A.U.T.
With it's nature debated, A.U.T. (Anyyoyîn Uyw Tutom, lit. "The Hungry Moon's Judgment"), most commonly referred as Uyw Tutom ("Moon's Judgment") or Uyw Yîn ("Moon's Hunger") is a condition specific to the northenmost territories of the continent. Some people view it as a curse, a gift or even a plague but the latest scientific studies done on the subject do not provide much material to begin explaining the origin or epidemiology of it. Those who seriously study the condition are not seen as serious researchers but rather as very gullible people wiling to waste important knowledge on a non-concerning issue based on "old-wives-tales".
Carriers of A.U.T. can be of any age, gender, social class or ethnicity/species although it's most commonly affecting women, children of any gender and vulnerable individuals. Any individual who has experienced any kind of violating, penetrating act of violence (murder, sexual abuse, rape, etc.) can become a potential carrier if they have felt deeply violated by another party.
There are no warning signs preceeding the first A.U.T. phase, at which point nothing can be done to save the Jikeĉh ("blasphemer") who is marked by a lunar sign on their forehead. Depending at which lunal phase the profanation took place, the casuality outcome can vary greatly. During rising moon up until full moon, the only victims are the Jikeĉh directly involved, those who committed the act. However during recessing moon to lunar eclipse, the victims can add up to over two hundred.
A.U.T. is a lifelong recurring condition organized in multiple phases going as such:
A Mêyêkêyuĉh when turning however, presents an extraordinary bone growth in their arms and legs as their ribcage widens and the original body gets concealed in a dried skin sac stuck onto the spine. The skull also presents bone modifications as the jaw elongates and the teeth sharpen. To kill, they prefer the thrill of hunting and driving their prey to the brink of exhaustion both mental and physical, even joining forces if they have a prey in common.
A person affected by A.U.T. is unaware of it until they have successfully reached the final phase. Other people do not recognize the carriers once they have turned. Any re-occurence of profanation triggers A.U.T. again, in that sense, the condition is lifelong and recurring.
To protect oneself from active A.U.T. carriers, one typically resorts to deep introspection, pilmigrage, offerings, lifestyle changes or intensive prayers. There are no reliable ways to harm an active A.U.T. as they are hardly perceivable by innocent bystanders. However, if one were to defend or shelter a Jikeĉh, they would be considered potential prey as well.
Carriers of A.U.T. can be of any age, gender, social class or ethnicity/species although it's most commonly affecting women, children of any gender and vulnerable individuals. Any individual who has experienced any kind of violating, penetrating act of violence (murder, sexual abuse, rape, etc.) can become a potential carrier if they have felt deeply violated by another party.
There are no warning signs preceeding the first A.U.T. phase, at which point nothing can be done to save the Jikeĉh ("blasphemer") who is marked by a lunar sign on their forehead. Depending at which lunal phase the profanation took place, the casuality outcome can vary greatly. During rising moon up until full moon, the only victims are the Jikeĉh directly involved, those who committed the act. However during recessing moon to lunar eclipse, the victims can add up to over two hundred.
A.U.T. is a lifelong recurring condition organized in multiple phases going as such:
- Initial phase: on the first moon following the profanation, the victim turns into either an arachne-like creature called Tawkkêyuĉh ("A punished or damned one who isolates") on lunar rise, or into a Mêyêkêyuĉh ("A punished or damned one who hunts"), an equide-like creature on lunar descent.
- First phase: both the Tawkkêyuĉh and Mêyêkêyuĉh set out to find their Jikeĉh and kill them before the beginning of the next lunar phase. Once a Tawkkêyuĉh has completed this phase, they immediately reach the final phase.
- Transitory phase: Mêyêkêyuĉh will keep hunting and killing anyone related to their Jikeĉh until the moon has gone up and down again. Survivors making it until this phase will have a chance to be spared depending on their degree of involvement in the profanation.
- Final phase: both Tawkkêyuĉh and Mêyêkêyuĉh, if successful, turn back to their original form. If they are not successful, they become able to call other A.U.T. of the same lunar phase who have already reached final phase to join them in the hunt.
A Mêyêkêyuĉh when turning however, presents an extraordinary bone growth in their arms and legs as their ribcage widens and the original body gets concealed in a dried skin sac stuck onto the spine. The skull also presents bone modifications as the jaw elongates and the teeth sharpen. To kill, they prefer the thrill of hunting and driving their prey to the brink of exhaustion both mental and physical, even joining forces if they have a prey in common.
A person affected by A.U.T. is unaware of it until they have successfully reached the final phase. Other people do not recognize the carriers once they have turned. Any re-occurence of profanation triggers A.U.T. again, in that sense, the condition is lifelong and recurring.
To protect oneself from active A.U.T. carriers, one typically resorts to deep introspection, pilmigrage, offerings, lifestyle changes or intensive prayers. There are no reliable ways to harm an active A.U.T. as they are hardly perceivable by innocent bystanders. However, if one were to defend or shelter a Jikeĉh, they would be considered potential prey as well.
