Void-Touched

Void-Touched is a rare interdimensional condition caused by direct exposure to the reality warping produced by U'krhith. It is almost always fatal. Those who survive are left with permanent, deeply-seated physical changes that cannot be reversed. Any living creature is susceptible, though survivability varies significantly depending on the species affected.

Transmission & Vectors

The condition develops through time spent in areas that have been warped by U'krhith. Duration is a significant factor: the longer an individual remains in an affected zone, the more severe the outcome. There is no safe threshold of exposure known.

Direct contact with a Void-Touched individual poses no risk of transmission, however children born of the Void-Touched carry a high chance of also developing the condition.

Symptoms

The condition progresses in stages following exposure to a warped area.

1. Distortion - The body begins to distort as it attempts to cope with the reality warping. An overwhelming sense of impending doom sets in.
2. Physical Pain - The feeling of dread gives way to physical pain, which intensifies gradually until it is described as excruciating.
3. Death (or Survival) - Most do not survive this stage. Those who do are left with permanent, warped scarring throughout the body.
4. Spatial Dependency - In the most severe instances, the survivor's body becomes so altered that leaving the area where they were first affected may prove fatal, as their warped physiology can no longer function outside of it.

Treatment

There is no cure for Void-Touched. Cosmetic surgery can temporarily restore a survivor's outward appearance in mild cases, but this is not permanent. The scarring will eventually return regardless of treatment.

Cultural Reception

Void-Touched survivors are widely feared. The high death rate associated with the condition, combined with the unsettling appearance that scarring can produce, has made most people deeply anxious about any association with the afflicted. The bodies of those who die from exposure are typically burnt rather than handled directly.

Despite the fact that the condition cannot be passed through contact, widespread ignorance on the matter means that Void-Touched survivors are frequently avoided, isolated, or treated as a danger they do not represent.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Alien

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare