USS Ogawa
Sim Info Post: The Illness
OOC: This is an info post only and I will be updated as the crew learns more. Please DO NOT reply so it can be edited. Also, if anything doesn’t make sense, please let me know and we can hash it out. I’m winging some of this at this point. Be gentle with me. :P
IC:
Aetherion Noctis (commonly called “The Nightfall Plague”)
Origin: Planet Aylia
The illness was first described in medical literature 600 years ago as an endospore producing bacteria with a single lipid bilayer (ie. gram-positive bacteria). It was thought to originate in a specific region of the planet but had spread to be ubiquitous. For a long time it was treatable with common antibacterial treatments, though if not treated early on, the mortality rate increased dramatically.
After the Great Migration (300 years ago), the bacteria had mutated and the endospore became resistant to even standard methods of destruction.
–>[Note for players: Microbiology info- an endospore is a less common formation in some bacteria. When conditions become unfavourable for division (ie. bacterial reproduction), the endospore allows the bacteria to go into a dormant state. When conditions improve, it can reactivate back into its standard form where it can divide and spread. ]
The disease shifted after this time and became more aggressive and the bacteria began to consume the host bodies. Previous treatments no longer were viable. Because of its ability to go dormant, it is hypothesized that the mutated bacteria made The Great Migration with the surviving population and has now insinuated itself in its new environment.
Symptoms
| Phase | Days | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Incubation Phase (1-3 days) | - Extreme lethargy and drowsiness. - A subtle, creeping numbness in the extremities. - A faint, high-pitched ringing in the ears (auditory hallucinations). - Pale, waxy skin. - Distorted perception of light (objects appear unnaturally dim or faint). |
| 2 | Early Progression (4-7 days) | -Severe disorientation and confusion -Gradual paralysis starting from the fingers and toes, spreading towards torso and spinal cord. Dark spots appear on the skin, resembling bruising, which slowly spread and absorb light. -The eyes become fully black with no visible sclera or iris (referred to as the “Shadow Eyes”). -Difficulty speaking, accompanied by deep, distorted vocalizations. -Uncontrollable episodes of sleepwalking or catatonia during the day. |
| 3 | Advanced Phase (8-14 days | - Full-body paralysis, unable to move or respond consciously. - Organs begin to deteriorate and turn a shadowy, transparent color, as though they are being consumed by an unseen force. - Hallucinations of a dark, endless void or otherworldly visions that may drive the host insane. - The skin becomes entirely blackened, and the individual may begin to appear as though their body is evaporating into dark mist. - Complete loss of the ability to communicate or move, with the body taking on a “living corpse” appearance (Locked-in Syndrome). - Death occurs when the internal organs cease to function, and the body breaks down into an ethereal mist that dissipates into the atmosphere (complete cellular decay). |
~Mischief Maker