Sculptoris

The sculptoris infection is a disease that causes humans or other organisms to mutate into manikins. To explain it simply, manikins are zombies; people infected by voracious tissue from the Festerplains. Unlike the undead raised by necromantic magic, manikins are created by the infection of a living organism by infectious material. Manikins also differ from possessed created by ectoplasm infestation in that manikens have the ability to regenerate and grow stronger while possessed are doomed to degenerate.

Transmission & Vectors

An individual can turn into a manikin by simple contact with mutagenic Festerplains tissues scraped from the living jungle. This tissue can be ingested or enter the bloodstream via a laceration.
Manikins can also transmit the disease by injecting a living subject with their own infected blood.

Causes

Manikins can often be caused by somatomancer experimentation. Tissue from the Festerplains is introduced into a somatomancer's body in order to enable them to utilize their body-altering magic, but if their own powers aren't sufficient enough to control it they can become infected and transform. This is similar to how a carnite can be created when a somatomancer loses control over their own body while practicing their magic.

Symptoms

The beginning symptoms of transition to manikin-hood involve a debilitating high fever. This is soon accompanied by bloody excrement and acute epistaxis. The mind of the infected also deteriorates as the brain mutates.
Eventually, the infection has assumed full control of the infected's body (which usually takes 48 hours- shorter in smaller subjects. For example, human children and women may take slightly less time to mutate than an adult human male). At this point, the manikin begins to grow out of control, developing longer nails to scratch others, longer teeth with which to bite targets, stronger muscles to run/crawl/leap better, etc. Manikins often develop random assortments of mutations as various different aspects of the Cyclopean genome are activated within them. For example, some manikens may develop acid spittle while others grow large bony blades from their forearms.
Manikins are driven by the desire to kill, spilling blood whenever they can. They do require meat to survive, and will attack animals or people in order to acquire the sustenance they need.

Treatment

There is no cure for manikins once they have become symptomatic. Manikins can be cured exclusively by somatomancers as long as action is taken before symptoms manifest. Of course, this is difficult as exposure to the infectious tissue must be realized and access to a somatomancer is required on extremely short notice.
Somatomancers can effectively draw mutated cells out of the flesh of an infected by influencing the cells to congregate in a central area (preferably near the skin) before being carved out and assimilated into the overseeing somatomancer's own body. This process is usually incredibly painful, and leaves massive scars with a high likelihood of secondary gangrenous infection. However, this is better than continuing down the path of becoming a manikin.

Prognosis

In majority of cases, a manikin will continue on to the final stage of mutation and become a violent threat with a high likelihood of infecting even more individuals. In some fringe cases, a manikin will actually die before mutating. This is usually from underlying health issues that the manikin may have already been suffering from.

Sequela

A manikin's level of mutation increases as time progresses- the longer a manikin survives, the less human it may appear. Mutation rate also increases with time, and eventually a manikin may have become so monstrous and grotesque that they can be classified as a sort of arnite monstrosity. This is relatively rare as most manikins are either felled by swords or starve to death.

Hosts & Carriers

In a sense, all somatomancers are carriers of the manikin disease because they cultivate mutant Clyclopean cells within their own bodies. As such, the blood of a somatomancer can transmit the blood in the same way a manikin can.

Prevention

When exploring the Festerplains, individuals should always be sure to cover their bodies in armour or wrappings to minimize exposure to the deadly flesh that grows from all around.
Post-imperial Serberkers are known to have helmets that incorporate a piece of glass over the eyes, which help protect them from numerous threats in the Dawn Wastelands.

Type

Parasitic

Origin

Alien

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Human
• Dun
• Naga