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The section draws on the author's decades-long correspondence with Wilson Jason and manuscripts he bequeathed, plus Sir Lierland's historical work. It is a general survey, and some conclusions remain educated hypotheses.
Oripathy, or Multiple Originium Syndrome, is believed to be caused by exposure to active Originium. There is no known cure or confirmed recovery. The Elders and Ancients once believed it a Sarkaz curse, but the prevailing Active Originium Theory holds that active Originium combines with uninfected cells, gradually replacing healthy tissue until death occurs from complications or organ failure. Dr. Wilson's Burdenbeast experiments demonstrated a clear relationship between Oripathy and environmental active Originium, and derived the Originium diagnosis standard. The theory's suppressants have proven effective.
Investigations, including Lateran Curia records and a Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences review, found no credible evidence of recovery; earlier reports vanished once angiographic diagnosis became mandatory.
Transmission requires Originium in the active state, via Catastrophe, mining, industrial pollution, accidental contact, blood (including mother-child), and patient disintegration upon death. Catastrophe is a main cause, as is Originium industry, with infections highest in related professions.
Progression has three stages. Stage I shows few symptoms, often just mild fever; Blood Originium-Crystal Density rarely exceeds 0.30u/L. Stage II brings crystal skin patches and is the last chance for intervention; density rarely exceeds 0.50u/L. Stage III has no effective treatment; patients lose basic functions and disintegrate upon death, releasing Originium particles.
Diagnosis evolved from surface-crystal observation and caster blood tests to angiographic imaging, which can detect even early-stage cases, though blood and tissue testing remain limited by cost. Treatment focuses on retarding therapy; suppressants are expensive and experimental, though Rhodes Island's affordable versions have curbed overpricing.
Historically, sufferers were exiled or buried alive; persecution persists, producing Oripathy Towns and movements like Reunion. Infected can use Originium Arts without training, viewed as a social threat. The author argues reason and science, not fear, must address the crisis.
The section begins with the author's account of meeting Wilson Jason in 1037 through Professor Lierland Jr., a teaching assistant at Piesberg Parliamentary University working on Oripathy research. They exchanged letters for decades (except 1039–1046, when Jason lived in seclusion in Ursus), and Jason bequeathed some manuscripts to the author. The section is offered as a general survey rather than a thesis; given limited research, some observations may be inaccurate and some conclusions remain educated hypotheses. Since Oripathy takes distinctive local and historical forms from country to country, the author discusses it in broadly applicable terms, and thanks Sir Lierland, Dr. Wilson, and medical practitioners for their help.
Oripathy, or Multiple Originium Syndrome, is believed caused by exposure to active Originium. There is no known cure and no confirmed recovery. The Elders and Ancients once believed it a curse brought by the Sarkaz, whose inherent susceptibility was taken as evidence. Today, the prevailing Active Originium Theory holds that Oripathy results from Active Originium combining with uninfected cells, gradually replacing healthy tissue; bodily functions decline until death from acute complications or organ failure. Dr. Wilson's Burdenbeast Oripathic Experiment showed a clear relationship between Oripathy and environmental active Originium, and the Burdenbeast Autopsic Experiment yielded the Originium diagnosis standard still used today. The theory has been replicated across Terra, and suppressants based on it have proven effective.
Investigating possible recoveries, the author examined records from many countries. The most credible data, from the Sixth Tribunal of the Lateran Curia, shows no Lateran citizen ever fully recovered, despite Laterano's comprehensive census and universal healthcare, and its law allowing recovered citizens to return. Reports of recovery in parts of Victoria followed a telltale pattern: common before angiographic diagnosis was invented by Leithanian researchers in the 1040s, more prevalent during the Industry Boom, and virtually disappearing once angiographic diagnosis became mandatory. In the 1070s, the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences found little concrete evidence or living former patients. Occasional rumors persist, for example from Sargon, but verification is beyond modern medical science.
