Taint

Taint is an invasive, vine-like, purple (might also seem blue-ish to some people) growth that spreads non-stop until everything is covered by it. It is unknown if it is some kind of lifeform or not. If it is, it must be non-carbon based as it is immune to fire and is blast resistant.

## Origins

Primarily extraterrestrial in origin, it comes rarely in special meteors. Though it can be produced with Pulverized Enchantment for use in bombs.

## Dangers

Taint spreads very quickly on any surface barring glass and it cannot be stopped easily. Its spread is somewhat random, as instead of growing onto adjacent blocks, it can jump several ahead. The best way is to prevent it from being made or discovered. If worse comes to worst, carpet bombing the affected area is effective. Water can be used to slow down taint, but taint can slowly remove water. Nuclear weapons too if it spread far.

As stated before, glass and water seems to halt its growth, but considering its speed, it can only be used preventatively effectively, as taint can jump past a single block glass surrounding. Taint is also very deadly when you touch it, making remote elimination preferable.

Tainted Creepers can be created if a creeper comes in contact with Taint. They move very fast and help spread taint.

## What do?

* Preventative means
	+ Take care in exploring special meteors
	+ Don't use taint weapons
* Blowing it to hell
	+ Carpet bombs preferred as Taint is blast resistant
	+ Nukes if it is too late (F.L.E.J.A is effective but highly destructive, recommended if not near your base.)
	+ Controlled antimatter bombing

* Wait out the storm
	+ Taint eventually becomes inert as time goes on. Going into a bunker and waiting for it to pass and coming out for cleanup works. You can tell if the Taint is inert as it is darker than its normal color. Be careful, it is still deadly when touched and look out for tainted creepers.

## Trivia

* It can be made using Pulverized Enchantment, which implies it has some connection with "magic" and/or lapis lazuli.
* Compared to other invasive blocks, Taint is the least dangerous interestingly as it isn't even a "virus block". It simply covers blocks instead of consuming them.
* Its item says to not touch, breathe, or stare at it.
	+ This implies that not only is it "transmittable" by physical contact and inhalation, but also observation. Possibly meaning that it can affect the mind as a cognitohazard (lore not gameplay).
	+ This is a reference to the book *Fallout: Equestria*. in chapter 17 was a barrel on which the same warning is written.
* After it ages, it becomes darker and more or less inert, almost like it "dried out".

## Notes

* The tainted heart effect, obtained by taking damage from red cloud while being tainted, will grant you total radiation immunity for an hour. This effect is called ''mutation'' in the code. This is another reference to *Fallout: Equestria*, in which exposure to the right concentration of taint would mutate ponies into alicorns. This is in turn a reference to Fallout's Forced Evolutionary Virus, which transforms humans into radiation-immune Super Mutants.
* The block does not appear in the creative menu, and can only be obtained via Not Enough Items (or similar mods) or /give.