Plague

"Allow me to remind you that an epidemic of unknown origin has already eradicated a few genuinely distinctive towns in the northern part of the country. The cause and circumstances of these tragic events remain uncertain. There is a lot that we cannot explain yet. It appears as though the plague has a mind of its own, as if it is driven by some irrepressible will. Why else has no one managed to fight it successfully? Why does it target the most precious aspects of our existence? The Sand Plague picks its victims fastidiously—and the same principle always draws it back to whoever tries to oppose it. Surprisingly, we've yet to hear a single word from the Powers That Be."

- [from H. Orff's internal note]

The Plague is the main obstacle the Healers must contend with during the events of Pathologic. It is a disease of seemingly unknown origin that kills whoever contracts it. It has also been called Sand Plague, Sand Filth, Sand Ulcers, Sand Fever, Sand Pest, Sand Dirt, and Sandy. It is heavily implied that the Plague is sentient, which would explain the total powerlessness of science in the struggle against it.

The First Outbreak
Five years before the events of the game, the first outbreak of Sand Fever occurred.

It broke out in the Crude Sprawl and it was possible to localize; thanks to the unusual layout of the city, the district was boarded up quickly and the infection did not spread. Isidor Burakh and his students were able to suppress the outbreak and avoid infection by drinking experimental twyrine extracts.

Although many townsfolk speak highly about Isidor for his work, Isidor did not take praise for his role in that victory. According to Vlad the Younger, he did not like to talk about it and attributed the suppression of the Plague only to happy coincidence.

Some time before the outbreak of the epidemic, children invented "shmowders" as part of a game. These rudimentary cures are highly dangerous, but one of the only cures to the disease.

Aspity appeared during the first outbreak. According to her, she came from the Steppe "as a reminder." She inhabits a house on the outskirts of the Crude Sprawl, where the previous outbreak began.

Citizens remember the first outbreak with horror, and when they learn that the disease came back, do not believe in salvation. Some townsfolk, such as Willow Mellow and later Anna Angel, take to stockpiling pills and other precautions.

The Second Outbreak
The second outbreak began in the Skinners, despite the efforts of Isidor to prevent it. As it spreads through the town, the work of the Bachelor, Haruspex, and Changeling reveals its origins. The Plague is tied to the earth, and researching its origins reveals the origins of the town and the impact of the Polyhedron upon it. Blood poured underground has collected over several centuries, and with the building of the Polyhedron the Plague was first unleashed. Whether the blood or the Polyhedron is responsible is unclear, as each healer makes their own conclusions. The Bachelor's observations confirm that the Plague is bacterial in origin, which is agreed upon by everyone.

The First Outbreak
Five years ago, the first outbreak began in the Crude Sprawl. Isidor Burakh ordered the district boarded up, and it was allowed to infect the Crude Sprawl. There were no survivors. Murky's parents were two of the victims of this outbreak. Regardless of the loss of life, many people see Isidor as doing what was necessary to keep the town alive.

Following the first outbreak, Aspity appeared and began to live in the Crude Sprawl. Her Reflection speaks as if Isidor was responsible for her creation, and she feels as if she owes her life to him.

The Second Outbreak
The second outbreak spreads from Isidor Burakh's House in the Hindquarters, and also spreads to its sister districts the Skinners and Tanners on the same day. The Haruspex works to find the source of the Plague and an appropriate Panacea. The Plague also appears to the Haruspex in the form of an Executor on several occasions. It taunts the Haruspex in his attempt to find the cure and refutes any comments that paint it in a negative light, seeing itself as a catalyst for development and a gift worth preserving.

Eventually, the Haruspex discovers that Isidor was the original carrier of the Plague, and that Isidor and Simon Kain made the choice to purposely reintroduce the disease. The Plague itself is a manifestation of the Earth's pain from the damage wrought by the Polyhedron's construction. Albinos refer to it as the Earth's Medrel, or nerves. During the trip to Olonngo, the Haruspex learns that the disease only impacts humans, and is a threat only to those it considers separate from the Earth.

The Haruspex can choose to destroy the Polyhedron, removing it from the wound it has left in the earth and allowing Living Blood to flow. He can also choose to save it, allowing miracles of the Living Earth, including the Plague, to flourish.

