Unreviewed Necrotic Scourge Mist

[Antonin D'Asta]

Necrotic Scourge Mist​

• Intent: To create a specialized biological agent capable of neutralizing reanimated undead.
• Image Credit: Image generation by Google ImageFX
• Canon: Not Applicable.
• Permissions: Not Applicable.
• Links: The Sith Order | Dweomilis Advisory Foundation | Viruses | Diseases and Maladies | Sithspawn (general concept) | Sith Alchemy | Rakghoul Plague | Blackwing Virus

• Scientific Name: Thanatos-Sithia Virion
• Abbreviation: TSV-19
• Common Name: Necrotic Scourge, Sith-bane Virus, The Rot
• Virus Family: Alchemiviridae
• Origins: Advisory Foundation Laboratory
• Other Locations:
• Description:
  • The Necrotic Scourge is a highly specialized, artificially engineered virus designed to specifically target and dismantle the unnatural animating Force energy and alchemical corruption present in reanimated undead. It does not infect living, uncorrupted biological tissue, making it a precision weapon against dark side abominations. Its action is characterized by rapid cellular decay and the severing of the dark side connection that sustains its targets.

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

• Morphology: Complex. The virus possesses an elongated, somewhat helical capsid with specialized glycoprotein spikes protruding from its surface. These spikes are designed to recognize and bind to unique molecular signatures present in Force-corrupted or alchemically altered biological matter. It also features a small, internal "core" that houses its genetic material and a unique, Force-sensitive enzyme complex.
• Size: Approximately 350-450 nanometers in length, with a diameter of about 80-100 nanometers.
• Color: When viewed under a powerful electron microscope, the virions exhibit a faint, iridescent violet hue, a subtle byproduct of the Force-sensitive compounds integrated into its structure. In macroscopic quantities, such as a concentrated liquid culture, it appears as a murky, dark orange fluid.
• Distinctions:
  • Force-Sensitive Enzyme Complex:
    • The TSV contains a unique, artificially synthesized enzyme complex that is reactive to concentrated dark side Force energy. This complex is the primary mechanism by which the virus disrupts the alchemical bonds and animating Force energy within Sithspawn.
  • Non-Biological Replication:
    • Unlike most viruses that hijack host cellular machinery for replication, the TSV primarily replicates by converting ambient dark side Force energy into the necessary biological components, effectively "feeding" on the very energy that sustains its targets. This allows it to replicate even in necrotic tissue devoid of normal cellular processes.
  • Targeted Decay:
    • Its primary function is not to "kill" in the traditional sense, but to accelerate the decomposition of unnaturally preserved or reanimated tissue by severing its dark side connection through scientific Midi-chlorian manipulation, potentially reversing the alchemical process.

• Source: Synthetic
• Host Species: Korriban zombie | Zombies | Those Summoned through Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut
  • It is designed to be inert or non-infectious to all living, uncorrupted sentient and non-sentient species.
• Host Range: Narrow.
  • Exclusively targets entities re-animated by dark side Force alchemy or produced by Researched-Viruses.
• Viability: Relatively hardy. Can persist in a dormant state for weeks in cool, dark, moist environments (e.g., soil, pooled water, blood spills).
• Lethality: Fatal | Non-Lethal (for living, uncorrupted beings).
• Severity: Extreme | Dormant/Non-existent (for living, uncorrupted beings).
• Infectivity: Extreme
• Modes of Transmission:
  • Direct Contact: With infected blood, saliva, or other bodily fluids.
  • Indirect Contact: With surfaces or objects contaminated with infected fluids (fomites).
  • Aerosol: Inhalation of droplets/aerosols generated from infected hosts (especially during hemorrhagic events).
  • Vector-Borne: Potential, but not primary (e.g., if a parasite feeds on an infected undead and then bites another).
• Incubation Period: Short. 12-48 hours in Korriban zombie | Zombies | Those Summoned through Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut hosts.
• Re-infection: Immunity is theoretically possible if the Undead survives, but survival is exceptionally rare. The virus mutates slowly; prior exposure might confer limited, short-term resistance to an identical strain, but not to engineered variants. Re-infection before full recovery is possible and accelerates fatality.
• Vaccine/Cure: None available for Animated Undead as of creation. Prophylactic treatment for non-Sithspawn is unnecessary due to the narrow host range.

