Bacteria and Viruses

Bacteria and Viruses are responsible for sickness and disease in the Weltan System.

The Weltan System has a large number of afflictions. However, some of these afflictions give the useful abilities, and are considered sickness derived abilities.

## Telepathic sickness

The result of a virus that attacks and is transmitted by the Dalmers Calling ability reverting to its infectious origins.

## Random Onset Telepathy

*Main article: Random Onset Telepathy*

Causes unrelated individuals to share information, visions, skills and senses of each other. These people, known as **Rotters,** are linked together by a yeast infection (unrelated to Saccharomyces Demonica) that causes the halves of the brain to merge. Treatment is nonexistent besides violent lobotomy to separate the merged halves of the brain.

R.O.T. is caused by an infection of yeasts in the Dalmer organism. It is not considered a demonic gift, despite its similarity.

## Storm Fever

A fever caused by the arrival of an Antistorm, a particular meteorological event.

**Antistorm**: Flashes of extreme darkness followed by loud high pitched screeches, considered opposites to regular storms.

**Cure**: In these cases, widespread blindness can happen, within 500 hours the entire infrastructure of cities is supposed to adapt to blindness. Shock and horror ensues, vehicles are immobilized, but survival is dependent on adaptation, law enforcement and anti scarcity policies are ensured by AI, transportation, plumbing and food as well.

## Embonpoint

Obesity and embonpoint is rarely considered a sickness, and is sometimes considered a sign of wealth in dalmer society, although physical attractiveness through bulk is generally more actively sought after amongst young Dalmer. Recent societal studies show that Dalmer tend to grow fat in their old age.

## Something in the eye:

An eye infection that makes worms sprout in the eyes.

## Bonelung:

Virulent infection that leads to calcification of the pulmonary alveolas over time.

## Retractable beard:

A rare genetic disease among the Dalmer that allows them limited control over their pilosity, allowing them to grow and shorten it at will.

The Dalmer noted that people with this illnesses would make excellent spies among the Amaranstone Dalmer.

## Metal eating:

Particularly stupid trend amongst dalmer, it originally came from robots who would cannibalise each other for better parts

If the patient is adamant about continuing this habit, he can contract Rustbone.

The users biochemistry can be rewritten so that his body replaces bone matter with mineral matter, slowly turning the user’s bone skeleton to a metal one. As metal will rust, the rust particles are dealt with as with any other dead cell, however the user must take pills and other supplements to avoid the medical condition known as **Rustbone**. Original recipes for this muta were excruciatingly painful, a tough price for bones as strong as metal, however once the user gets used to the pain, the mutation is incredibly useful. The mutation does not however, develop strength in any way

* Primary Beneficial effect: Unbreakable bones (depending on metal used)
* Secondary beneficial effect: Resistance to pain (after a while)
* Primary detrimental effect: Intense pain at the beginning of the treatment
* Secondary detrimental effect: percentage of bone weight in the user's body goes from 22 to 35%.

## Caniculus Canis:

Heat sickness that makes the affected extremely irritable and violent. Those affected have extreme thirst, cracked skin and lips. The disease has no real cure other than keeping the victims cool and hydrated. This sickness strangely doesn’t seem to affect the populations living in warmer climates.

## Corpselessness:

Aka Rapid Decomposition Syndrome a sickness that causes the victim's body, upon death to decompose to such a rapid degree that they leave no corpse behind, meaning that those who suffer from this disease have no chance of becoming a material undead being. Those known to suffer from this condition must be placed in cold stasis immediately after death to undergo full body transference into a robotic shell.

## Dysphoria

The profound sense of dissatisfaction the Dalmer feel almost all the time.

## Greasefire

A contagious virus spread by rats who act as passive carriers and can also be spread through sexual intercourse, exposure to infected blood and by exposure to the ashes of a deceased victim. Greasefire absorbs nutrients at a vastly accelerated rate. As the nutrients are absorbed, infected Cells produce and secrete large quantities of a modified antibody. Adipocytes expand and proliferate and the organism's caloric intake increases. When the concentration of adipose tissue reaches a critical point, the viral antibodies instigate systemic cell lysis, followed by an unknown process leading to the spontaneous combustion of the infected individual.

There is a one week incubation period before initial symptoms begin to occur. The duration of the symptoms depends entirely on the body fat percentage of the infected.

