Вирус вампиризма человека-метачеловека

В 2040-е мир получили новый "подарок": Вирус Вампиризма Человека-Метачеловека (Human-Metahuman Vampiric Virus) или ВВЧМЧ (HMHVV). Но он не давал жертвам возможность превращаться в волков и летучих мышей, как в сказках. Это ретровирус, существовавший всегда, но раскрывший свой полный потенциал лишь в Шестом Мире.

Симптомы и паталогия

Он убивал в клетках защищающие от радиации пигменты, прекращал производство красных кровяных телец, ускорял рост зубов и закупоривал пищеварительную систему. Жертвы, независимо от первоначального окраса, приобретали мёртво-серую плоть, им приходилось избегать солнца, у них вырастали клыки и появлялась жизненно-важная потребность в большом объёме свежей крови. И последняя, особо важная часть — они не получали бессмертия. Если ты повстречал в переулках пустошей приближающегося носферату, несколько пуль в правильное место его остановят.

Штаммы

Как и в случае с ВИТАСом, разные штаммы ВВЧМЧ трансформируют в различные виды псевдо-нежити, в том числе в гулей, баньши и тех, кого нет в легендах. С этим вирусом тёмные аллеи Шестого Мира стали ещё темнее.

Метатип	ВВЧМ I	ВВЧМ IА	ВВЧМ II	ВВЧМ III
Человек	Вампир	Носферату	Люп-гару	Гуль
Эльф	Баньши	неизвестно	Жнец
Дварф	Гоблин	неизвестно	Грызун
Орк	Вендиго	неизвестно	Грендель
Тролль	дзу-ну-ква	Матакуа	Фомораг
Саскватч	БармаглотБрандешмыг	неизвестно	неизвестно
Искусственное	Чупакабра	неизвестно	неизвестно
Коала	неизвестно	неизвестно	Падающий медведь

ВВМЧ I

Ghilani Vrykolakivididae, the primary strain, was isolated in 2034 by Dr. Emil Harz and Dr. Carla Greenbaum.

The “basic” form of the virus. It affects all forms of metahumanity, transforming the infected into various new paraspecies depending on their base stock. Despite these differences, all vampiric variants created by the base strain suffer from chronic essence loss. Current theories surmise that this condition is similar to the essence loss caused by the implantation of cyberware—in short, the discrepancy between the subject’s “natural” state and their current transformed state affects a being on some fundamental level that disrupts their body/spirit interaction. Though most admit this utterly fails to explain those infected by variant strains and who do not suffer from the condition.

Humans (and very rarely other metatypes) become vampires — they have many of the classic abilities and vulnerabilities, but are not necessarily limited by holy items. Dwarves (all variants) become goblins — a pack creature, much reduced in intellectual abilities. Elves (all variants) become banshees — a solitary, sentient hunter. Orks (all variants) become wendigos — they feed on human flesh and look like white Sasquatches. Trolls (all variants) become dzoo-noo-qua — a massive, deformed, burning-eyed hulk of a humanoid. Sasquatch become JabberwocksApocryphal Centaurs become Chirons Merrow become Nbiinaabe Naga become Lamias Only vampires and wendigos can infect others. Banshee, goblins, and dzoo-noo-qua, though created by the virus, do not pass the infection on to their victims.

ВВМЧ IА

Ghilani Vrykolakivididae-Dae Sanguissuga, aka the Bruckner-Langer strain, was isolated in 2046 by Dr. Wilhelm Bruckner and Dr. Günther Langer .

Though fatal to most metahuman subspecies, humans so infected express as Nosferatu vampires.

Recently, some small number of infected trolls have survived and expressed as mutaqua. It is not yet known if these cases are a mutation, or the result of experimentation.

In one instances, an infected elf survived and expressed as a Nosferatu. This was proven dependent on one particular and extremely-rare blood type found only in particular human and elf subtypes. The bloodtype itself also proves fatal in vitro to any infected dwarf, ork, or troll fetus.

ВВМЧ II

Ghilani Moneriviridae, aka the Jarka-Criscione strain, was isolated in 2039 by Dr. John Russell Jarka and Dr. Michelle Criscione . This strain was originally called Jarka-Criscione because it was only known to affect two metatypes; Jarka's Syndrome which created fomóraig from trolls, and Criscione Syndrome which created loup-garou from humans.[1]

In 2069 the first harvester was discovered in Houston. In 2070 the first grendel was discovered in Pittsburgh. In 2071 that first gnawer was discovered in Chicago.[2]

Another, and poorly-understood, variant of the retrovirus; HMHVV II is more common than HMHVV I and is most commonly spread from being bitten or scratched by a carrier. It can also be spread by unprotected contact with infected bodily fluids and an open wound.[3]

HMHVV II is the only known variant of the virus that is able to infect a non-metahuman species, that being the sasquatch .

Humans become loup-garous — similar to a werewolf. Dwarves (all variants) become gnawers. Elves (all variants) become harvesters. Orks (all variants) become grendels. Trolls (all variants) become fomóraig — known for being hairy rather than covered with bone deposits. Sasquatch become bandersnatchii — increasing the creature's already impressive size, destroying its intelligence and giving it a capability to camouflage itself by optically 'melting' into the surrounding terrain.

ВВМЧ III

Ghilani Wichtiviridae, aka the Krieger strain, was isolated in 2051 by Dr. Jeffrey Krieger .

The strain that creates ghouls. It is the most virulent form of HMHVV, and infection can be passed on through a bite, scratch, or even just touch if the target has open wounds. A Krieger infection can be passed on through contact with any bodily fluids from one already infected.

The Krieger strain has also been shown to possess geographically localized variants that create distinct ghoul sub-species such as the long-limbed sasabonsam of the African nation of Asamando.

HMHVV III can result in partial infection and requires no essence exchange between the infected and the carrier for the disease to be passed on. At first, these unique traits of the disease led to the mistaken conclusion that the ghoul transformation was a form of Goblinization—though that has since been disproven.

Regional variationsПравить HMHVV III has also been shown to possess geographically-localized variants that create distinct ghoul sub-species based not on metatype but on race:

IIIA Sasabonsam, long-limbed ghouls from Western Africa (Asamando) IIIB Busaw, ghouls allergic to citric acid from the Philippines. IIIC Gaki, from the Japanese archipelago.