A Curse Upon Thee Plotius

I think poor Plotius may end up being an NPC in any fantasy themed campaign that I run. In ancient Rome it was common practice for people to write or scratch out curses on tablets and then bury those same tablets in graves. The tablets would have an iron nail or pin driven through them because “The Latin name for a curse is defixio which means ‘to pin down.’” This particular tablet is extremely detailed and quite eloquent in the owner's hatred of Plotius and what needs to be done to Plotius (including the cursing of his "sacred organs").

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Good and beautiful Proserpina, wife of Pluto, or Salvia, if you prefer that I call you so, snatch away the health, the body, the complexion, the strength, and the faculties of Plotius.

Hand him over to Pluto, your husband. May he not be able to escape this (curse) by his wits. Hand him over to fevers—quartan, tertian, and daily—so that they wrestle and struggle with him.
Let them overcome him to the point where they snatch away his soul. 

Thus I give over to you this victim, O Proserpina or Acherusia if you prefer that I call you so.
Summon for me the triple headed hound to snatch away the heart of Plotius. Promise that you will give him three victims (gifts)—dates, figs, and a black pig—if he completes this before the month of March. These I will offer you, Proserpina Salvia, when you complete this in an orderly fashion. 

I give over to you the head of Plotius, the slave/son of Avonia. Proserpina Salvia, I give over to you the head of Plotius. Proserpina Salvia, I give over to you the forehead of Plotius. Proserpina Salvia, I give over to you the eyebrows of Plotius.

Proserpina Salvia, I give over to you the eyelids of Plotius. Proserpina Salvia, I give over to you the pupils of Plotius.

Proserpina Salvia, I give over to you the nostrils, lips, ears, nose, tongue, and teeth of Plotius, so that he may not be able to say what is causing him pain; the neck, shoulders, arms, and fingers, so that he may not be able to aid himself in any way; his breast, liver, heart,and lungs, so that he may not be able to discover the source of his pain; his intestines, stomach, navel, and sides, so that he may not be able to sleep; his shoulder blades, so that he may not be able to sleep soundly; his “sacred organ” so that he may not be able to urinate; his rump, anus, thighs, knees, shanks, shins, feet, ankles, heels, toes, and toenails, so that he may not be able to stand by his own strength. 

No matter what he may have written, great or small, just as he has written a proper spell and commissioned it (against me), so I hand over and consign Plotius to you, so that you may take care of him by the month of February. Let him perish miserably. Let him leave life miserably. Let him be destroyed miserably. 

Take care of him so that he may not see another month.

That's some serious hatred going on. The article explaining this custom is fascinating, and I highly recommend that you read it for the rest of the details.

There are several things I love about this practice for a fantasy themed game. First the idea of casting the curse into the grave so that the dead can carry the message to the gods. What if the dead were to rise from their graves to carry out the curse? That could be all sorts of interesting.

I love the idea of the triple headed hound and that the hound can leave his guarding of the river Styx to attack a living person. The person casting the curse promises a specific offering of "dates, figs, and a black pig". These all seem a little light for what's being asked, but maybe a black pig was hard to come by.

I also love that this is a curse offered to counter an original curse. How did the owner of this curse learn of Plotius' curse? Did Plotius' enemy escape the curse? Defeat it? Lose to it, but because it wasn't a powerful curse he's still around?

What are the costs and benefits of offering a counter-curse? What if Plotius offers a more detailed curse, with a higher offering to the same gods? What if it's to a different god?

The biggest question of all, is what started this whole thing. What was it that made Plotius desire to curse the unknown owner of this tablet? Why did this person hate Plotius so much? Great stuff.