#aura in canon is op and i wanted a way to nerf it

[silvokrent]

Auratic Diseases

Overview

An Auratic disease (colloquially known as “soul sickness”) is an adverse condition that typically affects a person’s Aura, and by extension, their Semblance. Certain diseases can occasionally lead to the patient acquiring secondary complications, such as immunodeficiency. Unlike other infectious illnesses, Auratic diseases can’t be spread between people; instead, the disease is transmitted from infected Grimm to humans and Faunus. As apneumatic (soulless) organisms, Grimm are immune to the diseases they host and are thus impervious to any complications. It’s currently unknown what pathogens (if any) cause the diseases, though the prevailing theory is that they’re transmitted through a phenomenon known as “Auratic contamination.” When Grimm are infected with an Auratic disease, a black, smoke-like substance known as miasma [1] trails off of their bodies. Miasma differs from moribund vapor (the black gaseous matter that Grimm hemorrhage when injured) in that the former is not a byproduct of physical damage, and the latter has no role in disease transmission. When people come into contact with symptomatic Grimm, it’s speculated that the miasma at close proximity “pollutes” a person’s Aura, analogous to how a smokestack pollutes the air around it by emitting toxic chemicals. It’s impossible to tell what disease an infected Grimm has until post-transmission symptoms begin to manifest in the patient.

While there aren’t any genetic or epigenetic factors that predispose a person to these illnesses, certain parts of the population tend to be statistically more susceptible to infection. Huntsmen disproportionately have the highest number of cases per year, followed by people living in extraregnal settlements. Unlike traditional diseases caused by organic pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, arthropods, and parasitic worms), Auratic diseases can’t be vaccinated against. The most effective countermeasures include education, public awareness, and reduced exposure to Grimm. In cases where preventive measures are ineffective or difficult to implement, medical intervention is the next step. Out of all the known Auratic diseases, only one is directly fatal, while the others have mortality rates attributed to secondary effects. Disease symptoms and conditions range from temporarily inconvenient to permanently debilitating, depending on the disease and whether or not the patient receives timely medical care.

History

The history of Auratic diseases is checkered and incomplete, in part due to the collapse of past civilizations, and the loss of any archives that might have been buried with them. Collaborative interdisciplinary research between epidemiologists and anthropologists places the earliest written accounts circa 1200 AB. [2] At the time, the only consensus was that Auratic diseases were related to Grimm; causes and treatments were virtually unknown. Ancient societies which believed Grimm were the spirits of tortured animals assumed that Auratic diseases were curses. Similarly, cultures that practiced archotherolatry, or Grimm worship, believed these conditions to be signs of divine judgment and exiled anyone that was symptomatic.

In the following centuries, focus shifted toward remedying the worst of the effects and finding potential cures. Before it was understood that Auratic diseases can’t be transmitted between people, infected patients were usually quarantined. The deceased had their remains cremated, and the ashes were often buried in designated “disease pits” outside the settlement. Treatment methods included, but weren’t limited to: exposing the patient to burning incense; prescribing plant-based oral drugs; starving or inducing emesis in the patient to detoxify or “cleanse” the body; and even feeding patients the blood of people that had recovered from the same disease, in order to transfer their resistance.

It wasn’t until 300 AB when pathologist and surgeon Cinchona Rigel made a connection between Auratic diseases and Dust. Specifically, Rigel noticed that patients exposed to Dust had their symptoms go into remission. At certain concentrations, patients had a greater likelihood of being completely cured. This observation aligned with the ancient practice of people ingesting Dust to alleviate symptoms. While patients of antiquity had to deal with the unintended side effects of acute Dust poisoning, according to early medical records, the treatment seemed to work. Rigel concluded that there must have been a specific property of Dust that radiated the patient’s Aura field and stimulated its recovery. He spent the remainder of his career applying his research to his patients and fine-tuning the procedures, with incredible success. His work gave rise to the next generation of Dust-integrated Aura regenerative medicine, and earned Rigel the moniker “Father of Pneumatophysics.”

