Little worm that
burrows under your skin around your wrist and hands. Whenever you
pick up or grab something interesting (1 in 3 chance for food, 1 in 6
chance for coin/small curio) the worm will strike out faster then you
can see, grab the item, and pull it back under your skin. This
creates horrible little discolored bumps and painful welts where
objects are trapped under your skin around your wrist and upper arm.
It can only drag away things very small, so it's only likely to grab
food you're eating in tiny pieces or very small types of food like
rice or noodles. Also, the parasite excretes an anti-bacterial oil
which means you can't get infected from this either, and uses sticky
saliva to meld any wounds it causes when it exists your skin shut
instantly before you can grab some tweezers and pull it out.
Typically,
Skinflit is cured by basic surgery and some strong alcohol or
painkiller for the victim. It's a simple process, just painful and
looks disgusting. Healers will sometimes intentionally allow
themselves to be infected by the skinflint, or pay students to do it,
that way the worms can be extracted and their healing enzymes can be
used for themselves.
[2]
Bender Gnome
Tiny, parasitic
relative of the gnome, though perhaps more similar to a gremlin. They
can change their appearance (thought tend to look like old, red-hat
wearing garden gnomes to disarm people) and live inside people's
bones. Unlike most parasites they also cannot enter your body without
permission; typically they seek people who are lonely and want a
“friend”, and they'll tell people that they'll “always be with
them” if they let them inside. They enter the body by just opening
up a “door” on your skin, which swings open and causes no blood
or injury once it shuts. However, as long as they live inside
people's bones they'll slowly warp their skeletal structure to better
suite the gnomes as they reproduce and become more and more prolific
throughout the victim's body.
Bender Gnomes are
best treated through amputation of the offending limb before
infection spreads through the rest of the body; but only if the
victim is unknowing (and perhaps unwilling) for the treatment. It can
also be treated by ingestion or injection of a specific acid (based
on Gnomeblight), though this will cause significant pain and 1d6
damage to the subject as it flows through them. Bender gnome cases in
the advanced stage are especially dangerous as the gnomes can pilot
the person's body through jerky puppet movements (though only when
they are asleep) and can rapidly flee the victim by opening up tons
of magical doors and windows to jump out of all over their bodies if
threatened with extermination, and they seem to know whatever the
victim knows in regards to their treatment plans, hence any treatment
must be both fast and unknown to the subject.
[3]
Giant Hole Disease
This parasite
appears more like a virus or infection, and is intentionally vague
and hard to notice to avoid detection and treatment. Anyone infected
with this parasite starts to see a giant “hole” following them
around, or suddenly appearing in various walls or the ground. It will
start as a small hole at first, looking more like a trick of the
light or a minor bad spot in their vision, but will spread and look
like a real, genuine giant hole that suddenly appears right in front
of them. This hallucination is so convincing that anyone who “falls”
into the hole in the view of the victim becomes invisible and
inaudible to the infected person, and likewise objects which just
shatter against the wall convincing disappear inside of the black
yawning holes depths. The ultimate goal of the disease is to make
people despair and, eventually, “jump into” the giant hole where
they feel a constant sensation of falling and darkness all around.
Eventually they will die in this comatose state and can spread the
actual parasite, a nearly transparent spider which lays its eggs in
their body, from their corpse.
The Giant Hole
Disease is difficult to diagnose from regular insanity, but once it
is discovered it can be cured through a simple surgery on the back of
the ear (which is where the spider burrows to mess with the inner ear
to create the sensation of following and dizziness). The spider can
also be forced out by those with heavy amounts of willpower- if
someone is convinced that the hole is not real and their senses are
fooling them (such as proof somebody they thought fell in is actually
still right here next to them) then they can make a saving throw to
disbelieve. After three or four days of disbelieving, the spider will
starve and fall out of their body dead.
[4]
Flying Hex-Newts
These newts are
very fat, slow, and easy to see. As such, they only try to infect
their prey at night with sleeping targets. Usually only people who
are camping or sleeping nearby stagnant water or a swamp. The newt
will crawl down their throats and hook themselves in- the subject
will awaken with a scratchy sore throat and significantly deeper
voice. The newt eats a small amount of whatever the person eats until
it is ready to reproduce. It will lay sticky eggs down the person's
throat which stick to the sides of their esophagus, and then try to
get them to cough. Usually it can do this just by wiggling around,
but the newt also has the power to control luck. Strangely, it can
enchant a person with bad luck, usually in the effort to have them
spill or hit something dusty to trigger a coughing fit, or to have
them choke on something they're eating to cough. They will also only
ever make a person cough when they're in a group- the newt flies from
the person's mouth with a projectile force from their cough and
attempts to angle inside the mouth of anyone else and wriggle down
their throat to begin the process. Eventually, the first subject will
have their eggs hatch into a new newt, which will then trigger them
to cough to spread the adult newt into a new host, and so on.
