#inkblotoon

Origin: Dating back during the Great Turf War in a militant lab base, vacated

Occurrence: Rare

Pathogen: Virus

Treatment: Antivirals, Contaminated Ink Removal Treatment (CIRT)

Transmission: Physical contact with the inflicted or a single drop of tainted black ink upon the skin

Prevention: Vaccinations and isolation from any of the malady’s presence

Early Symptoms: Blackening of fingers and ear tips, including the tips of tentacles, faint discoloration of eyes, bleaching ink color, dry coughs, vomiting of black ink, fatigue, fever, sweating.

Later Symptoms: Ink color completely turns pitch black, distortion/melting of face and limbs (including eye mask and eye pupils), gradual liquidation of the body starting from the arms and legs till it reaches up the chest. Violent coughs, extreme vomiting of black ink, numbness of some body parts, skin tone gradually turns darker as the black ink consumes the victim’s body.

Late Symptoms (Terminal Stage): The Body is completely liquified, the victim loses all of his/her memories, turning into a monster, with melting and distortion of the face and limbs.

Notes: After the patient reaches their terminal stage, their body becomes free-forming liquid, assembling into numerous shapes and forms. If someone comes in contact with the abomination, they’ll end up being latched on and absorbed from the inflicted, causing the victim to be completely turned to their terminal stage. This also can result in the creation of the Cephamalagam.

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The Inkblot Disease dates back hundreds of years to the Great Turf War. Located within a secret base between the former war lines of Inkling and Octarian territory, now abandoned. The facility was run by inkling scientists in developing war weaponry, one of them being a bioweapon. Despite the controversy, the operation of the bioarm still proceeds in development; desperate times mean desperate measures to gain triumph.

The department successfully acquired a lab-made pathogen to weaken the enemy lines. It was a successful start, as it gained them an advantage. However, it was too soon to speak of victory. 

Everything backfired as the viral strain mutated, causing an anomalous transformation within the enemy lines, known as the Cephamalgam, a mass fusion Inklings and octolings. Soldiers saw their troops dissolve and transformed into something that is deemed vile and horrifying. The entity behaved hostile towards both armies, causing the Octarian and Inkling armada to retreat as the anomalies attacked both sides. 

Within the laboratory, personnel got overwhelmed by the outbreak, infecting most of the cephalopod personnel and consuming the others as prey. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown, yet it was speculated that a captured soldier used as a test subject for the bioweapon got transformed and escaped from containment, resulting in havoc.

Few survivors managed to escape from the facility, yet the outbreak continues during the midst of the war.

Soon enough, both enemy lines were inflicted by this ailment increasing amounts of casualties, famously known as the “Inkblot Disease.” This name has been coined due to many victims’  ink color turning black and their bodies liquefying into a free-forming sort of monster that takes many shapes, like an “inkblot.” Not only did it take effect during the war, it nearly reached their homelands. The Octarian race successfully managed to conduct quarantine and established safety procedures for the public. Though on the Inkling's side, their desperate attempts are to keep it discreet from the crowd masking it as some minor flu epidemic. To prevent further suspicion from the public, personnel are ordered to detain anyone infected, along with apprehending any residents that try to speak up against the administration. 

Despite the death toll, the Inkblot has finally been contained. After 10 years, a treatable cure has been found along with safe certified treatment procedures, those with the early stages of the disease are cured thanks to treatment. Those who are in the terminal stage however must be terminated. The lab foundation where it originates was destroyed, sunken underground in the deep chasm after the catastrophe. The area is entirely out of limits, kept away from the public and wiped out from the geological maps.

It used to be so highly common to get infected with the Inkblot. Nowadays, the disease is considered rare, so rare that many cephalopod folks may recall that the disease could be a mere urban legend or its completely eradicated, along with its history. For inklingkind, it was best to never mention the tragedy, for it is a grim reminder of their atrocities they'll never admit.

The rumors about the Inkblot faded into obscurity; a forgotten memory that's left to be disregarded for good.