Sinew Plague

# Ferz Infection

*"A terrible affliction it is, the old person is wiped out entirely, though I guess the individual that replaces them ends up quite happy... At least Purz did."* -The Old One watches CHAFU burst into a fleshy compound

### Significance

The Ferz infection is very diverse, however it first appeared as a small cell cluster that would latch onto the inside of exposed blood vessels and infect its host in the days of **Akkensha**. In modern times, it can be a devolved fungal form, or a more advanced symbiotic form that its host can't even detect. From oppressed people to endangering the Universe, the Ferz disease has been subject to worship and desolation. It was the driving force of many events in the universe, the formation of CHAFU, the creation of The Good Doctor, and even the downfall of the Angler World Eaters.

#### First Discovery

Mysterious had a hate for any species that he deemed physically beautiful because of how it took advantage of the underdeveloped human mind, or at least that was the only reason he was aware of, forgetting totally of Tao. The disease first cropped up when the counci of homogenity was experimented upon, their corrupted form latched upon a **Class 3** scientist to which their mind was read and its first iteration would arise. The scientist was quarantined to the curious scientists, some call it obviously ignorant, but many such tests had been conducted before! As well as the desperation for a new a weapon of war, they allowed her to live until they could find the possible use of the infection. The scientist would have their bones broken by the disease and transformed into a highly muscular form, seemingly at the cost of brain size. Shamefully, a Class 2 would smuggle out the Ferz and soon too be infected, his entire bloodline was persecuted from the Hub for the possibility of a defect in their genome. The index patient of the dead counci would become the first Ferz Hive on a less developed universe. The local Akkenshan figure would hire mercenaries to prevent the spread of the infection until Mysterious himself would discover the origins of the outbreak and form the Infamous CHAFU militant group.

#### 'Symbiotic Form'

in story, this is the last type shown, however the East had known about this strain for long enough to incorporate its conductivity to biological computers, its cells taking the precision of digital with the flexibility of analog. It also cheaply built structures, that had to be sanded at the edges over its creepy look, though some did enjoy the sinew-y look of the 'ribs' of the supports. It would turn against its masters much later in the story before **Berons** wakes up due to the World Eaters beginning the Quieting.

This form would corrupt and from fleshy clusters with an obvious glowing weak spot, sometimes covered in a shell. It grew over mechanical and biologicalhosts to begin its takeover as it began to extinguish stars for cover.

##### Involvment with the East

The Good Doctor, after his defeat, would come to realize the extent of the damage caused by the affliction. Though he was totally immune, his beneficiaries were not, therefore he would divert so much resource into quelling the affliction that he would totally cease his original villainous goals of rebirth until he saw the disease that had disfigured him completely wiped from the plane.

This disease would also find its way into the remaining sparks of the East, a holdout form that aided most species, would often work toward the goals of its loving **companies**. Allowing its hosts remarkable abilities such as regeneration and rapid adaptations to battlefield conditions, such as in the case of the Planetary 7 mobile operations company.

Another subset of this affliction kept the person intact under a layer of working systems, such as in the case of Magnus' Tethys. This strain would have been the most loved had it not been for the infection of the World Eaters.

#### Fungal form

Its second iteration was devolved due to resource constraints. It grew through spores and was best at developing lazy Ferz. However this aspect is most likely because the only people it had to infect were the participants of the Fool's Wars, consisting of dumb, and disobedient soldiers who preferred to talk and drive tanks into the 12th story somehow.