Close contact with active Originium is the primary cause of infection, including Catastrophe, mining, industrial pollution, accidental contact, and disintegration of Oripathy sufferers. Inactive Originium is very unlikely to cause Oripathy; the Originium must be actively releasing energy. Active Originium is present in patients' blood and takes a few minutes outside the body to become inactive, so blood transmission, including mother-child transmission, occurs. Londinium doctors reported patients infected by sharing needles with an undiagnosed early-stage sufferer, prompting calls for single-use medical tools. Catastrophe is the most dramatic transmission: it releases tremendous quantities of active Originium particles, colorless and odorless until atmospheric concentration reaches a certain level. On the plains of Ursus, the author followed a Catastrophe Messenger to a malfunctioned nomadic city plate caught in a Catastrophe's wake; rescuers could not enter for three days, and even survivors in the lower levels had mostly contracted Oripathy. Even a small Catastrophe may release more active Originium than a small Londinium factory does in a year. Industry is also a major cause: data from Victoria, Rim Billiton, and Columbia show the highest infection rates in Originium-related professions, notably mining and manufacturing, and among those living near or downstream from such facilities. Mining releases active Originium gas as crystal shells are damaged; industrial processing releases dust, waste water, and waste gas; Originium fuel leaves residue rich in active particles. Disintegration of patients upon death, the first means discovered, releases significant amounts of active Originium and is why sufferers are shunned.
Based on physicians' experiences across Terra, the author categorizes Oripathy into three stages. Stage I rarely shows overt symptoms beyond mild fever, possibly an immune response; skin crystals are minimal, angiography shows indistinct organ outlines with faint abnormal shadows, and Blood Originium-Crystal Density rarely exceeds 0.30u/L. Stage II brings increased Cell-Originium Assimilation and deterioration, with crystal patches on the skin; it is the last opportunity for intervention, with density rarely exceeding 0.50u/L. Stage III has no effective treatment; patients disintegrate upon death, releasing particles over minutes to half an hour; organ outlines become barely distinguishable under crystalline shadows, basic functions are lost, and density readings sometimes exceed the lethal 0.80u/L. Terminal patients generally receive more humane treatment in nomadic cities than outside them.
Before 1040s angiographic diagnosis, diagnosis relied on visible skin crystals or Arts detection of internal crystals, neither accurate for early stages; folk remedies abounded, including a Minoan formula based on burdenbeast dung and fowlbeast feather. A Leithanian researcher later discovered unique imaging when patients' vessels and organs were exposed to specific electromagnetic wavelengths; though why Originium blocks those rays is unclear, these techniques now diagnose even early-stage patients within three hours. Blood and tissue testing, including density measurement, has provided insights but is not widespread due to lacking technological conditions and prohibitive costs. Ancient Terrans used a blood sample and a caster: if the blood assisted casting, Oripathy was indicated; though inaccurate, this inspired later studies. Treatment focuses on retarding bonding between Originium and cells. Suppressants work by "wrapping" certain loci on active complex structures, preventing energy propagation when structures break, though the nature of this "energy" has no academic consensus. Suppressants must be used continuously, remain experimental, expensive, and hard to produce; Rhodes Island's affordable suppressants have curbed monopolistic overpricing in some regions.
Historically, per Sir Lierland's Oripathy in Ancient Times (939), ancient records combined symbols of "human," "rock," and "disaster"; immediate exile of sufferers was universal, and late-stage patients were buried alive. Superstition faded with the Industry Boom and community checkups, but social issues intensified: persecution under harsh anti-Oripathy policies persists, and exiled sufferers built "Oripathy Towns" on Victoria's southern coast. Treatment thus involves resolving social issues too. The crystals within patients let them use Originium Arts without training or an Arts Unit, correlating with severity; some gained unique Arts. This grey area attracts the desperate and unscrupulous, and even in Leithanien such patients are viewed as threats to social order. The risk of disintegration upon death prevents the Infected from living with the uninfected and blocks public sympathy, driving some toward opposition—Reunion being a prime example. As infection rates climb, it is reason, science, and continued experimentation, not fear and persecution, that will stop the disease; how we approach Oripathy and its sufferers shapes how we treat one another.
