Sarkin Rune

Sometimes a demon from another plane corrupts a smith's dreams. The smith wakes with a shape in mind, one that should never have existed, and engraves it before understanding what they are doing. Sarkin belonged to the forge caste. His name was struck from every record and survives only on weapons that should never have borne a mark.

The rune remains inert while its bearer fights as a reasonable person. It grants nothing and emits no light, so many Sarkin weapons have been sold as ordinary blades.

Surrendering to fury requires a general action of 1 tick and cannot be reversed before the battle ends. While the fury lasts:

• the weapon deals +50% damage;
• the bearer cannot dodge or parry; and
• the bearer cannot withdraw, refuse an opponent, or stop while anyone remains standing within reach—including an ally, if no one else remains.

The body pays the price. Each fury leaves a permanent mark chosen by the GM: a plate of horn beneath the skin, a pupil that never becomes round again, a voice shifted into another register, or a hand that no longer closes completely. These marks neither fade nor heal, and they accumulate. A bearer who surrenders often enough ceases to be regarded as a dwarf by their kin and one day ceases to be one at all.