The history of the Plague Lands
Chapter I. the fall
As most things that have gone awry, the inception of the Pandemonium Plague started off with the intention of being humanities greatest boon. Synthesized in a medical laboratory for the purpose of combating cancer cells, the virus was a revolutionary cure for malignant tumors. The thought was that the introduction of the virus's foreign DNA into the cancer cells would trigger the immune system to recognize them as a threat and that the cancer would subsequently be destroyed. This manipulation of viral RNA was one of the most brazen feats in medical science history -- but the risk had reaped the greatest reward. The world had finally seen its first universal cure for cancer.
However, access to great power needs to be utilized responsibly, and as it so often happens genius can fall into the most corrupt and greedy of hands. Dr. Shiloh Rallen was the first to fully synthesize this cure, but his avarice for power and money had eroded his sense of morality.
Eager to not just be revered for his exploits in medicine, Dr. Shiloh Rallen demanded more in return for access to his cure. Of course, his demands for such an ultimatum were met with both contempt from his colleagues and superiors. This tension would ultimately come to a head when one of his fellow scientists signed a distribution deal with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Enraged that he no longer had any leverage to gain a foothold into higher society, Dr. Rallen acted out in a rage. He sabotaged his virus and created a new bug whose effects were largely unknown, even to the doctor himself. |
As planned, cancer patients around the globe began receiving doses of Shiloh's miracle virus. It truly lived up to and exceeded all expectations -- malignant tumors were destroyed and patients who were initially given the gravest of prognoses now had a second chance at life. Rallen was heralded as a genius whose notoriety as both a doctor and biologist rivaled that of founders of the field. While fame and fortune did well to satiate the man's appetite for power, the future remained uncertain. What would later be known as the Pandemonium Plague lie slumbering in a latent state within patients veins.
It was easily transmissible, but symptomless at first. Its pathway to infection made it as easy to contract as a cold, but its current manifestation left no indication that the patients who had contracted it were ill. Millions soon became carriers, and it wasn't until two years after the widespread release of the cure that the first curious case popped up.
In a small village located in a third world country a human who had been treated for cancer before was described as going 'savage.' At first thought to be a case of rabies, the man was found salivating excessively after brutally mauling members of his family to death. He'd die only a few days later from critical organ failure. The incident was at first thought to be isolated, although with no concrete answers on to what caused him to suddenly lose control theories began to circulate within the medical community.
Eyebrows started to raise when it was discovered that, like many other people in the world, the man had been carrying a 'latent' strand of Dr. Rallen's virus that was leftover from previous cancer treatments. Unfortunately, not even Shiloh himself was capable of controlling the virus at its current state. Dr. Rallen's public image swiftly fell from grace as more and more of these bizarre cases began to pop up around the world -- some decried it as a hoax meant to instill widespread fear and control over the populous, while others proclaimed it was the start of the apocalypse.
Death and destruction swept across the world; civilizations fell and humans were forced back into a primitive way of living where technological resources were scarce. Almost every creature with a pulse was susceptible to this virus in one way or another, which meant there was almost nowhere to turn to and hide. Electricity and running water were now considered luxuries even in the wealthiest of countries.
Although he'd been power hungry, Shiloh wasn't completely heartless. The guilt of what he'd created had slowly begun to eat away at him, and he resolved to fix his mistake no matter the cost. He isolated himself away in a laboratory deep within the now barren countryside of the eastern United States, madly working away to try and create a vaccine for his virus. In his quest to cleanse the world, he'd collected as many uninfected creatures as he could find and began breeding them to try and create antibodies against his virus.
His experiments were fruitless, but in order to track the uninfected test subjects he held in the lab he carefully manipulated their genome to drive the expression of fluorescent markings on their bodies. When the experiments and laboratory were deemed a failure what remained of the government would react harshly. In a final, futile attempt to save the world from the impending doom of the plague they dropped bombs on the laboratory. The laboratory was destroyed, but the blast radiated out for miles leaving a large portion of land surrounding it charred and dead.
It was easily transmissible, but symptomless at first. Its pathway to infection made it as easy to contract as a cold, but its current manifestation left no indication that the patients who had contracted it were ill. Millions soon became carriers, and it wasn't until two years after the widespread release of the cure that the first curious case popped up.
In a small village located in a third world country a human who had been treated for cancer before was described as going 'savage.' At first thought to be a case of rabies, the man was found salivating excessively after brutally mauling members of his family to death. He'd die only a few days later from critical organ failure. The incident was at first thought to be isolated, although with no concrete answers on to what caused him to suddenly lose control theories began to circulate within the medical community.
Eyebrows started to raise when it was discovered that, like many other people in the world, the man had been carrying a 'latent' strand of Dr. Rallen's virus that was leftover from previous cancer treatments. Unfortunately, not even Shiloh himself was capable of controlling the virus at its current state. Dr. Rallen's public image swiftly fell from grace as more and more of these bizarre cases began to pop up around the world -- some decried it as a hoax meant to instill widespread fear and control over the populous, while others proclaimed it was the start of the apocalypse.
