Scorched Plague

The Scorched Plague is a mutagenic infection that ravaged Appalachia between 2085 and 2103, wiping out nearly all human life in the region save for those sheltered within Vault 76. By 2103, through the efforts of the Vault Dwellers of Vault 76, the plague's inoculation had been distributed to many Appalachians, including settlers, the Crater Raiders, the Brotherhood of Steel and those at Nuka-World on Tour, halting the spread of the disease to humans. As of 2105, the plague still exists.
==Background==
The origins of the Scorched Plague begins with the Scorchbeast; originally, what was once a typical bat was grotesquely mutated via the machinations of the Appalachian Enclave's biochemical experiments around 2083, deep below the Cranberry Bog.Whitespring surveillance recording 5.4.8 While containment of these creatures was far from successful, it would not be until 2086 that the megalomaniac aspirations of then-Secretary of Agriculture turned President Thomas Eckhart unleashed the Scorchbeasts entirely on an unsuspecting Appalachia.Whitespring surveillance recording 8.5.2
In the early stages of these experiments, the bats appeared to have an uncanny ability to attract other animals, but the biochemical experiments were considered a failure. It was not until the bats were accidentally exposed to both biochemical agents and radiation that the Scorched Plague came to be. From a naturally-secreted particulate falling from their wings, the Scorchbeasts spread this infection wherever they reached.
Regardless if it were a human, animal or mutant, the Scorched Plague was able to infect nearly every living thing it touched, with possible droplet methods of infection,Vault Dweller: "[Intelligence 4+] It's spread by direct contact, possibly droplets. Incubation is unknown, but there is an inoculation."Aubrie Willem: "Thank God for that. If there's an inoculation, we need to get that to Foundation yesterday. This disease of yours is no joke." with few exceptions. The plague starts with a series of intense physical changes in its victims. At first, the victim's skin will darken, and smell of ash. Eventually, intense burning lesions begin to form all over the infected body, which would appear to be smoldering.Morgantown Airport terminal entries; terminal, Scorched research After some time, the victim's skin will split open, exposing their reddish-pink flesh and the strange presence of green ultracite crystals that break up from beneath their skin. At this point, the infection has fully taken hold of its victim, transforming them into a Scorched.
Coupled with these physical changes is the degradation of the victim's mental faculties, more so if they are human. Most importantly, however, is their assimilation into the Scorchbeast's hive mind. As a Scorched, the victim is completely enthralled to the will of the hive mind, hostile to everything that is not already infected. In the case of Scorched humans, the assimilation into the hive mind is not completely absolute, as infected humans may demonstrate some awareness as to what state they're in. Physically, however, they have little to no ability to go against the greater whims. 
Every Scorched was a vector for greater infection, a purpose with which they are compelled to fulfill until they totally succumb to the disease within them and are left as nothing more a petrified, ashen husk.
Scorched humans made up the breadth of the Scorched Plague's victims. Most human Scorched are able to effectively utilize weaponry, including firearms. Fighting carriers of the Scorched Plague in and of itself was extremely dangerous, as transmission was a great risk, coupled with the then-lack of any form of inoculation.
Initial scorchbeast sightings were often dismissed as rumors or hallucinations, but soon the various factions of Appalachia would be forced to assess the severity of the unstoppable plague. Many scrambled to develop means with which to combat the spread of the disease, developing a variety of countermeasures in an effort to destroy, contain or even cure the plague. However, divisions and hostility would set in; some dismissed the severity of the plague, others simply underestimated the threat and were too late to make a difference, or squabbling politics and mutual distrust between organizations would lead to the downfall of every major player in the region.
In the end, despite the organized research capabilities of the Responders, militarist might of the Brotherhood of Steel, survivalist pragmatism of the Free States and reckless brutality of the Raiders, each of these once-powerful factions would be snuffed out and destroyed, one by one, until all of Appalachia fell silent. Some were fortunate enough to flee the region before every human in Appalachia was either dead or Scorched by the year 2103, that is, excluding the Vault Dwellers of Vault 76.
The Responders at Morgantown Airport first received word of the Scorched threat from the Brotherhood of Steel, and were able to rapidly develop an assortment of countermeasure against the plague. The formation of the Fire Breathers, along with the discovery of depleted ultracite munitions, allowed the Responders to maintain a degree of control over the plague. Most important of the Responder's research efforts under Dr. Claire Hudson was the early stages of a vaccination against the plague; however, circumstances halted the inoculation project just short of a successful vaccine.Morgantown Airport terminal entries; Responders laboratory terminal, Anti-Scorched Tactics 
The Free States, operating within the Mire, suffered the loss of Harpers Ferry to the Scorchbeasts in the earliest stages of the plague in 2086, though the environment of the Mire and decentralized nature of the Free States allowed them some reprieve as they developed anti-Scorched technology such as the Scorched Detection System and the Scorchbeast Lures. These technologies first allowed the Free States to track the presence of Scorchbeasts, and neutralize them.Abbie's bunker terminal entries; Abbie's workstation, The Scorched Detection System (SDS), What is it?Abbie's bunker terminal entries; Abbie's workstation, Free States Notifications, Scorchbeast Lures
The Fire Breathers discovered that ultracite deposits become volatile when coming into contact with depleted ultracite. Using this information, they and the Appalachian Brotherhood of Steel created specialized weapons such as receiver modifications and laser guns to more effectively combat those infected. In addition, the research efforts of Dr. Claire Hudson made progress on the early stages of vaccination development but were forced to abandon their work. Unable to combat the spread of the plague, some groups fled the region. Ultimately, the efforts of the Responders, Brotherhood of Steel, Free States,and Raiders were unsuccessful and their factions destroyed.
