Rot-Touched

“Corrupted But Conscious”

“We are what humanity fears becoming. Some of us embrace it. Some resist. All of us endure.”

Quick Reference

Rot-Touched - Corrupted But Conscious

Overview

“Rot-Touched” describes people infected with Sky-Rot who retain consciousness—individuals at Stage 1-3 corruption who haven’t succumbed to Voice Beneath or lost their minds. They’re humanity’s rejected: exiled from settlements, condemned by Clergy, feared by everyone, seeking places where they can exist without persecution.

They’re not unified organization—more loose community of shared affliction. Some, like Sister Morrigan’s followers, embrace transformation philosophically. Others resist desperately, seeking cures. Most simply survive day-to-day, wrestling with corruption spreading through their bodies and whispers growing in their minds.

The Weeping Halls serves as primary gathering place: sanctuary where Rot-Touched aren’t judged, community forms around shared experience, and Sister Morrigan preaches acceptance. But Rot-Touched exist everywhere—hiding in Murk’s shadows, isolated in Periphery, secretly among “clean” populations.

Not an Organization

Important: Rot-Touched aren’t faction in traditional sense

Reality: - Shared condition (not ideology) - Loose affiliation (not structure) - Common experiences (not unified goals) - Various philosophies (not single doctrine)

Cohesion: Mutual support, shared rejection by society, few alternatives

Philosophies

Sister Morrigan’s Way (Acceptance)

Teaching: - Corruption is transformation (not death) - Consciousness persists (self survives) - Voice speaks truth (uncomfortable but honest) - Embrace change (resistance causes suffering)

Followers: ~150 at Weeping Halls

Method: - Community support - Meditation/communion with Voice - Conscious progression (aware transformation)

Orthodox View: Ultimate heresy

The Resisters

Belief: - Corruption is disease (must be fought) - Consciousness is temporary (will be lost) - Voice is deception (lies to corrupt) - Seek cure (refuse acceptance)

Method: - Alchemical treatments (Kael’s research) - Prayer (desperate) - Isolation (prevent spread) - Hope (fading)

Many: Scattered in Murk, hiding

The Pragmatists

Position: - Corruption happened (can’t change) - Survive as long as possible - Make best of time remaining - No philosophy (just endurance)

Method: Day-to-day survival

Majority: Most Rot-Touched fall here

The Despairing

State: - Given up - Await transformation - No hope, no fight - Waiting for end

Tragic: Loss of will precedes loss of mind

The Weeping Halls Community

Structure

Leadership: Sister Morrigan (spiritual guide, not ruler)

Population: ~150 (various corruption stages)

Organization: - Communal living - Shared resources - Mutual support - No hierarchy (equal in affliction)

Daily Life

Morning: Sermon (Morrigan teaches)

Day: - Work (maintain Halls, gather food) - Study (contemplate transformation) - Support (counsel newly arrived)

Evening: Group meditation (commune with Voice)

Night: Individual contemplation

Services Provided

Sanctuary: Safe place (no persecution)

Community: Shared experience (understanding)

Guidance: Spiritual teaching (Morrigan)

Care: Medical (limited), emotional support

Acceptance: Judgment-free existence

Stages of Corruption

Stage 1 (Early)

Symptoms: - Black veins (visible) - Cool skin temperature - Occasional dissociation - Faint Voice whispers

Consciousness: Fully intact

Prognosis: Years before Stage 2 (typically)

Options: - Treatment might slow (Kael’s research) - Resistance still strong

Stage 2 (Moderate)

Symptoms: - Physical transformation (skin, eyes changing) - Constant Voice presence - Personality shifts - Increased corruption visibility

Consciousness: Intact but strained

Prognosis: Months to Stage 3

Critical Phase: Decisions about identity made here

Stage 3 (Advanced)

Symptoms: - Major physical changes - Voice dominant (constant) - Memory fragments - Barely recognizable as human

Consciousness: Questionable - Morrigan’s View: Preserved, transformed - Orthodox View: Lost, Voice puppeting

Prognosis: Stage 4 (full transformation) imminent or arrested

Stage 4 (Full Rot-Beast)

