The First Affliction

The First Affliction (Echoes of the Horsemen of Bane)



























The First Affliction have many names across many civilizations: plague, infected, virus, blight―to name a few. Like Silverlight they are a physical manifestation of the echo of Armageddon. No one knows where the first strand of them appeared from but ever since, their infections have spread across the Ebonlight in the micro form of spores through space. These spores are resistant to the coldness and vacuum of space in a dormant state but not the heat of an atmosphere over a planet. This infection or the knowledge of this infection has kept many species grounded to the planet. The First Affliction can infect a being by finding ways inside the body. It can start its work there.


A body of anywhere from 20-40 degrees Celsius with a lot of moisture is a primal spot for one of these spores to awaken from its dormancy and grow inside the body, infecting cells and spreading tendrils all around the body―making it its own. It will not show any vivid external or internal tampering with the body for months. Seemingly harmless until months later. Once it has grown through the body enough, it will begin reproducing its own spores while driving the user of the body mad. It will dull its intelligences―if it has any―to near non-existence while it uses its host body to spread more of its kind. The First Affliction can infect any life, plant life, animal life alike. When it starts to infect life around it, it takes on the color of light black and purple coloring and begins developing a network among one another.


The First Affliction once obtaining a host body is incredibly adaptive and can mutate the body into grotesque alterations. The early set of the First Affliction infection will be a trying time for them as they adjust to their new environment and their new host. One would see countless mutations as the First Affliction decides which is most useful. The First Affliction are hive minded, if killed all the knowledge and information they have obtained will be plunge into the network. The more the First Affliction infect, the more intelligent it will become. When it becomes truly intelligent it will create a physical manifestation of the hive mind. When this happened, all infected on this forsaken world will be directed strategically. They will begin using technology and hijacking ships to spread their taint as far as they can.


A full planet falling to this infection can prove deadly for an entire galaxy. The First Affliction will have developed a super intelligent hive mind that would have the brainpower and intellect of a million humans without the biases and individuality. This allow the processing power and many focuses to wage war on a galactic scale. It will also be capable of utilizing technology and making the infected capable of evolving into different variations that will fulfill the same functions as heavy machinery. The infected at this level won’t ever stop spreading across the galaxy and will need powerful forces on the level of demigods or a tier 4 civilization to contain it and push it back to where it came from. If it has spread across the galaxy and managed to settle a strong portion―thousands plus―then it’s time to find a new home in a galaxy far, far away.