Flying Hex-Newts
can be treated in three ways. The first is the easiest, and that is
to simple scrap out the eggs after the adult newt has left the
patient's throat- this doesn't stop new infections from happening,
just cures a subject from their old infection. Unfortunately, if the
adult newt is still within their throat, it will puff up angrily and
eject any tools placed inside, as well as choking the poor subject.
The second method is to force the patient to chug as much cold ice
water as they can; this will cause minor hypothermia and stomach
bloating, dealing 1d4 damage to their Constitution stat. If done
enough, the cold-blooded newt will lose its grip and fall into the
patient's stomach to be digested. The third and final method involves
trapping the adult newt as it is fired from the subject into another
subject's mouth; creating lifelike traps in the shape of a person's
head or catching it mid air with various nets are all valid methods,
but unfortunately due to the newts ability to manipulate luck these
plans almost always seem to fail and its nigh-impossible to catch the
newt mid flight.
Finally, the newt
itself is highly prized among witches and sorcerers; a dried newt
hung on a string is a powerful talisman to hang over a person's bed
or door to hex them- or can be used in potion brewing to grant
improved magical energy to any concoction.
[5]
Picker String
This parasite is a
mimic. It conveniently disguises itself as the string on a lute or a
bowstring after eating the original strings. Some musicians swear on
metal cords for this reason; dead Pickers can be found around their
instruments in storage since they broke their teeth trying to replace
the string. If the Picker is in place and the string is pulled, it
suddenly snaps and wraps around the offending person's finger
multiple times, causing the finger to be constricted and the flow of
blood to be lessened. It will then feed off the flow of blood and
cause pain for the person, becoming almost impossible to remove
without cutting off the finger. This causes a great lack of manual
dexterity while attached; you get -2 to hit rolls and can't use bows
(since usually you used your bow-finger to pluck the string) while
you are infected with the parasite.
This parasite is
easily removed by cutting off the finger. Exposing the finger tip to
an open flame for 1d4 exploration turns can also make the parasite
loosen up from the heat, giving you a moment to pull it off with a
pair of forceps.
[6]
Sweaty Frog
This gross
parasite prefers overweight victims, but anyone who works in manual
labor is also a juicy target. The frog in its tadpole stage lives in
water; people swimming or bathing are open to infection. The tadpoles
crawl underneath the person's armpits and/or rolls of fat to have a
good home. Then they grow to adult size, becoming small green frogs.
They live by drinking the sweat of the person and eating the flies
attracted by their newfound stink. The frogs cause the person's body
odor to smell many times worse, similar to rotting flesh or feces,
and make bathing and soap only get rid of the odor for a few minutes
at most. This also means that while adventuring, you have an extra +1
in 6 chance to encounter wandering monsters, as you reek to high
heaven.
This parasite is
tough to remove. Whenever the armpit or roll of fat is opened up and
exposed- the frogs magically disappear. They can only be seen
sticking their heads out when it is closed between the folds of skin-
you can ply them off one by one but they're very slippery and will
regain their numbers very fast. The best way to end this infection is
through allowing a specific breed of heron to peck and devour the toads as you lay still, though you will get several painful beak
bites from this.
[7]
Winesharks
This parasite
doesn't really infect people so much as liquid- specifically wine.
The sharks live and reproduce in wine, and are usually spread by wine
when it is stolen and enjoyed by pirates or other thieves tied with
the ocean. The further inland you go and the more and more rare these
become. The winesharks look like tiny, dark red colored sharks that
swim around in wine and bite the lips of anyone trying to drink it.
Attempts to use a straw to drink the wine usually fail, since the
sharks will just chew through the straw. For the most part,
Winesharks are just vermin that destroy foodstuffs. However, the
winesharks have an unusual method of transference- they can seemingly
spread from sealed wine barrel to another one nearby in the same
room. In the same way, it seems possible for winesharks to transfer
into the belly of a person who is very, very drunk with wine- the
sharks will accidentally bite and swim into the sides of their belly,
causing 1 damage per exploration turn of tiny bites.