Voice of the Plague

 * See Plague/Spoken Dialogue.

In Pathologic 2 the Plague is able to speak directly to its victims. In the case of arsonists it coerces them that burning the infected is kinder than allowing them to suffer.

Should the Haruspex become infected he will be able to hear the voice of the Plague.

All routes
On Day 3, infected districts are introduced. Infected districts are murkier, with bloody rags littered on the ground and unusual red lichen growing on house walls. Infected houses can be looted without consequence to reputation or aggression from its inhabitants. Plague clouds will be located at points throughout an infected district, as well as chasing the player through infected districts and homes. Rats will also chase the player and can transmit infection. Avoiding infection via plague clouds and vermin can be done through use of immunity boosters and protective clothing.

Guards are posted at district entrances. They will attack infected people who attempt to leave the district. Infected people wrapped in rags will wander the district and attempt to attack the player. Others in the early stages of infection will be curled up on the streets or inside houses. They can be given painkillers in exchange for a reputation boost. The Skinners is infected today.

On Day 4, burned districts are introduced. These districts are roamed by muggers day and night, with looters within the houses. Houses can again be looted without consequence. Patrolmen posted at the entrances to these districts will attack muggers. The Tanners and the Works are infected today. The Skinners district is burned.

On Day 5, Plague Angels begin to follow the player through infected districts. Arsonists referred to as Exterminators begin to appear in infected districts. They will attack the wandering infected people using Combustible Fluid. Guards will attack them. The Hindquarters, the Gut, and the Warehouses are infected today. The Tanners and the Works are burned.

On Day 6, the Atrium is infected. The Hindquarters, the Gut, and the Warehouses are burned.

On Day 7, the Skinners, the Spleen, and the Backbone are infected. The Atrium is burned.

On Day 8, the Gut, the Crude Sprawl, and the Tanners are infected. The Skinners, the Spleen, and the Backbone are burned.

On Day 9, the Army replaces the town guards posted around infected and burned districts. These include soldiers with rifles, as well as flamethrower units. Soldiers wielding flamethrowers will also attack rats. The Maw, the Chine, and the Hindquarters are infected today. The Gut, the Crude Sprawl, and the Tanners are burned.

On Day 10, the Bridge Square, the Tanners, and the Works are infected. The Maw, the Chine, and the Hindquarters are burned.

On Day 11, the Backbone is infected. The Bridge Square, the Tanners, and the Works are burned.

Bachelor Route
On Day 1, the Bachelor discovers that the Plague is responsible for the death of Simon Kain. He begins taking action to combat the outbreak with the help of Rubin.

On Day 2, sees the Bachelor find up to two more vectors of infection, located in the Silent House and a potential site for Lara's House of the Living.

On Day 3, the Bachelor and Rubin begin to study the disease in earnest.

On Day 4, the Bachelor sets up the Theatre as a hospital and the Cathedral as a quarantine ward to help fight the plague. The first version of the vaccine is produced by Rubin to help combat the Plague.

On Day 5, the Bachelor and Rubin make further progress with the vaccine, with the help of Artemy Burakh.

On Day 6, it is revealed the quarantine in the Cathedral was broken overnight. The Bachelor spends his day trying to find a carrier of the Plague.

On Day 8, the Bachelor and the Inquisitor begin to look into the source of the Plague. Their investigations lead them to the Abattoir and underground.

Haruspex Route
On Day 1, the Haruspex meets the Bachelor, who has been investigating the deaths of Simon Kain and Isidor Burakh. He learns that the Bachelor believes these men to have been killed by a Plague.

On Day 3, the Haruspex receives the first of six daily letters which contain extracts from his father's diary. These letters discuss the actions taken by Isidor and his apprentices during the first outbreak, as well as the build up to the second outbreak. The Haruspex can also trade twyrine extracts to Notkin for the ability to buy maps of Plague-stricken districts. The Bachelor will start his research in earnest, and request infected tissue samples from the Haruspex in exchange for his choice of medication.

On Day 5, the Haruspex acquires an infected heart to provide to the Bachelor in their efforts to understand the disease and find an ingredient source for a Panacea. It is revealed that antibodies cannot be extracted from the blood.

