Slag

## Slag: The Flesh of Krozox

### First Contact

When the Outbreak occurred in 2107, billions of humans witnessed firsthand the shocking brutality of the alien parasite that would later be classified as "slag". Strangers, friends and family mutated before their eyes; grey flesh bubbled out and burst from formerly human bodies and bulbous, orange organs emerged from the soft tissues. These grotesque distortions would amalgamate, merging their flesh to form larger and more alien forms. In a matter of days, most cities and heavily populated areas became a sort of alien hell on Earth, where slagic creatures wandered the streets looking for prey to pierce, absorb, or consume. In the most densely populated cities, the multitudes of slag combined to form gargantuan "mammoths" - singular organisms that could be up to a mile in diameter and that produced fields powerful enough to corrupt any humans within range without physical contact. The human population was decimated. Since slag was drawn towards amalgamation, the cities became hubs of slagic activity and humans largely fled to rural areas to survive and regroup.

### The Origins of Slagology

For centuries, the existence of slag has horrified and baffled humanity’s scientists. The strange nature of the organism evoked important questions: Where did it come from? What did it want? What was it? Once slag was officially named and classified under the first provisional Keonic government, the scientific field of slagology began to develop. Though slag was initially believed to be some sort of fungal organism, it was later determined that the anatomy and physiology of slag was completely unlike anything that had existed on Earth. Unable to connect slag to any evolutionary tree on earth, slagologists concluded that the organism must have originated from elsewhere in the universe.

Of course, Keo himself was asked about slag. Records state that he would typically respond fervently but simply, stating that slag was “humanity’s greatest threat, born not of this world.” Evidently, this answer left the scientific community unsatisfied. As courageous scientists took great risks to study the biology and behavior of slag, distinct traits and patterns of behavior began to emerge. Though many continued to view the struggle between Keo, slag, and humanity as a spiritual and holy war, the discoveries of early slagologists played an essential role in developing weapons and technology that would enable humans to face off against slag without the help of Keo.

#### Anatomy and Physiology

A few distinguishing traits are shared by all slagic organisms: malleable grey flesh, bioluminescent neuronic “cores”, and a secreted infectious mucous called “akka fluid”, or “akk”.  The plasticity of slag allows it to take any form best suited for its environment, giving it a wide range of potential movement from slithering to running.

Nevertheless, persistent documentation and reporting of slag encounters soon revealed that certain forms were quite common, existing almost as a "template" for slag to take in certain circumstances. The Keonic Slagology Division (KSD) began to classify these "template" forms and eventually established a three-tier system for classifying any slagic organism. This system became standard in both slagology studies and in military communications, and proved to be extremely useful for developing offensive and defensive countermeasures to slagic threats.

### Krozox

One of the greatest taboos of contemporary Keonism is humanizing slag. The Apostles warn against trying to empathize with slag, as its motives and sheer existence are humanity’s greatest threat. However, empathy with slag began long before the establishment of Keonism; The Immonists infamously named the conscious will that guided the slag hive mind *Krozox*, with the oldest recorded use of the name going back to the year 1856. According to holy Immonist texts, this name was shared with the Redeemer by Krozox itself during a union ritual. It is the name Immonists pray to, and a name that would remain largely unknown to the general public until several centuries after the outbreak.

While the details are unknown, the name was likely leaked by a current or former Immonist at some point during the Great Crusade, and the idea began to spread slowly. Many who know the word Krozox aren’t even aware of the existence of Immonism, but the power of the word remains. The idea that the hive mind has a “leader” or even a god terrifies some and enrages others. Belief in Krozox risks changing one’s perception of slag from that of a vicious animal to that of a loyal soldier, not unlike the U.V. cadets themselves. Publicly, the Apostles discourage discussion of Krozox. Privately, however, the Apostles and Keo debate whether Krozox can be found in the astral realm and whether it can be destroyed.