This is a grim, surrealist sci-fi setting that blends the high-lethality, "kitchen sink" chaos of Bloody Arduin with the reality-warping, cosmic dread of The King in Yellow. This picks up from August 2025 on the blog
In this universe, the "13 Parsecs" refers to the Carcosa Drift, a cursed sector of space where the stars are slowly turning black and the fabric of the multiverse is fraying.
The Core Concept: "The Pallid Frontier"
Humanity (and various alien "Star-Blooded" races) pushed too far into the void. They found the lost constellations of Hyades and the lake of Hali. Now, reality is "leaking." Space travel isn't just dangerous because of physics; it’s dangerous because the coordinates themselves are going mad.
Character Stats (Bloody Arduin Style)
Characters are defined by the standard Arduin attributes, generated by rolling $3d6$ (or $4d6$ drop lowest for "Heroic" play).
| Stat | Description | Effect in Carcosa |
| Strength (STR) | Physical power | Needed for heavy vacuum suits and melee. |
| Agility (AGI) | Reflexes & Coordination | Crucial for piloting and dodging Eldritch blasts. |
| Constitution (CON) | Health & Stamina | Determines "System Shock" from cosmic radiation. |
| Intelligence (INT) | Logic & Tech skill | Used to decipher alien scripts and repair ships. |
| Wisdom (WIS) | Willpower & Intuition | Vital. Your defense against the King’s influence. |
| Charisma (CHA) | Leadership & Magnetism | Used to keep crews from mutinying in the dark. |
| Ego (EGO) | Sense of Self | A special Arduin stat; used to resist possession. |
New Mechanic: The Pallid Mask (Madness)
In the spirit of Bloody Arduin’s lethal critical hits, we use a Degradation Scale. Every time a player encounters a "Yellow Sign" or witnesses a reality-break, they must roll a WIS check.
Failure: Gain 1 point of Pallid Mask.
Threshold: At 10 points, the character no longer sees the world as it is. They see the "Imperial City of Carcosa" overlaid on the starship.
The Yellow Sign: If a character rolls a "Natural 1" on a WIS save, they are permanently marked. They gain a random Arduin-style mutation (e.g., extra eyes, translucent skin), but lose 1 point of EGO permanently.
Sample Classes
The Tech-Exorcist: A fusion of an Arduin Mage and a Star-Marine. They use "Logic-Wards" to keep the King’s influence out of the ship's computer.
The Warp-Jester: High-AGI scouts who wear literal masks to blend in with the phantoms of Hali. They use Arduin "Thief" skills but specialize in stealth between dimensions.
The Bio-Construct: Artificial beings (Arduin's take on Androids) who are resistant to madness but suffer double damage from the "Yellow Fire" of Hastur.
Equipment & Combat
Combat is fast and "Bloody." Use the Arduin Critical Hit Tables, but flavor them for the setting.
Standard Weapon: Pulse-Gladius (1d10 damage + STR).
The King’s Gift: A weapon that deals "Reality Damage." On a critical hit, the target isn't just wounded; they are erased from the timeline, and the other players must make a WIS check to remember who the victim was.
The 13th Parsec Engine: A drive that allows travel through the "Black Stars." It requires a sacrifice of "Memory" (XP) to function.
The 13 Parsecs Map (The Crawl)
The game is played as a Hex-Crawl through 13 distinct parsecs, each more "Yellow" than the last.
Parsec 1-4 (The Rim): High-tech, gritty, industrial. Pirates and corporations fighting over scrap.
Parsec 5-9 (The Dim): Stars begin to flicker. Radio signals are replaced by whispers. Physics begins to fail (lasers bend at 90-degree angles).
Parsec 10-12 (The Lake): Space is no longer a vacuum but a thin, golden liquid. Ships move like boats.
The 13th Parsec: The Court of the King. There is no return.
Note on Lethality: Like any "Bloody Arduin" game, expect a high body count. Keep a stack of "Replacement Clones" ready for your players.
In the tradition of Bloody Arduin, a Tech-Exorcist doesn't just carry gear; they carry "Relics of Resistance." Their loadout is a mix of high-tech survival equipment and consecrated components designed to stabilize reality when the King in Yellow begins to fray the edges of the universe.
As a Tech-Exorcist, you start with the following gear. Note that many items have a "Reality Stability" rating to keep your sanity (WIS) intact.
1. Weapons of the Faith
The "Logic-Bane" Pattern Bolter: A heavy, semi-automatic firearm firing silver-etched slugs.
Damage: $2d8$ Physical + $1d6$ Sanity Burn to Eldritch targets.
Note: If you roll a "Natural 1" to hit, the gun jams with a scream of binary static.
Monofilament Scapular-Whip: A melee weapon made of microscopic wire blessed by the "Old Earth" algorithms.
Damage: $1d10$ (Ignores Armor).
Special: Can be used to "tether" a ghost or a digital apparition to a physical surface.