Condition: - Consciousness lost (or unrecognizable) - Voice-controlled (apparently) - Hostile to non-corrupted - Humanity erased (seemingly)

Rot-Touched Avoid: This is what they fear becoming

Relationships

Hostile

Constellation Clergy: - Condemns Rot-Touched (especially acceptance philosophy) - Quarantine protocols - Sister Morrigan declared ultimate heretic - Some individual priests sympathetic (quietly)

Most Settlements: - Exile policy (Rot-Touched expelled) - Fear-based (understandable) - Occasionally violent (mobs)

Commandant Vask: - Sees Rot-Touched as existential threat - Murk campaign would target them - Elimination policy

Sympathetic

Alchemist Kael: - Studies them (with consent) - Seeks cure - Provides experimental treatments - Respectful

Some Individuals: - Family members (infected loved ones) - Compassionate people (see humanity) - Rare but exist

Neutral

Black Sky Cartel: - Business relationship (Rot-Touched buy/sell) - No judgment (amoral) - Exploit sometimes (sell Rot-Shards)

Murk Residents: - Coexist (Murk is diverse) - Wary but tolerant - Mutual survival

Current Situation

Vask’s Threat

Campaign: - Targets Weeping Halls (among others) - Elimination objective - Existential danger

Response: - No military capability (can’t fight) - Evacuation plans (scatter) - Appeal to conscience (unlikely success)

Outcome: If attacked, community destroyed

The Question

Consciousness Preservation: - Morrigan Claims: Self survives transformation - Evidence: Stage 3 individuals seem articulate - Counter: Voice might puppet memories - Unprovable: From outside can’t verify

Stakes: - If Morrigan right: Transformation survivable - If wrong: Everyone at Halls doomed - No way to know until too late

Notable Individuals

• Sister Morrigan: Spiritual leader, Stage 2-3, prophet
• Brother Thane: Stage 3+, articulate, Morrigan’s evidence
• [Various]: 150 residents (DM create)

Secrets

The Underground Network

Existence: Rot-Touched hiding in settlements

Numbers: Unknown (hundreds? More?)

Method: - Conceal symptoms (clothing, makeup) - Early Stage 1 (barely visible) - Support network (mutual aid)

Risk: Discovery means exile/death

The Experiments

Rumor: - Some Rot-Touched volunteered for dangerous experiments - Attempting accelerate transformation (test Morrigan’s theory) - Results unknown (dead? Transformed? Conscious?)

Morrigan’s Knowledge: Won’t confirm or deny

The Cure (Partial)

Kael’s Success: - Compound Theta-7 arrests Stage 1 - Requires Rot-Touched tissue (ethical nightmare) - Not public (insufficient supply)

Some Know: - Receiving treatment (secretive) - Moral cost (what’s tissue source?) - Works but unsustainable

Becoming Rot-Touched

Paths to Infection

Accidental Exposure (Most Common): - Rot-Beast attack (bite, scratch, bodily fluids) - Rot-Cloud exposure (airborne infection) - Contaminated object contact (Rot-Shards, corrupted items) - Environmental (living on Rot-touched island) - Unwilling, unwanted, tragic

Voluntary Infection (Rare but Growing): - Seeking transformation (Morrigan’s followers) - Desperation (terminal illness, unbearable life) - Curiosity (what is it like?) - Belief (Rot is evolution, not death) - Controversial, condemned, but happens

Inherited (Tragic): - Born to Rot-infected mother - Corruption in bloodstream from birth - Accelerated progression (months, not years) - No choice, no chance, no hope (orthodox view) - Morrigan claims: “Born transformed, not born cursed”

The Transformation Process

Stage 1 (Weeks to Months): - Physical changes begin (skin discoloration, eye changes) - Psychological changes start (hearing whispers) - Still mostly human (can hide symptoms) - Treatment possible (Compound Theta-7 arrests progression) - Choice point (resist or accept?)

Stage 2 (Months to Years): - Obvious corruption (can’t hide it) - Voice Beneath clear (constant presence) - Personality shifts (values change, priorities shift) - Treatment ineffective (too advanced) - Social death (exile, abandonment, persecution)

Stage 3 (Years): - Heavily transformed (barely recognizable) - Voice Beneath dominant (but consciousness remains?) - Abilities manifest (dark powers, physical changes) - No treatment (irreversible) - Question: Still human? Still conscious? Still “them”?