Following the line of questioning opened on the previous day, Day 6 finds the Haruspex introducing the infection to bulls, who are yet to be impacted by the Plague. After acquiring Bull's Blood, the Bachelor confirms that while human antibodies destroy the bacteria, bull antibodies prevent the prolific bacteria from reproducing. A chimera with both of these features would be needed to effectively combat the Plague in a cure.

On Day 7, the Haruspex receives a vial of blood from the abattoir from Foreman Oyun. This allows production of the first vial of Panacea. This is the only known cure for the plague other than the mysterious shmowders.

Changeling Route
On Day 2, the Changeling is asked to investigate Aspity. The governor, Alexander Saburov believes the mysterious woman is responsible for the Plague. Further investigation reveals that this is not the case, though Aspity was spawned from the earth after the first outbreak.

On Day 3, the Changeling uncovers the secrets of Anna Angel, who took the form of Willow Mellow. Willow had been stockpiling medicine, and the first outbreak occurred shortly after. However, Anna did not cause the plague.

On Day 4, the Changeling is sent to investigate Bad Grief, who Saburov accuses of throwing corpses in the river. However, he ultimately turns out to be innocent of any role in the epidemic.

On Day 5, the Changeling breaks quarantine in the Cathedral. She finds the people inside are healthy. She also investigates the involvement of Stanislav Rubin in the outbreak and the death of Isidor Burakh.

On Day 6, the Changeling must prove that she is not the cause of the infection in the Cathedral. She locates the Bachelor to take a sample of her blood. She also begins to receive daily dreams and letters about her twin, who accompanies the Plague to infected districts and can permanently infect them if left alone. This continues until Day 12, after four hours or more of sleep.

Infected and Burned Districts Schedule

 * District infected and burned status follows a strict schedule which deviates just slightly depending on certain events during Days 3-5. Districts do not become infected until Day 3.''



Day 3

 * Infected Districts: The Tanners, Skinners, & Hindquarters.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Peter Stamatin & Anna Angel. Despite Georgiy Kain's concern, Andrey Stamatin is not at risk of becoming infected.
 * Burned Districts: None.



Day 4

 * Regardless of how the "House of Death" event was handled on Day 3, Notkin will become infected on Day 4.
 * Infected Districts: The Factory, Warehouse, Gut, & Chine. If the "House of Death" event was not completed on Day 3, then the Crude Sprawl will also be infected.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Sticky, Andrey Stamatin, Bad Grief, Capella, Big Vlad, & Yulia Lyuricheva. If the "House of Death" event was not completed on Day 3, then Aspity will also be in danger.
 * Burned Districts: The Tanners, Skinners, & Hindquarters.



Day 5

 * Arsonists start to appear in infected districts, where they will attack the infected (player or other NPCs) with molotov cocktails.
 * Infected Districts: The Marrow, Maw, & Spleen. If the Haruspex gave Lara Ravel a water barrel on Day 4, then the Flank will also be infected.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Vlad the Younger & Khan. If the Haruspex gave Lara Ravel a water barrel on Day 4, then Lara will also be in danger.
 * Burned Districts: The Factory, Warehouse, Gut, & Chine. If the "House of Death" event was not completed on Day 3, then the Crude Sprawl will also be burned.



Day 6

 * Infected Districts: The Atrium, Tanners, & Skinners. If the Haruspex did not report Var's Chemist to Victor Kain on Day 5, then the Bridge Square will also be infected.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Peter Stamatin, Alexander Saburov, & Katerina Saburova. If the Haruspex did not report Var's Chemist to Victor Kain on Day 5, then Eva Yan, Maria Kaina, Georgiy Kain, & Victor Kain will also be in danger.
 * Burned Districts: The Marrow, Maw, & Spleen. If the Haruspex gave Lara Ravel a water barrel on Day 4, then the Flank will also be burned.



Day 7

 * Infected Districts: The Factory, Backbone, Flank, Warehouses, & Crude Sprawl.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Aspity, Sticky, Andrey Stamatin, Notkin, Bad Grief, & Lara Ravel.
 * Burned Districts: The Atrium, Tanners, & Skinners. Regardless of whether the Haruspex reported Var's Chemist to Victor Kain on Day 5, the Bridge Square will not be burned.