The best way to
get rid of Winesharks from an infected barrel or tavern is just to
destroy all their stores. Obviously this is a huge financial loss,
but there's no other way to remove them from infected an entire
cellar's worth of stock. If the Winesharks have infected a persons
belly though, removal becomes much harder. Forcing them to vomit is
very dangerous as the sharks could tear open their throat from the
inside out- likewise letting them pass is also dangerous and painful
for obvious reasons. The best solution to cure Winesharks is to force
the patient to swallow several large, dry sponges to absorb the
liquid to make vomiting them up safer. The other method is for quiet
contemplation and reverence to the Gods in prayer- since alcoholism
is a common sin, temperance is a virtue. Those who pray to be freed
from the Winesharks inside them will have them disappear, but
reappear inside them the next time they drink even a thimble of wine.
Basically curing the Winesharks with religion is easy and safe, but
requires lifelong abstinence from drink afterwards or else the
problem returns.
[8]
Lanky-Sun
The
name of this parasite has seemingly nothing to do with the creature
itself, but is instead inspired by the random gibberish it causes
infected people to say. The Lanky-Sun is a small flesh colored crab
which burrows its scuttling legs and two larger claws into the tops
of people's heads once it has found a suitable host. It tends to
prefer hosts with lots of hair- which may act like bedding or keep it
warmer once anchored, but will take any opportunity to anchor itself
inside a persons skull. The Lanky-Sun is capable of sucking in large
amounts of air and then rapidly firing it out which allows it the
ability to jump taller then most human heights or glide around
freely. Once anchored to the subject's head, it also uses this
ability as a form of self defense against attempts to remove it. Once
attached, the crab will suck in huge amounts of air and any puncture
or crack in its shell, such as from a knife trying to cut it off or a
blunt weapon used to smash it, will cause the crab to explode. This
will cause the death of the host as it explodes the entire upper part
of their skull open and their brain will be peppered with shrapnel,
or just fly out of their skull entirely.
The
constant pressure from the legs being attached to the host's head
makes the victim start vocalizing and making random gibberish- at
first they'll simply cycle through swear words or alternate
languages, until eventually devolving into screaming. It is said the
crabs do this to attract more of themselves to more hosts- they
specifically prey on intelligent, social creatures and have only very
rarely, if ever, seen on the heads of lesser animals and solitary
beings. Eventually, when the host is isolated or has gone hoarse from
too much babbling; the crab will tighten its grip to kill the host
and split open the skull. It will then feed on their brain as its
main source of nutrition. For this reason, many consider it more of a
predator then a parasite, but these crabs are smart. They don't kill
their hosts when other beings of the same species are nearby and are
uninfected; the crabs will even synchronize the killing of multiple
hosts if they are together in a group and there are no more
uninfected beings left. The crabs seem to know that killing the host
makes them lose their leverage- as such a single person stuck with a
crab won't be killed as long as they aren't left alone with it- but
will continue to babble and be a problem, hence why it is also viewed
as a parasite.
Due
to how incredibly dangerous these crabs are, the best method to
curing the Lanky-Sun is to avoid infection entirely. Never pass
through hot zones and if you do, wearing a sturdy metal skullcap will
avoid being targeted. Leather or thick cloth caps will give you one
round to make a saving throw to throw it off, otherwise the crabs are
unerring in their flight and will
attach to your head. When somebody inevitably gets stuck with a crab,
there is a difficult procedure to remove it safely. The first step is
to tie down the person with weights or stones, usually in a sitting
position. The second is to then use several pry-bars, ropes, and
stone or metal slats. One by one, the crab must be lifted up as hard
as possible and each leg pried free from the victim's skull. Once a
leg is free, a small smooth stone or bit of metal must be tied in
place to prevent the leg from burrowing in that spot again. Then, the
next leg and then the next leg are pried off. This procedure takes
2d6 hours and is both very painful for the victim and loud- there is
a +1 in 6 chance of random encounters due to the noise of the
babbling and screaming victim, unless a gag is used to keep them from
crying out. Once the crab is freed, it can be smashed (causing a
minor explosion, 1d4 damage for the attacker), contained, or killed
by immersion in boiling water.
[9] Egg of Edgga
The
“Egg” of Edgga is a sort of fleshy tumor that can move around
according to its own will. The Egg is seemingly a partially astral
creature, as it infects people with no physical access- it seeks prey
through ideological means. People who have their minds too open; too
full of day dreams and too considerate to the views and opinions of
other people- even those with no redeeming qualities or any
consideration for the views of others. These people are considered
vulnerable, unguarded, and the parasite can find root. The egg
appears as an egg-sharped tumorous skin bump which is usually located
on the upper back, but can selectively move at about a snails pace-
for example, it will move from the back onto the chest if the host
tries to sleep on their back.
