Concept
In this realm, various NPCs would not actually die but become inaccessible with the realm clock. This happens because the runelord wakes from his slumber when you arrive and starts feeding on the life forces of the NPCs.
NPCs don’t die from this because that would mean they could not be back when you leave the realm and return. Causing them to just become incapacitated and unresponsive (like a coma) allows for them to be inaccessible but to recover if you leave and the runelord returns to his slumber.
Questions to answer
- How would the NPCs react to the engraved (player)? Do they know the engraved’s presence is why this happens to them? If so, would they want the engraved to leave, or do they want the engraved to successfully kill the runelord so they no longer have to deal with this?
- What is the clock like? Is it a clock with tiny slivers and the key spaces marked to note which NPC is inaccessible? Maybe a clock with inner and outer segments? Filling all inner would reset the inner and fill one of the outer which would correspond to an NPC becoming inaccessible?
- How do I dole this story out to the player via lore?
- What is this runelord’s rune and what does it do?
- Deal 1 harm to characters within X spaces every Y turns? Too powerful? Needs to be tested.
- How many points?
- What to do about art?
- What enemies are here?
- Does the runelord get more powerful as they suck the power from NPCs, or is this merely needed to stay awake/alive?