Classification System for Magical Afflictions

This lore is fairly complex and not critical to develop characters related to pathogens/infections/afflictions. Still, it is here for your enjoyment if you would like to use it.

Magical and supernatural pathogens and afflictions exist in Ideation, though not all magical phenomena that "spread" are necessarily classified as infectious with CSMA. Most were created by Edeia such as Blight, though some were brought in from other dimensions. Magical pathogens of other dimensions, however, tend to have reduced potency and effects on native Ideation individuals while in the universe of Ideation due to Firmament's stabilizing effects.

During the Age of Secrecy, Blight collaborated with other Edeia along with Order's research efforts to establish CSMA, a classification system for magical/supernatural pathogens, or biological pathogens of magical origin and/or with magical effects. It was versatile enough that it was used for some other magical non-pathogenic/non-infectious afflictions as well. Generally, CSMA is only officially used for afflictions (things with negative effects), but some might borrow elements of CSMA to explain their abilities.

By the Age of Reunion, almost all Cd10 and highly dangerous pathogens were eliminated (in united society) or eradicated.

Terminology

Many of these more specific terms are only used by those who work in areas of public health, research on these phenomena, and accessibility, which involves more nuanced understanding of such phenomena. The general public does not necessarily have these terms in their vernacular, and most Edeia do not think of their abilities with the framework of these terms and CSMA.

influence: direct Edeia magic used upon an individual and its effects.

agent: something independent from an Edeia that can cause metaduction, including afflictogens. That is, once the Edeia releases the agent, it requires no further maintenance to take effect, though some may become weaker over time. It may take a physical form or not, but is needs to have some kind of distinct existence and sense of presence.

metaduction: an induced change in an individual's biology/physiology, psychology, behaviors, emotions, etc., whether done through direct Edeia influence or through agents. This has the following subterms:

affliction: metaduction that primarily or significantly induces effects that can be considered negative, including things that alter agency (compulsions, forceful changes in personality/behavior), and malaise/unwellness.
enhancement: metaduction that primarily or significantly induces effects that can be perceived positive, including increased lifespan, protection from harm or mental influence, etc.
ontogenesis: metaduction involving changes to an individual's fundamental nature, including species transformation, new magical abilities, immortality, and other substantial alterations typically associated with direct Edeia influence.

afflictogen: an agent that can cause afflictions.

pathogen: an agent that has a full or partial biological basis.

enchantogen: an agent that has exclusively magical effects.

ontogen: an agent that induces ontogenesis. Ontogens also have subcategories:

convertogen: an agent that transforms an individual into a particular species or subspecies with distinct traits.
potentiogen: an agent that grants new magical abilities.

Notes on Edeia and Afflictions/Pathogens

You may use CSMA for afflictions and pathogens made by your own Edeia, but keep a few notes in mind:

Idea magic related to infection, disease, unwellness, biology, pathogens, etc. can commonly create pathogens that cause illness/malaise and other changes in biology/physiology, psychology, cognition, etc. without granting unrelated magical abilities.
Idea magic related to assimilation, collectiveness, aggregation, etc. can sometimes have infectious characteristics in their magic. For example, members of a collective may spread a curse, cognitohazard, memetic agent that causes others to become assimilated, whether the effect is temporary or indefinite, or minor or significant. However, the do not usually have the ability to create pathogens.
Several kinds of magic can cause non-infectious metaduction, including afflictions and ontogenesis. For example, Malice's malicious manifestation can be considered a kind of affliction.
Afflictions that cause ontogenesis (such as granting magical abilities) and are contagious are much less common. These mostly occur under the following circumstances:
- An Edeia has a specifically relevant Idea. For instance, Blight's Idea, Infective Conversion, incorporates both infection and transformation/alteration from one host to another in the core of its concept. (Though Blight does have other limitations, like requiring a direct transmission and a conversion element).
- An Edeia that specializes in (contagious) infection collaborates with an Edeia that can directly cause ontogenesis. For example, Simulacra could cooperate with Blight to create a self-replicating nanomachine that transforms people into artificial beings, spread from person to person.
Edeia that don't have a specifically relevant Idea typically need to more directly exert influence, though they can sometimes create something like a cognitohazard (perception induces change) that does not spread from person to person.

Classification System for Magical Afflictions (CSMA)

Each pathogen/affliction is classified using a string of descriptors separated by periods for each category, with most attributes scored on a scale of 0-10.

For the same category, the capital letter is not repeated.
They are split into pathogen characteristics in the first half, followed by a dot and then the host characteristics.
Scores of 0 can optionally be omitted from the CSMP string.

The basic format is:

[Pathogen Characteristics: H[types].P[#].I[#].S[type][#].D[type][#].T[#].V[type][#]] •
[Host Effects: M[#].C[type][#].L[type][#].A[type][#].W[#]]

For instance: Hm.P8.I2.Ss9.Dp8t6.T4.Vp10r8 • M3.Ci7c5.Li8.Am9t6.W2

For more specific examples, you can see Blight's profile.

Pathogen Characteristics

Hazard Types (H)

The method of transmission. A pathogen can have multiple categories—Hbx are semi-biological curses, Hbm may require acquiring certain knowledge after biological exposure, Hcr may be triggered by perception which leads to compulsory conducting of a ritual that causes the infection, etc.

Hb: Biohazard - Biological transmission (contact, fluids, airborne)
Hc: Cognitive - Perception-based transmission (sight, sound, etc.), often with certain conditions (i.e. eye contact, hearing a sound 5 times, looking at the infected "core" of a blighted, etc.)
Hm: Memetic - Knowledge-based transmission. Direct transmission must be conveyed personally (low infectivity), while indirect transmission can spread through media (high infectivity). May require understanding or belief.
Hr: Ritual - Ritual ceremony-based transmission, requiring formal procedures. Can be voluntary or compulsory, and can affect living or deceased targets.
Hx: Curse - Other magical transmission vectors. May be mechanically similar to biohazards (requiring contact, blood-sharing, etc.) but not with a biological basis.

Potency (P) [0-10]

The "dominance" of the pathogen over other illnesses and magical phenomena. An infected individual be infected by magical pathogens of a lower potency, but may experience minor effects from those of the same or slightly higher potency. A pathogen with significantly higher potency (i.e. 3 levels above) has the potential to completely replace an existing pathogen.

Infectivity (I) [0-10]

Ease of transmission, factoring in intention requirement (deliberate vs accidental) and environmental persistence. This can be an aggregate score or separated into:

Ii: the ease of infection, such as requiring a simple action or low dose of pathogens.
Is: intention requirement, with Is10 spreading whether the infected wants it to or not, and Is0 requiring deliberate action.
Ie: environmental persistence, with Ie10 pathogens lasting indefinitely.
Ic: contagiousness; specifically, the tendency of the pathogen to transmit and multiply from host to host.

If infectivity is high on most measures but low in one, that can be specified though, for instance, I9c0, which indicates high environmental infectivity that cannot spread from person to person.

Stability (S) [0-10]

A category assessing the mutation rate of the pathogen itself, factoring in consistency of symptoms and pathogen characteristics across hosts at the same time and/or over time.

Su: Unstable - Higher scores indicate greater mutation rates.
Ss: Stabile - Higher scores indicate resistance to perturbation, even with direct attempts to mutate it.

Dormancy (D) [0-10]

How long it takes for the pathogen to take effect and how difficult it is to trigger.

Dp: Period - Length of dormant state (Dp0 = instant, Dp1 = within 1 day, Dp2 = within 1 week, Dp5 = within 1 year, Dp8 = decades, Dp9 = centuries, Dp10 = indefinite)
Dt: Trigger - Difficulty of activation (Dt0 = requires no specific trigger, Dt10 = very difficult to trigger)

Transmission Complexity (T) [0-10]

Higher scores correspond to higher number of required transmission steps, more specific environmental conditions needed, increased prevalence of asymptomatic carriers, etc. T0 pathogens can infect others for absolutely no reason, T1 pathogens may require a simple action (biting, blood contamination, etc.).

An example of a T10 magical might involve an initial magical-biological exposure that grants knowledge of a complex ritual that allows the individual to perceive a certain cognitohazardous entity, which compels them to seek out another certain biological exposure that will reveal another ritual where they can perceive the entity again; this may repeat a few times before the whole memetic process contributes to rewriting their metaphysical state.

The "end" of what is considered required for the transmission complexity sequence may vary, but usually it is determined by when the individual becomes infectious themself.

Severity (V) [0-10]

The pathogen's characteristics regarding permanence vs. spontaneous recovery and resistance to treatment. Can be an aggregate score or separated into these two categories:

Vp: Permanence - Difficulty of recovery (Vp0 = guaranteed recovery, Vp10 = impossible)
Vr: Resistance - Response to treatment (Vr0 = easily curable with treatment, Vr10 = untreatable)

Host Effects

Mutation (M) [0-10]

How much the body's form and physiology has changed.

Cognitive Impact (C) [0-10]

Subtypes:

Ci: Cognitive/intelligence enhancement
Cd: Cognitive degradation (Cd10 = mindless; Cc is irrelevant for Cd10 since their behavior is only defined by infective instincts)
Cc: Compulsive behaviors (such as a desire to infect others)

Lifespan Modification (L) [0-10]

Li: Life extension (Li10 = ageless immortality)
Ld: Life reduction (Ld10 = immediate fatality)

Augmentation (A) [0-10]

The degree to which the infected gain new abilities. If there is no subtag, all abilities are included or it is an aggregate score.

Optional subtypes:

Am: Magical capabilities
Ap: Physical enhancements
At: Transformation abilities
Ar: Regenerative powers

Weakness (W) [0-10]

Development of new weaknesses, such as sensitivity to certain things, or certain things become toxic to them.

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