Once the subject reaches 55% body fat, the body will go through an extremely violent version of widespread cell lysis. As cells burst, the modified antibodies catalyze the ignition of fatty compounds. The body is incinerated from the inside out via the wick effect, with the fat serving as a fuel source.

People who have diabetes have a natural immunity to the virus.

## Heartless Syndrome

A curse that caused the heart of a Dalmer to become its own organism complete with legs, tentacles, and a stinger. The Dalmer counteract this by using a soul gem surgically inserted into the heart, these heart gems as they are called are then burned to cast out the demonic entity, which is then disposed of.

# Sickness Derived Abilities

## Therianthropy

*Main Article: Therianthropy*

This sickness, whose cause is unknown (although mutated genes and viral infection are the most plausible theories). Is the transformation of the afflicted into a being with vastly different characteristics, the affliction varies from strain to strain.

## Demonic Corruption

The Dalmer can become “corrupted” by demonic forces, but not in the traditional sense, their thirst for blood is cared for by the Dalmer industrial manufacturing complex, exchanging currency for blood. The exchanges are in exchange for the demonic dalmer’s unique skills they develop from their affliction, such as bewildering good luck, inspiration, and insight. They share no love for demons however, and are by and large still Dalmer.

## Medusa eyes

A very real medical condition in Dalmeran. It is thought to be parented to another medical condition which is beam eyes.

Medusa eyes only work on biological beings with functional eyes.

## Phosphora Subderma

A sickness that causes immolation of the afflicted skin.

## Mega Virus I

A virus preprogrammed with rewritten DNA, enhancing the hosts speed size and intelligence, but most die from painful cancerous growths. Those who survive are large versions of the previous species, but are infertile, only reproduction possible is through the virus reproducing and infecting another victim.

Those affected by MGI and survive grow to be on average 3 times larger and overall very muscular. Affected Dalmer resemble decrepit orcs minus the knife ears. They are immune to disease, heal faster, and are biologically immortal. The common downside is severe cerebral degeneration after a few decades, leading to an eventual childlike state of mind, a hard price to pay for biological immortality. It is rumored that the brain degenerescence is cyclical.

The MG1 is considered the precursor to the Powers Program.

After the MGI was discovered the Dalmer researched other bacterias that would give them new powers.

## Mega Virus II

A bacteria that produces its energy with electrical current, via cellular respiration (a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and then release waste products). The bacteria latches onto metals to do this using biological wires. When the metal is too reduced to use, it grows a flagellum to find another source.

This bacteria was used to coat stomachs, allowing the Dalmer to live by eating metal.

## Mega Virus III

A bacteria that can resist 2 million rads of gamma radiation and extreme dehydration. It accomplishes this feat by offering electrons to stabilize free radicals without destabilizing themselves. They also store countless copies of their own DNA in order to recreate sequences destroyed by radiation.

These are used mostly to clean up radioactive and/or toxic dump sites and are similar to fallout sponges.

This bacteria was used by the Dalmer to create protection against radiation (and in the process a cure for cancer).

## Mega Virus IV

A bacteria that secretes a powerful glue substance so strong that one 1 gram can suspend a weight of 5.4 tons. It is used as a surgical adhesive among other things.

This bacteria was used to naturally secrete the substance in the palms of the hand, making even the slippiest of walls easy to scale.

## Mega Virus V

A bacteria capable of pulling 100 000 times its body weight.

This bacteria was cultivated and infused in some dalmer, it allows the Dalmer to profit from this strength, but since the Dalmer who use this cannot interact with the world, no one wants it. So far, only Power has been fused and lived.

## Mega Virus VI

A bacteria that eats other bacteria that settle in open wounds, giving off a faint blue glow. This was discovered in the saliva of certain ants

The Dalmer use this for medical purposes to disinfect and close wounds quickly.

## Whiskey Rose :

Eliminates negative effects of consumption and addiction to alcohol.

## Night Fiend:

Eyes adapt quickly to low-light conditions.

## Cannibal:

Eating corpses restores HP and accelerates its production by 10% for a short period of time an hour after ingestion.

## Flower Child:

A biological trait caused by specific bacteria in the Dalmers organism that causes those possessing this bacteria to be 50% less likely to be addicted to substances, and withdrawal time is halved.