Infected
Infected is the term used to refer to humans who serve as carriers of a highly dangerous and unknown supernatural disease known only as the Infection.
Overview
The Infection thrives in places of occult significance, usually residing on strange artifacts or in places spiritually tainted by only the worst actions committed by human beings. Following transmission from either one of these two spawning places for the Infection, the infected gain numerous supernatural abilities and begin to proceed through the numerous stages - each getting progressively worse and more aggressive than the last.
The infected will begin to appear more obviously infected to others as the Infection worsens, beginning as various blemishes and discolorations in the skin before growing into organic and inorganic growths and unearthly markings, until the infected no longer appears outwardly human to other mortals and begins to die from the increased aggression factor of the Infection. The infected can reduce the symptoms of the Infection and bring it to latency through finding occult or spiritual objects for it to spread to, shedding at least a part of the Infection for the time being, or through refraining from using their supernatural abilities.
Major supernatural creatures, such as vampires and werewolves, are more difficult for the Infection to transmit to. When infected, such supernaturals do not suffer the usual effects of the Infection, becoming asymptomatic vectors of it instead for a limited time and being capable of spreading the Infection to mortals through exposure or surviving a supernatural attack.
The Infection
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Conditions
- Latent Symptoms: A mortal becomes infected with something that doesn’t behave like any disease should. Though it shows no symptoms now, the infected is aware of the Infection. Other toxins and diseases find it incredibly hard to affect the host.
- Acute Symptoms: The host's infection is starting to make itself known physically: discolored markings in the skin, bleeding through pores, and other blemishes are all common. The disease is fully active and aggressive at this stage, and lesser diseases cannot affect the infected.
- Symptomatic Flareup: The Infection is distressingly and abundantly obvious to all onlookers. Strange growths both organic and inorganic, unearthly markings on the infected's body, and other supernatural branding marks the host as being seriously ill.
- Progressive Infection: The Infection has begun to kill the unfortunate host, consuming their body in a desperate attempt to stay alive long enough to complete its life cycle. Very few people will even recognize the infected as a human being. Their only chance at survival is finding either an individual or an entity capable of ameliorating the condition.
Merits
- Carrier
to : The infected is part of the strange life cycle of the Infection and allows them to know precisely what they are looking for to satisfy it. - Bulletman Syndrome : The host’s Infection is particularly potent and alarming to onlookers. Rather than biological growths, when the infected begins to exhibit physical symptoms they are made of inorganic materials, predominately metal and glass. The infected, even when the Infection is in latency, sets off metal detectors and his skin mends slowly and painfully.
- The New Flesh , or : The infected has an inhuman ability to regenerate, both because of the speed and the results. Flesh grows back just as quickly as it is cut away, but usually with a subtle difference, as if the Infection does not quite understand human biology.
- Patient Zero : The infected has reached an uneasy enough equilibrium with the Infection that they may become asymptomatic for a short time. All symptoms, abilities, and drives of the Infection disappear, allowing the infected to pass as a completely normal person once again for a period of time. When the infected chooses to reawaken it, or when their time runs out, the disease reemerges at the next stage of Infection.
- Proud Parent : The host feels an affinity with the Infection, or at least some form of Stockholm Syndrome. They are emotionally attached to their progeny; if something happens to either a site or an individual they have infected, they may face a breaking point.
- Bloodkin : The infected recognize their own, and more importantly, the Infection does too.
- Virulent to : The host is able to harness the Infection to cause lesser diseases in those they touch. When an infected makes physical contact with a person, they have a chance to infect them with any of the following maladies:
- The Bug : At this level, the infected’s grip causes a common illness with flu-like symptoms.
- The Virus : The host, like something out of the Old Testament, causes pestilence to those they touch.
- The Pestilence : The infected now weaves infections like none that actually exist — the sort of pestilent and violent viruses that are only comparable to something from a Hollywood drama.
- The Bug
Known Infected
References
- CofD: Hurt Locker, p. 87-91
