Venarian Corruption
Venarian Interrogation audio log: Celestial status at time of recording...Nightfall: Begin Playback: < C is heard spitting a fluid onto the floor> C: "I keep telling you. You don't have to ask me about her. Go outside and see for yourself!" C: "Fine I can see your pretty serious about this. I'll tell you what you can comprehend, but please understand descriptions don't do it justice. She doesn't like us talking about it with people outside the family. Your tongues just cant articulate the amount of things she wants to convey, and she feels even trying will diminish the experience when she finally gets to meet you face to face." [I1] "Do the best you can. Start from the beginning." C: "Settle in then this could be a long night."
C: I wasn't always like this. I used to be like you, just some oblivious fool crawling on the surface of the planet. Trying not to look up. Trying to not feel so alone. Trying to survive. My buddy and I we were real close." I1: "you were saying about your friend?" C: yeah...its just funny I hardly even remember him now." "we were scavenging some old ruins when we got caught in the nightfall. We tried to make our way back to the ruin entrance for shelter. We were running too fast. and he I1: "What happened to your friend?" [I1 notes that C is becoming more distraught. The signature confidence of a Venarian draining away] C: "He slid on a snowbank and landed on his back facing straight up. I dropped my pack and ran to him. My pack slid down the bank while I ran to cover his eyes before it was too late. It only took me 30 seconds or less to get to him, but as I threw my hands over his eyes I could feel they were wet. He was already turning! C: He Lunged at me! tried to force my head up to look. We rolled down the snow bank, and I kept my eyes shut tightly. When I was sure I could open them again my friend was staring up again. He finished the corruption and turned to me. The new appendages sprang from his back like a flower in bloom. I scrambled back best I could but he wrapped one around my ankle. I dug my hands into the snow as he pulled me closer. My hands felt something solid and grasped. I had found my pack! I dug inside and grabbed our Sun Stone He pulled me into the air to flip me over and as he did I threw the sunstone beneath his feet. The light forced the appendages to retract and I drew my revolver. No time to think or consider, I emptied all 6 shots I had into him.... he fell into the snow. I couldn't do anything but. scream, and scream oh my god we grew uptogether.
C: I must have sat there on my knees for hours... then I heard a woman's voice. The most comforting voice you've ever heard. I was too afraid to look around, but soon I realized it was coming from the pool of blood that had formed next to my friend. The pool had frozen in the cold and become reflective. That reflective surface was all it took for her to be able to talk." I1: "reflection?" C: I'm not surprised you didn't know. Small caravan like yours. Yes pure reflections of her image can behave like...portals, and they let her speak into the open air, even let you observe her safely she cant corrupt you with her reflection. I don't advise it though, she can be....persuasive. I1: continue your story for us please. C: She... comforted me. made me feel safe. I forgot she even got me into this mess. She was all I had in that moment. I glanced at her reflection and she looked as broken as I was. She doesn't even have a face yknow? Just an eye peering at you from behind all those lunar chunks. She told me she wont make me look at her, and that she never forces anyone. She asked if I wanted COMFORT! COMFORT AS IF SHE WASNT THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS! < A struggle is heard as I1 wrestles C back into their chair> C: And I took her offer!... you would have to! anyone would have! I was hundreds of miles away from the nearest settlement! C: When I agreed she kept her word. Nothing came to harm me. Nothing forced me to do anything. I just felt a soft touch along my parka. When I looked down I could see bare feet in the snow standing beside me wearing a Black gown with stars stitched into it. The woman beside me knelt down and gave me a hug. She was warm I leaned into her but when I tried to see her above the waist she vanished and I fell into the snow...
C: "She spoke from the pool again. She told me that was all she could do without me joining "the family" That the laws of this plane won't allow her to be any nearer to me. s-she said that all I had to do was look up and she would take away from here, to a safe place, to a new family. I was so distraught... I just wanted this misery to go away so I accepted. I looked at her directly and she was Beautiful You have never seen so many colors in your life. The auroras that fountain off her main form oscillated and shimmered as one grew nearer to me. This bridge of dark light met my face and all my fears melted away. The next thing I knew my body was below me in the snow, eyes glazed over with black as I was taken up to her. Up and up through the atmosphere I felt the woman again, her, she was with me. She pulled me into a hug so her face was behind my neck. It felt like everything I was missing was here. Her hair floated like it was in water. All the love, the community you and I BOTH were denied in the network it was here. Accepted finally. I rose above Yarth itself. I could see the continents. I could see the dim barely perceptible winks that were Icarus Batiban and Gero. She took me inside the shell of the moon. She told me it was time I learned the truth. Why she's here, Why she does this to us, why the hemorrhage happened. She showed me. All of it. I know the truth now. All of my kind know the truth, and that's why we fight this crusade. She is right!" I1: "and what is this truth?"
