Faith and Coin (2013), p105-106 — Aleynikov's Bane

Vial of Aleynikov's Bane

A particularly mutagenic, insidious disease native to Sideria II, the strain known as Aleynikov's Bane is characterised by a seemingly idiopathic pooling of blood in various parts of the body. It was thought to be completely incurable before Aleynikov began her work, and though she was able to make significant progress in curing it among the greater population, this lead to not only her own death, but the deaths of nearly everyone on board both the Rogue Trader vessel Nox Veniae and an entire supply space station. Though both the planet of Gildas and its orbital station have been under official quarantine since these incidents, a shrine dedicated to Aleynikov's memory on Sideria II is still maintained by her followers and the descendants of the people she helped.

The disease itself is as horrifying as it is lethal. The entire course of the disease from exposure to death generally takes about a week, and beginning with sharp aching sensations in the joints and extremities. It eventually develops into bloating, discolouration, and loss of sensation in the limbs as blood flow slowly ceases. The victim's miserable life slowly comes to an end as pools of rotted blood invade and congeal within his internal organs, and as his gangrenous limbs begin to slough off from his body under their own weight.

Despite the horrifying effects of this disease, sealed vials of this devastating malady are occasionally carried by Adherents of Aleynikov, as a reminder of their patron's sacrifice. Other, entirely more sinister individuals also sometimes possess samples of the disease.

An Explorer with the Pure Faith Talent who possesses a Vial of Aleynikov's Bane gains the benefits of an additional Fate Point. However, this Fate Point can only be spent, and cannot be "Burned".

The Grasping Rot

An Explorer unlucky enough to catch Aleynikov's Bane suffers 1d5 Toughness Damage at the end of each day the disease remains uncured. While he is infected, he cannot remove Toughness Damage he has suffered. For every 10 points his Toughness Bonus falls due to disease, the Explorer must make a Routine (+20) Toughness Test. If he passes this Test by five or more Degrees of Success, he miraculously manages to shake off the worst of the disease and can begin recovering. A character who succeeds this way and fully recovers from a bout with Aleynikov's Bane is henceforth immune to its effects; a small consolation to make up for the appendages he has likely already lost. If he succeeds but does not score the required Degrees of Success to fully recover, his condition does not worsen or improve. If he fails, his flesh putrefies, and he suffers 2d10 Rending Damage that ignores Armour and Toughness Bonus to a randomly determined Location.

Any character who comes into contact with the Explorer (or his mortal remains) must make a Very Hard (-30) Toughness Test. In the case of continuous exposure (for example, sharing a ship's mess hall or infirmary), the exposed character must repeat this Test at the end of each hour. If a character fails this Test, the Game Master should roll 1d10; on a result of 6 or higher, it means that the individual has contracted Aleynikov's Bane. The Game Master can make this second roll secretly or openly, and have the symptoms appear as he sees fit over the next few days. Determining whether or not an Explorer has caught the disease before its symptoms manifest requires a Very Hard (-30) Medicae Test.

Curing the disease is no easy task; unless an Explorer manages to rid himself of it through extreme luck or incredible resilience, the only way to remove the disease is through developing a cure - a task that has proved too much for countless individuals, including Nadine Aleynikov herself. If any answers exist, they are likely to lie within the Folio Languor...