Resurrection Parasite

Life-sustaining Dark Side construct given by Bellisarius to those he deemed worthy. There have been some indications that Bellisarius was able to sense and influence those who bore these parasites. It is in this sense that they are harmful, rather than merely symbiotic.

Later research on the parasite, presumably by Nakail Enati, resulted in a mass-producible version which he distributed to certain Sith. It is not known at this time where he got an example for study, but it is not credible that he would implant himself before he believed detailed study had been concluded. All evidence suggests that he conducted his research wholly without moral restraint, and frequently made use of human test subjects.

A Republic strike team led by the Misfits discovered lab facilities in the Jedi Temple on occupied Coruscant in which Resurrection Parasite research had been conducted. The team seized two machines capable of constructing Resurrection Parasites from raw materials, and several hundred specimens of the parasites themselves, both of which were studied in hopes of finding a cure for TCV. A joint Jedi and Bith team were able to reproduce the parasite without resorting to use of Dark Side powers such as Sith Alchemy, though as a result of the Dark Side origins of the parasites, they are still lightly tainted.

Composed of Bio-metallic alloy which laces through every cell of the subject's body, the parasite records every detail of their existence, inclusive of memory and nonfatal injury. In addition to the network of fine fibers lacing throughout the subject, there is a knot or scar of BMA upon the chest or back. Upon the host's death, if any portion of the Resurrection Parasite remains intact, over the course of several hours it rebuilds the body. It is known that the parasite will resurrect those who have died of extreme old age, which suggests that this information is somehow treated differently.

Before finding a host, the parasite is a largely undifferentiated lump of protein, somewhat similar to muscle fiber, with a sheathing similar to human skin. When a specimen of the parasite is divided into multiple pieces, the largest piece will regenerate and the smaller ones will wither. Consequently, samples removed from the parasite rapidly decay into their component amino acids, losing all structure and making study difficult. The combined use of Force Light, Force Harmony, and cryogenic preservation can stave off the decay long enough for analysis. The parasite has a complicated genetic code, which alters to match the code of its host after infection.

The parasite can survive several weeks on its own, but to last longer than that, it must either find a host or be submerged in a nutrient solution. The parasite exhibits simple seeking behavior to find a host, but will ignore those already infected. Resurrection Parasites communicate with each other through the Force, explaining the selective regeneration exhibited, but are not sentient. When isolated from one another by cortosis, pieces of a divided parasite will each regenerate into a whole specimen.

Subjects infected with the parasite have reported a gradual loss of personality and memory through multiple deaths. This effect is more pronounced in non-Force sensitives, in some cases leading to mental retardation after resurrection. Force users, it is said, gradually slide towards the Dark Side. The Republic claims to have been able to mitigate these effects through use of controlled regeneration tanks used when a host is recovering from death.

Since playing host to a Resurrection Parasite renders someone immune to TCV, the Republic under the auspices of the Jedi Council has been encouraging citizens, beginning with members of the Order, to accept implantation with a parasite. The Council has been largely successful in advertising this as the solution to the TCV epidemic, with the added benefit of immortality. Philosophical and moral objections to use of the parasite have been met with the reply that desperate times call for desperate measures.

By the time of The New Game, the general agreement was one lifetime or 50 years of service to the Order.

Known early subjects include:

Game Rules

The parasite will regenerate the host after any fatal occurrance that leaves any sort of physical remains behind and in a position where the host could nominally live. That means that if the host is disintigrated by falling into a star or dies floating in deep space with nobody to pick them up, they're dead. If someone later stumbled upon the corpse in deep space, it would come back to life once placed in a habitable environment. There also needs to be sufficient matter to reconstruct the lost body mass. The matter does not have to have the proper elemental forms as the parasite will transmute it to whatever is needed. If there is insufficient mass, the regeneration will proceed up to the point where it must stop, then remain there until more mass is acquired. This is rarely a problem. (Deep space might be a problem, but it would just take longer) The regeneration time is usually about 1 day without any challenging circumstances (vaporized body, deep space). The largest remaining fragment of the body will be the source of the regeneration, be that a single cell or a mostly dead corpse. Upon resurrection, the character will be functionally as young as they were when they first received the parasite, or at the end of puberty, whichever is older. Children are regenerated at the same age as when they died.

Each time a character is resurrected, they lose one die of a Force Ability, their choice. If they do not have any Force Abilities, they lose an Attribute die, their choice. Once KNO, WIL, or PER reaches 0D, the character is essentially a drooling imbecile, incapable of more than the most basic functions. CON cannot be reduced below 1D. Thus, it is inadvisable to die, even with a parasite.

The parasite functions only on sapient beings (KNO of 1D or greater), and must be fully applied while the creature is living. It takes (1+CON)D rounds to implant itself. This can be done by touching it to any skin of the being. If the creature is fur-covered, it will burrow for skin, taking up to an additional round.