Traveler's Sickness

[b]TYPE 1 TRAVELER'S SICKNESS[/b]

There are many tales about happenstances of those who wander through the portals into Felarya: Those coming through with extra parts, different colored skin, changing sex or even species. If you can think of it, odds are it's happened to at least one passing through the portals. One of the more 'stable' happenstances is what appears to be a full blown infection battle inside one's body. A person may wander through the portal in a working condition, and quickly develop a heavy fever immediately upon touching down on Felaryan Soil. Often times those who suffer from this are incapacitated for a few hours, though it has been reported up to days in some individuals.

The unofficial term for this occurrence is "Traveller's Sickness", and it appears to be most common in those with stronger immune systems.

What happens with Traveller's Sickness is the body's immune system becomes too strong for its own good. The touchdown on Felaryan soil rapidly removes harmful bacteria from the body, but does nothing to also decrease the presence of Anti-Bodies or Immune System Cells. The soil also causes many subtle changes to an arrivals bodies, which will occasionally cause the Immune System to read its cells as foreign invaders. Luckily, the body quickly starts to build its own new Immune Cells to both help the body and combat the old Immune System. While those who had little activity or a weak immune system beforehand are often fine as the old cells are quickly overpowered, those who had recently fought off an infection or bore a naturally strong immune system have to deal with a system not so easily put down.

While the Traveller's Sickness is rarely fatal in itself in all but the most extreme circumstances, the disabling of one in the first few moments lasting for potentially days can spell doom if not graced with the protection of friends or a Cities Walls. One may arrive fully armed and prepared for any of Felarya's denizens that might inhabit the terrain near the portal, but be unable to use such preparations as their body wages a war on itself.


[b]TYPE 2 TRAVELER'S SICKNESS[/b]

Traveller's Sickness Type Two is thrown upon those traveling through Felarya's portals the same was it is in Type One, though the cause and effects are quite different than the former.

Lurking between the portals are beings known as Dimensional Trappers. While rare, these beings have and continue to consume the unwary passing through the portals regardless of original place in the food chain. Now, while this fact seems unrelated at first, this plays a part in the Type Two Sickness. While those slain on Felarya may normally enter 'Heaven', 'Hell', their own afterlife, or perhaps even oblivion itself, those who are eaten by Dimensional Trappers cannot as their Souls are stuck in the realm between realms. The soul is stuck lingering in the blank space, searching for a way to get out as they lack a substantial form to flee through a portal. Though there are many ways to fix this problem, the most common is to be in the right place at the right time and 'possess' one passing through another portal.

To one 'possessed' by a spirit, the results can be as varied as the types of people in the universe. One spirit may only be able to cling long enough and with too little power to truly effect the host, leaving the traveller with only a slight chill before the soul departs to some afterlife. Another spirit, perhaps of a careless unnatural being, may totally dominate the old body and use it as a host for the rest of the body's life, leaving the original occupant trapped in the Realm between Realms themselves in the powerful entities place. And then there's almost everything between. Think you were hearing voices when you exited the portal? You may very well have another spirit sharing your body, who may or may not be attempting to screw you over and free their spirit or prevent your death to save their own hide from a Hellish Fate.

The spirits possessing and those possessed is only limited to what can fit through the portal: A Neko could be briefly have a Naga share the body with them, a Dridder could be 'graced' with the spirit of an unfortunate Angel, etc. This has lead to some interesting scenarios as the two spirits bicker amongst themselves, the original spirit attempts to remain alive while the new one takes control in their sleep in the attempt to 'move up' in hosts, etc.

Luckily, as with most possessions, a quick banishing ritual will usually free the host of the excess spirit. Now, as to whether the correct spirit is removed, the correct number is removed, or the host wants the spirit removed, that is a problem that is not so simple to solve.