In 2102, Vault 76 would finally open after 25 years, and the residents of the Vault re-entered an Appalachia that has been devoid of all human life for years. Following the trail of the overseer, the Dwellers would discover what became of the region's factions, and were able to finish what the divided groups had started. Finalizing the vaccine and inoculating themselves against the Scorched Plague, the residents' efforts would culminate in utilizing the region's ICBM silos to launch a nuclear strike against Fissure Site Prime and subsequently destroying the scorchbeast queen.Events of Death from Above! and Scorched Earth What remained of the Appalachian Enclave, would be instrumental in the destruction of the Scorchbeast threat, as navigating the automated promotion systems from within the Whitespring bunker are what enabled the Vault Dwellers to access the region's nuclear payloads in the first place.Events of I Am Become Death
A year later, in 2103, the Vault 76 overseer and the Dwellers began to manufacture vaccination for the plague after Settlers, Raiders and other groups began to return to the region.Events of The New Arrivals Later in the year, word of this inoculation would spread beyond Appalachia via caravans.Watoga Towers terminal entries; Terminal, day 20 - inoculation Upon arrival in Appalachia, the Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force took the inoculation as well.Vault Dweller: "Everyone here needs to get inoculated, or else you'll turn into Scorched."Paladin Rahmani: "All of us here have taken the inoculation. But thank you for inquiring. It means a lot to me that the people of Appalachia care for the well-being of others."(Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
==Biology==
A Scorched is created when a human, or other creature, comes in contact with a scorchbeast, as the mutated fungus-like plague called the Scorched Plague that it carries mutates those infected. The skin goes through a rapid change from a charred black to blood red lesions as if they have been flayed alive. Complete loss of hair and cataracts of the eyes also occurs and green ultracite crystals begin to protrude randomly from the skin. As well as affecting the appearance, those infected also succumb to complete degeneration of mental faculties. The infection of the Scorched Plague essentially creates a hive mind that connects all Scorched to the scorchbeast queen.Fallout 76 loading screens: "The Scorched are human beings afflicted by a strange condition known as the Scorched Plague, and are now controlled by a violent hive mind. But what is the Plague's source? And can it be stopped?" The queen can then command these scorched at will.Fallout 76 loading screens: "A Scorchbeast Queen and her army of mind-controlled minions are terrorizing the area. Stop them if you can!" The only instincts left for those infected are violent aggression towards everything but other scorched. 
The plague has some inexplicable connection to the hyper-radioactive ore known as ultracite; the characteristic green crystals that penetrate from the flesh of the Scorched are ultracite crystals.Appearance of the Scorched
===Wandering, statue, petrification===
When not acting violently or being directly controlled, a Scorched will enter its wandering state. This state is simply that, the Scorched wanders mindlessly around any given area unless either ordered directly by the queen, it finds a non-Scorched or until it enters its statue state. The statue state is the beginning of the end for an infected Scorched as the Scorched will stay in their statue position they are stuck in until they petrify from the inside out leaving only a radioactive, petrified corpse. The petrified corpse is the delicate remains of any Scorched who has stayed in their statue state for too long. The corpse itself is ash like with prominent veins of green ultracite visibly cover the petrified corpses, along with the remaining protrusions of ultracite crystals. The petrification process also destroys the clothing and weapons they had,Appearance of the petrified corpses but occasionally some possessions may survive the petrification.Searching petrified corpses occasionally reward random loot
This means that all Scorched have a set lifespan until they inevitably succumb to their disease. The petrification process can take longer depending on the activity around any given area, as any disruption to a Scorched while going through petrification will awaken the Scorched and revert them back to their wandering state. Even in death though, a Scorched's petrified corpse is a strong source of radiation to any unwise enough to disturb it.
While the wandering state is universal among infected Scorched, the statue and petrification process for the Scorched is entirely unique to the human species as no other infected species leaves behind a petrified corpse. It is unknown why the statue and the petrification process only affects humans.
==Characteristics==
The disease is spread by direct contact or droplets.Vault Dweller: "[Intelligence 4+] It's spread by direct contact, possibly droplets. Incubation is unknown, but there is an inoculation."Aubrie Willem: "Thank God for that. If there's an inoculation, we need to get that to Foundation yesterday. This disease of yours is no joke." The Vault 76 overseer describes the creatures flying overhead to be capable of infecting those below from the sky.Overseer's log - Morgantown It causes both humans and creatures to transform into Scorched.
