Sening's Notes
When Thangiens say "never again", they MEAN it...
After the gruesome finale of the City-Strife and Danaetanera III's noble sacrifice in the face of Das Anazhar, it was hoped that the worst of Thangiens' trials had passed. The people prospered and lived comfortably from the bounty provided by the land and under the watchful eye of the gods, but in the absence of conflict, complacency is quick to take root. Master Physician Sening-by all accounts a brilliant man and a visionary-delved too deeply into sciences branded profane in the modern day. He viewed old age and death as an illness that could be cured just like any other be it a cold or rash, and claimed to have crafted a miraculous balm. The nightmare that ensued left such a scar in the city's memory that to this day any mention of genetics draws suspicious glares. While Sening himself seemingly vanished without a trace, he left behind extensive writings on the forbidden subject detailing his theories, observations, and methodologies. His writings survive in the modern age under strictest security to keep them from falling into unsavoury hands but to remain as a grim testimony and reference should such a disaster ever occur again.
Purpose
A sheaf of papers full of diagrams, formulae, hypotheses, and theories revolving what is described as the "Genesis Therapy", but was later referred to as the Genesis Plague.
Historical Details
Background
Instead of focusing on treating existing ailments, Master Physician Sening sought to formulate a cure that did not really have a disease. He spent long hours in his office at the top floor of the Traedeskaton scribbling away going through entire reams of fine paper to compile his theories. Most attendants thought nothing about his eccentricities, but one medic cleaning out his wastebasket happened to fish through his discarded scraps and scanned through some crumpled sheets.
Alarmed, she shared her suspicions with other members of the staff and consulted other physicians. Worried that Sening pursued a dark path of study, the senior staff confronted him and demanded he step down as Master Physician. Accusing them of being too narrow-minded to realize his genius and arguing that by attacking him they attacked science itself, he gathered his belongings including his incomplete notes and promptly left, but that was not the last people would see or hear of Sening...
History
(See Thangien History and the Genesis Plague)
Sening found a new patron and limitless funding to continue his work: the Watch-Rider of the time, Queen Payina of the House of St'lur. With her backing, he continued plumbing deeper and deeper into the burgeoning study of genetics, expanding his theories and adding to his writings. After the outbreak of the Genesis Plague and the regicide of Payina by her son Wuelro, citadel guards scoured the grounds high and low for Sening but did not find him, and he had not been witnessed exiting the grounds or the city, but given the chaos unfolding he might have escaped completely unnoticed. They found his abandoned writings and immediately wanted to destroy them either by shredding or searing, but the new Master Physician argued desperately against it, stating in order to understand the workings of the plague he needed to study the processes behind its creation. While a cure was never found for the plague, the staff were able to determine how the illness progressed and advise King Wuelro on how to deal with Afflicted. Instead of being turned over to the Master Archivist at the Archives of Raaezen for safekeeping, the notes were kept within the Master Physician's office.Public Reaction
When rumors circulated that Sening had written down his profane theories, throngs of angry citizens demanded they be immediately destroyed and even threatened to storm the Traedeskaton. The more radical of voices urged the entire complex be burned to the foundations. Only the stentorian voice of the Master Playwright assuaged hot tempers and Sening was forever branded as a narcissistic quack, a rat-faced snake-oil salesman, a conceited con-artist. He would never be remembered as a misunderstood visionary, only as a madman.
Legacy
The notes are kept under such tight security, under the highest lock and key, that no one outside of the senior leadership even know what their contents look like. Copies were never made and they are kept in a intricate safe with seven locks that requires seven keys: one held by the Master Physician and the rest by the senior-most of the Rithind. The safe is pick-proof so that one individual cannot open it and withdraw the notes either out of curiosity or for nefarious purposes. They remain intact but under guard so if such a disaster ever happens again, the notes can be consulted to develop a treatment.
Spoiler Warning: Planned Content!
Generation NexxusSening makes an appearance being doggedly pursued by Amonaphe, a niece of Witheren and the new Goddess of Death. He manages to flee to Earth and while on the run infects Kayli Sanada with the Genesis Plague, forcing her to be incarcerated for everyone's safety and driving her mad with illness. She eventually recovers when the plague runs its course but is left traumatized by the experience. Amonaphe arrives on Earth to resume the chase and Kayli offers to assist but Amonaphe refuses because she has an emotional stake while she has a divine duty to hunt down the wicked.
Ruth Sjordsdotter offers to assist since she is a half-Geod herself and eventually the two track down Sening in the middle of a regeneration cycle where he breaks down his body into a helpless blob-like state before it can reconstitute. This is how he's been able to stay alive throughout the centuries. Amonaphe picks up the helpless Sening-a squirming, flailing, whining mass of flesh-and taunts him. He tries to lunge at her face to smother her but Ruth uses her power to restrain him. Amonaphe grabs him again and begins to squeeze, causing him to wail and scream. Ruth thinks she is going too far and begs her to stop but Amonaphe psychokinetically crushes him into paste before vaporizing the remains. She coldly states that no one denies Death its due.
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