Blight Wort
The Curse of Menor’cress.
“Only the most foolhardy would dare venture into the Sea of Spores. Those that come back, are better off dead.”Blight Worts, otherwise known as the Curse of Menor’cress. An abhorrent fungal horror that spreads the malignant corruption of the Sea of Spores. When a blight wort settles and germinates they swell and form into grotesque mushroom that begins to spread spores when they reach maturity, projecting them up into the air from orifices on the bulbous cap of the mushroom. The spores slowly chokes and Terraforms the land, making it suitable for the sea to begin creeping further into new lands. Once a blight wort takes root, they are notoriously difficult to move and have dire consequences for living creatures that breath in their toxic stores.
Life Cycle
This is where the true horror of the Blight Worts begin. The Blight wort begins as a invasive parasitical spore that grows and multiplies at an alarming rate after invading the body of any creature unfortunate enough to inhale it. Slowly infiltrating it body, it begins to break down the hosts immune system, spreading through the organs and steadily infecting the mind. Slowly but surely the victim is transformed into a Shamble, a wretched living nightmare, ensuring the host is still alive the whole while the colony of spores uses it to reproduce and rapidly multiply. These tortured humanoid husks; Infected and mutated by the poisonous spores, become a zombified abhorrent form of life, barely recognisable as humanoid anymore. From time to time they stumble out of the depths of the sea. Acting on fragments of their former memories, to find a new, unspoilt place where they will collapse. The fungus will then begin to break down their bodies, using the nutrients to change and grow into a new blight wort. Researchers grimly believe that the infected are still required to be semi-conscious and alive during the whole process, an agonising purgatorial existence within the shell of their own body. Some scholars have even claimed that it has been known for faint murmurs and cried to be heard coming from inside these abominable things. Understandably blight worts and rightly feared and are urged to be destroyed on slight in order to stem the spread of the corruption.Stages of inflection
Stage 1; Infection.
Stage 2; Fungal Growth.
Stage 3; Zombification.
At the final stage of the infection the fungus beginning to breakdown and consume the victims organs, replacing them with it’s own colonies. Binding itself to bone, nervous and muscular systems, it begins to enable the maturing Blight wort to begin moving the husk of it’s host. Fungal steams and colonies will begin to erupt and form upon the surface of the skin, as the final stages of zombification take place. The Victim is kept in a semi-lucid state, the blight wort using it’s memories and experiences to function And instinctively act upon.
Treatment
Treatment for the blight of Menor’cress varies depending on what stage the malediction has reached. If the blight has taken root, and the victims mind has become addled, there is little that can be done. A draft of poison or a swift end is the most humane thing that can be done, the body must then be burnt to ensure the corruption is purged. Only during the early stages of the infection can something be done to treat it, and this entirely depends on how early it is caught and identified. There are two scenarios, at it’s earliest onset the fungus can be purged from the lungs and the affliction will be prevented. The second is that it has moved beyond the lungs and the victim will have to rely on a course of tonics throughout their lifetime to slow the progress and prevent the blight spreading further, however this will never truly stop the blight. Eventually the victim will succumb.Rielaph 13th of Amsiel 114 TW. - We will finally be venturing out from the bastion, the wardens have attempted to dissuade each of us from going into the sea of spores. Claiming our cause is folly, normal scare tactics of the Wardens of the bastion, they just wish to ease their conscious should we perish like so many before us have. But this opportunity is too great for us to ignore, the college has supplied us with the warding stones and respirators the clans folk use in the blighted lands to repel the miasma of the sea. We can ill afford to allow the treasures of Menor’cress fall into the hands of the unworthy. If what is said by the survivors of that great calamity are to be believed, then one of the greatest hoards left over from the city-states demise was left abandoned. It seems the leads Belthras presented the college were worthy enough to take interest. With any luck, this should finally begin to shed some light on the mystery that surrounds the tragedy that befell Menor’cress. Sandej 18th of Amsiel 114 TW. - Velrana has disappeared, that makes three of our number to have vanished into the sea. The expeditions apothecary mentioned that she like a number had been complaining of a sickness that has swept through the company. The expedition is barely a week in and we are already lost, the maps Belthras supplied the company appear to be incomplete, I have taken responsibility over navigating the company with the pathfinders now Velrana has disappeared. It has become apparent that we are at least six days away from our intended position. When I questioned this with Belthras he did not seem surprised. What was Velrana doing, and was Belthras aware? Rielaph 23rd of Amsiel 114 TW. - After the rising number of our company that have become and the sudden disappearances, the worst of our fears have been realised. Some of the cleansing stones have been confirmed as fakes. The very thing that was to safeguard the expedition from the blight has been a lie. Without their protective aura we are exposed to the blight. Seven Signs know how many of our number our now contaminated, and I fear it’s too late for most to be treated to remove the spores, mass fever and illness has become rife, though Belthras does no seem to be phased by this in the slightest. Dalpha 24th of Amsiel 114 TW. - Belthras and some of the others found Velrana today, she has been taken by the Blight, her mind addled and insanity had set in. They put an end to her suffering, though I fear that will not be the last one in the following days. The one remaining cleansing stone is failing, soon our supplies will be inedible. Hamue 25th of Amsiel 114 TW. - Those that saw sense left Belthras. He and his few remaining followers to continue, the expedition is doomed. What is left of our group are now only a number of days from the bastion and have been falling like flies, those that do no succumb to the madness of the spores are being picked off and dragged away by the shambles, there seem to be more of them with every passing hour. By the Seven Signs, I pray we see tomorrow. Gieliah 1st of Ulenti 114 TW. - My strength wains, I cannot fathom how much times has passed since. The fever has taken hold, perhaps a day left? There is no hope… she calls… she comes.
Geographic Distribution
Interesting plant! I like the approach of presenting it through its inflection cycle, its very original. The journal entries also really help sell the plant as part of your world! If you're interested in some formatting tips to make the article easier to read, let me know :D
Thank you for the comments :) Still planning to add more before the deadline! Defiantly, would love any tips you have for formatting, I’m wanting to spruce up a number of our articles, I feel they need some extra to make them pop.