Titanothage
... the origin of the Titano abnormality begins in the savage Ice Age!
"At the edge of the Arcadian Highlands, Ptolla stood atop a snowy mound, her eyes fixed on the distant, forbidding Titanomach. Countless moons had passed since her parents ventured beyond the Titan. Ptolla often returned, hoping for a glimpse of them. The valley's mists and the mountain smoke created an eerie shroud beneath the icy wall of Titanomach.Suddenly, a shadow streaked down the mountainside like a comet, making Ptolla's heart leap. More shadowy forms followed, crashing into the snow with thunderous impacts. The mysterious figures swiftly vanished into the Aefalagis forests. Even from this distance, Ptolla could tell they were enormous!
Gi' Gast Falc! Ptolla had to warn the others!
The Myst and Myth Folk live for one-thousand years. As they approach the end of their millennium-long Life-span, they naturally succumb to a quick, peaceful death as they enter a breathless torpor. In return, they don't naturally suffer Aging effects. However, a rare genetic mutation has given rise to an unusual adaptation.
On the Final Day, if the Folk doesn't perish, they begin a steady metamorphosis into savage creatures- Giants. After millions of years, the Folk eventually developed a resistance to this anti-aging phenomenon, but the legacy of Giant Folk still casts an eclipsing shadow over the world of Pathon.
Titanothage isn't localized to the Mystomythians; it has been found spread to other species, forming a new taxonomical classification including Titano- or "Giant" species. Originating with the Folk, it continued to plague their descendant lines, spreading to others and creating new Giant Folk. Titanothage is no longer contagious, but may appear as a rare abnormality in bloodlines that may've experienced the phenomenon or those contaminated by Growth Magic.
Transmission & Vectors
Ice Age- Magical Mutations of Mystomythians
Mythologists believe Titanothage was part of an infectious disease once exposed to Sources of Magic. Others believe it may've been the result of Growth spells gone awry. Fossil records of specimens trapped in Blood Amber reveal abnormal growths resulting from mutations. No longer a contagious disease, Mythologists assume there may've been a catalyst for its' transmission amongst primitive Cultures.
Whatever the case, this condition appears unusually in other species. Mostly found in Birds, Beasts, Fish, Insects, and Plants, the vectors of Titanothage seem to be passed on through heredity. Marking groups of Giant species derived from host stock, if the vector is consistently transmitted through the genes of these creatures, they earn the taxonomic classification "Titano".
As it relates directly to the Mystomythians, they experience Titanothage after 1000 years. Each Mystomythian perishes the night or day they acheive this age, but those with Titanothage will increase this amount by 30%. This percentage is marginally similar in other species who show the signs of Titanothage, as it also increases their natural Life-spans.
For this reason, when the tribes of Myst or Myth Folk reach the end of their lives, if they begin exhibiting the symptoms of the Titanothage, they are exiled to outlands such as the Titanomach of Arcadia, where they must endure the Shadowed Lands of Sathach, in solitude and silence. This change in their biologies ended the Tribal Laws which permitted Elders to rule over the Mystomythians. They became a Culture that abandoned their oldest members, banishing them to the cold lands where they may isolate themselves to the metamorphosis of Titanothage.
Of the Giants, the first recorded was Gliselka Zyn; those who were born from Giants are said to have directly descended from her Bloodlines. Giants were prone to similar reproductive seasons as their Folk relatives, experiencing fertility irregularly throughout the rest of their Lives. Those unions eventually became the Giant Folk, distinguishing themselves as the effects of Titanothage began to dissipate in the later Epochs. Giants carry the marks of this disease, as do all creatures who experience Titanothage.
"Ptolla leapt aboard her Ice Board and sped down the slopes of the Mithral Grottoes. The sound of skimming the snow engulfed her, as a sharp snap of a falling limb from the trees caused her to sail into a snowbank.Emerging from the snow, she heard snapping branches; the ground trembled as golden eyes darted in the darkness overhead! The lantern's light glimpsed the Giant's face. Ptolla reached for her Sling, frost-bitten fingers fumbling clumsily.
A hand hovered above her, as she whimpered, "Mother? Don't you recognize your daughter, Ptolla?"
Growing Pains
Symptoms
Stage 1
- Hair, Tooth and Nail Growth
- Fur and Skin Growth
- Increase in Appetite
- Increased Metabolic Function
Stage 2
- Brain Shrinkage
- Memory Loss
- Accelerated Growth
- Increased Aggression
Stage 3
- Growth Stabilizes
- Brain Growth
- Severe Memory Loss
- Isolation
Comments
Author's Notes
Having a bad day, so I'll come back to this, but just to get it out the door, here you go! Its... something, I guess? An Article.
{07/15} Now that I'm not feeling so curmudgeonly, I'd like to mention, especially for context, that magic is contagious in the Pathon setting. Any use of a Growth or Shrink spell could infect a Caster with Titanothage. Note, the phrasing. Wild magic is something that Pathon & Arc Sagas will be exploring in the future!
My best wishes! MYTH X