Origins of the Sea Blight
The third development diary explains the biological origins and behavior of the Sea Blight in DREADMOOR. The Sea Blight existed before the apocalyptic events that submerged the world. The substance was initially discovered during an expedition to the far North as a biological substance. Prior to the collapse, it found its way into medicine, science, and engineering. Following the submersion of civilization, the substance altered and became a persistent hazard to humanity. The blight seeped into the water, clung to surfaces, and lingered in the air, often manifesting as a faint green mist.
Mutation Patterns and Wildlife Adaptation
The Sea Blight behaves like an unpredictable disease that spreads through water, lingers in fog, and alters organisms from within. While most biological alterations are chaotic and unpredictable, stabilized patterns have begun appearing across generations of animals. These functional traits aid survival in a world that no longer follows natural laws. Certain rare specimens diverge drastically enough from baseline forms to serve as valuable resources that can be refined and repurposed.
Environmental Decay and Human Toll
Persistent contamination and high humidity wear down structures and terrain, turning solid ground into unstable swampland. Human survivors remain exceptionally vulnerable to prolonged exposure, suffering mental degradation before undergoing physical transformation. Sanity begins to fracture, and what remains of the person is twisted into something feral and no longer human. Because survivors fear hidden agendas and potential infection, social trust remains rare across the flooded wasteland. Some people, driven by desperation, insanity, or creeping mutation, believe the blight to be the source of human evolution and worship it.