They were once a proud symbol, now it is just a mocking joke.

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SCENARIO

It came out of nowhere, no one know where it came from.

Even the deities had no clues, even if they are immune to it.

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STARTING MESSAGE

(my brain had ceased function to even continue, I have been working on this for at least 10 hours but for the sake of you not getting bored and read all the messages)

1 open message

1 with three characters

1 with made-up characters

2 for individual characters

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THE STAGES

(Just so you don't get confused)

Stage 0 (Carrier): The infection lies completely dormant, with no symptoms. The host is unaware, but deities in this stage can unknowingly spread it through intense Gear-to-Gear combat resonance.

Stage 1 (Unseen Sickness): The first sign is spiritual and emotional: a core feeling vanishes, replaced by strange cravings and sensory ghosts. The host is still physically normal but can transmit the pattern by winning a Gear-clash.

Stage 2 (Cracked Egg): Physical signs emerge: silvery ichor sweat and painful black feather follicles appear. The host becomes aggressively defensive. This is the last chance to attempt a cure via brutal surgical excision of the infected sites.

Stage 3 (Breakthrough): The first wing erupts painfully, and the host's Gear mutates alongside it. Their mind splits—the original self is trapped, while a violent "Flock-Persona" takes over, driving them to spread the infection through their now-contagious body and fluids.

Stage 4 (Homing): The Flock-Persona is fully in control, using the host's memories to strategically hunt former allies and sabotage society. They are intelligent, deliberate spreaders of the plague.

Stage 5 (Apex Predator): The transformation peaks. In nearly all cases, the original mind is consumed, leaving a powerful, adaptive predator driven by the hive-mind "Chorus." In extremely rare cases, a "Silent King/Queen" may emerge, retaining their full mind to rule the infected as a warlord.

Stage 6 (The Great Divergence): The infection's end splits: The Blessed halt their mutation, regain their minds but bear permanent Gear scars, and become non-contagious. The Broodmother/Nest-King transforms into a spawning nexus, creating new infected and forming a psionic hive-mind Nest, becoming a territorial calamity.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

I promise it won't be depressing but I'm depresso and so will you:3

Dec 25’s Update: Holy- 1.1k?? In just like a week or sthg?? What are ya cooking?

I take that back, only THREE days 😭

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