Infliction

Infliction is a unique condition unlike any other. It is a condition that forces mutation and resulted in The Inflicted. Since their creation it has become a condition they are born with. It is deemed not contageous, yet new mutations surface every few decades.

Cause

The true nature of infliction has not been discovered yet. What is known is that it first appeared right after The Pulse. Many theories have been formed over the ages. From an unknown supernatural force to a weapon that has since been lost. Because so much time has past since the creation of the first inflicted the condition has now become fact of life. Only a select group of obscurists are still trying to figure out what causes infliction.

Symptoms

First generation

The symptoms for first generation inflicted have been written about in numerous texts. Animals went through sudden mutations and turned into monsterous creatures in a matter of days after the Pulse. According to certain documents it might have been only a matter of minutes even. For some inflicted it was easy to see from which species they had mutated, while others seemed like something that crawled out of a nightmare. One symptom they all share are their teal glowing eyes. Another symptom that is often seen in inflicted with fur is that they look as though their pelt has been torn open here and there, revealing bare skin. Some developed unique abilities like being able to mimic any sound they hear like an Oghwen. Others gained extraordinary senses like the Kepawu. In general first generation refers to those inflicted created just after the Pulse.

Later generations

The offspring of inflicted will always be inflicted themselves. Obscurists and scholars believe the different species of inflicted did evolve over time in the species of today. How much difference there is between the first and current generation is hard to tell though since accurate descriptions were not always written down throughout history.

New Mutations

There has been, and still is, much debate over certain birth defects. According to practitioners of the Obscure Sciences some birth defects in animals and humans show a resemblance with the mutations seen in inflicted. Torn skin or fur, claw-like hands, and so on are in their mind caused by infliction. More mainstream healers think all birth defects are unrelated to infliction. Whether this theory can ever be proven or disproven is uncertain at present time.

Treatment and Prognosis

There is no known treatment. The condition is permanent and is passed down to offspring.

Stigma

Although the inflicted are a fact of life, in many cultures they are viewed as unnatural monsters. The more dangerous inflicted more so than the species which are not really a threat. Even though the Pulse happened thousands of years ago its possible connection to the inflicted still scares many people. Legends and myths surrounding both don't do the species much good. The fear in some cultures is so great that domesticated animals born with some sort of defect are often killed. Even human babies with birth defects used to be killed shortly after birth. In present time that practise is no longer in use, not for human babies at least. They are often shunned by their community however. If at all possible parents often try to hide anything on their childs body that could be mistaken for a sign of infliction.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Congenital

Affected Species

• The Inflicted

Human mutations

A very sensitive subject is that of human mutations. It is so sensitive in fact that any proof towards it is quickly cast aside and never talked about again. There are signs however that point towards the possibility that some humans might have suffered the same fate as the animals that turned into the inflicted. This is mainly due to inflicted species that seem to have human-like features. But there is also the fact that an entire humanoid species went extinct during the Pulse. Did they all die, or were they mutated?