Iridye

There are few afflictions in the world of Nyria as strange or as controversial as Iridye, a rare symbiotic parasite known to affect a minuscule subset of the Alsian population. Neither fully understood nor officially acknowledged by the major medical institutions, Iridye sits in the shadowy space between myth, biology, and prophecy.

What sets Iridye apart is not merely the bizarre way it infiltrates its host, but the profound—often terrifying—changes it brings to the senses and sanity of those it infects.

When examined under a high-clarity arc-lens microscope, Iridye spores are a spectacle of unnatural symmetry. Each spore appears as a perfect dodecahedron, its surfaces faintly iridescent, shifting color between violet, green, and silver as the light angle changes. Unlike typical organic cells, Iridye spores exhibit crystalline latticing, giving the illusion of being forged rather than grown.

In larval form, Iridye resembles a strand of inky filament, segmented and tipped with hook-like cilia that grasp organic matter. The core structure houses optical nodes—tiny reflective sacs that flicker like stars in a black sky. These nodes are believed to serve as primitive eyes or light-sensing organs, giving the parasite its navigational abilities.

The Prerequisites of Infection

Unlike common parasites, Iridye does not infect just anyone. It appears to seek out a very specific kind of host: Alsian with rare physical traits and an unusual environmental exposure. All documented cases share these characteristics:

• Golden hair and sapphire eyes, or ruby hair and emerald eyes
• High topple ears, a rare Alsian ear shape often associated with ancient bloodlines
• Freckling beneath the arms or between the inner thighs—locations otherwise hidden from sun exposure
• A recorded exposure to the pollen of the MidBright Tree, a luminous, twilight-blooming species found only in isolated groves in warm and humid climates

Even with these traits, the infection rate is vanishingly small. Iridye is not contagious in the traditional sense—it is invasive, but not airborne or transferable through touch. Some believe the MidBright Tree does not merely host the parasite, but chooses those who will receive it.

Symbiosis of Sight

Once infection occurs, changes manifest rapidly. The cornea and iris are the first to be consumed, overtaken by a shifting, oil-like black sheen. The host loses their previous vision within days. Panic is common—until the adaptation begins.

• In the first stage, the infected sees only in shades of grey.
• Within weeks, heat signatures and infrared colorations emerge.
• Eventually, the visible spectrum expands dramatically, revealing colors no Alsian eye was ever meant to perceive—luminescent hues in air currents,

For many, the loss of “normal” sight becomes irrelevant in the face of this new vision—an entire world hidden in plain sight, now unveiled.

Madness and Prophecy

The most controversial aspect of Iridye infection is what comes next.

In cases observed after The Burn those with advanced symbiosis begin to speak of fractured moments seen through walls, beneath ground, or even across time. They claim to witness the shadows of the past lingering in empty rooms, and in more extreme cases, fleeting flashes of the future—deaths not yet occurred, conversations yet to be spoken.

Naturally, skeptics argue these visions are symptoms of neural degradation. And indeed, the majority of those infected with Iridye eventually descend into hallucinatory states or delusional prophecy. But too many of their ramblings have proven eerily accurate for comfort.

Some say the parasite doesn’t merely rewrite the eye—it rewires the mind to interpret more than just light.

Society and Stigma

Due to its effects, Iridye bearers are feared as much as they are studied. In some Alsian communities, they are believed to be cursed, blessed, or both—revered as oracles or locked away as madmen. Several noble houses are rumored to hide afflicted relatives, either as shameful secrets or treasured advisors.

There are no known cures.