Stress-Induced Cognitive Wasting Syndrome

Stress-Induced Cognitive Wasting Syndrome (commonly abbreviated as SCWS or derisively known in street parlance as “the Unraveling”) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder endemic to the Vey’Zari population, distinguished by its strong correlation to prolonged and unmitigated psychological stress. Unlike classical neurodegenerative diseases found in other near-human species, SCWS has no clear hereditary link or infectious agent; rather, it emerges as a direct byproduct of the Vey’Zari’s high-stress environment, mercenary lifestyles, and relentless social volatility.   First recognized in the undercity sectors of Taz’Vaar during the late industrial collapse, SCWS was initially mistaken for simple “burnout” or malingering. Over time, syndicate medics and cyberneticists identified a pattern: afflicted individuals—often seasoned operatives, contract enforcers, or information brokers—displayed a predictable arc of symptoms beginning with subtle memory lapses and decision-making delays, and ending in profound mental disintegration, bodily atrophy, and death. Modern neuroimaging confirms that SCWS targets the dense neural latticework characteristic of Vey’Zari brains, particularly regions responsible for short-term memory consolidation, executive function, and adaptive emotional response. The pathophysiology is believed to involve a cascade of chronic cortisol surges, glial cell malfunction, and progressive synaptic breakdown, exacerbated by years of chemical stimulant use, neural overclocking, and constant threat exposure.   Symptoms develop insidiously—minor forgetfulness, broken routines, and “ghost reflexes” (unconscious repetitive actions) are usually dismissed as fatigue or stress. As the disorder progresses, sufferers lose the ability to distinguish allies from threats, forget critical contract details, and may even fail basic survival routines, an unthinkable fate in Vey’Zari society. Advanced cases are marked by personality erosion, paranoid delusions, emotional deadening, and—eventually—complete neural collapse. SCWS is often accompanied by rapid physical decline: muscle wasting, tremors, autonomic instability, and even breakdown of cybernetic integration as the mind loses the capacity to manage internal augmentations. Sufferers are typically shunned or “retired” by their syndicates before they reach the final stage. Despite sporadic efforts at intervention—including neurochemical stabilization, memory crypt offloading, and aggressive cybernetic replacement—no cure exists. Palliative measures focus on slowing progression, maintaining routine, and preserving operational usefulness as long as possible. The disorder’s prevalence remains a cultural taboo, viewed less as a disease than as the final price for a lifetime of survival under pressure—a warning etched into the shadows of every contract and back alley in Thauzuno.