The Pathogen

The disease that strikes the population becomes a major element in the universe of OWW. It is the main driving force behind the plot and main story-line of the game.

There are many kinds and types of zombies in OWW, ranging from the common walker to the extremely dangerous savage. The kind of zombie the infected will turn into largely depend on the symptoms they experience. The effects of the disease vary greatly from person to person.

There are two main types of common "zombies" in OWW: Undead and infected. As it is, the difference between these zombies is quite clear. The undead type consists of people who have died from the pathogen or died before getting it. The infected type are people who have been infected when they were living, but instead of dying they had their brains rewired by the disease without killing them, turning then into a creature of madness and rage.

Infected zombie: People who become infected by the pathogen but do not die before turning. In a constant state of adrenaline however when idle will seem to have "calmed down" to preserve energy levels. Don't be fooled, when stimulated, they will let out a shrilling scream and ruthlessly assault the character. Some infected will randomly die or be found dead because scientifically, large amounts of adrenaline in the body for long periods of time is poisonous.

History and Intro:
The Pathogen has an unknown origin. Because of the viciously virulent nature of the pathogen and the failure to contain the disease, it spread relatively fast in the city and was prevented from being examined thoroughly by scientists in the city, who either died or were not able to effectively study it in the ensuing chaos of the outbreak.

Transmission:
The Pathogen is not airborne, but is contracted quite easily through bites and physical injury of an open wound.

Information:
Information given on this disease is considering the scenario of the longest known time before turning. There have been cases where somebody has turned within minutes or even seconds after getting bit

Symptoms:

 * Excessive sweating within an hour or so of getting bit (leads to dehydration)
 * Survivors with brains that are less resistant to mental trauma shall experience anxiety, depression, bouts of anger and panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, paranoia - not actually symptoms of the disease but rather a personal reaction or side effect to it
 * Outbursts of rage and violence, some survivors will attack as of they have already turned then quickly regain their senses. There is little to no chance of recovery at this stage


 * Bulging, discolored veins starting minutes or so after infection


 * Twitches and tremors within hours after getting bit


 * Area of bite or infection will be inflamed, painful, dark green or blue, and occasionally pulsing

Undead/Reanimated zombie: Mostly the remains of people who have been killed/eaten and reanimated from the pathogen, Others have died after contracting the disease
 * Random, powerful hallucinations starting minutes after contraction
 * Bloodshot eyes hours after contraction
 * Dilated pupils hours after contraction
 * Bleeding from eyes -a very important sign that the infected person will mutate into something much, much more dangerous
 * Random and violent grand-mal seizures
 * Heavy signs of adrenaline before turning
 * Death or turning
 * Nausea or vomiting
 * Does not die, but will turn extremely quickly, often without warning (if these symptoms weren't warning enough)

Symptoms:

 * Bulging, discolored veins after 24 hours
 * Pale, pallid, and thin skin after 24 hours
 * Drying red eyes, dilation of pupil and fading of iris, continues to degrade as disease progresses. The undead don't blink and will have dirty, discolored irises from the dirt and contaminants


 * Unhealthy looking nails and hair after 24 hours
 * Muscle aches after a few hours


 * Breaking into cold sweats and shivering, fever within hours of turning
 * Major fatigue and lethargy before fatal coma
 * Random, powerful hallucinations starting minutes after contraction
 * Bleeding from eyes -a very important sign that the infected person will mutate into something much, much more dangerous
 * Random, violent grand-mal seizures after first day
 * Nausea or vomiting
 * When the infected person goes into a persistent vegetative state, pronounced medically dead, the pathogen often gain control of the host body quickly and suddenly, reviving them just before actual death, and they have turned and will wake up any second. Be careful