The Scourge
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Disease / Affliction |
| Threat Level | Existential |
| Status | Spreading |
Overview
The Scourge is a mysterious plague that transforms people into beasts. It is the reason the City is under quarantine and the driving crisis of the campaign. The Radiant Church maintains holy incense wards against it, employs Jaegers to hunt its victims, and operates healing stations like the Elysian Baths for screening and treatment.
Stages of Infection
| Stage | Description | Cognition |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Physical transformation begins | Mental faculties can remain intact |
| Advanced | Victim “succumbs to madness” | Becomes beast-like, feral, aggressive |
| Extreme | Full lycan transformation | No sentience — fully beast, on all fours |
Transmission
- Can be spread through black liquid in vials (weaponized form)
- Possibly airborne or contact-based (Gluthoric was exposed by being drenched in it)
- The Forsaken scout claimed Scions were deliberately infecting people with it
Known Scourge Creatures
| Type | Description | Encountered |
|---|---|---|
| Forsaken (feral) | Humanoids with beast-like features, mindless | Session 1 — Passenger cars |
| Scourge Lycan | Full beast transformation, massive and deadly | Session 1 — Cargo car |
| Corrupted Mastiffs | Canine forms, beet-red eyes | Session 1 — Engine room |
| Bloated Nightmare | Hulking figure with pulsating flesh bulbs, blood magic | Session 1 — Engine room |
Protections
- Holy incense — Radiant Church consecrated incense with warding sigils (fake versions being distributed)
- Screening — Facilities like the Elysian Baths can check for infection
- Jaegers — Trained hunters who eliminate Scourge threats
Effects on Gluthoric
Gluthoric was drenched in black liquid from a broken crate and failed an Intelligence saving throw. He experienced:
- Scratching inside his skull
- Unintelligible whispers
- Wisps in peripheral vision that disappeared when looked at directly
- The effect eventually faded but remained as a visceral memory
He has been directed to the Elysian Baths for Scourge screening.
Mysteries
- What causes the Scourge?
- Is there a cure?
- Is Gluthoric infected?
- Who is weaponizing it in vials?
- Can the early-stage transformation be controlled or reversed?
- What is the Bloated Nightmare — an evolved Scourge form or something else?