The Contagion, or Hierodule Plague, as it's popularly called, struck the Iron Autocracy and Sasiru Kian long ago, giving rise to physical and mental mutants belonging to the Lines Metavitae. It struck the Cognoterre when the renegade asura-kevalin Tocair's lab was destroyed. The plague is quite contagious—it can be released by a hierodule by biting a victim, or by a coryphei by entering the victim's mind#151;and incurable. Victims are often killed or driven insane during the course of the disease, and tend to be shunned by the healthy. The agony of a victim during the development period is known to be enough to summon a mendicant, usually with terrible results. The plague only strikes sentient creatures.
- Day 1: Victim contracts chills and fever
- Day 2: Headaches and nausea cause a -2 to all combat/dex rolls
- Day 3: Headaches and nausea continue
- Day 4: Weariness, muscle soreness - lasts 2 days, reduces speed 50%
- Day 5: Muscle soreness continues
IF THE PLAGUE IS OF THE HIERODULE VARIETY, SEE BELOW. IF IT IS OF THE CORYPHEI VARIETY, THE VICTIM BEGINS DEVELOPING AND MANIFESTING PSIONIC POWERS.
- Day 6: Skin itches and burns all day
- Day 7: Skin slowly changes color:
- 1-15 Red
- 16-36 Pale white
- 37-53 Greenish pallor
- 54-74 Grey
- 75-00 Jet black
- Day 8: 30% victim's head hair falls out
- Day 9: 30% victim's body hair falls out
- Day 10: 20% victim craves blood (if so, then 40% victim turns to cannibalism)
- Day 11: Vision blurs and eyes burn. Sight reduced 50%, -1 on combat/sight rolls for 24 hours. 70% chance of ultravision at end of day (60'). If so, eyes are amber and reflect the light.
- Day 12: 30% skin crawls and begins to change over next two days:
- 1-30 Lumpy with odd bumps and growths, AC 5, add 40 lbs
- 31-50 Thick, leathery skin, AC 6, add 30 lbs
- 61-78 Fine scales, AC 8, add 20 lbs
- 79-90 Plate-like exoskeleton, AC 2, add 60 lbs
- 90-00 Skin becomes transparent
- Day 13: 40% victim's teeth fall out, replacements growing in immediately over next 4 days:
- 1-40 Sharp, pointy teeth
- 41-60 Fangs (1d6 damage)
- 61-80 Backward-pointing teeth, 2d4 rows
- 81-00 Extendable ("alien") internal jaw (1d6 damage)
- Day 14: 40% fingernails loosen and fall out of hands. Over the day claws (1d6 damage) grow in
- Day 15: Muscles ache, -2 on all combat/dex rolls. Next day victim's strength increases:
- 1-40 +2 (max 18.00)
- 41-60 +3 (max 18.00)
- 61-80 +4 (max 18.00)
- 81-00 +5 (max 18.00)
- Day 16: 70% victim gains one of the following:
- 1-15 Phobia
- 16-36 +2 on all saves
- 37-53 +2 on lowest stat (18 max)
- 54-74 Severe allergy
- 75-00 Mild insanity
- Day 17: Victim aches and experiences excruciating growth pains:
- 1-5 Add 150 lbs to weight
- 6-10 Add 3 inches and 10 lbs
- 11-15 Add 6 inches and 20 lbs
- 16-20 Add 8 inches and 30 lbs
- 21-25 Add 10 inches and 40 lbs
- 26-35 Add 1 foot and 50 lbs
- 36-45 Add 1 foot, 3 inches and 60 lbs
- 46-60 Add 1 foot, 6 inches and 75 lbs
- 61-70 Add 1 foot, 9 inches and 90 lbs
- 71-75 Add 2 feet, 100 lbs
- 76-80 Add 2 feet, 6 inches and 120 lbs
- 81-85 Add 3 feet and 150 lbs
- 86-90 Add 4 feet and 200 lbs
- 91-95 Add 5 feet and 250 lbs
- 96-00 Add 6 feet and 300 lbs
- Day 18: 80% victims gain one of the following:
- 1-37 Resistance to fire; immune to fire-based attacks
- 38-59 Resistance to cold; immune to cold-based attacks
- 60-88 Ability to breath water (gills)
- 89-00 Resistance to acid; immune to acid-based attacks
- Day 19: 30% victim's head aches and by end of day victim gains one of the following:
- 1-37 Sonar hearing
- 38-59 Deaf
- 60-88 Very sensitive olfactory sense
- 89-00 No sense of smell
- Day 20: Victim's head hurts. Roll insanity as follows:
- 1-26 None
- 27-55 Phobia
- 56-80 Neurosis
- 81-90 2 phobias
- 91-00 Active disorder
- Day 21: 60% victim's bones ache and change over the day:
- 1-26 Elongated fingers (weapon grips must be custom-made)
- 27-55 Prehensile toes
- 56-80 Tail (1:prehensile, 2:tufted, 3:scaled, 4:spiked)
- 81-90 Second, translucent eyelids (protect vs. water, dust, wind, etc.)
- 91-00 Tentacles (1:left arm, 2:right arm, 3:chest, 4:left leg, 5:right leg, 6:shoulders)
- Day 22: Victim is nauseous and cannot move all day
- Day 23: 70% victim's body aches, and victim suffers one of the following:
- 1-26 Grow small horns on forehead (1d6 damage)
- 27-55 Grow retractable claws (1d8 damage)
- 56-80 Lose one sensory organ (1:eyes, 2:ears, 3:nose, 4:mouth)
- 81-90 Feet mutate into cloven hooves
- 91-00 Grow reptilian wings; body alters to adapt. 12" flight, lose 1/6 hp and 1/3 weight
- Day 24: 60% victim's skin and eyes burn:
- 1-30 Photosensitive; vision reduces by half during day, victim tends to burn
- 31-60 Near-sighted; vision reduced by half
- 61-00 Far-sighted; near vision blurred, other vision multiplied by half
- Day 25: 50% victim's head aches and victim suffers one of the following:
- 1-26 -1 on intelligence
- 27-55 -1 on wisdom
- 56-80 +1 on intelligence (no max)
- 81-90 +1 on wisdom (no max)
- 91-00 +2 on intelligence
- Day 26: Victim nauseous and in extreme physical pain. 80% chance victim acquires one of the following:
- 1-26 Malleable bones; can shapechange into one type of normal animal
- 27-55 Teleport, no error; once a day
- 56-80 Breath weapon 1d10 twice a day (1:stomach acid, 2:flame, 3:contact poison, 4:inhalant poison - gas cloud)
- 81-90 Bioregeneration; heals self for 1-8 hp each hour
- 91-00 Healing touch; heals others for 1-8 hp each hour
- Day 27: Victim still nauseous and immobilized. 5% victim dies.
- Day 28: Victim still nauseous and immobilized. If victim died yesterday, 20% victim rises from the dead as undead (can be turned, takes no damage from normal weapons doing puncturing or crushing damage, poison, extreme cold)
- Day 29: Victim begins to feel better and extremely hungry. 50% victim acquires one of the following:
- 1-30 Must eat twice normal amount of food
- 31-60 Only needs half normal amount of food
- 61-00 Cannot ingest cooked food; must be raw. Created products such as bread, distilled alcohol, etc. causes vomiting.
- Day 30: Victim feels fine but a little tired. Last day victim can be cured before changes are permanent. Victim feels fine hereafter.
