Eiter

Eiter is a thick black liquid that occurs in a few large deposits around the world, most notably in Sweden and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A universal mutagen for all life on Earth, the chemical has been sought out numerous times my multiple governments and agencies in the hopes that the substance could be weaponised.

## Eiter

### First Appearance

Drakania #0: Birth of the Dragon (31st of November, 2014)

## Properties

Eiter is a dark greasy black chemical that is in a liquid state at room temperature, with a freezing point of -25 degrees Celsius and a vaporising temperature of 82 degrees Celsius. The chemical is exothermic, and in its liquid state gives off a heat haze as well as a vile stench likened to a mixture of burning plastic and rotting flesh.

Known as the 'universal mutagen' Eiter is deadly to the majority of terrestrial life in all three of its forms. Of the three, liquid Eiter is the one with the most notorious reputation, with the chemical causing rapid cellular mutation on contact with living tissue. Whilst large scale exposure quickly and painfully causes cancerous growths to appear on the infected subject's body, small scale exposure causes devolution of the host's DNA structure, often cause animalistic features to form in human tissue.

Both the gaseous and crystalline forms of Eiter also cause rapid cell growth, but generally the former ends up killing the infected subject due to rapid tissue growth in the lungs, whilst the later inert form requires ingestion to trigger its mutagenic effects, and is generally safe to handle (although such a thing is not advised). Eiter can be destroyed by rapidly reducing the chemical to plasma, although a prolonged temperature shift in excess of 300 degrees Celsius are required to successfully complete such a task.

### **The Eiter Spawn**

Eiter Spawn was the term for unfortunate humans and animals that were physically mutated by the chemical. Often times, those who survived the process gained debilitating scars and warts alongside fantastic power, although a few appeared physically untouched by the chemical.

Only a few members of the Eiter Spawn are known, with Karl and Marta Elise among the most hight profile members of this select group. Others infected include the thug known as Elias Wormwood, although it is unclear when and where he encountered Eiter. In addition Karl Elise suspected that the Eiter contamination could potentially be hereditary, something that suggests his daughter may have the same kind of powers as her father.

## History

Where Eiter initially came from is still a mystery. The first records of the substance comes from ancient rune-stones as well as a few old texts the majority of which refer to a cavernous pit in the wastes of Jotunheim, a location now thought to be located in the tundra of modern day Sweden. Stories tell of a rebellious Norse warlord known as Loki using the substance as a weapon to challenge his rival Odin, a chieftain who lives far to the south of the pit.

Eventually Odin and his chief lieutenant and son Thor were forced into action after an eiter infused assassin sent by Loki killed a fair number of the chieftain's court. Clashing blades at the very pit itself, Odin and his army were able to drive Loki away from the pit and set fire to the accursed place. Unfortunately for them, the Eiter had sept into the ground and the resulting combustion caused the entire plain Odin's army was standing on to vaporise, killing the chieftain and almost all his warriors in a massive fire storm.

### **German Excavation during World War II**

The pit of 'Jotunheim' would remain lost until a German scholar by the name of Viktor Rosenberg discovered the Map of Ragnarok, an ancient tablet hand-carved by Loki describing seven locations of eiter wellsprings. Rosenberg visited the pit in Sweden and found only trace elements of the chemical, and instead decided to locate a sinkhole somewhere in the Belgian Congo known as the Devil's Mouth. To that end, he had his men round up local villagers to act as guides and later test subjects to aid in the discovery and exploitation of the chemical Loki had called Eiter.

Late in 1941, Rosenberg found the pit, and immediately set his indentured labour force to work, although the going was slow due to a high turnover from the locations toxic effects. Those few survivors were taken away and quarantined, with the majority dying days or even hours after their shifts had ended. One of the few survivors from this second batch was a woman known simply as 'the She Drache' who quickly became Rosenberg's 'beautiful girl' despite her impure nature in the eyes of the Aryan Race. Unfortunately for Viktor, his plans were discovered by Karl Elise and a local guide by the name of Joro, whose presance awakened an ancient serpent from the Devil's Mouth. Dubbed the 'Drachenkönig' by Rosenberg, this colossal wyrm incinerated the pit and effectively ended the experiment before fleeing to parts unknown, far from the gaze of man.

### **Renewed Interest**

An expedition by forces working for the El Tarantula Cartel followed Rosenberg's notes to the Devil's Mouth and excavated a few trace samples of Eiter. Despite interference from Danika Sedova, the cartel forces were able to extract a sample of the chemical and take it back to Boccanegra for examination and presumably weaponisation.

## Locations

Old Norse Pit, Somewhere in Modern Day Sweeden - STATUS: Destroyed

The Devil's Mouth, Modern Day Democratic Republic of Congo - STATUS: Depleted in 1940s by cataclysmic explosion