001 | video

[oracledriven]

[Alright. This isn't something he normally does, but everyone else has been so quiet about it that it's starting to drive him a little nuts. So in the true form of someone who can't keep their mouth shut— here's Noel.]

Okay, so. Who else stayed in town when people went out to the desert? I can't be the only one who noticed the people in town acting strange, right?

[He frowns a little, thoughtfully crossing his arms over his chest.] It was like they couldn't figure out what to do with themselves, but even when I ask them what happened, they look at me like I'm crazy. [Which he's not. Right??] Like they don't even remember it happening.

Anyone else notice anything strange happening back then? And for everyone who went out to the desert— anything strange happen with people out there? Anything see anything like that happen since you got back?

[He's about to cut it there, no introduction, no nothing, but he pauses to add:] Thanks.

Comments

[murderingjustice]

Interesting.

I'm sure you've heard of it already but at the desert we faced adversaries of our own. I believe what we were dealing with beings who were once people. They had been affected by a similar ailments as some of us did a few months ago when the brands began to appear.

It seemed like there were two stages, those who's infection hadn't proceeded far and those who had been completely overtaken by it. At first the former group were harmless but once the others appeared they turned hostile -- as if they were suddenly controlled by something. We were able to 'cure' the former group by reuniting them with their previous lives through items.

I wonder if these events are linked.

[oracledriven]

i heard about that, yeah. you think they were once people? after they were...'cured,' did they turn back into normal people?

the 'second stage,' did they seem like they used to be people too?

hard to say whether they're related, but it sounds like those things were definitely linked with something. if they had the same types of markings as we got, i think there has to be a link

[murderingjustice]

More or less. After getting rid of their ailment they did seem to return back to their sense, however with a little to no memory of their previous lives.

But yes, if my hypothesis is correct then these creatures were once the same. Some kind of humans. And the 'infections', with the lack of better words, has several different stages. So, far I'd say that there are of three.

1. Brands appear. A sign of an infection.
2. The activation of the ailment. In this stage the infection has most likely reached the bearer's brain.
3. Mutation. The end, bearer of the brand loses the sight of themselves and are completely beyond the salvation.

Now, why it's the selfless acts and kindness that lifts the second stages' ailment is still something I have not figured out.

[LOOK HOW HAPPY HE IS TO BE ABLE NERD-OUT!!]

I wonder. Could it be that the locals in Aldrip are also infected with something similar to than those with brands? It could explain the sudden gaps in their memories.

[oracledriven]

no memories? that's worrying. makes me glad we figured out the brands before that stage could happen to anyone here.

[He's had enough of memory problems for one lifetime.]

... in my case, when someone committed a selfless act for my sake, it was more like a wake-up call. like a reminder that if i didn't do something about being controlled, someone i cared about was gonna get hurt. maybe being reminded of what it's like to be human made them want to get better enough to overcome it.

as for the locals, that could be the case. but why weren't any of them branded? why aren't any of them branded now?