Today, fatalities are less common, and the quality of life for those affected by Auratic diseases has significantly improved thanks to new developments in medicine. The Kingdom of Atlas is the world’s foremost leader on Aura regeneration, courtesy of technological advancements made in the last eight decades, and access to naturally-occurring Dust deposits in Solitas. The number of cases per year has steadily been in decline as a result of programs that discriminately target and kill plague-type Grimm.

Plague-type Grimm

While all species of Grimm are vectors for Auratic diseases, diseases are primarily transmitted via archotheronotic species (plague-type Grimm) such as Ravagers (Mimochiroptera confluens), Swarmers (Pantomenos asticum), Rotweilers (Haemocyon morbifer), Pestilice (Aspidentomon chiliades), Virovultr (Auredax solfur), and Wringwyrms (Echidnascolex constrictor). Plague-type Grimm are defined by strict epidemiological characteristics. In order to be classified as archotheronotic, the species must:

Be capable of transmitting ≥ 5 Auratic diseases.

Have more than 75% of the population infected at any given time. [3]

Be capable of transmitting the disease among Grimm that aren’t conspecifics.

To reiterate: All Grimm species can become infected and transmit diseases to humans and Faunus, but only plague-type Grimm can transmit diseases to other Grimm.

Treatment

Modern treatment is based on a combination of diagnostics and EMF Dust-stimulation therapy. Pathologists detect abnormalities in the patient’s Aura by performing a pneumatophysioscopy—an imaging technique that uses electromagnetic radiation to obtain real-time images of a patient’s Aura field. The device is capable of recording both inactive and dormant (or unlocked) Auras, and measuring field fluctuations (a phenomenon known as “flickering”).

Once a patient’s infection has been verified, and their disease has been ID’d through symptom diagnosis, physicians can begin treatment. Patients are placed within a Dust vortex generator, or EMF-DS grid. The machine generates a charge and uses electromagnetic radiation to stimulate Dust crystals. The charge radiates the Dust at a threshold below Rigel’s number to activate its Auratic-regenerative properties without triggering a volatile reaction. The Dust types involved, the number of crystals, and the strength of the current passed through them vary according to the disease. Success rates are often contingent on the amount of time that’s lapsed between exposure and seeking out medical attention.

Diseases

The 11 diseases mentioned below are the most common or well-researched. This list doesn’t preclude the existence of undiscovered diseases.

Note: All of the diseases listed below can affect individuals with unlocked Auras, but only five can affect individuals with dormant (locked) Auras. Those five are denoted by [†].

auralysis (Gr. aúra, soft breeze, + -lysis, lúsis, destruction) A disease that prevents a person’s Aura from regenerating. The patient will not be able to activate it, and by extension, won’t be able to use their Semblance. Auralysis is characterized by the Aura field erratically flickering whenever the patient attempts to engage it. Onset usually begins 5 days post exposure, and can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month. In severe cases where a patient has repeat exposure to infected Grimm and doesn’t seek out treatment, the disease can last far longer, and rarely, become permanent. Deaths attributed to this disease are usually secondary in nature; ex. a Huntsman in the field is unaware of the fact that they’re infected, is unable to engage their Aura during combat, and dies as a result of injury. By far the most common Auratic disease, with over 5,000 cases reported every year.

[†] archotherianthropy (Gr. archo-, arkhós, ruler, + -ther-, thḗr, beast, + -anthropy, ánthropos, man) An incredibly rare disease, with less than 45 documented cases in the last century. Onset is estimated at 3 weeks post exposure. The disease is characterized by a sudden, dramatic change in behavior. The patient typically displays the following symptoms: agitation, aggression, confusion, fear of Dust, and restless movement. Late-stage symptoms include a tendency to provoke verbal or physical fights with others, and an outwardly withdrawn or disengaged appearance. This process culminates in the patient’s identity becoming completely subsumed by the disease, leaving behind a single-minded compulsion to seek out and kill other humans or Faunus. At this stage, the patient loses their ability to communicate. Clinicians advise euthanasia as the most humane option for alleviating suffering, as there is currently no cure.

