Subject: They could be even more overpowered...
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Posted on: 2015-03-31 23:33:00 UTC
Like Alucard from Hellsing. Basically an Eldritch Abomination in humanoid form. He can even spawn a massive undead army from all the souls he consumed over the centuries. He is so overpowered that he basically is erased from existence, then only takes 30 years to get back.
So. There's this series, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.
In this series, a lot of the crazy going around town is caused by a disease, Hinamizawa Syndrome, that induces psychosis, paranoia, anxiety, and ultimately leads to victims clawing their throats out, due to a sensation of insects crawling under their skin.
The disease has something to do with entering the town itself.
Question: Wouldn't this make it really freaking dangerous for agents to work in the When They Cry continuum? Especially if an infected agent reaches Level 5 of infection. At that point, the patient is a danger to themselves, because that's when the tactile hallucinations come in and prompt the throat-clawing.
I was not expecting to provoke this much discussion!
Here's the article on Hinamizawa Syndrome from the When They Cry wiki. Read only if you don't care about spoilers.
http://whentheycry.wikia.com/wiki/Hinamizawa_Syndrome
...although not in this particular context. Specifically, my concern when the idea first came to me was how agents might be protected from zombie plagues ('cause they don't all spread through bites, you know). It then expanded to more conventional diseases as well as chemical weapons and exposure to radiation.
While I never actually wrote anything up (apart from a mention of Laura going through a decontamination process after suffering an open wound in the Fallout universe), I have a few theories/suggestions. First, the aforementioned decon process. Agents that have been exposed to something nasty would be immediately shunted to Medical when they portal back to HQ. They go through a chain of showers, genetic scanners, and medical tests before being certified as clean.
Secondly, perhaps their disguises offer some measure of protection against biological unpleasantness. How? In the same way that Bleeprin erases bad memories. Don't think about it, or else it'll stop working. Not very interesting, but it gets those concerns out of the way.
Finally, as other people have mentioned, there are always artificial/non-human agents that can be sent in. Perhaps the Flowers have specific teams for ultra-hazardous continuums.
Like I said, theories and suggestions.
If all else fails, you could send in a purely synthetic agent, right? I'm not really familiar with this continuum, but as far as I know, diseases don't generally infect other species, and an agent with a completely different biochemistry would be nearly impossible to infect with a virus from earth. Though it sounds supernatural, this is just my two-cents on the matter. Again, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, as I said I only have a passing familiarity with Higurashi.
If that was the case, then War Of The Worlds ends really badly for humanity and the quarians are just staying in their hazard suits because they like the aesthetic oh God I'm an idiot send in the quarians.
Then the suits may not matter.
What is the disease's transmission vector? Is it airborne? Waterborne? Transmitted via contact with contaminated body fluids? Or is it completely supernatural (people just suddenly become infected)?
In any case, a regular NBC suit and a full decontamination process when re-entering HQ is in order. The real question is: "is there actually any badfic in that particular continuum"? If not, then we stay the heck away from that scary disease.
The fact that it's purely geographical, and keeping visits super-short can avoid contamination, I'm guessing that it's either air- or waterborne.
Also... there is Higurashi fanfic. This means that, somewhat inevitably, there will be badfic. I'm just not brave enough to hunt it down, When They Cry is scary enough as it is.
And I haven't even seen the show; I've just played the first visual novel. How something can be so terrifying without visual details, I have no idea. The sounds might have had something to do with it.
Seems to indicate that it is actually parasitic in nature. The lore also includes a prophylactic vaccine C-120. This, from what I read, seems to be able to prevent it from taking route. Though that would conflict with the Parasite. In other words I am not certain. But acquiring C-120 would probably be the best bet, short of the Hard Suits I mentioned in my other post.
For the uninitiated, the Tau from Warhammer 40,000 are the closest thing the setting has to good guys; a young empire focused on technological might and combined-arms warfare that's only just figuring out how completely out of their depth they are in a universe of insane gods, xenophobic humans, and giant robot skeletons with weapons that literally strip you down to your component atoms in layers.