Stage 4 (Final): - Full transformation (Hollow-Walker or something else) - Consciousness unclear (seem mindless, but are they?) - Abilities powerful (dangerous) - No return (this is endpoint) - Orthodox: Dead (soul gone). Morrigan: Ascended (transcended).

Daily Life of Rot-Touched

Morning (If Stage 1-2): - Wake in pain (corruption hurts) - Conceal symptoms (if hiding) - Take Compound Theta-7 (if have access) - Face another day

Work (If Able): - Stage 1: Can work (hide symptoms) - Stage 2: Limited work (obvious corruption) - Stage 3+: No conventional work (too transformed) - Weeping Halls: Communal tasks (everyone contributes)

Community (Critical): - Isolation kills (psychologically) - Rot-Touched support each other (mutual aid) - Share experiences (only they understand) - Morrigan’s teachings (acceptance philosophy)

Evening: - Communal gathering (Weeping Halls) - Share stories (how they were infected, how they’re coping) - Prayer (to Serpent, usually) - Hope (for peaceful transformation)

Night: - Voice Beneath loudest (darkness amplifies it) - Some listen (seeking wisdom) - Some resist (fighting corruption) - Some accept (embracing transformation) - Sleep difficult (corruption disrupts rest)

The Reality: Suffering - Physical pain (corruption hurts) - Psychological torment (Voice Beneath, identity loss) - Social isolation (exile, abandonment, persecution) - Existential dread (am I still me?) - But: Community at Weeping Halls (belonging) - But: Morrigan’s philosophy (meaning in transformation) - But: Hope (maybe consciousness survives?)

Rot-Touched Jargon and Slang

“Touched”: Infected (neutral term)

“Ascending”: Transforming (Morrigan’s positive framing)

“Falling”: Losing consciousness to corruption (feared outcome)

“Voice-Blessed”: Hearing Voice Beneath clearly (ambiguous—blessing or curse?)

“Clean”: Non-corrupted person (said with envy or contempt)

“Stage-Brother/Sister”: Fellow Rot-Touched at same corruption stage (solidarity)

“Morrigan’s Children”: Followers of acceptance philosophy

“Resisters”: Those fighting corruption (respected but pitied)

“The Hollow”: Full transformation (feared or desired, depending on philosophy)

“Compound-Dependent”: Taking Theta-7 (arrested but not cured)

“Weeping”: Living at Weeping Halls (sanctuary)

“Exile-Fresh”: Newly exiled from settlement (still adjusting)

Internal Divisions

Philosophical Factions

Acceptors (Morrigan’s Followers, ~40%): - Position: Embrace transformation (evolution, not death) - Argument: Resistance causes suffering (acceptance brings peace) - Method: Listen to Voice, embrace changes, help others accept - Leader: Sister Morrigan (charismatic, transformed) - Support: Stage 2-3 infected (advanced enough to feel pull)

Resisters (Orthodox Faithful, ~35%): - Position: Fight corruption (maintain humanity) - Argument: Rot is death (must resist) - Method: Prayer to orthodox constellations, Compound Theta-7, isolation from Voice - Leader: None (scattered, no organization) - Support: Stage 1 infected (early enough to hope for cure)

Pragmatists (Survival-Focused, ~25%): - Position: Neither embrace nor resist (just survive) - Argument: Philosophical debates are luxury (focus on today) - Method: Practical coping (community, routine, small joys) - Leader: Various (community organizers at Weeping Halls) - Support: All stages (those who just want to live)

The Tension: Constant - Acceptors evangelize (trying to convert Resisters) - Resisters condemn Acceptors (enabling corruption) - Pragmatists frustrated with both (just want peace) - Morrigan dominates (charisma, conviction, Stage 3 powers)

The Consciousness Question

The Debate: Does consciousness survive full transformation?