Day 8

 * Infected Districts: The Chine, Marrow, Gut, & Maw.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Capella, Yulia Lyuricheva, Big Vlad, & Vlad the Younger.
 * Burned Districts: The Factory, Backbone, Flank, Warehouses, Crude Sprawl, & Atrium (second day in a row).



Day 9

 * Infected Districts: The Bridge Square, Spleen, Warehouses, Flank, Crude Sprawl, & Hindquarters.
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Aspity, Anna Angel, Notkin, Bad Grief, Khan, Lara Ravel, Eva Yan, Victor Kain, Maria Kain, & Georgiy Kain
 * Burned Districts: The Chine, Marrow, Gut, Maw, & Atrium (third day in a row).



Day 10

 * During the early morning of Day 10, the plague will infect all of the Haruspex's Termites, resulting in Capella, Grace, Khan, Murky, Notkin, Sticky, & Taya Tycheek all becoming infected.
 * Infected Districts: The Maw, Backbone, Chine, Tanners, Skinners, Factory, and Hindquarters (second day in a row).
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Peter Stamatin, Anna Angel, Andrey Stamatin, Yulia Lyuricheva, Alexander Saburov, Katerina Saburova, & Vlad the Younger.
 * NPCs in danger of infection on Day 10 do not need to be treated via Prophylaxis, as their infection cannot result in death on Day 11, which ends (at 22:00) before the midnight Bound infection and death rolls can occur.
 * Burned Districts: The Bridge Square, Spleen, Warehouses, Flank, & Crude Sprawl.



Day 11

 * Infected Districts: The Atrium, Flank, Marrow, Spleen, Crude Sprawl, & Hindquarters (third day in a row).
 * Bound NPCs in danger of infection: Lara Ravel, Khan, Aspity, & Anna Angel.
 * As with NPCs in danger of infection on Day 10, those in danger on Day 11 are a nonissue, as the game will end by 22:00 that evening.
 * Likewise, NPCs who are infected on Day 11 do not need to be prescribed antibiotics or cured.
 * Burned Districts: The Maw, Backbone, Chine, Tanners, and Skinners districts will be burned. Despite being infected on Day 10, the Factory is not burned on Day 11.

Day 1
There is little to no mention of the Plague on Day 1, as most townsfolk are occupied with ideas regarding Isidor Burakh's recent murder.

Day 2

 * Signs of Plague are found in Isidor Burakh's House, which the Haruspex may investigate on Day 2 (plague will emerge from there regardless). Within the house, a plague cloud can be observed as a swirling mass of particles. If touched by the Haruspex, it will not infect him. The Haruspex may talk about the house with nearby townsfolk, who observe the reddened boils along its exterior, which them compare to mold or lentigines. Some townsfolk believe that the particles of the disease are excess soot from the Factory.

Day 3

 * Due to the plague emerging from Isidor's house, the Tanners, Skinners, and Hindquarters districts become infected, and the epidemic is officially recognized by warning bells that ring across the Town on the evening of Day 3. At the Town Hall, the Haruspex is told of the Fund set up to aid the doctors of the Town in fighting the disease. He is also told of plans to convert the Theatre into a hospital. In the Crude Sprawl, the "House of Death" is already overtaken with plague. Should the Haruspex join Notkin and Khan there to stay the night, or light candles within the house before midnight, the Crude Sprawl will remain uninfected the next day. If he fails to do this, then it will become infected instead.


 * At midnight, all Bound in danger of infection will roll for their survival. This process will recur every subsequent night, during which Bound NPCs already infected will also roll for a chance to die.

Act 3

 * Throughout Act 3 (which occurs from 07:30 on Day 4 until 07:30 on Day 7), the Haruspex can brew antibiotics from infected organs to fight the infection. Testing these home-brewed antibiotics can lead the Haruspex to discover the solution to his Panacea. As the treatments are made, the plague -- masquerading as an Executor -- will continue to mock his efforts.


 * During Days 4-6, a baby will spawn in a predetermined infected house each day, so long as Anna Angel remains healthy. These babies can be brought to Dora Feugel in the Town Hall, who will reward the Haruspex with ~¤650 in exchange. Once 2 babies have been saved, the baby sidequest will be finished.