EPIGRAPH
Most people consider an Oripathy diagnosis to be a death sentence. But I would argue that the physical pain, social ostracization, and mental stress that the condition brings are even worse than death.
—Anonymous Victorian doctor
In 1037, through the introduction of Professor Lierland Jr., I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of one Wilson Jason, then a teaching assistant at Piesberg Parliamentary University, and we discussed his latest discoveries in the field of Oripathy research. For the next several decades (except from 1039-1046, when he lived in seclusion in Ursus), we exchanged many letters, in which he frequently kept me updated on his research of the topic. He bequeathed some of his manuscripts to me in his will. This invaluable source of information, along with my personal experience and knowledge, have made this section possible.
Though I should point out that this section is not intended to be an in-depth thesis, but a general survey on the subject matter. Given the current lack of thorough research on many aspects of Oripathy, some observations contained herein may not be entirely accurate, particularly when it comes to certain details. Furthermore, certain conclusions remain educated hypotheses rather than evidence-based assertions. The Oripathy crisis takes on distinctive local and historical features from country to country. In this section, I have endeavored to discuss it in broadly applicable terms.
I would like to express my gratitude to Sir Lierland, who, a century ago, was the first to delve into historical treatments of the Infected; to Dr. Wilson and other dedicated researchers who pioneered the study of Oripathy pathology; and to the medical practitioners from across the land who tolerated my ignorance and answered my clinical questions with great patience.
Oripathy, or Multiple Originium Syndrome, is believed to be caused by exposure to active Originium. There is no known cure for Oripathy, nor any confirmed case of a successful recovery.
The Elders and Ancients, out of hatred for the Sarkaz, believed Oripathy to be a curse brought on by the Sarkaz, and the inherent Sarkaz susceptibility to be the evidence of the curse they carry.
Today, we know much more about how Oripathy works. The prevalent Active Originium Theory holds that Oripathy is not a Sarkaz curse, but the result of Active Originium combining with uninfected cells, gradually replacing healthy tissue and causing irreversible physical changes. The patient's bodily functions gradually decline, until death occurs due to acute complications or organ failure.
Dr. Wilson's famous Burdenbeast Oripathic Experiment offers strong evidence for this theory. In the experiment, burdenbeasts were separated into several groups, and placed into environments without Originium, with inactive Originium, and with active Originium. Comparisons between the experimental and control groups demonstrated a clear relationship between Oripathy and the amount of active Originium in the environment. The Originium diagnosis standard, in use to this day, was derived from observation of external crystal formation and burdenbeast autopsy results from the subsequent Burdenbeast Autopsic Experiment.
■ A child receiving treatment for Oripathy at Rhodes Island. People often associate childhood with words like happy and carefree, but Oripathy tells a different story.
These experiments have since been replicated countless times all across Terra. With no evidence to the contrary, the Active Originium Theory has since become the prevailing theory of Oripathy on Terra. The efficacy of Oripathy suppressants, developed based on the theory, has also been indisputably proven in practice.
To investigate potential overlooked cases of Oripathy recovery, I examined records from numerous countries for evidence. The most credible data comes from the Sixth Tribunal of the Lateran Curia. According to Lateran law, citizens afflicted with Oripathy must leave Laterano, but they may maintain their citizenship. In theory, a citizen who fully recovers would be permitted to return to Laterano. However, in a country known for its comprehensive census and universal healthcare, there is no record of any Lateran citizen making a full recovery from Oripathy.
In addition to Laterano, I have also reviewed data from other countries, with varying results. There were reports of recovery in certain areas of Victoria, but further investigation revealed a telltale pattern. Before the invention of angiographic diagnosis by Leithanian researchers in the 1040s, recovery reports were fairly common. This trend became even more prevalent during the Industry Boom era. Such reports quickly declined as more advanced diagnostic methods emerged. When angiographic diagnosis became mandatory for Oripathy assessment, they virtually disappeared.