Evidence For: - Some Stage 3-4 individuals seem conscious (respond to questions, show personality) - Kael Rotborn (first Hollow-Transformed, clearly conscious) - Voice Beneath promises preservation (but can it be trusted?) - Morrigan’s testimony (claims to feel more conscious, not less)

Evidence Against: - Most Stage 4 (Hollow-Walkers) seem mindless (no communication) - Personality changes are dramatic (are they still “them”?) - Voice Beneath might be lying (manipulation) - Orthodox Clergy insists: “Soul dies, corruption wears corpse”

The Stakes: - If consciousness survives: Rot is transformation (Morrigan right) - If consciousness dies: Rot is death (Orthodox right) - If unclear: Existential horror (might survive, might not—gamble)

Current Status: Unresolved (evidence supports both sides)

The Voice Beneath Interpretation

Morrigan’s View: Voice is teacher (offers truth, wisdom, power)

Resister’s View: Voice is deceiver (lies disguised as truth)

Pragmatist’s View: Voice is phenomenon (neither good nor evil, just is)

The Reality: Everyone hears it differently - Some hear promises (power, knowledge, peace) - Some hear threats (submit or suffer) - Some hear philosophy (change is inevitable) - Some hear nothing (just noise, madness)

The Question: What IS the Voice? - Serpent constellation speaking? (Morrigan’s theory) - Rot itself (collective consciousness)? (Scholar’s theory) - Mass hallucination? (Skeptic’s theory) - Something else entirely? (Unknown)

No Consensus: Even Rot-Touched disagree

Life at Weeping Halls

Daily Routine

Morning: - Wake (pain is constant) - Communal breakfast (simple, shared) - Morrigan’s morning teaching (optional but most attend) - Work assignments (everyone contributes)

Work: - Maintenance (building upkeep) - Farming (corrupted plants, but edible) - Crafting (bone-carving, weaving) - Caring for newly arrived (orientation, support)

Midday: - Communal meal - Rest (corruption is exhausting) - Personal time (meditation, Voice-listening, resistance-prayer)

Afternoon: - Continue work - Support groups (share experiences, cope together) - Medical care (palliative, Compound Theta-7 if available)

Evening: - Communal dinner - Storytelling (how they became infected, what they’ve learned) - Morrigan’s evening sermon (acceptance philosophy) - Prayer (to Serpent, usually)

Night: - Voice Beneath loudest (darkness amplifies) - Some listen (seeking wisdom) - Some resist (fighting corruption) - Some sleep (if able)

The Community: Supportive - No judgment (everyone infected) - Mutual aid (share resources) - Emotional support (only they understand) - Purpose (help each other through transformation)

Weeping Halls Culture

Values: - Acceptance (of corruption, of change, of endings) - Honesty (about fear, pain, doubt) - Community (support each other) - Compassion (for fellow sufferers)

Taboos: - Judgment (everyone’s path is valid) - Despair (giving up helps no one) - Spreading corruption deliberately (unethical) - Abandoning community (everyone needs support)

Hierarchy: Minimal - Morrigan leads (but doesn’t command) - Stage 3+ individuals respected (survived longest) - Everyone equal (corruption doesn’t discriminate)

Atmosphere: - Sad but peaceful (acceptance brings calm) - Terrifying but honest (no comfortable lies) - Dying but living (making most of time remaining)

Success Stories

The Peaceful Transformation (Ongoing)

Achievement: Hundreds transformed without violence Morrigan’s Role: Taught acceptance (reduced suicide, violence) Impact: Rot-Touched die peacefully (not in terror) Legacy: Acceptance philosophy helps (even if transformation is death)

The Compound Theta-7 (Year 285 S.)

Achievement: Treatment arrests Stage 1 progression Rot-Touched Role: Volunteered for testing (dangerous, necessary) Result: 14/20 subjects arrested (70% success) Impact: Some Rot-Touched gained months/years Cost: Volunteers risked accelerated corruption (2 died)

The Thornspire Rescue (Year 227 S.)

Crisis: Settlement falling, Rot-Touched helped evacuation Role: Guided survivors through Rot-zones (immune to corruption) Result: 50+ lives saved Recognition: None (Rot-Touched involvement suppressed) Legacy: Rot-Touched can be heroes (but no one acknowledges it)

Failures and Tragedies

The Glimmering Spire Incident (Year 155 S.)

