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 has also been called Sand Plague, Sand Filth, Sand Ulcers, Sand Fever, Sand Pest, Sand Dirt. It is heavily implied that the Plague is sentient, which would explain the total powerlessness of science in the struggle against it.

=Description=

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.

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. The Bachelor's observations also confirm that the Plague is bacterial in origin.

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 inhabit the Crude Sprawl.

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.

Eventually, the Haruspex discovers that Isidor was the original carrier of the Plague, and he and Simon Kain made the choice to reintroduce the disease purposely. The Plague itself is a manifestation of the earth's pain from the damage wrought by the Polyhedron's construction. 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.

=Plot=

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 Crude Sprawl, 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.

Day 2 sees the Bachelor find up to two more vectors of infection.

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 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 5 the Changeling breaks quarantine in the Cathedral. She finds the people inside are healthy.

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.

Pathologic 2
=Gallery= Pathologic 2=

Official Art
= Notes =
 * In Pathologic 2, the Plague is voiced by Irina Kireeva in Russian. In English, it has two voice actors: Adam Wakeling and Jessica McIntyre.