In the 1070s, the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences reviewed historical records of Oripathy recovery cases and found little concrete evidence to support them, nor did they find any living former patients. Even today, however, one still hears the occasional rumor of people recovering from Oripathy in places like Sargon. These occurrences are often seen as miracles, but verification of the claims is beyond the means of modern medical science.
The Active Originium Theory holds that close contact with active Originium is the primary cause of Oripathy, including but not limited to Catastrophe, mining, industrial pollution, accidental contact, and disintegration of Oripathy sufferers.
Contrary to popular belief, Oripathy infection requires Originium in the active state, i.e. actively releasing the energy that it contains. Intake of inactive Originium is very unlikely to result in Oripathy.
Active Originium is present in the blood of Oripathy patients. When blood is removed from the patient's body, it takes a few minutes for the Originium to become inactive, after which it is no longer infectious. As such, Oripathy can be transmitted through blood, including mother-child transmission.
For example, doctors at Londinium clinics told me about patients who contracted Oripathy by sharing needles with an undiagnosed, early-stage Oripathy sufferer. Unaware that they have themselves become vectors of infection, they continue to spread Oripathy in the same fashion. Medical professionals have called for single-use medical tools, due to the difficulty of tracing the source of infection in such cases.
Of all the transmission methods, none are more dramatic than Catastrophe. A Catastrophe outbreak leads to tremendous quantities of active Originium particles falling from the sky, affecting people in a large area. This is even more insidious because Originium particles are colorless and odorless until atmospheric concentration reaches a certain level.
Once, on the plains of Ursus, I had followed a Catastrophe Messenger on a rescue mission to a nomadic city plate that had malfunctioned and was subsequently caught in the wake of a Catastrophe. Due to high Originium particle concentration levels, rescue teams were unable to enter the crystal-filled scene until three days had elapsed from the Catastrophe. Rescuers discovered that even survivors who had taken refuge in the lower levels of the plate had mostly contracted Oripathy of varying severity.
Even a small-scale Catastrophe could release more active Originium into the environment than a small Londinium factory does in a year. Therefore, Catastrophe is considered one of the main causes of Oripathy.
In addition, the increasing reliance on Originium industry and Originium products is also becoming a major cause of Oripathy. Data from Victoria, Rim Billiton, Columbia, and other countries indicate that the highest percentage of Oripathy infections occurs in Originium-related professions, notably mining and manufacturing. Those who live near facilities that handle Originium or downstream from such facilities are also more likely to contract Oripathy.
Research from mineralogists suggests that as Originium's crystal shell is damaged during mining, trace amounts of active Originium gas are released into the air, with higher concentrations releasing more particles. Similarly, industrial processing of Originium releases it into the environment as dust, waste water, and waste gas. Originium fuel also leaves behind waste residue that contains a large amount of active Originium particles. Research on the mechanisms of active Originium particles invariably shows a similar pattern to findings from Oripathy studies.
The final means of transmission, disintegration of an Oripathy patient upon death, was also the first to be discovered. This process, which releases significant
amounts of active Originium, is the fundamental reason why Oripathy sufferers are shunned by the general population and why Oripathy is so feared.
Based on the experiences of physicians across Terra, I have categorized the progression of Oripathy into three stages. This consensus, though general, suggests that Oripathy symptoms do not vary significantly across regions.
Stage I, or early-stage infections rarely demonstrate overt symptoms. This is where traditional methods are most prone to misdiagnosis, as many patients display little more than a mild fever. This may be an immune response as the body attempts to remove Originium from the body. Cases where Oripathy has not yet progressed demonstrate little to no Originium crystal distribution on the surface of the skin. Angiographic tests show indistinct outlines of internal organs, with faint abnormal shadows. Blood Originium-Crystal Density in early-stage cases rarely exceeds 0.30u/L.
