Post by The Brain Worm on Dec 30, 2012 4:17:56 GMT -6
Full Name: Vermitis, or the Rotting Disease
Nickname: The Brain Worm
Age: Lives for approximately 30 days
Length: Grows to ~ 20 cm
Weight: 6 grams at full growth
Gender: Always female
Eye color: N/A
Skin: Pale grey in colour
This creature may be smaller than any other monster in the Manor, but it is most deadly. This worm tends to inhabit the kitchen in various types of food (commonly foods that are refrigerated or foods that are made from animal products). It exists in an egg form, invisible to the naked eye.
Once in a host (this worm must be ingested through the gastrointestinal tract), the worm will become active in the low pH of the stomach. The acidic environment induces growth of its tooth-like appendages on its cephalic end. Once fully grown (this incubation period lasts about 24 hours), the worm will pierce the stomach lining and enter the bloodstream. At this point, the host may feel nausea, stomach cramping and may experience vomiting and/or diarrhea. The worm then relocates to the brain, where it attaches to the frontal lobe and begins to infect the host.
Once situated in the brain, the worm begins to digest neurons and the myelin sheath that coats them. This causes adverse effects in the host, ranging from hallucinations to pain to paralysis. As the parasite remains, it moves to attack the hypothalamus, which controls bodily functions like hunger, thirst, and sleep. It inhibits the hunger response, as well as the nerve function to direct cells to replicate. Eventually, the body does not regulate itself and begins to die off. Symptoms of this process include grey skin, loss of feeling in limbs and a lack of response from extremities like the fingers and toes. Hosts will also become distorted, confused, and often violent because they do not comprehend what is happening to them. After all energy stores have been depleted (during the 30 day period), the host's heart eventually stops and the host perishes. At this point, the worm continues to consume the remainder of the brain tissue, growing to full length before its food supply disappears. It then lays hundreds of tiny, microscopic eggs that become scattered by natural forces when the host breaks down into dust. The cycle repeats when one of these eggs is ingested by a new host.
In past times, the worm was not known so it was given the disease name 'vermitis', or was commonly called the 'Rotting Disease', because hosts often began to rot before they passed away. Once the symptoms of the infestation would arise, hosts were commonly burned alive in order to prevent the spread to other humans. Dogs, cats, and many animals were slaughtered in the process because they were seen as carriers of the deathly illness. It was only discovered in the late 5th century that the cause of the plague was in fact a worm. Once a lethal dose of a drug was discovered to kill the parasite, the worm disappeared from history and was rarely heard from again.
A slave in the Manor happened to become infected the worm sometime before the Manor became possessed. Once the slaves performed Black Magic and opened the gate, the eggs were collected and saved from the host that they inhabited. Now they have been inserted into the only food supply that the Manor provides, save for the food in the Hidden Sanctuary.
Prevention is best when dealing with the Brain Worm, so avoiding contaminated foods is strongly advised, but near impossible. If a body does indeed become infected, there is a sliver of hope. Stored within the Master's Private Office is a small supply of vials that contain Ivermectin, a drug that will successfully terminate the worm. However, the room is difficult to find and the Inhabitants do not take kindly to anyone entering the room. To find this room and where the vials are stored, you can ask the Riddler for this information. The only other option is for the host to be burned in order to prevent the worm's transmission to other nations.
Nickname: The Brain Worm
Age: Lives for approximately 30 days
Length: Grows to ~ 20 cm
Weight: 6 grams at full growth
Gender: Always female
Eye color: N/A
Skin: Pale grey in colour
This creature may be smaller than any other monster in the Manor, but it is most deadly. This worm tends to inhabit the kitchen in various types of food (commonly foods that are refrigerated or foods that are made from animal products). It exists in an egg form, invisible to the naked eye.
Once in a host (this worm must be ingested through the gastrointestinal tract), the worm will become active in the low pH of the stomach. The acidic environment induces growth of its tooth-like appendages on its cephalic end. Once fully grown (this incubation period lasts about 24 hours), the worm will pierce the stomach lining and enter the bloodstream. At this point, the host may feel nausea, stomach cramping and may experience vomiting and/or diarrhea. The worm then relocates to the brain, where it attaches to the frontal lobe and begins to infect the host.
Once situated in the brain, the worm begins to digest neurons and the myelin sheath that coats them. This causes adverse effects in the host, ranging from hallucinations to pain to paralysis. As the parasite remains, it moves to attack the hypothalamus, which controls bodily functions like hunger, thirst, and sleep. It inhibits the hunger response, as well as the nerve function to direct cells to replicate. Eventually, the body does not regulate itself and begins to die off. Symptoms of this process include grey skin, loss of feeling in limbs and a lack of response from extremities like the fingers and toes. Hosts will also become distorted, confused, and often violent because they do not comprehend what is happening to them. After all energy stores have been depleted (during the 30 day period), the host's heart eventually stops and the host perishes. At this point, the worm continues to consume the remainder of the brain tissue, growing to full length before its food supply disappears. It then lays hundreds of tiny, microscopic eggs that become scattered by natural forces when the host breaks down into dust. The cycle repeats when one of these eggs is ingested by a new host.
In past times, the worm was not known so it was given the disease name 'vermitis', or was commonly called the 'Rotting Disease', because hosts often began to rot before they passed away. Once the symptoms of the infestation would arise, hosts were commonly burned alive in order to prevent the spread to other humans. Dogs, cats, and many animals were slaughtered in the process because they were seen as carriers of the deathly illness. It was only discovered in the late 5th century that the cause of the plague was in fact a worm. Once a lethal dose of a drug was discovered to kill the parasite, the worm disappeared from history and was rarely heard from again.
A slave in the Manor happened to become infected the worm sometime before the Manor became possessed. Once the slaves performed Black Magic and opened the gate, the eggs were collected and saved from the host that they inhabited. Now they have been inserted into the only food supply that the Manor provides, save for the food in the Hidden Sanctuary.
Prevention is best when dealing with the Brain Worm, so avoiding contaminated foods is strongly advised, but near impossible. If a body does indeed become infected, there is a sliver of hope. Stored within the Master's Private Office is a small supply of vials that contain Ivermectin, a drug that will successfully terminate the worm. However, the room is difficult to find and the Inhabitants do not take kindly to anyone entering the room. To find this room and where the vials are stored, you can ask the Riddler for this information. The only other option is for the host to be burned in order to prevent the worm's transmission to other nations.