price:
25 Guilders
Note:
A sharp.
Broca's
Empowerment: This
improvement allows the user to accurately communicate concepts and
feelings with utterances, gestures, or pictures to anyone capable of
understanding such things despite any barriers in language or
mentality. The character does not use any specific language, rather
they innately understand what sounds to make, what gestures to
perform, and what images to make in order to get across their point.
Broca's Empowerment
only allows the character to communicate simple messages, advanced
concepts are beyond the capabilities of this improvement. The
byproduct of this ability is it allows the character to communicate
simple concepts to animals. It provides a +5 bonus to Will saves or
other rolls when interacting with an animal.
Price:
20 Gilders
Note:
G flat.
Fortified
Keratin: This
improvement bolsters the strength of a character's nails (finger and
toe) making them far more resilient and thicker. A character who
grows out their nails, and sharpens them, may use them to injure
others and improve their climbing ability. The claws do 1D4 damage
and grant a +5 to Strength saves or other rolls for climbing
attempts. However, these claws are very obvious to anyone looking at
the character's hands or feet, requiring gloves or shoes to hide
them.
Price: 4
Guilders Per Appendage
Note: D.
Protractile
Keratin: This
improvement improves the character's ability to grow keratin in order
to grow claws. The improvement also allows the character to retract
these claws, allowing them to hide the presence of these claws. The
claws do 1D4 damage and grant a +5 to Strength saves or other rolls
for climbing attempts. However, these claws are very obvious to
anyone looking at the character's hands or feet, requiring gloves or
shoes to hide them. If the character already possesses the Fortified
Keratin
ability, or gets it later, the damage done by the claws improves to
1D6 damage and improves the climbing bonus by +2.
Price: 4
Guilders and 50 Shillings Per Appendage
Note: D
sharp.
Fortify
Quadriceps: This
improvement increases the character's running/walking speed by 50%
and doubles their maximum jump height and distance. (ex:
A character with a base speed of 40 feet would have their speed
improved to 60 feet. A character who is able to jump vertically 18
inches (average human jump height), would gain a jump height of 36
inches with the improvement).
Price: 11
Guilders and 25 Shillings
Note: E.
 |
| I can fly in my dreams. |
Blessings
of Daedalus: This
grants the user a pair of wings with a base flight speed equal to the
character's unimproved based walking/running speed. The character's
flight maneuverability is considered clumsy.
A character can improve their flight speed with an improvement
similar to Fortify
Quadriceps,
and a cost 9
Guilders.
Price: 37
Guilders and 50 Shillings for Bat Wings.
Price: 39
Guilders for Feathered Wings (Feathered Wings require more
alterations to the physical makeup of the individual in order for the
wings to be natural)
Notes: F
(Bat Wings) F sharp (Feathered Wings).
Eyes of
the Pit Viper: This
grants the user the ability to see in the thermal spectrum, similar
to that found in Pit Vipers. Two small 'pits' are implanted in the
space between the character's eyes, these 'pits' resemble very small
nostrils. These pits allow the character to sense variances in
ambient temperature. The improvement also doubles the number of rod
cells in the character's eyes, which increases their ability to see
in the dark. All of these improvements grant the user the ability to
see in total darkness, not including darkness created through magic.
This improvement grants the user Dark-Vision
and
Thermal Vision.
Price: 10
Guilders
Note: E
flat.
 |
| My face and I are not the same, but we coexist out of necessity. |
Perfection
of the Soma and Pneuma: This
is the catch all term for the improvement of the basic capabilities
of the body. These improvements can only push a character's body to
the maximum their species is capable of. In game terms, this
improvement increases a character's base stats to their racial
maximum of 18, and cannot improve them beyond that point. A character
may improve a stat to their racial maximum all at once, or over
multiple visits.
Price: 50
Guilders per point of improvement.
Notes:
Strength
– C and D flat (Played in Harmony)
Dexterity – C sharp
Will
– G, G sharp, and A flat (Played in Harmony)