[b]TYPE 3 TRAVELER'S SICKNESS[/b]

There is a brief sort of magical imprint of something traveling through a portal on Felarya. While 99.99% of the time the imprint disappears with no trouble, sometimes it is passed through by another. While again it doesn't always effect one passing through it, sometimes it messes up the re-formation of the one passing through and puts them in that form. This would explain a greater frequency of something like a demi-human transformation than a Predator [Since they pass through portals so much less often].

Now, what happens to extra mass when growing smaller or the need of mass when getting bigger? Well, those who lose mass have it displaced in the portal and put into another that suffers a change at the same time. The mistakes happen most often when multiple travel through portals at the same time and make the mistake of passing through the imprints.

For example, say three beings pass through separate portals and hit differing imprints. One was a female Dridder the size of a double decker bus, another a neko male, the third a human female. The imprints they hit are that of a Neera, a Kensha beast, and a small [and young] Naga, respectively. The Dridder has the misfortune of setting off the imprint and becoming a Neera when they pass through. Now, that's a lot of mass left over. But there has to be as much mass in the 'real' realms in the end, and as much in the portals as well [as otherwise the amount would need to have been increased between the realms]. The great excess of mass needs to go somewhere, and those two meet a criteria to use up the spare mass. Thus, in the end, a Neera will pop out wherever the Dridder was traveling, a Kensha Beast where the Neko was going, and a Naga where the human went.

Their mind's synapses would be relatively the same as their old ones [at the start, at least. The hormone effects, new organs / sensations, etc could change this quickly], but their bodies would be completely different. Now one could also assume another thirteen individuals passed through differing imprints, but seeing as there was no mass to effect them they remain the same. Which could lead to an interesting scenario if the Dridder was traveling with a friend, or the Neko's destination was a human settlement.

Interestin idea and has a strong potential.
I can imagine a human male travel through a portal and turned in to a blue skinned woman. But a question it's only limits to transgendering or physical change. In clear you won't turn into another race or gain new ability

gwadahunter2222 wrote:

Interestin idea and has a strong potential.
I can imagine a human male travel through a portal and turned in to a blue skinned woman. But a question it's only limits to transgendering or physical change. In clear you won't turn into another race or gain new ability

I'm trying to keep conservation of mass in most instances, though a new ability or race could theoretically happen.

I only went into detail to the immune system changing. Others are free to go into what happens with other changes such as the blue skinned woman example.

Maybe a human that goes through the portal comes out as a neko?
Well, I can dream.

S-Guy wrote:

Maybe a human that goes through the portal comes out as a neko?
Well, I can dream.

Felarya is connected to an infinite amount of realms and has existed for several hundred thousand years more likely than not. Odds are it's happened at least once.

I think one or two stories actually include this sort of phenomenon.
Frankly, I think it's awesome. Adds to Felarya's uber-chaotic nature, and opens up a lot of story possibilities.

Sounds very interesting.
Does it happen a lot, or is this like a freak occurrence?

ericnthered123 wrote:

Sounds very interesting.
Does it happen a lot, or is this like a freak occurrence?

Low probability, but the high influx of people means it's bound to happen.

I imagine that the stronger stuff is less likely to occur than the smaller stuff. One's more likely to see a man get sick or get a sudden all-over tan than become a man-sized slug.

True. And you probably hear about it more even if it was a rare happing. Maybe to the point of it appearing that it was common place.

I like it, like it's already been said it has good story potential.

Good story potential. In fact, I'm making a reference to it in my next chapter.

Just so you know, the process for getting sick will now be known as Type One Traveller's Sickness, until another name is found.

Traveller's Sickness Type Two is thrown upon those traveling through Felarya's portals the same was it is in Type One, though the cause and effects are quite different than the former.

Lurking between the portals are beings known as Dimensional Trappers. While rare, these beings have and continue to consume the unwary passing through the portals regardless of original place in the food chain. Now, while this fact seems unrelated at first, this plays a part in the Type Two Sickness. While those slain on Felarya may normally enter 'Heaven', 'Hell', their own afterlife, or perhaps even oblivion itself, those who are eaten by Dimensional Trappers cannot as their Souls are stuck in the realm between realms. The soul is stuck lingering in the blank space, searching for a way to get out as they lack a substantial form to flee through a portal. Though there are many ways to fix this problem, the most common is to be in the right place at the right time and 'possess' one passing through another portal.