Day 4

 * The hospital opens on Day 4, and the day's chore is to relieve the pain of a number of plague victims.


 * On Day 4, Notkin becomes infected from his time in the "House of Death". In his Lair, the Haruspex will walk in on a gruesome hallucination constructed by the aforementioned Executor, which shows all of his Termites hanging from the ceiling. The same Executor will be waiting outside of the Soul-and-a-Half Fortress, ready to mock the Haruspex after he visits Notkin, promising that they will kill everyone on his List eventually - including the Eighth. This Executor is a manifestation of the Plague.


 * The hospital opens on Day 4 and the duty is to relieve the pain of a number of plague victims. Lara Ravel wishes to open a Shelter for the needy in the Town and requires a water barrel. She asks the Haruspex to collect one as they are now under guard. Doing so will lead to the Flank becoming infected on Day 5. Conversely, if a barrel is brought to the Bachelor for inspection, then several water barrels will be removed from the Knots Quarter. Water pumps in previously infected districts will be broken, and barrels will at times run dry, or produce Muddy Water.


 * Day 4's baby appears in the Chine.

Day 5

 * Day 5's Hospital chore is to prescribe antibiotics to a number of plague victims.


 * On Day 5, the Changeling will ask the Haruspex to go to the Rod to help Katerina and Alexander Saburov. Upon arriving he will discover a mob standing by the Rod's front door. The mob claims that not everyone who contracts the Sand Plague dies, and accuses the Changeling of somehow being involved with the plague. Meanwhile Murky will allude to having a new friend who dislikes the Haruspex.


 * Sticky will tell the Haruspex that he has been asked by a Chemist in the Atrium to embalm corpses (the Chemist actually resides in the Bridge Square, where he works alongside Var.). Should the Haruspex fail to find and report the embalmed corpses to Victor Kain for removal, the Bridge Square will become infected on Day 6.


 * During Day 5, after unsuccessfully testing his antibiotics, The Haruspex has a discussion with The Bachelor in The Broken Heart. Daniil has hit a strikingly similar dead-end with his research, and through this dialogue, we find out a few more things about the plague. The Bachelor says that the disease is constantly changing, first presenting as similar to pox, then cholera, then typhoid fever, but that there must be a “wholeness” to the disease.


 * In the evening, a bull will be sacrificed at the Ragi Barrow. Should the Haruspex aid the Kin in the ritual, he will receive a bottle of Bull Blood that can be given to the Bachelor for testing. After waiting a few hours, the Haruspex returns to find that the blood is useless to them, as the pest evolves quickly in humans but not in bulls. From this, The Haruspex deduces that what he needs is the blood of a “minotaur,” something that combines bull and human.


 * Day 5's baby appears in the Maw.

Day 6

 * Day 6's Hospital chore is to autopsy six organs for the Hospital's stores.


 * On Day 6, Murky invites the Haruspex to the Crowstone, where he can finally meet her new friend. The friend appears as the Changeling, who asks if the Haruspex would like to be able to speak to Murky's friend directly. If he agrees to the deal, he will become infected. If he refuses, Murky will die.


 * Day 6's baby appears in the Atrium, so long as the Haruspex has not already found two babies.

Day 7

 * Day 7's Hospital chore is to collect various plague victims who've been incorrectly marked as dead within and directly outside the Theatre.


 * On Day 7, the Termitary is opened and it is discovered that a significant number of the residents have died from the Sand Plague.

Day 8

 * Day 8's Hospital chore is to oversee the Theatre for an hour until new Orderlies arrive for their shift. Plague clouds swarm the Haruspex within the Theatre, and the orderlies are late in their arrival. The Haruspex must stay inside the infected building for one hour and fifteen minutes instead.

Day 9

 * Day 9's Hospital chore is to fully cure a plague victim within the Theatre, on behalf of the Changeling.


 * The Plague will appear again as an Executor on this day or Day 10, threatening to take all of the children on the Haruspex's list at once. The children of the town will largely be gathered on the Polyhedron's steps, including most of the Haruspex's list, as it serves as an isolation ward.


