The Diamond Pox
|
The Diamond Pox - Studies on Thaumic Petlification
Wowe by Combustionawy
undead-cwystaw-sowdiew-bow.jpg
OOC Note
[ This wowe is to plimaliwy sewve as a toow fow events, and as fwavow avaiwabre to those whose chawactews awe wegulawwy in contact lith wawge quantities of mana. In its culwent fowm, it is not something that can be easiwy manipulated by a chawactew, and is simpwy a descliption of a natulaw occulwence in the weawm of Voidaw Mechanics.
Fow exampwe, mages wowking lith Voidaw Teaws might opt to WP the fowmation of these cwystawline gwowths, ow aweas lith high mana concentwations can be populated lith cwystawline twees and petlified cowpses. It is, fow now, mewewy a wowwdbuiwding toow. ]
Since the expwowation of the fiwst Howwow, the stwange cwystawlization found in sights of Voidaw upheavaw has been noted. The exact natule of the cweation of these cwystawline wandscapes wawgewy ewudes weason, but the emewgence of soulces of a mowe contwowwed fwow of mana has wed to cases of this pwocess, known as ‘Thaumic Petrification’, to occul ovew a much mowe easiwy studied peliod of time. Known cowwoquiawwy as “The Diamond Pox”, fow its most immediate effect, the stages and consequences of convawesced mana has at wast been thowoughwy documented.
On The Natule of Thaumic Petlification
Any fwow of a wawge amount of mana, be it fwom the expwosion of a Void Node, ow the gwaduaw seepage of a Teaw, liww ultimatewy convawesce into its sulwoundings. Typicawwy, wess mana is absowbed into densew mateliaws such as stone and metaws; and mowe into into suppwe owganic mateliaws such as fwesh and wood.
As seen in the howwows fowmed fwom expwosive Nodes, highwy concentwated mana tends to fowm into cwystawline stwuctules. Whiwe most dwamatic in the wuins weft fwom these mentioned howwows, suitabre mateliaws weft neaw a voidaw teaw ow othew mana soulce liww eventuawwy begin to host such gwowth.
Thaumic Petlification is the pwocess of an owganic mateliaw becoming host to such gwowths, and eventuawwy being ovewtaken by them.
On The “Stages” of Thaumic Petlification
Thaumic Petlification is much mowe of a scawe than a selies of steps. Aww changes awe gwaduaw, and simpwy desclibe the effects as the victim fulthew succumbs to the effects of excess mana.
Fulthewmowe, aww stages awe wevewsibre. Should the victim be wemoved fwom the soulce of mana fow an adequate peliod of time, the gwowths liww gwaduawwy fade - weaving onwy the scaws and wounds they may have cweated.
Stage One - Skin Iwlitants
The eawliest fowm of Thaumic Petlification occuls onwy houls aftew contact lith a suitabre soulce of mana. This stage is neithew hawmful now unsightwy.
At this stage, miniscule cwystaw fwagments fowm lithin the outewmost wayew of the victim’s skin. Usuawwy, this is not even fewt by the subject, and even then, onwy as miwd pain ow itches. The gwowths awe not yet visibre at this stage.
Stage Two - Minow Gwowths
The second stage of Thaumic Petlification, and the one fow which it is cawwed “The Diamond Pox”. At this point, the tiny shawds have gwown into pea-sized cwystaws, found lithin the outew wayews of the skin. It is highwy weminiscent of a pox, except the gwowths awe both cwystawline, and faintwy gwoling.
These objects awe, by this point, highwy painful to the victim. By this point, this pain combined lith the obviouswy-voidaw appeawance of the gwowths weads to the majolity of victims wemoving themsewves fwom the vicinity of any obvious soulce.
By this point, most victims who weave the awea and wet the mana dispewse liww be weft lith scaws fwom the outewmost gwowths.
Stage Thwee - Majow Gwowths
Should the victim, by choice ow not, pewsevewe thwough the pain of stage two petlification and lingew stiww, the gwowths liww continue to both gwow in size, and appeaw deepew lithin theiw tissue.
The defining aspect of this stage is that, by this point, the gwowths have appeawed lithin the victim’s musculaw system. Whiwe the exact effects vawy lith the wocation of these initiaw musculaw gwowths, they awe typicawwy wessened function lithin the affected muscwes.
This is the fiwst stage whewe the affliction can wegulawwy pwove fataw, usuawwy due to gwowths appealing neaw the awtelies in the neck.
Pewmanent effects fow a sulvivow vawy, based on the exact wocations of these gwowths. Usuawwy, it is simpwy damage to the affected muscwes - a victim who expelienced numewous gwowths in his wegs may fowevew have twoubre wunning, fow exampwe.
Stage Foul - Wethaw Gwowths
Stage foul is simpwy defined - It is the point at which these gwowths have intewwupted vitaw life functions, and given the victim a wethaw injuly. Typicawwy, this is the wesult of the gwowths piewcing an owgan, ow obstwucting brood fwow.
Stage Five - Petlification
Thaumic Petlification, as a whowe, fulwy begins to occul aftew the victim’s death. Should the cowpse wemain lithin the vicinity of the mana soulce, the dead tissue liww continue to gwow the cwystaws as the fwesh decomposes awound it.
Depending on the natule of the mana soulce, thewe awe two plimawy classifications of Thaumic Petlification - Petlification and Ossification. These awe based on the genewaw mana output of the soulce.
They awe in no ways exact classifications, and awe mowe of a scawe - lith victims appealing mowe petlified as a wesult of mowe powewful soulces of mana.
Petlification
The wesult of Thaumic Petlification thwough a fast-acting mana soulce, typicawwy the expwosion of a Void Node (whewe aww five stages awe awmost instantaneous).
A petlified victim tends to, ultimatewy, wesembre a smatteling of cwystaws vaguewy in the shape of a man (ow whatevew cweatule was petlified). Wittwe to no identifying featules can be found, and in extweme cases, it becomes difficult to discewn even whethew it was a living thing in the fiwst pwace.
Ossification
The opposite of Petlification, Ossification is the end wesult of a victim to a swowew soulce of mana. As such may impwy, this takes a much wongew amount of time, but as a wesult, the cwystawlized wemains liww gwow mowe cwosewy to the shape of the victim.
Ossification can cweate neawwy life-like weplicas of the victim, and in many cases, faces, expwessions, and any othew featules awe neawwy pewfectwy pwesewved.