To one 'possessed' by a spirit, the results can be as varied as the types of people in the universe. One spirit may only be able to cling long enough and with too little power to truly effect the host, leaving the traveller with only a slight chill before the soul departs to some afterlife. Another spirit, perhaps of a careless unnatural being, may totally dominate the old body and use it as a host for the rest of the body's life, leaving the original occupant trapped in the Realm between Realms themselves in the powerful entities place. And then there's almost everything between. Think you were hearing voices when you exited the portal? You may very well have another spirit sharing your body, who may or may not be attempting to screw you over and free their spirit or prevent your death to save their own hide from a Hellish Fate.

The spirits possessing and those possessed is only limited to what can fit through the portal: A Neko could be briefly have a Naga share the body with them, a Dridder could be 'graced' with the spirit of an unfortunate Angel, etc. This has lead to some interesting scenarios as the two spirits bicker amongst themselves, the original spirit attempts to remain alive while the new one takes control in their sleep in the attempt to 'move up' in hosts, etc.

Luckily, as with most possessions, a quick banishing ritual will usually free the host of the excess spirit. Now, as to whether the correct spirit is removed, the correct number is removed, or the host wants the spirit removed, that is a problem that is not so simple to solve.

I like the idea, but I would suggest some mental effects along with it. Like, say... delirium perhaps?

"What do you mean, I'm blue? No, I'm not!"
"What in the hell is wrong with you people?! I'm a man, damn it! A MAN!"

You know, that sort of thing.

Would you mind describing such yourself? I'm attempting to finalize the wording on how Species / Gender changes work.

A very interesting Idea. Getting possed by a sprit when you go to Felarya.
Would you rate this as a big problem or just a freak occurance?

ericnthered123 wrote:

A very interesting Idea. Getting possed by a sprit when you go to Felarya.
Would you rate this as a big problem or just a freak occurance?

Small problem, not everyone who travels would be possessed. The Dimensional Lurkers aren't that effective.

And for the overview on the changes: I see there as being a sort of brief 'imprint' of something traveling through a portal. While 99.99% of the time the imprint disappears with no trouble, sometimes it is passed through by another. While again it doesn't always effect one passing through it, sometimes it messes up the re-formation of the one passing through and puts them in that form. This would explain a greater frequency of something like a demi-human transformation than a Predator [Since they pass through portals so much less often].

Now, what happens to extra mass when growing smaller or the need of mass when getting bigger? Well, those who lose mass have it displaced in the portal and put into another that suffers a change at the same time. The mistakes happen most often when multiple travel through portals at the same time and make the mistake of passing through the imprints.

For example, say three beings pass through separate portals and hit differing imprints. One was a female Dridder the size of a double decker bus, another a neko male, the third a human female. The imprints they hit are that of a Neera, a Kensha beast, and a small [and young] Naga, respectively. The Dridder has the misfortune of setting off the imprint and becoming a Neera when they pass through. Now, that's a lot of mass left over. But there has to be as much mass in the 'real' realms in the end, and as much in the portals as well [as otherwise the amount would need to have been increased between the realms]. The great excess of mass needs to go somewhere, and those two meet a criteria to use up the spare mass. Thus, in the end, a Neera will pop out wherever the Dridder was traveling, a Kensha Beast where the Neko was going, and a Naga where the human went.

Their mind's synapses would be relatively the same as their old ones [at the start, at least. The hormone effects, new organs / sensations, etc could change this quickly], but their bodies would be completely different. Now one could also assume another thirteen individuals passed through differing imprints, but seeing as there was no mass to effect them they remain the same. Which could lead to an interesting scenario if the Dridder was traveling with a friend, or the Neko's destination was a human settlement.

It is confusing, and I need to find a way to word this better so it isn't.