Description:

Entity 55, codename Acathasia, is a bloodborne pathogen characterized by symptoms of restlessness, insomnia, and onset hyperkinesia.¹

When a creature's blood that has been tainted by Entity 55 finds its way onto a wanderer's skin, the pathogen begins to burrow through the skin pores and spread into the new host's bloodstream. From there, Entity 55 travels to the spinal column, where it begins to interfere with the host's ability to control their own body by delaying native signals down the spine and sending its own.

Stage 1

1-3 hours after contracting Entity 55, the host's motor cortex will begin to lose control of the body, resulting in slight shaking and sudden spasms. At this stage, the Acathasia cells will not have fully integrated into the host's body, and can be flushed out with a glass of saltwater.

Stage 2

At the 4-8 hour, mark, the host will undergo a period of temporary paralysis, followed by complete loss of control of their lower body. All muscles from the waist down begin to spasm uncontrollably. There is a small chance at this stage that the host's immune system will reject Entity 55, and the host will recover. This has only happened in approximately 25% of reported cases.

Stage 3

At the 5-9 hour mark, The effects of Acathasia begin to spread to the upper body. If the host is not properly restrained, the host's neck may be snapped by the resulting flailing.

If the host survives this stage, Entity 55 appears to gain sentience. The Acathasia parasite will do anything in its power to transfer to other wanderers, sometimes pretending to be its host body for months on end. Its plans usually culminate in a "super-spreader" event, in which the current host's blood is transferred to a large number of people.

Hosts:

While wanderers are the primary target of Entity 55, they are not the only creatures capable of contracting it. There have also been cases reported of Hounds, Volpes, Hens, and domestic dogs and cats from the Frontrooms.

Discovery:

Patient 0 - Edna Cornwell

Prior to her infection, Ms. Cornwell was a small business owner in Level 11, running a moderately successful pastry shop. On 03/07/26, neighbors and passers-by reported muffled screaming and loud banging between 10:16 and 18:24.

The next day, the M.E.G. received an email from Ms. Cornwell detailing her observations of a previously undocumented pathogen, now known as Entity 55. Although nobody could recreate her experiments or verify her results, an onsite physician at Base Alpha determined her conclusions to be plausible. Throughout the next month, Ms. Cornwell rose quickly up the ranks of the scientific branch, advancing research on Liquid Pain at an astonishing rate.

On 04/23/26, a ceremony was held at Base Alpha to celebrate her promotion to Assistant Co-Director of the M.E.G. Scientific Branch. Some 600 people RSVP'd to this event, most of which were former patrons of the now-defunct pastry shop.

All gathered in the auditorium.

Edna Cornwell did not arrive on stage at the designated time.

When Director Faerin went to search for her, he found that the doors were all locked from the outside.

The lights turned off.

The fire alarm was activated.

And the sprinklers showered blood upon all 600 attendees.

When backup arrived, the base's water supply was found drained. In the storage tank was the sliced, disfigured, and exsanguinated corpse of Edna Cornwell.

All attendees appeared to be alive and unharmed. However, all have since gone missing, or been found dead, except for Director Faerin. His consciousness has been completely dominated by the Acathasia parasite transferred by Ms. Cornwell's blood. Many tests have been preformed on this specimen to clarify what parts of Ms. Cornwell's testimony were misinformation from the parasite.

Sentience:

Nobody knows exactly how Entity 55 gains sentience. The most popular theory is that the parasite repurposes the host's brain, slightly restructuring the pathways to fit its own needs. After this, it can nudge the brain in the right direction by inserting electrical signals into various neurons, eventually creating new thoughts and a new mind.

Of course, this entity is most likely a virus. A creature so small and simple some don't even consider it as life. Nothing on that scale could preform tasks so sophisticated.

Then again, a few eyewitnesses have seen Acathasia stop impersonating its host, and descriptions of its personality have all been eerily similar. All instances come with the same cocky attitude and superiority complex. Is there something more at play here?