Husk Infection

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Revision as of 18:59, 5 May 2022 by Terragen (talk | contribs) (Updated "effects" section to reflect affliction now hidden from Health Scanner HUD until 20 strength)
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Data is potentially outdated
Last updated for an unknown version
Last mentioned in changelog 1.0.13.0
The current game version is 1.2.8.0
See also: Afflictions
Something dark and unpleasant moves in the mouth. They are rendered completely mute, save for occasional clicking sounds apparently emanating from deep within the throat.


The Husk Infection can be caused by being bitten by a husked creature (most commonly, the Husk) or injected with Velonaceps Calyx Eggs.

It can be inflicted upon humans and crawlers, turning them into Husked Humans and Husked Crawlers respectively if not cured.

A single bite/injection is enough to permanently infect a character, and the affliction progressively gets worse. As the infection progresses, the player will be prompted with messages about their state.


The infection can be divided in three relevant stages: dormant, active and final.

The dormant stage of the infection (up to 74 strength) has close to no adverse side effects. An infected character will not be able to see if they're infected until the infection reaches 40 strength, and when it reaches 50 strength they will become unable to give orders through the command interface or use text or voice chat. A player using a Health Scanner HUD can detect the infection once it reaches 20 strength.

The active stage of the infection (from 75 strength onwards) has both negative and positive effects: A stinger-like appendage will grow out of the character's throat which can be used to attack (Middle Mousemiddle mouse button or R) and spread the infection to other characters or creatures, slightly healing the host for every successful attack. In this stage, the character will also develop an immunity to pressure everywhere except the Abyss [1], along with the ability to breathe underwater, allowing the character to freely swim in the Europan Ocean without a Diving Suit.

The final stage (at 100 strength) will make the afflicted character have seizures while slowly dying of internal damage, and after dying they will rise back from the dead as an NPC Husk. Husks don't revive after being killed.

In the absence of a treatment, the dormant stage will last 240 seconds (up to 74 infection strength) and the active stage will last another 80 seconds (reaching 100 infection strength), turning the target into a Husk 5 minutes and 33 seconds after the bite/injection. Should a character have Husk Genetic Material implanted into them with a gene splicer, affliction strength will stop rising at 90 infection strength, preventing them from reaching the final stage, although they will still enter the active stage.


The best known treatment for a husk infection is Calyxanide. It will heal 100 infection strength, or 60 in case of failure, in 1 second. The other option is Broad-spectrum Antibiotics, which heals 30 infection strength, or 15 on failure, in 60 seconds. If the infection strength wasn't brought down to 0, it will resume its progression once the treatment wears off. Completely removing the infection grants the player the "I am the cure" Achievement.

Neither treatment will be effective during or after the final stage, and Calyxanide will actually damage husks.

Broad-spectrum Antibiotics gives the user the Husk Infection Resistance buff. This grants the user a 75% chance to outright ignore infection. This linearly decays over 600 seconds. When the medicine check is not met the resistance is dropped to a 37.5% chance, and a decay time of 300 seconds.

Affliction Limb Specific Vitality Scaling Strength Change Strength Range Effects Treatments Caused By

Husk Infection
ID: huskinfection
Type: alieninfection
No
(Shown on Torso)
No +0.3/s 0 - 74
Dormant stage
Hidden from Health Scanner HUD until 20 strength
Hidden Affliction icon from health bar until 40 strength
Unable to chat/radio at 50 strength
Calyxanide (-100 | -60)* Desirable Medical Skill38
Broad-spectrum Antibiotics (-30 | -15)* Desirable Medical Skill25
Velonaceps Calyx Eggs (+0.01)* Desirable Medical Skill -
75 - 100
Active stage
Waterbreathing
Pressure immunity (except in the Abyss)
Special infectious attack
(Used by pressing the [Creature Attack] key (Default: F))
Death at 100 strength

Trivia

  • The name of the achievement for curing another player is most likely a reference to SCP-049, from SCP: Containment Breach, who also says "I am the cure". This is also enforced by the fact that the achievement's image is a medieval plague doctor, like how SCP-049 looks.
  • According to Dr. Happy (columnist for The Europan), husk infection is never cured, only pacified: "with proper treatment (I trust you’ve been taking your Calyxanide as prescribed?), a person with a dormant husk infection can lead a completely normal and fulfilling life, with practically no risk of further contagion. Also, knowing there’s a grotesque, flesh-eating snake-thing dormant in your throat will add an extra dimension of excitement…"

Footnotes

v·d·e·h
Afflictions
Combat
Environmental
Poisons
Buffs
Debuffs
Genes
Tainted Genes
Talents
Other
Endgame (Spoilers)