In the same way the immune system might prompt a rash when battling a virus, blights are the body’s response to being infected with a Vice. Blights are influenced by the Vice’s exhibition and can be a valuable insight into changes in Vice activity.
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Simply speaking, blights are the side effect of being infected with a Vice. Different kinds of blights are triggered by different parameters, and by extension, communicate different information. Understanding these differences can provide valuable insight into a Vice’s activity or status, especially if a patient is self-treating.
Blights tend to mimic the Vice’s exhibition. For example, if a Vice's exhibition is covered in scales and exudes electricity, the Host is likely to have a couple patches of scales on their arms or face and lightly shock others when touching. If the Host progresses to a more severe status or the Vice is more mature, the Host might have their entire upper body covered in scales and have uncontrollable bouts of electric pulses.
When discussing the impact of blights, it is important to also include the duration of the condition, as acute and chronic blights signal different Vice behavior to a Blight Specialist or Vice Management Administrator. Acute blights are sudden, drastic changes in size, number or surface area, including the onset of new blights. Chronic blights tend to be less severe, and refer to those that have remained visible for over 6 months, despite fluctuations in Vice activity. Acute blights indicate a sudden change in Vice behavior, such as Branch initiation or a reroute in resources, while chronic blights suggest a mature Vice has a well-established network.
Blights can be split into four categories: expulsion, drape, extrusion, and pseudo. These categories give insight to the Vice’s activity and status, which guides Vice Management Administrators and Blight Specialists in making treatment decisions.
As the name suggests, expulsion blights originate from the Vice core and are expelled by the Host through the mouth, nose, ears, or pores. A Host typically only has one kind of expulsion blight for the entirety of a Vice’s life cycle. Expulsion blights are the only type visible during the larval stage, and are consequently the first blight that manifests as a result of Vice activity.
Because of their proximity to the core, expulsion blights exhibit drastic increases in output in response to any changes from the core. These changes include augmentation, Branch initiation, and even a redirection of resources—in either direction—between the core and an established rumen. Additionally, expulsion blights caused by a Delta Vice can signal the act of shedding, wherein the Vice pinches off a facet of its core containing part of its Branch Policy.
Examples of expulsion blights include smoke, static, and acid. Those that mimic dangerous or harmful substances do not harm the Host, but can harm others on contact. Not all Vices trigger expulsion blights, making this type more uncommon compared to other blights. Due to their prioritization of augmentation, expulsion blights are more commonly associated with aggressive Vices of a lower threat level. Expulsion blights are almost always acute and communicate sudden changes in core activity.
Drape blights lay close to the skin, rarely straying far from the Host’s body. These blights begin, and often stay, in localized patches across the skin and are sometimes considered a sort of “heat map” of the Vice’s network. Collections of tracks found in junctions like shoulders and knees tend to contain dense concentrations of VG, triggering the production of these drape blights. In severe cases, they have been known to nearly cover a Host’s entire body.
When agitated, drape blights are itchy, prompting many to pick at these patches. These blights can be removed from the skin, but often leave behind welts and lesions that can easily become infected if not properly cared for.
Examples most commonly include fur, scales, and feathers; though, some Hosts have noted unconventional presentation of these features, such as velvety scales or leathery patches lined with fur. Drape blights are more often observed in Vices with a higher threat level, likely due to the Vice’s established network. Agitated drape blights suggests germination progress and tend to be chronic as a result of the ever-present network.
Extrusion blights are unnatural extensions of a Host’s body, typically originating and extruding from existing bone or deep within tissues. Extrusion blights from bone are stationery, while those that originate from tissues are able to be manipulated and articulated. These are the most commonly observed blights and have been known to present in many different ways, Hosts often being inflicted with multiple extrusion blights at a time.