 * On Day 9, the Haruspex will be allowed to enter the Abattoir. While inside, he will be able to collect a limited number of vials of blood for his panacea. As he makes his way through the Abattoir, he will see Herb Brides dancing with the Plague as they are immune to its effects. Once the Haruspex reaches the main chamber, he will be told to jump into the pit in the middle. Below the Earth, he will find a living heart with the point of the Polyhedron mere metres away from piercing it. It is here he will discover that it was the Polyhedron that caused the Plague, as the disease is the manifestation of the Earth's pain. If the Haruspex is infected prior to speaking with the heart, then he will be cured of Plague.

Day 10

 * There is no Hospital chore on Day 10, however the Haruspex must still report there if he wants a reward from the Fund on Day 11. This marks the end of the Hospital.


 * On Day 10, all of the children on the Haruspex's list will become infected. If any of the children were already infected, they will instead roll for death. There is no more hospital duty as the hospital has been shut down with no one left to save.

Day 11

 * On Day 11, the Haruspex is able to choose how he would like to end the epidemic. He is able to destroy the Polyhedron and rip the spike from the ground, allowing enough living blood to emerge to make panacea to save the rest of the Town, and destroying the Plague and the Earth in the process. This will lead to the Diurnal Ending on Day 12. He may also choose to allow the Plague to continue, retaining the Earth and its miracles, but many townspeople will be forced to leave. This will lead to the Nocturnal Ending on Day 12.

Plague Clouds
Plague clouds are gaseous grey masses that appear in infected districts. They often appear to contain screaming faces. Some plague clouds are stationary, positioned at choke points and in common walkways of the infected districts. Others will chase the player in a straight line through districts. They can be viewed through the Plaguefinder. The clouds can also be found in infected houses, where they are more mobile and will follow the player.

Unless the player's immunity or protection is high, walking through a plague cloud will cause infection.

Plague Angels
Plague "angels" are red apparitions, similar to clouds, that resemble the embrace of an infected person if allowed to approach. They will chase the player through infected districts, though they may stop if the player does. These apparitions will not be found indoors.

Infected air
The air in infected districts contains black flakes, and is considered by the townsfolk to resemble soot or a miasma. This air causes a constant tick down of immunity that persists throughout a district, only stopping indoors.

Plague Clouds
Plague clouds are masses of the black flakes found in infected districts, closely grouped together. Their stationary form can be found at choke points around town or indoors, such as gates and stairways. They can also be found moving around indoors and outdoors along set paths, such as corridors or roads. Stationary clouds can be dispersed using the lantern, if the player has a match.

Plague clouds can also be hidden inside drawers or corpses, and will disperse when opened. They will also occasionally spawn and chase the player.

Being hit by a plague cloud causes a rapid decrease in the player's immunity.

Murky's Friend
An executor appears to the Haruspex on returning to the Lair on Day 4, after visiting Notkin the same day, following his creation of the first antibiotics from infected organs, when brewing the first Panacea, and upon waking from sleep taken any time after 07:30 on Day 9. It is initially referred to as ???. Following Murky's quest on Day 6, it is named.

This aspect of the Plague cannot hurt the Haruspex directly, but instead taunts him and the player. It also offers a unique insight into the workings of the Plague, supporting the argument that it is a sentient being.

Death's Face
During the 'House of Death' quest, an apparition of a skull-like face appears on the walls of the house. The Haruspex can light candles to chase it away. Death's Face will damage immunity if not combated successfully. By looking at Death's Face it can be halted momentarily, allowing the Haruspex to move through the house.

The Executor
The Executor appears at the beginning of Pathologic: The Marble Nest, and reappears on the conclusion of every subsequent day. This beakhead attempts to encourage the Bachelor to accept death. Should the Bachelor die within the Marble Nest, the Executor will admonish him for dying improperly and force the player to return to their last save point.

Plague Clouds
As in Pathologic 2, clouds are present in Pathologic: The Marble Nest. They appear in the evening.

Death's Face
Death's face also makes an appearance in one of the Bridge Square houses. The Bachelor is given advice on how to counteract the Face, and to defeat it. Upon hearing the sound that indicates it is nearby, facing the Face can freeze it for a short time, allowing the player to move past it. The Face will follow the player through the house, appearing on the walls of each room. To escape entirely from the face requires finding a key to enter a locked room within the house, finding 'himself' within the room.

Gallery
Pathologic 2=

Official Art
Pathologic 2=