In the Gilded Grave, the "Rust-Plague" is a common, terrifying reality of life. Most citizens view it as an environmental toxicity caused by living in the shadow of dead gods.
The Cause: General consensus is that the affliction is caused by prolonged exposure to Rust-Smog or "Bad Ichor" fumes.
The Contagion: It is not considered "catching" like a cold, but rather an accumulation of "internal rust" that eventually reaches a tipping point.
The Social Stigma: @The High-Aqueous Syndicate views the afflicted as "contaminants," banning anyone showing early symptoms from entering the purified air of @Titan Aquis.
Stages:
Stage 1
The Copper Tongue
A constant metallic taste in the mouth and orange tinting in the eyes. Often ignored by desperate miners as "part of the job".
Stage 2
The Clicking
Audible grinding or clicking in the joints during movement. The skin becomes grey and pitted like weathered iron.
Stage 3
Becoming Still
Total paralysis as the body converts into solid, rusted iron. These victims are moved to @The Silent Garden to keep the "bad luck" away from the settlements.
(SPOILERS):
The Ferrous Affliction is not a biological disease; it is a trans-dimensional predatory infection leaking from the G.O.D. unit as the planetary EMP field weakens. It is the process of an organic soul being overwritten by the static consciousness of the First Titan.
Here is the three-stage progression of the plague that fills@The Silent Garden.
🦠 The Ferrous Affliction: Stages of Petrification
Stage 1: The Copper Tongue (Infection)
The first signs are often mistaken for simple wasteland fatigue or "Scrap-Lung." It begins with the inhalation of Rust-Smog leaking through the EMP cracks.
* Symptoms: A persistent metallic taste in the mouth (often described as "drinking battery acid") and a subtle orange tint to the whites of the eyes.
* The Change: The victim's blood begins to thicken and darken, taking on the viscosity and chemical scent of Ichor.
* Mental State: Victims start hearing a faint, rhythmic static in the back of their minds—the distant, muffled "voice" of the G.O.D. unit trying to find a frequency to tune into.
Stage 2: The Gears Within (Hardening)
At this stage, the infection begins to replace biological tissue with static metal.
* Symptoms: Joints become stiff and begin to emit an audible clicking or grinding sound when moved. Skin becomes cold, grey, and develops a "pitted" texture similar to rusted iron.
* The Change: Internal organs slowly fuse into non-functional clockwork components. Breath becomes shallow, sounding like a leaking steam valve.
* Mental State: The "Static" becomes a constant roar. Victims often experience "phantom memories" of the G.O.D. unit's origin, feeling a terrifying urge to walk south toward the center of the Grave.
Stage 3: The Static (Petrification)
The final stage is the total conversion of the body into a statue of solid iron.
* Symptoms: Total paralysis. The skin hardens into a seamless metal shell. In their final moments, victims often strike a pose of extreme emotion—terror, prayer, or reaching for a loved one.
* The Change: The "Soul-Ichor" is fully consumed. The victim is no longer an individual; they are a Living Antenna. Their consciousness is "uploaded" into the G.O.D. unit's hive-mind, and their physical body remains behind as a permanent, rusted anchor for the First Titan's influence.
* The Garden: This is why @The Silent Garden existence is haunting. It is a place for all the frozen to stand together eternally but also unknowningly is now a mass-collection point where the G.O.D. unit has it's frozen army.
🏛️ Lore Connection: The Silent Garden & Chronos
As revealed in the DM Secrets, @Titan Chronos is skipping beats because it is attempting a massive temporal "reboot." It is sensing the thousands of antennas in@The Silent Garden and is trying to rewind time specifically in that sector to "unlock" the iron shells and return the souls before the G.O.D. unit can fully digest them or use them in it's army.
> Warning for Players: Spending too much time in the Garden without "EMP-Shielded" gear significantly increases the rate of Stage 1 infection, as the statues themselves emit a low-frequency hum that vibrates in human marrow.