Death and destruction swept across the world; civilizations fell and humans were forced back into a primitive way of living where technological resources were scarce. Almost every creature with a pulse was susceptible to this virus in one way or another, which meant there was almost nowhere to turn to and hide. Electricity and running water were now considered luxuries even in the wealthiest of countries.
Although he'd been power hungry, Shiloh wasn't completely heartless. The guilt of what he'd created had slowly begun to eat away at him, and he resolved to fix his mistake no matter the cost. He isolated himself away in a laboratory deep within the now barren countryside of the eastern United States, madly working away to try and create a vaccine for his virus. In his quest to cleanse the world, he'd collected as many uninfected creatures as he could find and began breeding them to try and create antibodies against his virus.
His experiments were fruitless, but in order to track the uninfected test subjects he held in the lab he carefully manipulated their genome to drive the expression of fluorescent markings on their bodies. When the experiments and laboratory were deemed a failure what remained of the government would react harshly. In a final, futile attempt to save the world from the impending doom of the plague they dropped bombs on the laboratory. The laboratory was destroyed, but the blast radiated out for miles leaving a large portion of land surrounding it charred and dead.
Chapter II. the rise
After about 5 years of the virus began presenting itself in previously asymptomatic victims, most of civilization had fell. What remained of the great human empire were scattered communities whose hopes for survival were admittedly bleak. Animals and plant life on the other hand had begun to adapt. Deep within the heart of the plague lands, the animal residents had become divided into two tribes; the Letalis and the Fidelis.
A fossa named Amadeus formed what would be known as the Fidelis tribe, a group of uninfected creatures that inhabited a series of interconnected underground tunnels. Their numbers were few, but their spirits were strong. Their adversaries were a rival group of infected creatures sharing the same territory that they nicknamed the 'Letalis.' The Letalis, as deadly as the virus made them, were chaotic and disorganized. The virus had steadily ate away at their central nervous system, whittling them down into nothing more than rabid beasts who would attempt to eat anything they could fit their maw around.
As a consequence of this, the Letalis often ate many of their own ranks. The constant in-group violence made many of the weaker members wounded and vulnerable. Infected creatures had a natural urge in their sickened state to transfer the infection to healthy bodies. This drive kept them prioritizing the Fidelis as targets whenever possible. However, the voracity brought on by the late stages of the plague would lead to desperate measures to keep their appetites sated. The consumption of inorganic substances such as dirt, wood, and clay were not uncommon. |
Generations passed, and the Fidelis somehow managed to find a way to thrive beneath the Earth with what limited resources they had at their disposal. This inter-special society began to develop its own culture, traditions, and even religious belief system. The Fidelis were no longer just a band of survivors tethered together due to the dire circumstances, but a diverse community that was learning to adapt to the new world. Unfortunately, the Fidelis' renaissance would be brought to a depressing end after a while.
The Letalis, although feared, were a limited threat when contained. But it wouldn't be long before new creatures would usurp their status as the resident infected threat of the Plaguelands. The Caedis, infected creatures with a variant strand of the virus, slaughtered the Letalis and claimed roots to an ashy mountain territory nearby the Fidelis. Unlike their predecessors, the Caedis's strand of the virus left its victims more coherent with the gradual decline in health taking a longer period of time to fully wreak havoc. With this in mind, the Caedis were able to establish a more advanced society that rivaled that of the Fidelis.
Generations passed the reigning power constantly shifting back and forth, but mostly favoring the Caedis. The Fidelis fell on hard times, and at one point the tribe splintered completely when their ranks dwindled to an unsustainable number. Many former members went on to form splinter groups, although many of these would be torn apart by the Caedis. The turning point for the grim outlook on the tribe came in the form of Farryn and Serene, who both shared the goal of restoring Fidelis back to its former glory. However, the nature of the tribe had fundamentally changed, and it was arguable whether it was for the better.
With tyrannical leaders on both sides who thirsted for control of the dying world, a timeless question was posed to those that roam beneath; who are the true monsters?
The Letalis, although feared, were a limited threat when contained. But it wouldn't be long before new creatures would usurp their status as the resident infected threat of the Plaguelands. The Caedis, infected creatures with a variant strand of the virus, slaughtered the Letalis and claimed roots to an ashy mountain territory nearby the Fidelis. Unlike their predecessors, the Caedis's strand of the virus left its victims more coherent with the gradual decline in health taking a longer period of time to fully wreak havoc. With this in mind, the Caedis were able to establish a more advanced society that rivaled that of the Fidelis.
Generations passed the reigning power constantly shifting back and forth, but mostly favoring the Caedis. The Fidelis fell on hard times, and at one point the tribe splintered completely when their ranks dwindled to an unsustainable number. Many former members went on to form splinter groups, although many of these would be torn apart by the Caedis. The turning point for the grim outlook on the tribe came in the form of Farryn and Serene, who both shared the goal of restoring Fidelis back to its former glory. However, the nature of the tribe had fundamentally changed, and it was arguable whether it was for the better.
With tyrannical leaders on both sides who thirsted for control of the dying world, a timeless question was posed to those that roam beneath; who are the true monsters?