The larger and further away from the body an extrusion blight is, the more sensitive or painful the base becomes due to strain. Extrusion blights are often heavy, dense, and uncomfortable, and larger blights often drive Hosts to seek treatment. Examples of smaller extrusion blights are fangs, blunt horns, and claws, while larger, more painful extrusion blights can be tails, long horns, or spikes down the spine.
Many Vice Management Administrators and Blight Specialists measure the growth of these blights as a quick, non-invasive indicator of the Vice’s progress, as larger, more prominent extrusion blights directly correlate with increased core size. Because of this, comatose Hosts are typically overwhelmed by their extrusion blights, resulting in a deep-seated pain that resonates throughout the body. Smaller extrusion blights tend to be chronic, while sudden growth is typically acute. During Branches, extrusion blights are often agitated and can grow quite quickly, but after the Branch has been committed, they tend to shrink back to their size pre-initiation.
While they are extensions of the Host’s body, extrusion blights also tend to be quite dense with VG, some going so far as to have a faint black mist hanging around them. Extrusion blights are essentially “pockets” of VG that have been deposited by the network, which are agitated by the rush of VG during Branches. The wide distribution of VG during Branches often aids in contributing VG to these pockets, which exacerbate their growth.
Pseudo blights are lingering blights that remain even after a Vice has been rescinded. These blights are often the result of more mature Vices that put a strain on the Host’s immune system and have left traces of its network behind; though, they can also be the result of a reformed Vice due to the VG and fragments of the Vice’s core are scattered throughout the Host’s body.
While pseudo blights can be any of the types listed above, drape blights tend to be the most common, as the denser collections of tracks found in the shoulders and knees when the network is active are the fragments most commonly left behind after rescission. These blights are typically more brittle and only manifest in scattered patches, rather than dense swaths of scales and feathers. These blights can easily be removed from the skin and are less likely to leave lesions when doing so.
After the Host has been cleared, the immune system and hormone levels can take roughly a month to equalize as it works to address any remaining traces of the Vice. Liminal Hosts are likely to deal with blights for the duration of their reformed Vice’s lifespan, which lasts typically no more than a year.
Some blights have deviated from the expected behavior and documented manifestation. Features that drastically alter a Host’s anatomy have been reported, such as eyes sprouting down a Host’s arm or the creation of additional limbs. While extrusion blights can extend tissue and bone, articulation is relatively rare, with the exception of tails. Other documented anomalies include wings, the addition of joints, and extensions of the spine. Blight anomalies tend to affect the Host’s musculoskeletal system the most, though some soft tissue anomalies have been reported as well. Soft tissue anomalies include armor-like hardening, gaping maws, and gangrenous welts. Blight anomalies tend to be quite painful and can be expected to linger as pseudo blights after rescission.
These anomalies are typically only observed in comatose Hosts, though less aggressive versions have been noted in stable Hosts infected with Zeta and Omega Vices. Anomalies can be acute or chronic and range anywhere from moderately uncomfortable to debilitating. The manifestation of these blights tends to suggest extremely mature Vices with highly established networks. Rescission is highly recommended if a Host is manifesting blight anomalies.
While these blights are still considered anomalies, many can also be further classified into the categories explored above. Most soft tissue anomalies can be categorized as drape blights, while musculoskeletal changes are often extrusion blights.
Excessive blights can be treated with Suppressants or AV Shots in repeated blight management sessions, typically administered by a Blight Specialist. Though, it is important to keep in mind that the manifestation of blights is a way in which our bodies communicate with us, and excessive blights are often indicative of an underlying issue. Some bodies are simply more reactive to VG, however, and these treatments can provide relief by taming these exorbitant symptoms.
Cleared and liminal Hosts are also likely to pursue treatment for their psuedo blights. In the case of liminal Hosts, a Blight Specialist will likely prescribe a single dose of Suppressants to provide relief for lingering blights without impacting the remaining core; whereas, cleared Hosts can benefit from AV Shots and AV enhancement therapies to break up any remaining network fragments.
Learn more about these and other available treatments in Services: Primary Care.