SYMPTOMS & EFFECTS

Initial Disruption (Minutes): The Force-sensitive enzyme complex within the virus begins to actively disrupt the dark side energy matrix that animates the target. This causes immediate, localized cellular instability. For reanimated corpses, this might manifest as twitching, uncontrolled spasms, or a momentary "freezing" as the animating force flickers.

Accelerated Decay (1-2 Hours): As the virus replicates by consuming dark side energy, it triggers a rapid, uncontrolled decomposition of the host's unnatural tissues. This manifests as:

• Necrotic Lesions: Dark, spreading lesions appear on the surface, rapidly expanding as tissue liquefies and sloughs off.
• Foul Odor: A pungent, acrid odor of decay emanates from the target as its unnatural preservation fails.
• Loss of Cohesion: Muscles and connective tissues rapidly degrade, leading to loss of motor control, stumbling, and eventual collapse. Skeletons may begin to disarticulate.
• Weakening Force Connection: The dark side energy sustaining the creature weakens significantly, making it less resilient to damage and less capable of utilizing any Force abilities it might possess.

Systemic Collapse (2-6 Hours): The decay becomes systemic, consuming the entire being.

• Liquefaction/Dust: For flesh-based Sithspawn and zombies, the body rapidly liquefies into a putrid, dark sludge. For skeletal undead, the bones become brittle and crumble into dust.
• Force Severance: The dark side connection animating the entity is completely severed, preventing any further reanimation or influence. The "spark" of unnatural life is extinguished.
• Energy Dissipation: Any residual dark side energy within the creature dissipates harmlessly, preventing it from being re-absorbed or re-used by other dark side practitioners.

Strengths:

• Highly Specific Targeting: The virus exclusively targets Sithspawn and alchemically reanimated undead, making it safe for use around living, uncorrupted beings. This prevents collateral damage to allies or civilian populations.
• Force-Based Neutralization: It directly attacks the dark side energy and alchemical corruption that sustains these entities, providing a unique and effective countermeasure that bypasses conventional biological immunities or physical resilience.
• Rapid Incapacitation: Its fast-acting nature ensures that targeted threats are neutralized quickly, preventing prolonged engagements or further spread of the Sithspawn.
• Irreversible Decay: The virus causes complete and irreversible decomposition, ensuring that the threat is permanently eliminated and cannot be reanimated or reformed.

Weaknesses:

• Narrow Host Range: Its greatest strength is also a major weakness. It is largely ineffective against anything not a modern Sithspawn. Natural fauna, enemy soldiers (unless they are Animated Undead), and civilians are minimally affected. Useless against droids, constructs, or non-biological Sith creations.
• Visible Signature & Detectability: The dark murky orange in fluids and strong fluorescence under UV light make contamination and infected individuals relatively easy to identify with proper equipment (UV lamps, specialized scanners), aiding enemy detection and containment efforts by opponents who know what to look for.

A brilliant but morally ambiguous xenobiologist working for the Dweomilis Advisory Foundation named Dr. Aris Thorne, theorized that if Sith alchemy could imbue life into dead matter, a reverse alchemical process could strip it away. For years, they meticulously studied ancient Sith texts, analyzed samples of various Animated Undead through Sith Order renegades, and experimented with Force-sensitive compounds.

The breakthrough came when they discovered a unique enzymatic pathway that could metabolize and destabilize concentrated dark side Force energy, a process they painstakingly integrated into a viral vector.

The initial trials were fraught with peril, resulting in numerous containment breaches and the loss of several researchers to mutated test subjects. However, after years of refinement, the TSV was perfected.

Its first successful deployment was against a small, isolated pocket of Korriban Zombies that had been unearthed by scavengers on a forgotten moon. The results were horrifyingly effective: the undead crumbled into putrid sludge within hours, their unnatural animating force extinguished.

The intent behind the Necrotic Scourge was never galactic conquest or widespread destruction, but rather a surgical strike capability against the most insidious and resilient manifestations of the dark side. Dr. Thorne and his collective understood the immense danger of such a creation and implemented stringent containment protocols.