[†] CAD (Chronic Aura Degradation) An uncommon disease that’s sometimes referred to as soul siphoning. CAD causes the patient’s Aura to gradually begin to deteriorate at 5 weeks post exposure. The pathognomonic sign used for diagnosing CAD is the distinctive gaps in the patient’s projected Aura. These “holes” have black edging, like burns on a sheet of paper, and can no longer extend protection to the sections of the body where the Aura has eroded. As the disease progresses, the patient can acquire secondary symptoms, such as paralysis in the limbs where Aura has deteriorated, or immunodeficiency. While there is no cure, the disease process can be slowed down or halted through weekly EMF-DS therapy. Patients may sometimes wear specialized medical accessories—bracelets, pendants, etc—made with Dust crystals to provide additional treatment. Gaps in the Aura start out small and expand with time, which can make this disease easy to overlook or misdiagnose until symptoms begin to worsen. [4]

cataegida (Gr. kataigída, storm) A disease that disables the thermoregulatory properties of Aura. The disease is diagnosed by a patient’s sudden ability to feel extreme heat or cold even while their Aura is engaged. Onset can begin as early as 2 days post exposure, making this disease potentially life-threatening if the patient is in a location with hazardous weather phenomena, such as drought or blizzards. Infected people caught unaware can succumb to hypothermia, heat stroke, dehydration, and other complications as a result of exposure. Every year, cataegida-induced thermoregulatory failure kills upward of 200 people in Solitas, northern Anima, and western Sanus. Clinicians have found that Fire and Ice Dust are the most effective at treating this disease.

[†] dustblight A disease that causes allergic reactions in the patient when exposed to Dust. Symptoms include urticaria, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, bronchoconstriction (if Dust powder is accidentally inhaled), and inflammation of the sinus. Extreme cases can cause anaphylaxis. Onset begins at 1 week and can last up to 6 months. If treatment is not sought out during this time and symptoms are allowed to worsen, the disease can potentially become permanent. Patients must take antihistamines in order to receive EMF-DS therapy.

esthesiosis (Gr. esthesio-, aísthēsis, sensation, + -osis, -ōsis, a condition or disease) A disease more commonly known as Auratic blindness because it disables a person’s extrasensory capabilities, and dulls their perception of their surroundings. Onset occurs between 7 to 10 days post exposure and can last for five weeks. Patients with this disease are seldom diagnosed, despite cases being estimated at 250 per year. This is likely because people outside of Huntsmen Academies are rarely trained to refine or hone this skill.

Huntsman’s disease A disease that causes a patient’s Aura to revert back to its dormant state. Unlike auralysis, Dust-based therapy is largely ineffective and considered a waste of time and resources. After onset occurs at 4 days post exposure, patients are advised to immediately seek out someone who can unlock it for them. If the patient’s Aura is not unlocked again within three weeks of contracting the disease, the condition becomes permanent. The disease was named because it tends to inconvenience Huntsmen the most. Researchers debate whether Huntsman’s disease is a separate illness, or simply a more advanced version of auralysis, given the overlap of symptoms.

inertia pulveris (L. inertia, inactivity; pulveris (SG.GEN.MASC), dust) A disease that renders the patient unable to activate Dust with their Aura. This disease tends to be harder to diagnose, as most people rely on technology that uses already-activated Dust-integrated mechanisms. Onset occurs 1 week post exposure, and tends to be noticed by patients that either use it in raw/less refined forms (crystalline), or who work in professions where Dust is handled frequently (such as in Dust mines). This disease can be a hassle for Huntsmen that extensively use Dust for fighting, but for some, it can be unexpectedly profitable. In recent years the Schnee Dust Company has begun to target patients at clinics or hospitals and offer them jobs working in their warehouses and mines. This business practice has sparked controversy, with more and more people petitioning the Council to investigate this behavior on the grounds of being “predatory and exploitative.”

