Alter Aeon The Great Library

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Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  27974
Title: a book titled 'The Substrate of Chaos'

Primordial Chaos is the birthplace of Creation. It was vast, formless and
timeless. Then the gods touched it, stirring its substance so that it
congealed and distilled into countless worlds, spinning ever further apart.
But at its core, Primordial Chaos remained. Much of its power remains to be
harnessed, where it has pooled and collected over the long, long years.

The Chaos Sickness is one manifestation of these primal forces. Creatures
exposed to the Corruption of Chaos may contract this magical ailment.
Creatures thus infested with the Chaos Sickness go through several stages.

First, they slowly go mad. Their coordination and senses dull. They become
paranoid, unable to recognize friend from foe. They are plagued by
hallucinations and night terrors.

In the next phase they become grim. The flesh of grim creatures turns gray,
and their eyes bleed, leaving them bruised and blackened. The blood
eventually is replaced by a noxious substance known as chaos weepings. It
is thick and tar-like, with a foul smell. Chaos weepings can be harvested
and brewed with.

In the final phase, they become chaotic. Chaotic creatures often become
partially transformed into shadow as the Sickness takes over their bodies
entirely. Often their eyes glow, shifting rapidly between different colors.
When slain, their bodies can be harvested for chaos salt. This gritty
substance is infused with raw elemental energies and makes a potent
spellcomp. It forms crusts around the orifices of chaotic creatures.

If a living creature with Chaos Sickness is slain, they often rise as an
undead creature. From the chaotic undead, chaos ichor can be harvested.
Chaos ichor is the congealed blood of the creature mixed with chaos
weepings.

Feathered creatures at any phase of the Chaos Sickness may yield chaos
down. This ranges from Chaos Beasts to grim hawks to corrupted animentals
such as thunderbirds.

Chaos spittle is a form of chaos weepings that become acidic. Creatures
that launch fluid based attacks such as certain chaos zombies will yield
it, as will grim and chaotic canines such as grim hounds.

Chaos bark comes from ents that have been infused with chaotic energy. They
often take the form of various demonic trees such as devilkin or
bloodthorn.

Chaos scales are not like those of snakes or dragons. These come from the
wings of certain insect-like creatures, such as chaos firemoths or chaos
mephits.

There several kinds of parasites that only live off of creatures bearing
the Chaos Sickness. Chaos worms are long, segemented creatures that live in
the bowels of infected humanoids. Chaos lice are crawling blood-sucking
vermin that can be found in fur and feathers of grim beasts. Neither are
known to transmit Chaos Sickness, and they die if they try to feed from
non-infected creatures.

Chaotic substances are exceedingly powerful and highly sought after. Some
demons seem to be especialy interested in them, though they are vague or
even evasive when inquiries are made as to why.