The
individual infected by this egg will have their ideas “stolen”,
or more accurately, they will lose focus when following a though to
its conclusion. In other words, spells and magic items are used as
though the person is a level lower as their focus falls off near the
end of casting. Even for non-spellcasters, this egg steals away some
of their mental ability and gives brain fog- reduce your Intelligence
modifier by -1 for the first week of infection and then -2 for the
first month of infection and beyond. The egg does get bigger as it
feeds, and becomes more powerful as well as capable of moving faster
on the host's body. Some scholars theorize that, if allowed to grow
enough, the egg will grow to the size and shape of a second head and
consume the host's own, essentially taking over their body and life
of someone without the will to have a brain of their own, but this
has never been proven.
The
treatment for the Egg of Edgga isn't simple, and early detection is
key. During the first week of infection, the Egg will be smaller then
a chicken's egg, and significantly less powerful. During the first
month of infection beyond the week, it will be as large as a chicken
egg and will be stronger. After the first month of infection the egg
will be quite formidable, and will have similar mental powers to a
mind flayer- it will warp the minds of both its host and others to
continue its will and avoid both detection and treatment. It is vital
the egg is removed before this can happen.
In
order to remove the Egg, a surgery isn't very effective. Whenever the
skin is cut, the egg will simply move away from the cut location,
meaning the host is harmed but the egg isn't, since it crawls under
the skin. This means you cannot remove the egg both quickly and
safely; instead, a strong chop with a +1 magic axe or sword by a
steady hand can remove the egg, but will obviously cause significant
harm to the host. There is also a complex metal brace which locks the
egg in place that could be placed over it, but this will cause the
egg to lash out as explained in the final paragraph. Finally, burning
the Egg out by holding a searing-hot metal brand to the egg will
cause it to wither and shrink in size, eventually killing it if
pressure and heat is continually applied enough to permanently scar
the host.
Finally-
the mental powers of the Egg are the real threat. The Egg can be
defeated in a contest of wills- anyone capable of initiating psychic
combat or hypnotising people can stare down the egg and attempt to
destroy it with a mind battle. Both the psychic and the egg roll 3d6,
adding the Intelligence modifier of the psychic and the age of the
Egg in weeks as its Intelligence modifier (up to a maximum of +4).
Whoever loses a round must reduce the number of dice they get to roll
by -1 and then another round commences. When one being has run out of
dice, they have lost the battle. If the egg loses, it will die. If
the egg wins the battle, the offending psychic is thrown across the
room in a show of psychic force and takes 1d6 + the Egg's
Intelligence modifier in damage.
[10]
Slitherbaal
The
Slitherbaal is a brown-and-black slug that crawls into the nose of
its victims. It prefers males, intelligent humanoids, and especially
those of martial cultures, but once it has hatched from its eggs it
will take any host to avoid death from the sun, which kills it
completely. The Slitherbaal joins with the brain of its host, and
causes several significant changes over the long course of its
infection. First, it stimulates parts of the victim's body tied with
growth and health, making them grow a few inches of height and
improving their frame- gain +1d4 maximum hit points. It also
suppresses fear and increases senses of spatial awareness and
aggression- the subject gains +1 To-Hit and AC leading to improved
combat ability. Second, the subject will become a more magnanimous
and arrogant individual, becoming more and more self centered and
having a bombastic personality- the slug gets a kind of high from any
euphoria the host feels, and as such it pushes the host towards a
life of sex, drink, drugs, and glory in combat!
This
parasite doesn't want its host to die so it can continue to leech off
their emotions, but neither is it too concerned about keeping them
safe or cowardly either; it moreso wants them to live fast and die
young. While the benefits from having this parasite are significant,
it damages the Wisdom score by 1d2 points every Season, causing more
pigheadedness and lowering spirituality until it reaches the minimum
possible for this species to have at character creation. (Usually 3)
Unfortunately,
there is very little one can do about the Slitherbaal once it has
interfaced with the host. Traditionally, these slugs are removed from
the host's head by a hook through the nose after the host's death;
some ancient cultures infested their rulers with these slugs
intentionally to make them better warriors, but their cultures would
collapse and be taken over by more practical, conniving peoples.
Meditation and instilling a value in discipline and inner-peace are
the only thing that can reduce the influence this slug has on its
host.
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