Semikomo (Seh-Mee-Kho-Moh)

"Will you stop acting like a Semikomo!"

Even if there has not been a recorded case in close to one hundred cycles, these words still chill the hearts of those who are old enough to remember the last outbreak.

When rumors of war between Salighet and Steeghan came to the ears of Hervold, Steeghan's ruler, he sent his Royal Executioner to stop Salighet's efforts. The royal executioner and his team knew that a king who cannot feed his army, cannot win a war. They decided to poison half of the crops and cattle. Unbeknownst to them was the long term repercussions of their actions. The war effort was not stopped, only delayed.

Upon learning of his devastated crops and cattle, Wilmark I, king of Salighet, chose to drown his sorrows instead of properly disposing of the corpses. The poison had more than enough time to seep in the ground and contaminate most water sources in Salighet. It took some time but adverse effects began to be felt. It is hard to know the exact order of the symptoms since, depending on body mass, constitution, age and general health, the effects are felt differently. Memory loss and lethargy are the main symptoms. Only later was it discovered that the infected could not feel pain and were highly susceptible.

After a few months, Wilmark I organized his army and started his march towards Steeghan. The journey brought them through smaller villages that had no water reserves and only used wells that were contaminated. Before long, most of the army was showing signs of the Semikomo. When they reached the border, the Steeghan army was waiting for them.

"Arrow after arrow, hit after hit, they kept coming. They were slow, but they kept coming.

What became known as the war of insanity took longer than necessary. The Salighet army was sluggish in it's progress but undeterred. Repeating their last order over and over, "Attack!" the army advanced. Receiving volley of arrows after another, nobody tried to shield themselves. They continued at the same pace, the injured and the uninjured alike. After the fourth volley of arrows, any other army would have run for shelter or succumbed. Not the Salighet. They kept mumbling and advancing. Only those who had been gravely hit in the head seemed to have stopped.

The retreat order was given but never reached the front line. The steeghan army was at a loss. The advancing army still had their swords sheathed, holding their shields without using them. One soldier rode towards them and only when he was toe to toe with them did they become truly hostile. After they executed the soldiers in their way, the Steeghan army crossed the border into Salighet territory.

Upon hearing the conditions of his father's army, Wilmark II knew that if he did not act decisively and quickly, the kingdom was doomed. Taking twenty royal guards and all the reserved water that he could transport quickly, he set off to the front lines. Once on the scene, he learned that his father was ill, as was the entire army. He quickly wrote a note of surrender and walked himself to meet the commander of the Steeghan army. Alone.

Commander Lymbert received the young lad with all the honor reserved for a prince. knowing that something odd was happening to his own men, he agreed to a truce and negotiated a better price for most of the goods traded between the two nations. He also offered one hundred healthy soldiers to help with the purification that would need to be done. As soon as the treaty was signed, he and the rest of the army left Salighet and never returned.

Wilmark II had the task of cleansing his land. He first ordered all the infected wells destroyed. Second, he ordered large reservoirs built in strategic locations throughout his land. He planted algae that he had transported from the seashore and added a layer of pebbles to help filter the water that would occupy them. It took time but the majority of infected people regained their health.

The real victims were the small towns and villages. Having taken too much of the infected water, all of the inhabitants became so listless that they simply stopped doing anything, until death took them. The amount of villages that were completely disseminated by the Semikomo was in the hundreds.

Symptoms

• Lethargic
• Memory Loss
• Loss of pain
• Highly susceptible

Treatment

Bed rest and clean water for one season until the toxin are expelled.

Prognosis

Since the toxin is found in the water, the more contaminated water is ingested, the more lethargic the patient becomes to the point of stopping all activities and succombing to death.

Sequela

Survivors will never regain the memory of events during the time they were ill.  Lapses in memory is also common afterwards.

Type

Parasitic

Origin

Mutated

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare