The Stillness Manifests

The Stillness Manifests is a terrifying descent into biological stasis and a subtle, horrifying alteration of the body and mind of its victim. This bizarre and not-well-known condition is theorized to be triggered by the long-term consumption of Nutri-Salt.   A seemingly innocuous but ever-present and popular condiment/spice that many people in the Delta Space use to simulate juicier foods. Though in reality, it is a refined byproduct of a synthetic growth hormone, designed and utilized on cattle by AGRO-Technica.   This hormone is known to disrupt the endocrine system in high doses, but the long-term effects on humans and similar species have never been fully tested. And while these facts were known to AGRO-Technica, they nevertheless decided to brand the product with a snappy name and sell it to the masses. AGRO-Technica decided that the packaged amount of Nutri-Salt would likely do no harm. This decision was made with no research and based on a hunch that is completely unfounded.   What is being slowly discovered, however, is that excessive ingestion of this Nutri-Salt over longer periods of time has a significant effect on the human body. Slowly, over a stretch of several loops (see Measurements of Time in The Delta Space), it subtly breaks down the body and somehow rewrites the fundamental code of human biology, in ways that are not yet understood. By the end phases of this maddening condition, the body is more aligned with something undefinably alien, which is utterly indifferent to life. It is not a disease in the traditional sense, but rather a recalibration of the organism into a vastly stranger form.   It is currently unknown how a synthetic hormone can have this level of effect on a body. And while research is hastily being conducted, no cures or alleviations have been discovered.

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Initial Phase — The Lure

The first signs are deceptively benign, even pleasant. A profound sense of satiation that goes beyond mere fullness, a feeling of completeness that excessive use of Nutri-Salt seems to unlock in those who indulge in excess.   This feeling of satisfaction is accompanied by a subtle dulling of strong emotions, a creeping apathy towards the vibrant chaos of life. The body feels efficient, requiring less food and sleep, a state that may be incorrectly interpreted as a desirable peaking of performance. Internally, the synthetic growth hormone byproduct begins its work, not by promoting terrestrial growth, but by the subtle beginnings of what is likely to become a complete shift in the victim's cellular landscape.  

Mid Phase — The Scarring

As the hormonal byproduct accumulates in their system, the subtle changes become more pronounced and unsettling. The skin takes on a smooth, unnatural texture, losing its natural imperfections. Scars fade, not through healing, but seemingly through a process of biological erasure. Hair and nails grow at an unnervingly slow pace, eventually ceasing altogether. The eyes, while still functional, lose their natural sparkle, becoming flat and depthless. Colour begins to drain from extremities, hair, and the eyes eventually become pure white.   The craving for Nutri-Salt intensifies, becoming less about taste and more about a biological necessity to maintain this new state of being. The endocrine system is not just disrupted; it is simplified, shedding the messy complexities of human emotion and reproduction in favour of a starker, more unnerving set of directives.  

Advanced Phase — Manifestation

This is where the true horror of this condition manifests. The body ceases all outward signs of growth and decay, entering a state of unsettling perfection and horrifying stillness. While technically alive, the individual is now a still monument of their former selves. Some cases have even seen the victim's mouth seal shut, and their eyes narrow to mere slits, creating a blankly staring visage that only occasionally sparks subtle signs of life.   Their form may subtly shift and re-align in barely perceptible ways — the only sign that they may still be alive — becoming more symmetrical and less distinctly human. The mind becomes stripped of its mental anchors, becoming a vessel for fragmented, non-euclidean thoughts.   Communication becomes difficult, then impossible, as the very structure of language seems lost on the new form the victim has taken. In the most extreme cases, the body may begin to exude a fine, crystalline dust, a by-product of this new, strange form. They are not dead, but they are seemingly no longer human, having become something else, something cold and empty like the void between stars.