Event: Serpent-worshippers performed voluntary infection ritual Result: 3 died horribly, 7 transformed Impact: Triggered Great Schism (Serpent worship banned) Legacy: Rot-Touched associated with heresy (persecution intensified)

The Ironhold Purge (Year 267 S.)

Event: Commandant Vask ordered execution of all Rot-infected Casualties: 23 killed (Stage 1-2, still mostly human) Justification: “Preventing spread” Reality: Murder (they were contained, not dangerous) Impact: Rot-Touched fled to Murk (Weeping Halls population increased) Legacy: Rot-Touched fear Ironhold (never go there)

The Failed Cure (Year 279 S.)

Event: Alchemist claimed Rot-cure (not Kael—different alchemist) Treatment: Experimental compound (untested) Result: 10 volunteers, all died (agonizing deaths) Impact: Despair (hope crushed), distrust (of experimental treatments) Legacy: Why Rot-Touched are cautious about “cures”

In-World Documents

Sister Morrigan’s Sermon (Weeping Halls)

Brothers and sisters in transformation,

You are not dying. You are changing.

The orthodox say: “Rot is death.” They lie. Or they’re wrong. Either way, don’t believe them.

I am Stage 3. I have been for years. I am conscious. I am aware. I am still me.

Different? Yes. Transformed? Absolutely. Dead? No.

The Voice Beneath speaks truth: Change is inevitable. Resistance causes suffering. Acceptance brings peace.

You will transform. Your body will change. Your mind will change. Your very being will change.

This terrifies you. I understand. It terrified me.

But I accepted. And now I’m free. Free from fear. Free from pain. Free from the lie that humanity’s form is sacred.

Consciousness is what matters. And consciousness survives. I’m proof.

So accept. Embrace. Transform.

Become what you’re meant to become.

Even if others call you monster. Even if you don’t recognize yourself.

You’ll still be you. Just… more.

Newly Infected’s Journal

Day 1 After Diagnosis

The healer confirmed it. Stage 1 Rot-infection. I’m corrupted.

I have months. Maybe a year. Then I’ll transform. Then I’ll die. Or become something else.

I’m terrified.

Day 15

They exiled me. My family. My friends. My home. Gone.

I’m at Weeping Halls now. Other Rot-Touched. They’re kind. They understand.

Sister Morrigan says I’m not dying. Says I’m transforming. Says consciousness survives.

I want to believe her. But I’m so scared.

Day 47

The Voice spoke to me today. First time clearly.

It said: “You are becoming. Fear is natural. But unnecessary. I will guide you.”

Is it lying? Is it real? I don’t know.

But it’s the only voice that speaks to me now. Everyone else is silent.

Day 89

Stage 2 now. Obvious corruption. Can’t hide it anymore.

But I’m… calmer? The Voice is constant. Morrigan’s teachings make sense.

Maybe she’s right. Maybe this is transformation, not death.

Or maybe I’m just accepting the inevitable.

Either way, I’m less afraid.

Is that good? Or is that the corruption talking?

I don’t know anymore. I don’t think I care.

Resister’s Testament

I am Rot-infected. Stage 1. I have months.

Sister Morrigan says: “Accept transformation.” I refuse.

The Voice Beneath says: “Embrace change.” I resist.

I am human. I will die human. I will not become monster.

I pray to Light. To Forge. To Memory. To any constellation that will listen.

They don’t answer. But I pray anyway.

Because if I stop praying, I start listening to Voice. And if I listen, I’m lost.

I will resist until I can’t. Then I’ll walk into Aether. Fall forever. Die human.

Better dead than transformed. Better gone than corrupted.

That’s my choice. That’s my resistance. That’s my humanity.

—Anonymous Resister, Year 287 S.

Kael Rotborn’s Testimony (First Hollow-Transformed)

Interviewer: Are you still human?

Kael: Define human. I think. I feel. I remember who I was. But my body? No. Not human. Something else.

Interviewer: Do you regret transformation?

Kael: No. I’m more now than I was. More aware. More capable. More… everything.