The effects start with a series of significant physical changes in its victims. At first, the victim's skin will darken, and smell of ash.Morgantown Airport terminal entries; Responders laboratory terminal, The Scorched Plague Eventually, intense burning lesions begin to form.Morgantown Airport terminal entries; Terminal, Scorched research After some time, the victim's skin will split open, exposing the presence of green ultracite crystals that break up from beneath their skin.Message from Hank Madigan The plague results in subjects being controlled by a hive mind.Fallout 76 loading screens: "The Scorched are human beings afflicted by a strange condition known as the Scorched Plague, and are now controlled by a violent hive mind. But what is the Plague's source? And can it be stopped?"Fallout 76 loading screens: "A Scorchbeast Queen and her army of mind-controlled minions are terrorizing the area. Stop them if you can!"Ella Ames' bunker terminal entries; Group Recognition?
===In humans===
==Creatures==
===Appear as Scorched variants===
===Do not appear as Scorched variants===
Except where otherwise noted, all creatures below are susceptible to the Scorched Plague, it's just that their Scorched variants are not present in-game.
==Notes==
* An Arktos Pharma experiment also produced symptoms similar to that of the plague.Test log 9-23-77-A10Test log 3-12-78-A14
* The player character cannot contract the infection, even before being inoculated to it. Instead, if one is exposed to the disease, they may contract the Blight, which lowers all SPECIAL stats by 1.
* Scorched Grafton Monster variants appeared in Nuclear Winter mode. 
* The Scorched Plague was originally intended to be a disease contracted from Scorchbeasts. This exists in the game files as both Scorched Plague and Scorched Fever. Completing the An Ounce of Prevention quest would have rendered the party immune to contracting the disease again. Player characters with the disease would have taken +5% damage from Scorched enemies.
==Appearances==
The Scorched Plague appears only in Fallout 76.
==Behind the scenes==
The Scorched Plague is similar to the real world fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, which destroys an animal's soft tissue, causing death during hibernation. The fungus has destroyed a large portion of the tricolored bat (Pipistrellus subflavus) population, from which scorchbeasts are possibly descended, as noted by Ella Ames.Ella Ames' bunker terminal entries; Ella's terminal, Scorchbeasts: "The Scorchbeasts have definitely won the title of apex predator in Appalachia. There's no doubt they've evolved from some species of bat which makes them quite fascinating creatures due to their size. I'd like to think it was one of those cute pygmy bats we used to chase out of the caves when I was little... Daddy always said they'd have their revenge!"Note: Pygmy bat is a common name for the tricolored bat, formerly named eastern pipistrelle.
==Gallery==
FO76 Scorched conqueror.png|Another human victim of the plague
F76 Scorched Officer.png|Another infected officer
Scorched.jpg|A closeup of a human victim of the plague
Fo76 Scorched bro 2.png
FO76 Scorched mega sloth.png|Two mega sloths infected with the plague
Fo76 Scorched yao guai.png|A yao guai infected with the plague
Scorched Deathclaw.png|A deathclaw infected with the plague
FO76 Scorched angler.png|An angler infected with the plague
FO76 Venomous angler.png|A venomous angler infected with the plague
FO76 Scorched bloatfly.png|A bloatfly infected with the plague
Fallout 76 Hermit Crab.png|A hermit crab infected with the plague
FO76 Scorched Mirelurk Crab.png|A mirelurk infected with the plague
FO76 creature mirelurkhunterscorched.png|Scorched mirelurk hunter
FO76 Scorched mirelurk king.png|A mirelurk king infected with the plague
FO76 Scorched mirelurk queen.png|A mirelurk queen infected with the plague
FO76 creature mothman Reconnoiter 06.png|A mothman infected with the plague
Nw ls mt graftonmonster.jpg|A Grafton Monster infected with the plague
FO76 Scorched wendigo.png|A Wendigo infected with the plague
FO76 Scorchbeast creature.jpg|A scorchbeast
Scorchbeast queen.jpg|The queen scorchbeast
FO76 creature supermutantscorched.png|Scorched super mutant 
FO76 vaultboy luckofthedraw2.png|Final Scorched design, Luck of the Draw
FO76 Quest Scorched.png|Original Scorched concept design, An Ounce of Prevention
FO76 vaultboy tenderizer scorchedold.png|Original Scorched concept design, Tenderizer
FO76 creature scorchbeast.png|Scorchbeast
FO76 creature scorchbeast alpha.png|Alpha scorchbeast
FO76 creature scorchbeast queen.png|Scorchbeast queen
FO76 Scorched.png|A human victim of the plague
FO76 Scorched officer.png|A military officer infected with the plague
FO76 Responders map.png|Responders map 
==References==
Category:Diseases and viruses
fr:Contagion calcinée
ru:Чума горелых
zh:辐尸病毒