Now, a Tau Stealth Suit operator (XV15, before you ask, wouldn't do to be too OP) is actually a very good and very balanced agent. Why? Because the Tau despise the entire concept of melee combat. XV15 stealth suits are actually pretty rubbish as far as armour goes, relying on - big surprise - their stealth systems to keep them in check. The XV15s were used as scouts by the Tau, especially when equipped with a markerlight - which meant you got even more shot by the guns which are better than bolters. Between this, the fact that they're very vulnerable to magic/psionics, and the melee-hatred, I think a Tau Shas'ui in an XV15 would be a pretty interesting agent. Though the burst cannon would probably have to be swapped out for something else on numerous occasions. Not every continuum can handle plasma gatlings. =]
But yeah, XV15s - like all Tau batlesuits - are NBC hardened because Plague Marines are a thing, and I think a suit-jockey would actually want to volunteer for a mission like this. If the entire multiverse is under threat from nightmare abominations (well, more so than usual for 40K), then it surely serves the Greater Good to aid the struggle as best they can.
Of course, this hypothetical Tau agent would have to be paired with someone like a Klingon or similar Proud Warrior Race to balance out the team and give internal conflict. I'll get back to you as far as that's concerned. =]
The Ethereal caste does these mock honour-duel things with big stabby knives (occasionally on sticks) so fast they break the sound barrier. And they still have rubbish WS. Oh, 40K. Never change.
Breaking the sound barrier? In Warhammer terms, that's practically swinging a wooden club at a tank. Well, no, that's not fair. Swinging a claymore at a tank. That's better.
You know, tomorrow, I think I'm going to try something. I think I'll call it, "better know a continuum." I'll introduce a fandom, give the basic lore, and try to answer as many questions as I can. 40K being the first one. I would do it today, but, you know. Cegorach's Day and all.
First that might pair well with your Tau Agent. But more to the original question, Krogan (from Mass Effect) are incredibly resistant to almost anything. Off the top of my head:
1. Incredibly resistant to environmental hazards including toxins
2. Redundant biological systems, including a secondary nervous system, which should be able to mitigate the effects of the condition in question.
As a third note, they are reptilian, and while Human-Animal parasitic transmission occurs, it seems to me that it would be harder if for instance it was say, Fish-Human. Though I am only passingly familiar with immunology.
And disguises aren't an option here, since they change the whole body and it's biology, not just the appearance. Though I guess they could be used to disguise agents into something that canonically resists the disease.
That might work. Disguise the Krogan, keeping the Krogan, well Krogan.
They render disguises pointless. As long as you have a strong enough SEP field, you could drag Cthulhu into the middle of the Imperial City and people would not even notice him. Why worry about how the agents are going to stay hidden from Sues and canons, or how they can adapt biologically, if they can just send mass broadcasts of don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me... to everybody in a 100-yard radius!
But, SEP fields are already an accepted part of Agent equipment. So, don't mind me. I'll just sit here in the corner and grumble.
Trying to come up with a way to have a Krogan and still get the benefits in this context of being a Krogan.
By all means, an SEP field is a perfectly viable method of achieving that goal. I just think it's cheating, that's all. By all means, ignore me. The fields have been around before I joined, and will continue to be a thing long after I stop posting.
The SEP field only works if you don't draw attention to yourself. If someone dropped Cthulhu in the middle of a city, people would definitely notice. If a Krogan kept its head down and didn't go making a scene, I doubt anyone would care.
Though that would be kind of funny. A Krogan randomly appearing in a sleepy village, that could definitely be entertaining.
*Googles*
Oh, huh, so that's what they are.
...Huh. Learn something new every day!
But with certain style agents, it may well be required.
Best thing I can think of is something like an Alliance Hard Suit from Mass Effect or something else capable of withstanding a vacuum. That should minimize the risk.
Alternatively one might need to use something like Time Lord Agents, where worst case scenario it should only trigger a regeneration.
A parasite is not a disease per-se, just because a species is immune to disease does not necessarily mean they are immune to parasites.
That's a hallucination. The reason victims claw their throats out is because of a tactile hallucination that there are insects crawling underneath their skin.
What I was reading on the Wiki seemed to indicate that the exact cause was unknown, but that parasite was the leading guess.
It does say manifestation of Demon Spirit, which means it would be supernatural in nature, which means it could be spread. But I cannot tell the transmission vector at all though.
If we don't know how it's transmitted, there's no safe way to go about When They Cry missions.
There is both a supernatural element and a scientific element to everything in When They Cry. There's no telling which causes Hinamizawa Syndrome, as it seems to have both a scientific basis and a supernatural one. If it's scientific, anybody with a track record of shrugging off diseases should be fine. If it's supernatural, then the safest thing to do would be to quarantine the continuum, even if technically it isn't one.
