Colipsum

**Colipsum** is a cluster of Diptera, also known as fly eggs that are produced by a specific species of female flies. It was ingested by humans to achieve a euphoric high.

When fertilized by a male fly, the human who recently consumed colipsum will transform into a Plagueling, as the fertilization creates the parasite.

## Overview

Colipsum is Diptera eggs and partially responsible for creating Plaguelings.

## History

In "*Two Heads Are Better Than None*", while outside the Outpost on official business, Kell purchased colipsum from a fellow guard. It was supposed to give him an extra "kick" and help him stay alert. Kell poured a line on his gauntlet and snorted it. Later that day, Talon took colipsum before a fight, presumably to stay alert. Mistress is involved in the trade of the drug. She purchased a trunk of colipsum from her supplier, Worm, for two bags of gold. She informed him that despite his rising prices, she's heard from other buyers that their suppliers are lowering their wages. He remarks that he’s the only supplier in this corner of the realm but she isn’t the only buyer and left. She instructed her sons, Bill and Munt, to follow Worm in an attempt to discover Worm's supplier.

In "*The Mistress and the Worm*", in an attempt to send Mistress a message over her recent power grab in the colipsum trade, Worm decapitated Bill and sent Mistress the head. Worm later cut Mistress out of the colipsum business and refused to sell her any additional product.

In "*Strange Bedfellows*", Mistress reveals to Janzo of her plan to take over the world, or at least part of it, using colipsum. Later, Mistress and Worm made a deal for him to provide her with all the colipsum she wants at a lowered price. In exchange, Worm won’t provide colipsum to any of her competitors unless it is for fifty leagues. Janzo interrupted their agreement to tell Mistress that he figured out how Worm communicated with his supplier. He presented her with the messenger birds Worm used. With no further need for Worm, Mistress told Marshal Wythers to execute Worm.

In "*The Colipsum Conundrum*", Janzo and Talon meet with the colipsum supplier on behalf of Mistress. They are both surprised to learn that the suppliers are a group of Greyskins. Despite brief hostility, the Greyskins give Janzo the colipsum and take the gold as payment. Janzo initially wanted to give back some of the colipsum as they gave him too much. Talon stops him from returning it.

In "*Beyond The Wall*", Janzo and Talon deliver the colipsum to The Mistress. Janzo tells her about the Greyskins being the supplier, which doesn't faze her, as she thinks they are smarter creatures then people give them credit for. He tells her that the Greyskins gave them almost thirty shares of colipsum, which overjoys her.

In "*The Vex Rezicon*", the Greyskins tried to force Garret to consume colipsum. Janzo believes it is because they can smell the Plagueling venom in his system, which is also why they won't eat him.

In "*The Dragman is Coming*", Janzo, Talon, and Garret discover plagueling bodies strung up by Greyskins. Janzo is intrigued by the fact there are fly nests everywhere, as he saw flies near a Plagueling before. He then notices green powder on one of the ledges, to which Talon and Garret believe is colipsum. Garret is about to try it when Janzo suddenly stops him. Janzo realizes that its Diptera eggs, also known as fly eggs. He concludes that Greyskins are using Plaguelings as their farm. They are harvesting the colipsum from the flies and then selling it across the border, as it can create Plaguelings. Since the female flies lay the egg and the male flies are the parasites in humans throats, when a human is stung they are fertilizing the eggs. This creates Plaguelings and turns humans into monsters. With the amount of colipsum that Mistress and Janzo bought, the Greyskins can potentially make thousands of Plaguelings. Janzo insists that they have to get to the Outpost quickly and destroy the rest of the colipsum supply before anyone else is turned because of his involvement. Garret realizes that the Greyskins are using colipsum as a weapon to turn people into Plaguelings and annihilate the human race.

Back at Gallwood Outpost, Janzo tells Mistress about the true nature of colipsum. She doesn't care and instead realizes that there is a way for her to create colipsum, which means she can cut out Greyskins completely. Janzo tries to reason with her, but when she doesn't see reason, he takes the rest of the colipsum and burns it.

In "*We Only Kill to Survive*", Gwynn passed a law prohibiting the use of colipsum in hopes it would deter people from using it and turning into Plaguelings. Despite the law, people have developed an addiction to colipsum and can't stop using it.

Meanwhile, Mistress and Munt are running an underground colipsum farm and breeding Plaguelings. Mistress adopts Brogan to help the pair run things. Their operation has Realm-wide distribution and is the only colipsum farm in the Realm. Brogan will help her smuggle colipsum in and out of the Outpost along with Sill. The more Plagueling bodies they have the more colipsum they grow inside of the bodies. The Greyskins are still trying to stay Mistress’s supplier, but she’s been having more fun making them go all the way out to Gallows rock and wait despite never showing up.

## Colipsum Trade

> "*A man will sell his kids for a pinch of that green powder. That power. That’s all I want.*"
> ― **The Mistress** about **colipsum** in "*Bones to Pick*"
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The colipsum trade was an aggressive and competitive trade with multiple levels of hierarchy to it. Colipsum gives humans a euphoric high and energy to keep going even when they're exhausted. Because of this, it is highly desirable - and addictive. Its addictive attributes make it difficult for people to stop using it. Select-few people have discovered that colipsum trade is a fast and easy way to obtain money.

### Known Dealers

* Greyskins (Supplier)
* The Mistress
* Worm (Until Death; supplier)

## Notes and Trivia

* In "*The Vex Rezicon*", Janzo thought the Greyskins were giving Garret colipsum because he was infected with Plagueling venom. After the events of "*The Dragman is Coming*", we know the Greyskins were trying to *turn* Garret into a Plagueling, as he hadn't consumed colipsum yet. This meant that a parasite wouldn't grow and infect others.