I1: what happened to the lights?! V: M̴y̶ ̸d̸e̷a̸r̶.̸ ̷Y̶o̷u̴ ̶h̸a̵d̷ ̵t̵o̵ ̴h̶a̷v̴e̷ ̶k̶n̵o̶w̶n̸ ̸I̶'̶d̷ ̵c̶o̷m̵e̸ ̸b̶a̴c̵k̶ ̸f̴o̵r̶ ̴m̶y̵ ̴o̴w̷n̷ ̸f̸a̶m̴i̸l̷y̸?̵ ̵ C: Mother! I knew you would come for me! please I remember again! was it really my own brother I killed?" <2 shots from a revolver are fired before a deafening and wet crunch followed by liquid dripping> V: S̶h̸h̶ ̴n̴o̶w̴ ̵n̶o̸ ̴n̶e̶e̶d̵ ̵t̷o̵ ̷b̵u̴r̵d̸e̴n̵ ̷y̴o̷u̶r̴s̸e̵l̶f̷.̵ ̷Y̸o̴u̷ ̸k̷n̶o̴w̴ ̷t̷h̶a̵t̴ ̶m̶e̸m̵o̴r̶y̸ ̷c̴a̶u̸s̴e̶s̵ ̸y̴o̴u̸ ̷p̸a̵i̷n̵.̵ ̷Y̸o̵u̵r̵ ̸n̵e̷w̷ ̸s̴i̷b̸l̶i̵n̷g̴s̶ ̵w̵i̶l̷l̵ ̵c̶o̷l̵l̸e̵c̴t̵ ̵s̴u̴r̶v̸i̸v̷o̴r̸s̷ ̶h̴e̷r̵e̶.̸ ̷Y̸o̴u̶ ̵r̸e̷t̵u̸r̷n̵ ̶t̴o̶ ̵m̶e̴ ̶a̸n̸d̷ ̷I̷ ̸w̷i̸l̴l̵ ̷g̶i̸v̵e̸ ̴y̸o̷u̶ ̶p̷e̸a̵c̸e̸ ̴o̸n̵c̴e̶ ̶m̷o̶r̸e̴.̷ C: yes mother. I think that would be best too.
Transmission & Vectors
Corruption itself comes from only one place. Gazing upon Venari with the naked eye during a nightfall. Unlike Sol Venari will actively try to corrupt beings using her Venarian followers. To infiltrate or on rare occasion outright attack settlements to drag victims into the night and force them to look upon Venari.
Causes
As far as Icarus scientists can attest the root cause of the corruption isn't a pathogen or even physical. The corruption can only truly take root when a thought (meme) takes hold within a victim. Venarians themselves refer to this meme as "The Cosmic Truth" They also insist "The Cosmic Truth" cannot be conveyed by anyone other than Venari herself.
Symptoms
When a sentient being (usually human) looks at Venari with the naked eye during a nightfall it creates a mental bridge for both to speak to one another. It is here Venari conveys "The Cosmic Truth" The process so far only takes a few seconds. If a victim is ensnared by Venari's gaze it is not immediate grounds for execution. If line of sight can be broken fast enough Venari can not convey her message and the victim will be shaken but unharmed.
IF however line of sight is NOT broken The first sign will be the dissolution of the eyes. The laws of reality between Venari's and our own meet at the eye, and the organ cant take it. The eyes are replaced with black pools held in place by and unseen force. Next will come the Appendages. These appendages are made of the same quasi real substance Venari herself is made of. This substance by all measurements does not exist, yet! amazingly still takes up space in the physical world and as such can be used for anything a normal limb could do. Finally the Venarian will rise from its hypnotized stupor and attempt to force any other nearby sentients to gaze upward.
Treatment
The light from Sol can burn away the abilities of a Venarian but nothing will ever cure them of their connection to Venari she will always remain connected whispering, waiting, and come the next nightfall the corrupted will be active again serving Venari's needs on Yarth.
Prognosis
Eyes: dissolve into liquid pockets of an inky substance. When a Venarian moves, the fluid within their eyes ripples and sways accordingly. The fluid is held in place by an unseen force and will regularly "leak" creating the appearance of tears. When daybreaks the eyes return to normalcy to better pass as a normal topsider.
Appendages: sometimes less but never more than 4 extra appendages develop and grow out of the back of those corrupted. These appendages, like the shadows they appear to be made of, can change their shape and only forced into one form in the presence of non solar light. Sol light and Sun Stones can force these appendages to retract or dissolve entirely leaving the Venarian vulnerable. It is not uncommon for these appendages to be over 6 feet long, prehensile, and incredibly strong. Venarians are also commonly observed pulling themselves through the environment via these appendages.
Mind: Wether or not Venarians are a hivemind is hotly debated. Though what IS known is that while all Venarians maintain their own personalities and thoughts they are curated and connected by Venari. This creates a form of instantaneous thought sharing should it be needed or deemed necessary by Venari.
Affected Groups
Anything with eyes. This actually leads to blind men and women being some of the most important members of society. -Frank
Prevention
I've said it once I've said it a thousand times wear your Sun Stone people it wont save you from looking directly at Venari but it will keep her acolytes back for a while while you figure out a plan. -Frank
P.S. and for the love of Icarus wear wide brimmed hats. Keeps you in the shade no matter the sky.
History
The eye sees by absorbing and processing light that has bounced off of an object. When we see something it is because light has "physically" touched an object then come to our eye. The mere act of observing something involves a trace of light to have touched both the object and our eye. How then can we view Venari? She exists on a different set of physical laws than our own. A universe not of our own. Yet she is here, and such the universe is forced to make up rules on how she can exist and not exist. This is the source of Venari's mystery and power. She, in equal parts, does and does not exist. Therefore when our eye absorbs light that has touched or originated from her. it carries a trace of something that should not exist into our bodies and minds. Thus forcing the universe to extend her rules into ours. This she manipulates into a pseudo hivemind, and creates the dreaded Venarians that plague our planet.
P.S. sorry for Mr. scientist over here Edhi insisted "I don't have the mental aptitude to properly convey this information" or whatever that means. What I can tell you is that when it comes to Venari and the history of Yarth they are one in the same. If it weren't for her and her corrupted Humanity might have even figured out how to live alongside the hemorrhage and adapt.
Cultural Reception
Venarians have their own culture centered around their "mother" and Ancora But in all other places of the world, due to their existential threat to free life they are killed on site -frank
Type
Supernatural
Parent
Children
Origin
Divine
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired & Congenital
Rarity
Common
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