[†] proselkia (Gr. prosélkysi, attraction) A disease that causes nearby Grimm to prioritize attacking the infected individual. Onset usually begins 9 to 15 days post exposure. Diagnosis is nearly impossible without pneumatophysioscopy, as pathognomonic signs aren’t visible to the naked eye. Imaging techniques reveal that a person’s Aura field—whether unlocked or dormant—exudes vaporous emissions that trail behind the patient. These vapors are often likened to pheromones, and can compel even cautious species like the Goliath (Archaeotherium vagum) to attack on sight. While the disease only lasts for three months (without treatment), it can result in social ostracization due to fear of the patient drawing in Grimm.

[†] psychosomaticide (E. psychosomatic, relating to the body and mind, + L. -cide, -cīda, one who cuts) A poorly-understood and highly stigmatized disease. While anyone can contract it, the effects of psychosomaticide tend to impact people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other debilitating psychiatric disorders more intensely. Once onset begins at 20 days post exposure, it can lay dormant for years with the patient completely unaware of their infection. The symptoms of the disease are only triggered in the direct presence of Grimm. When confronted by a Grimm, the patient is inundated with a sudden, overpowering sense of despair and anguish. The patient then willfully lowers their weapon (if wielding one) and lies down, allowing the Grimm to tear them apart. Unless another person is close enough to intervene, the end result is always death. Survivors of these encounters often require social interaction and psychological treatment, in addition to Dust-based therapy. The willpower-draining scream of the Apathy (Lorem ipsum) is considered a more potent, weaponized form of this condition.

therapistasis (Gr. therapeíā, medical treatment, + -stasis, stásis, cessation) A disease that disables the innate healing factor of Aura. The disease is diagnosed by a person’s sudden ability to sustain injuries even while their Aura is engaged. Onset can begin as early as 3 to 4 days post exposure. While the patient is still capable of activating their Semblance and using other Aura-related abilities (thermoregulation, extrasensory perception), they can take damage as if their Aura were already broken. The disease can last for up to a month. Fatalities as a result of this disease are more common among newly-licensed Huntsmen and Academy students, who tend to overestimate their skills, and assume that they can still fight despite being susceptible to lethal attacks.

Notes

[1] The term miasma is an allusion to miasma theory, an obsolete medical theory that tried to explain how illnesses were formed and transmitted. Up until the late nineteenth century, the medical community believed that infectious diseases were caused by a noxious form of “bad air.”

[2] Because RWBY doesn’t have a canon calendar era (like the Before Common Era/Common Era used today), I decided to make my own: AB, or antebellum, refers to before the Great War; IB, or intrabellum, refers to the 10-year period during the Great War; and PB, or postbellum, is the last 80 years after the Great War.

[3] The reason not all Grimm are visibly infected/have miasma is due to a retcon I made with RWBY’s animation. During V1 - 3, the Grimm didn’t have that black vapor trailing off of their bodies. After the V4 Character Short the Grimm were restyled to have that smoke effect. But here’s the thing: it’s inconsistent. The Manticores and Sphinx in V6E01, for example, don’t have it. I decided to liberally interpret that to mean that black vapor is a sign of Auratic disease, but not all Grimm are actively infected. It also explains the inconsistency between the Grimm in V1 - 3 and V4 onward—the Grimm that the kids encountered while they were at Beacon just so happened to not be infected.

[4] CAD is based on Pietro Polendina’s condition. We have no confirmation of this in canon, but I think that donating a percentage of his Aura (his god damn soul) to Penny has slowly chipped away at his health. Technically, Pietro would have a manmade version of CAD.