Bacterial Ki Blockage

It's the stuff of every magic user's nightmare: becoming a ki sucking zombie. The disease is actually a bacterial energy blockage, where the victim starves from lack of ki which is absorbed by the infectious pathogen. The sick magic user will then seek others to pull energy from and infect.   In the early 800s it was almost eradicated. But then it popped up again near the gate of Rashomon. The city was destroyed by a major storm and the disease all but disappeared along with the major oni clans.   Unfortunately, there is a rumor of a tanuki who had it in a village about an hour north of Nonogawa. Ohno Yasu is quite concerned. His family's records say one of his ancestors died before finding a cure.

Transmission & Vectors

The bacteria is blood-borne and transfers through intimate contact with the host, or through open wounds that the transferring host creates to absorb the ki of the victim.

Symptoms

Carriers will be non-symptomatic for 3 weeks before showing signs. A magic based physician will look for these symptoms.

  Onset symptoms that are often ignored:
  • Higher than normal libido or desire to be very close with other magical beings
  • Craving to eat unusual raw items (beyond the average seafood of the Japanese diet), such as whole snails, entire plants, bugs.
  • Coldness and shaking.

  •   Early symptoms:
  • Dwindling energy and ability to use magic. Specifically spell failure. The magic user may initiate a spell and it dissipates shortly after being cast.
  • A rash, then a sickly green cast to the victim's skin
  • A slowing ki pulse
  • Hazy vision

  •   Final symptoms:
  • Tunnel vision, only able to see other sources of ki. They show up as intense bright spots.
  • The victim being drawn to other ki sources like a moth to light
  • Vampirism
  • Wasting of the body
  • Ghostly flames surrounding the patient
  • Death

  • Prevention

    Ritual cleansings. Be it soaking in a salt bath (such as in a hot spring) or cleansing at a temple or shrine.
    Work in Progress

    This article will be expanded in the future.

    Stub

    This article will be expanded in the future.

    Definition

    This article stub serves as a simple definition.

    by k_e_n
    Bacillus Kuroshisis
    A rare but deadly bacteria that enters the bloodstream after contact or a wound by another infected being. The bacteria is not found in nature otherwise. It is believed the infection originated in another plane. It's distantly related to geobacillus stearothermophilus, as it 'spoils' and uses the ki of its victim. The bacteria is named after the Japanese word 殺す (kurosu) that means to kill or block.
    Type
    Bacterial
    Origin
    Alien
    Cycle
    Chronic, Acquired
    Rarity
    Extremely Rare

    Appears In:


    Liminal Chronicles Series bookcover art by Odette.A.Bach and text by Amy Winters-Voss. Short story bookcovers by Amy Winters-Voss


    Cover image: by nixxphotography

    Comments

    Author's Notes

    My chat with my friend in Tokyo last night about all sorts of horror topics must have influenced this article. Lol!   How do you think the disease got to our world?


    Please Login in order to comment!
    Jul 2, 2021 02:34 by R. Dylon Elder

    I like that you include prevention here. Gonna need to take some salt baths. Sad there doesnt seem to be a cure yet. Well done.

    Aug 5, 2021 19:45 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thank you! Maybe in future books, the Ohno clan should get an upgrade to their facilities so maybe we can have a cure...

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Jul 2, 2021 06:50

    Origin: Alien!   Of course, it all makes sense now.. It's like I've always said - it must have been the aliens :O   Great stuff, Fox :D


    Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.
    Aug 5, 2021 19:45 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thanks so much!!! (How did I know you would think it's aliens??!?!?!?) ;)

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Jul 2, 2021 11:16 by AS Lindsey (Pan)

    Beautifully clear layout.   How'd it get to our world? I reckon it was a normal bacteria that got mutated after infecting someone with a large ki reserve.

    Aug 5, 2021 19:46 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thank you! Hmmm - interesting theory!

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Jul 2, 2021 20:44 by E. Christopher Clark

    I love this idea, the idea of a ki zombie/vampire. As for how it got here? Maybe from a dimension where it ate all the magic, thanks to a rift opened by the last living spellcaster—who was trying to warn us?

    Enroll in Yesterland Academy today!
    Aug 5, 2021 19:46 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thank you! Ohh - that is intriguing!!! <3

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Jul 4, 2021 23:13 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

    What a terifying disease. Brb off to take a salt bath!

    Emy x
    Explore Etrea
    Aug 5, 2021 19:47 by Amy Winters-Voss

    I'm all for salt baths! ;) Thanks for reading!

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Jul 5, 2021 16:05 by Stormbril

    I love the list of various onset symptoms too! Seems very fitting, leading into the final symptoms. I uh, I'll also be going for a salt bath asap here

    Aug 5, 2021 19:48 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thank you! Lol! We may all be taking salt baths after this article.

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Jul 13, 2021 16:16 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

    That's a great idea and I like the way you've presented the article :D How long does the prevention actually work before it's too late for people?

    To see what I am up to: my Summer Camp 2024.
    Aug 5, 2021 19:50 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thank you! That would be a very good thing to add! Thanks for the suggestion. Now I just have to wait until after SC celebration stream because I am finally getting through my notifications.

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Aug 5, 2021 18:39

    Very nice idea to give a twist on zombies.! The classification as alien makes it even more mysterious :)   The layout itself makes the article very easy to read. Well done on this article ^^

    Feel free to check my new world Terra Occidentalis if you want to see what I am up to!
    Aug 5, 2021 19:52 by Amy Winters-Voss

    Thank you! <3

    Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
    Powered by World Anvil