Stage II is also referred to as the middle stage of Oripathy. Cell-Originium Assimilation increases and the patient's condition begins to deteriorate. The most distinct feature of this stage is the emergence of crystal patches on the patient's skin. This stage represents the last opportunity for intervention. Angiographic tests show indistinct outlines of internal organs with concentrated abnormal shadows. Blood Originium-Crystal Density in mid-stage patients rarely exceeds 0.50u/L.
Stage III is the late-stage of Oripathy. At this stage, there is presently no effective medical treatment. Late-stage Oripathy patients immediately disintegrate upon death, releasing substantial amounts of Originium particles into the environment over the next few minutes to half an hour. The outlines of internal organs become barely distinguishable on angiographic tests, being largely obscured by abnormal crystalline shadows. As Originium crystals spread throughout their bodies, patients lose their ability to perform even basic functions. It is difficult to measure the Blood Originium-Crystal Density of a late-stage Oripathy patient, with readings sometimes exceeding the lethal level of 0.80u/L.
While approaches toward Oripathy patients vary across Terra, the most direct method is often the most common. In general, terminal patients receive more humane and regulated treatment in the nomadic cities than outside them.
Physical manifestations of Oripathy at different stages. Oripathy manifests in various ways, and not every patient will see the same degree of surface crystal formation. Whether internal or external, however, Originium crystals inevitably cause great pain and impair bodily functions. Punctured lungs, obstructed stomachs... Basic functions like speech, movement, and excretion can all be affected. Words and imagination fail me as I attempt to describe their pain.
Prior to the invention of angiographic diagnosis in the 1040s, Oripathy diagnoses were typically made on the basis of whether crystals were visible on the skin. Some Originium Arts users could use their Arts to detect the potential presence of Originium crystals inside the body. However, neither observation of surface crystals nor the detection of internal crystals with Arts may accurately diagnose Oripathy in its early stage.
In addition to these inefficient diagnostic methods, there were also many folk remedies that would seem silly to us today. One Minoan formula went like this: Cook burdenbeast dung for fifty minutes, then add fifteen grams of fowlbeast feather and continue cooking until a white liquid is produced. Discard the liquid and dry the residue under the sun. The final substance is the cure.
The advent of the Active Originium Theory has made the standards of Oripathy diagnosis and treatment increasingly scientific and accurate, paving the way for the discovery of new methods.
During a regular angiography experiment, a Leithanian researcher discovered that unique imaging results were obtained when an Oripathy patient's blood vessels and internal organs were exposed to specific electromagnetic wavelengths. Although the reasons why Originium blocks those light rays remain unclear, imaging techniques based on this discovery are now widely used across Terra.
Even early-stage patients, whose skin does not exhibit crystal formations, can receive an accurate diagnosis through these methods. Imaging results are usually obtained in under three hours.
In addition to angiographic testing, blood and tissue testing procedures have also been developed for the clinical diagnosis of Oripathy. Measurement of Blood Originium-Crystal Density and examination of Oripathy sufferers' organ tissues have provided important insights into the pathology of Oripathy and inhibition measures.
These methods have not entered into widespread use, however, because of a lack
Ancient Terrans did not understand how Oripathy spread, but they knew that the blood of Oripathy patients contained Originium crystals usable as a medium for Arts. This led to various blood testing methods across Terra that required a small blood sample and a caster. If the caster could use the blood to assist in casting, it indicated the presence of Originium and thus Oripathy. Although this method is no longer used due to its low accuracy, it inspired many hypotheses and studies on the relationship between blood and Oripathy.
■ Oripathy detection angiography devices come in various sizes and can be worn on different body parts, including the leg, arm, wrist, neck, and tail. These devices differ greatly in functionality and usage. The most basic types consist of a simple diode and imaging film. They are single-use but cheap and easy to use, often selling out quickly during factory explosions or Infected disintegration events. More advanced types measure key indicators like blood Originium-Crystal Density in real-time and are designed for patients fortunate enough to receive systematic treatment. However, their high costs limit widespread use.
of technological conditions, and the prohibitive estimated costs for implementation.
