Some people do things too evil for the gods to condone. Ending heroes before their story is over. Inventing murder. Creating the first liches. These things the gods will punish by exiling the being. Not from a kingdom, city, or even a temple. These creatures walk the earth alone forever, with no options for succor, and the gods themselves preventing them from resting their heads.
The curse of the Exile is loneliness. They must wander the world alone, without being able to safely talk to others, or have a place to rest. They are transformed into gross mockeries of humanity. Their body is warped and twisted, making them horrific to gaze upon. Their bodies are stronger and scaled, protecting them from harm, leaving them safe from those who will attempt to slay them, making them forced to endure their torture. Despite these curses, the greatest curse of the Exiled is their eyes.
The Exiled's eyes are cursed such that if anyone meets their eyes, they will share the curse of the Exiled. The Exiled my never again experience intimacy with a person through their faces. Several of them wear blindfolds or masks to cover their faces, leaving a horrific surprise for their friends and lovers if they see this partner without their mask in an intimate moment.
The Exiled are often sought for their knowledge, but never their wisdom. Those seeking their knowledge must be aware that they are approaching a being who is so evil they have been cast aside by all of the deities, no matter their disposition. They must be aware of the horror of the monstrous eyes of the Exiled, and that the Exile's price will often be looking into them. All this does not stop those from seeking the Exile, because the Exiled are the only source of knowledge of eternal suffering. Blood Mages and Daemons seek the Exiled for power, but Scholars and Healers seek the Exiled because they feel the need to understand their ultimate enemy, suffering, and only the Exiled truly understands it. The story goes in several temples that one of their statues is a high priest who took pity on an Exiled after learning the truth of suffering.
Monstrous Eyes: The Exiled all have eyes which spread ruin. Looking into their eyes is a horrific experience, as a person gazing into those eyes would end the torment of exile. Therefore anyone gazing into the eyes of an Exiled gains their own curse. There are three curses their eyes can bear, the Curse of Stone. The Curse of The Monster, The Curse of Secrets.
Those who meet the gaze of an Exiled with the Gaze of Stone turns to stone. Some claim that the blood of an Exiled can turn them back, others that killing The Exiled will restore all those they've turned to stone.
If the Exiled has The Gaze of the Monster then those who meet their gaze turn into a monster. Most of the time the victim is turned to an Orc, who is suddenly flooded with Hatred, but that is not a universal rule. People are turned into the monster the gods deem best.
The Exiled with the Gaze of Secrets reveal a terrible secret to those that meet their gaze. The secret is always one that will bring grief to the knower. They gain an Instinct or Belief related to that secret. If they attempt to explain the secret to another, they are dismissed as incoherent.
The rumour is that if someone ever intentionally meets the gaze of The Exiled, and accepts their curse, then the Exiled will be cured and become the person they were before. Almost all Exiles belief this myth, and will give anything to meet the gaze of one person.
Wailing Keen: The Exiled's screams are said to foretell death. It is rare that an Exile will appear and foretell a death, but instead the keen comes from across the fen, causing fear and panic. The Keen of the Exiled forces a Steel test, with the Exiled rolling intimidation and adding successes to the Hesitation check.
The Keen of the Exiled is not an innate power. The wails and screams of the Exiled are learned over their years of exile.
Horrific Teeth: The visage of the Exiled is horrible to behold, even when their eyes are covered. Those who see the Exiled while blindfolded speak of their dripping teeth, They have the teeth of a great boar, which drip with the poison of a great snake.
The Exiled's bite can only be used during a Lock due to its lack of regular reach, Pow +0, WS 2, VA -, but the bite injects a poison causing a Midi wound, which deteriorates into a Severe wound in an hour unless an Ob4 Health Test is passed (can be improved via treating the wound).
Inured to Suffering: The Exiled doesn't feel suffering properly. This is a call on for any Steel test or Will test to overcome fear or pain. They have been alone so long and spent so much of their lives in pain that they do not properly feel it anymore. Most of the Exiled sleep a lot due to this level of suffering.
A Burning Wheel Monster Every Week