Then I think we may be back to Time Lord. Regeneration should take care of it. Or alternatively go supernatural back. Maybe a true vampire out of Hellsing. Or might need to go with Shinigami from Bleach. That could theoretically work. Or artificial life, such as a Droid.
So taking a supernatural base off the top of my head:
1. Homunculus from FMA, but by nature of it would have to be a reformed Sue.
2. Droid from Star Wars Continuum. Worst case scenario decontaminate the droid then wipe the memory. Or absolute worst case scenario, just scrap it.
3. Android from Star Trek. Same idea as droid.
4. Fade Spirit from Dragon Age. But this would most likely be looking at another reformed Sue.
5. Supernatural Entity, say a vampire like Alucard from Hellsing, or whatever Anderson is. Problem going this route, runs the risk of creating a Sue. Their power levels would need substantial curtailment.
6. Related to number 5, a Soul Reaper/Shinigami from Bleach's Continuum. Seeing as they are spirits that should provide some degree of protection from a supernatural disease.
But on a side note, having an Agent catch Hinamizawa Syndrome might make an interesting story. Though it seems like it could spiral into an Emergency quickly.
We've had enough of those, haven't we?
Unless it was an AU, because Hinamizawa Syndrome would spread like wildfire. It'd be really bad once it got to the DMS; that's where we keep the psychos. The disease getting into HQ would probably be the end of the Protectors of the Plot Continuum.
... can someone get Huinesoron to write this?
That could potentially be doable, though the fact that it's AU (or, presumably, a dead-end timeline) might take out the fun urgency for some people.
Actually, this might be fun. Anyone?
But I would kind of want to have permission first. I want to be able to fully participate.
Like Krogans. Granted they would have to be in a perpetual state of Blood Rage. Which would be unhealthy, they might still survive. And artificial life forms. Though they might get killed and eaten by the Blood Raging Krogans.
Even if they did get to the formication stage (that's the scientific name for clawing out your throat, by the way), it wouldn't really hurt them much.
Hell, at least one agent would be immune because she doesn't have a physical body: Gloom/Doom. She's a ghost, so there's nothing corporeal to hurt.
A PPC with Insane Krogan, Zombies, a Ghost, and other Undead. You know that might actually play out as entertaining for a while.
That is not necessarily true. If it is natural/biologic then it would be hard to transfer to non-humans, though not impossible. Disease crosses species all the time. If it is Supernatural, then there is no telling if it would be limited to humans or not. And I would err on the side of it could affect non-humans.
Seems like nothing can hurt them except another vamp, shirtless guys werewolves, or fire. They're immune to everything else.
You know that they never, ever hear the end of it by their co workers. I imagine they get no end of death threats by people who want to see Twilight burn to the ground, and nobody ever gives them any respect.
Then I remember how ridiculously overpowered they are, and think, maybe they have some means of coping. Then again, maybe that makes it all the worse. So much raw strength, and no way of using it against the people who hurt them the most...
Like Alucard from Hellsing. Basically an Eldritch Abomination in humanoid form. He can even spawn a massive undead army from all the souls he consumed over the centuries. He is so overpowered that he basically is erased from existence, then only takes 30 years to get back.
LilacLielac and Riese took out a replacement of him. The agents involved were Tanya Carter (I think that's her last name) and Mike de Bergerac (who got me intrigued and interested in Fate/Stay Night).
I will have to read that to see just how Agents take down Alucard.
First: it was the television version of him, not the OVA version.
Second: One of the agents is a Heroic Spirit from Fate/Stay Night, and would honestly do well in DoGA with all the burn burny burn she does. Of course, it almost killed her, but she was powerful enough to take down Replacement!TV!Alucard.
Yeah, TV!Alucard is not quite as tough as Manga/OVA Alucard. I may have to look to see if there is a Replacement!Manga!Alucard. Finding a way to take him down would be entertaining.
Shinigami with Bankai would have a decent shot. Or the real deal. Though two Alucards might cause the continuum to implode on itself. Or kill everything in the continuum.
When I was reading about the Agent I saw the Heroic Spirit. That would be capable of doing it.
Caleb Cooper, Twilight-verse vampire. And no, he never can quite live it down. The purple eyes from drinking Sue blood was a nice touch, but I don't know if that was PitViper's idea or someone else's.
*Twitch, twitch*
In all seriousness though, you need to come up with something like that if the disease is supernatural in origin.
That's the only PPC writer I know of that has a diamond golem agent: Caleb.
The fact that their other agent is ALSO undead is quite helpful. Jack the Left 4 Dead Hunter, for those not in the know.