In terms of Oripathy treatment, current efforts focus on retarding therapy and reducing the rate of structural bonding between Originium and normal cells. However, a complete cure has yet to be discovered.
According to Oripathy suppressant developers, while active Originium exists as tiny crystalline particles in the body, it is not the crystals themselves that pass through the transmembrane protein structure of the normal cells, but the "energy" that connects individual crystal structures. This "energy" is a type of matter with physical form that is released when individual crystal structures break off from each other, entering the cell structure and replicating to form new complex structures. Oripathy suppressants work by "wrapping" certain loci on the exterior of these active complex structures, preventing the internal energy of active Originium from propagating when the structures break.
By modifying commercially available angiography devices, Rhodes Island developed a suppressing device that injects a small dose of suppressant into the wearer's body when it detects an abnormal spike in Blood Originium-Crystal Density to prevent Oripathy Arts runaway.
Suppressants must be continuously used to maintain effectiveness, however, and remain an experimental product that is prohibitively expensive and difficult to produce, making access extremely limited.
However, it must be noted that the accuracy of this microscopic-level explanation remains uncertain, as there is currently no consensus regarding the nature of this so-called "energy" within academic circles. Nevertheless, the efficacy of suppressants is not in doubt. Another notable point is Rhodes Island's affordable suppressants, which have significantly curbed monopolistic overpricing and alleviated the suffering of Oripathy patients in some regions.
According to Oripathy in Ancient Times (Sir Lierland, 939), depictions of Oripathy already existed in the oldest artwork and text records known to us, typically in some combination symbolizing "human", "rock" and "disaster", or similar concepts. The immediate exile of Oripathy sufferers upon discovery has been a common practice in history, regardless of region or culture. Late-stage Oripathy sufferers were buried alive to prevent the spread of Oripathy through disintegration.
Superstitions about Oripathy began to fade with the advent of the Industry Boom. Community Originium checkups became commonplace, and the Infected began to receive more humane treatment. The social issues caused by Oripathy, however, have only intensified. In some regions, Oripathy sufferers continue to be persecuted by harsh anti-Oripathy policies, with their lives, freedom, and rights under constant threat. Numerous settlements of Oripathy sufferers still exist on the southern coast of Victoria, far away from the nomadic cities. Colloquially known as "Oripathy Towns", they were built by Oripathy sufferers who were exiled from the nomadic cities.
Oripathy treatment involves more than just treating the illness itself; it is also about resolving these social issues. As treatments for Oripathy have evolved, so too have methods of its exploitation.
The Originium crystals inside the Oripathy patients' bodies allow them to use Originium Arts without training or the aid of an Arts Unit. There is correlation between this unconventional ability to use Arts and the severity of one's condition, increasing as Oripathy progresses. Clinical reports mention Oripathy patients who
■ A painting of Caladon's Infected Quarter, drawn by the Messenger Gerald. While Messenger Gerald harbored no prejudice towards the Infected, he mentioned feeling "... oppression, unease, and an instinctive fear that made me ashamed of myself. It was as if I could feel Originium granules scraping against my face, even though I knew the dust concentration in the Infected Quarter wasn't much different."
have not only survived severe Oripathy-induced organ lesions, but even gained the ability to use unique Arts.
This lucrative yet grey area is often seen as an opportunity by those who are desperate or unscrupulous. Even in Leithanien, where Originium Arts are widespread, Oripathy patients who are untrained, do not require heavily-regulated Arts Units to use certain Arts, or remain unregulated, are viewed as threats to social order.
The risk of spreading Oripathy upon death and disintegration eliminates the possibility of Infected living with uninfected, and presents a virtually insurmountable obstacle to Oripathy patients in their fight to gain public sympathy. In turn, it has driven them to take the path of opposition after being ostracized from society, Reunion being a prime example.
As Oripathy infection rates continue to climb, it is not fear and persecution that will stop the spread of the disease, but reason, science, and continued experimentation. Our approach to Oripathy and those suffering from it is a critical question worthy of contemplation. It profoundly impacts our views on society as a whole and shapes how we treat one another.