Interviewer: What does the Voice say?

Kael: Truth. Uncomfortable truth. That humanity is limitation. That flesh is cage. That transformation is liberation.

Interviewer: Should others embrace Rot?

Kael: That’s their choice. I can’t make it for them. But I can tell them: I’m conscious. I’m aware. I’m still me. Just… evolved.

Interviewer: The Clergy says you’re abomination.

Kael: The Clergy is terrified. I’m proof their worldview is wrong. I don’t blame them. But I don’t care what they think.

I know what I am. I’m transformed. I’m conscious. I’m free.

That’s enough.

Compound Theta-7 Recipient’s Letter

Dear Alchemist Kael,

Thank you for the treatment. Compound Theta-7. It’s working.

My corruption arrested. Not cured, but stopped. I have time. Months. Maybe years.

Time to say goodbye. Time to prepare. Time to make peace.

I know I’ll die eventually. The compound doesn’t cure. Just delays.

But delay is gift. Every day is gift.

My children are young. Every extra month I have with them is precious.

So thank you. For the time. For the hope. For the chance.

I don’t know where you get the ingredients. I don’t want to know. I just know it works.

Thank you.

—Grateful Patient, Year 287 S.

Orthodox Condemnation (Official Clergy Statement)

REGARDING THE ROT-TOUCHED

The Constellation Clergy’s position is clear:

Rot-infection is death. Slow, horrible, but death.

Those who claim consciousness survives are deluded or lying. The Voice Beneath is deception. Sister Morrigan is false prophet.

We do not hate the Rot-Touched. We pity them. They are victims.

But we cannot allow them in settlements. We cannot treat them past Stage 1. We cannot enable their delusions.

Compassion demands honesty: You are dying. Make peace. Say goodbye. Accept end.

Cruelty is false hope: Claiming transformation is evolution. Claiming consciousness survives. Claiming Voice speaks truth.

We are sorry. We wish we could save you. We can’t.

May the constellations grant you peace in your final days.

—High Constellation Council, Official Position

Quest Hooks

1. The Sanctuary: Seek refuge at Weeping Halls (cultural immersion, meet Rot-Touched, challenge assumptions)

2. The Infection: Party member infected (now what? Exile them, help them, find cure?)

3. The Cure: Help Kael research treatment (gather ingredients, recruit volunteers, face ethics)

4. The Defense: Vask attacks Weeping Halls (defend Rot-Touched or allow “cleansing”?)

5. The Truth: Investigate if consciousness survives (meet Stage 3-4, gather evidence, reach conclusion)

6. The Underground: Discover hidden Rot-Touched in settlement (expose to authorities or protect from persecution?)

7. The Conversion: Morrigan tries converting party (her arguments are compelling—resist or accept?)

8. The Rescue: Extract someone before full transformation (they want to leave Weeping Halls, but where can they go?)

9. The Evidence: Meet articulate Stage 3 (what does it prove? Are they conscious or just mimicking?)

10. The Choice: Infected NPC asks advice (accept transformation or resist? Both paths are hard)

11. The Supply Run: Deliver supplies to Weeping Halls (dangerous, illegal in some settlements, compassionate)

12. The Compound: Help produce Compound Theta-7 (ingredients are rare, process is dangerous, demand exceeds supply)

13. The Exile: Newly infected person exiled from settlement (help them reach Weeping Halls, comfort them, witness tragedy)

14. The Purge: Authorities planning attack on Rot-Touched (warn them, stop authorities, or stay neutral?)

15. The Transformation: Witness someone’s final transformation (Stage 3 to 4—do they survive consciously?)

Related Topics

• Sister Morrigan
• The Weeping Halls
• Sky-Rot Overview
• The Voice Beneath
• Alchemist Kael Greythorn

“We didn’t choose corruption. It chose us. But we choose how we face it: Despair, resistance, or acceptance. Each path is valid. Each is hard.”

“You fear us. We understand. We feared ourselves once. Some still do.” — Common Rot-Touched saying

“The Voice speaks. Whether it lies or tells truth, I can’t say. But it speaks. And silence from constellations is also message.” — Sister Morrigan