2. Armor & Protection
Hextall-Chobham Plate: Heavy vacuum-rated armor etched with geometric wards.
Armor Class (AC): 4 [15] (Arduin Standard).
The Iron Ego: Grants a $+2$ bonus to all EGO and WIS saves against possession or hallucination.
The Lead-Lined Cowl: A hooded sensory array that filters out "Yellow Spectrum" light.
Effect: Prevents the wearer from seeing the Yellow Sign accidentally, but imposes a $-2$ penalty to AGI-based checks due to restricted vision.
3. Exorcism Tools (The "Toolbox")
Faraday Thimble: A small device used to "pinch" a localized tear in space-time shut. Can be used $1d4$ times before needing a recharge at a Dyson-Shrine.
Incense of Ozone & Myrrh: When burned, it creates a 10-foot radius of "Static Smoke." Demons from the 13th Parsec cannot materialize within the smoke.
The Script of Aldebaran: A scroll containing "Inverse Logic." Reading it aloud forces a Reality-Warping entity to take a Constitution check or be stunned for $1d4$ rounds.
4. General Survival Gear
Standard Bio-Sensor: Detects life, radiation, and "Ectoplasmic Residue."
3 Thermal Slugs: One-use heat sources for surviving the cold of the Carcosa Drift.
Auto-Scribe: A floating quill that records everything you say. Essential for leaving a "Black Box" record if you go mad.
Character Quick-Start Table
Roll $1d6$ to determine your "Malediction" (a side effect of your training):
| Roll | Result | Effect |
| 1 | Binary Tongue | You can only speak in code when stressed; -4 CHA with humans. |
| 2 | Phantom Limbs | You feel extra arms that aren't there. +1 to Initiative. |
| 3 | Stigmata of the Cog | Your blood is 10% hydraulic fluid. +2 CON vs. Poison. |
| 4 | The King’s Echo | You hear the King's song. You cannot be surprised, but -1 to all WIS saves. |
| 5 | Obsessive Ritualist | You must clean your Bolter for 1 hour daily or suffer -2 to hit. |
| 6 | Void-Eyed | One eye is replaced by a black glass orb. You can see in total darkness. |
In the 13 Parsecs, a Pallid Thrall is what remains of a space-farer who looked too long into the depths of the Hyades. They are the "zombies" of this setting, but instead of rotting, they are becoming "statuesque"—their skin turning to a cracked, white porcelain and their blood into a yellow, viscous ichor.
True to Bloody Arduin, these enemies are deceptively dangerous and can cause permanent character "de-buffs."
Pallid Thrall
Classification: Extradimensional Undead / Reality-Shell
| Stat | Value | Notes |
| Hit Dice (HD) | $2+2$ | (Approx. 12-18 HP) |
| Armor Class (AC) | 6 [13] | Due to porcelain-like skin. |
| Attacks | 2 Claws / 1 Bite | $1d6$ / $1d6$ / $1d4$ |
| Move | 90' (30') | Jerky, stop-motion movement. |
| Morale | 12 | Fearless; they are already "Home." |
| Alignment | Chaotic Neutral | They serve the King's aesthetic. |
Special Abilities & Bloody Traits
The Fragile Snap: When a Thrall is reduced to 0 HP, it shatters like glass. Anyone in a 5ft radius must make an AGI Check or take $1d6$ piercing damage from porcelain shards.
The Yellow Infection: If a character is bitten, they must make a CON Save. Failure means the wound doesn't heal naturally; it turns yellow and numb. Only a Tech-Exorcist using "Logic-Wards" can purge the infection.
Aura of the Mask: Looking directly into the Thrall’s empty, sewn-shut eyes requires a WIS Save. Failure results in +1 Pallid Mask (Madness) point.
Combat Behavior (The "Arduin" Way)
Pallid Thralls do not use tactics. They wander the corridors of derelict ships humming fragments of The King in Yellow play.
Yes, I totally stole this from Wayne's Books but tune in next week when we continue this shocking turn of events!
Critical Hit Interaction: If a player scores a Critical Hit on a Thrall using a blunt weapon (like a mace or a heavy wrench), use the following "Shatter Table" instead of standard Arduin crits:
| Roll (1d6) | Result |
| 1-2 | Shrapnel Burst: The Thrall explodes early; double damage to everyone nearby. |
| 3-4 | Hollow Shell: The weapon passes through the hollow torso; the Thrall is unfazed but loses 1d4 AC. |
| 5 | Decapitation: The head rolls away, still singing. The body fights on at -2 to hit. |
| 6 | Total Atomization: The Thrall is deleted from reality. No shards, no mess. |
Loot / Salvage
Pallid Thralls rarely carry gear, but their bodies contain "Yellow Vitriol." * Salvage Value: A successful INT Check allows a player to extract 1 vial of Vitriol.
Use: Can be used as fuel for a 13th Parsec Engine or refined into "The Queen's Tears"—a drug that restores $1d10$ HP but grants $1d4$ Pallid Mask points.
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