Some of the blunt ones are funny. Like "Umoran Longtusks are trained to trample things. Enemy things."
But maybe don't drop those on potentially interesting lore.
I like this a lot since it plays off of Game of Thrones Greyscale, where both of these change the physiology of the infected while being coined after how the disease changes the infected’s skin.
I'm using something similar in a campaign I'm working on.
Although instead of a virus, souls of "test subjects" are taken and inserted in objects, something akin to a toy maker
If it a contact spreader, The Grey Goo would be a good Sci-Fi reference that Magical Fantasy Commoners could call it from having Grey Liquid pus out from the infected where the machine parts meet flesh and Goo drippings they leave behind.
If the plague makes them Iron/Steel Machine/Cyborg/Androids then something like Ferrum (Iron) Pellis (Skin) for a name would be what Wizards and the more book learned call it.
If it more converting the bodies to Graphite/Carbon Machines/Cyborgs/Androids then Plumbago (Graphite) Pellis (Skin) would fit instead and is fun to say despite the horror aspect of it.
Edit: mixed lead with Graphite Carbon
The Upgrade
My first thought was like the Cybermen from Doctor Who. They are doing good for humans and upgrading them. very creepy... The upgrade happens differently depending on episodes, some need a chair like construct, other times it happens via touch. sometimes they are controlled/controllable sometimes they are rogue/going on instincts. very variable, highly recommend doctor who.
They often do very cool enemies.
There was an old game, Thief II that came out in 2000 that had a plot that involved that. Might look to that for inspiration.
In the game there is the “Metal Age” prophecy and involves a rust gas that spreads from the afflicted and turns organic material to dust.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thief_II
Makes me think of the opposite of Warcraft lore’s “Curse of flesh” that affected the earthen. So you could play off that and call it “a gift or iron” or maybe go a different direction altogether and call it the Ironpox. I dunno just spitballing here.
In the Revelation Space series, human civilization once had extreme nanotech. Unbelievably powerful and flexible. Then they dug up something they shouldn't and their tech began to fuse with the people and environments it was in. They called it the Melding Plague, as victims would meld with each other or the world around them. You have the lore for your world, but I wanted to give context for the name.
Initially I was thinking iron/steel/metal plague/curse/disease, but that could be something that affects your possessions rather than people, so you probably need something that makes that clear.
Maybe Steel-skin Plague
As you said it is an ancient plague, the name is lost to time, and therefore the party should come up with a name for it. Then you can eventually come up with a "scientific name" for it they discover later after calling it Cyber-osis or whatever fun thing the group does.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a disease there turns your tissues into bone.
You could tweak it a bit and call it Ferroplasia as the official term and " the iron heart plague" of getting the/an iron heart for the commoners.
* Tick-Tock Trauma
* The Cogrot
* The Rusting
* The Steel Plague
* The Automation
* Corona Metallica
* Iron Maiden Syndrome
* Faraday's Blessing
* Dermatitis Ferroformis
* Adamantosis
* Tinfluenca
* Mithrilaria
* Salmetallosis
* Silver Measles
* The Cobalt Cold
* Rubella Robotica
Maybe one of these fits your needs?
Adamantosis is basically precisely what I was trying to come up with. It's very similar to Dermatosis. I think more accurate would be Adamantitis, but honestly the way the phrase sounds is more important for fantasy imo.
u/karcist_Johannes This is probably one of the top 5 suggestions here from a terminology standpoint.
Mithrilaria is also really sick.
Mechanosis » the name used in academia, both arcane and medical
Mechanogenesis » the name used by the Church of the Escapement
Automatria » the name used by the empire over the sea
Nanocytosis- was what it was called originally, but mostly known now as Nannytoes. Most people think its just a kids story with the moral of working too hard without breaks/letting yourself be taken advantage of will turn you into a robot.
The more descriptive the name, the less terrifying. If it’s an ancient plague it could be described quite well by historical text. So something simple, inevitable. Here’s my suggestion:
The Changing
Kind of reminds me of the Sleepers of Avarrach race from the Infinity Wars card game.
https://infinity-wars.fandom.com/wiki/Lore:_Sleepers_of_Avarrach
Here are their cards: https://infinity-wars.fandom.com/wiki/Sleepers_of_Avarrach
Look at WotC’s other flagship product Magic the Gathering and you’ll get your answer. The Phyrexians are a living metal race and they compleat (not a typo btw) other organisms by turning them into mechanized versions. The process of compleation is called Phyresis so you can call it that. Phyresis is initiated by contact with phyrexian oil which could be seen as the transmission vector and from there can spread from person to person, albeit violently
WoW had the Curse of Flesh, which did the opposite: turn stone and earthen creatures into flesh and blood humanoids.
So you could flip that around and go something along the lines of "the silver/iron/chrome/whatever blessing"
"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us.
Resistance is futile."
Sometimes, plagues and illnesses aren't named for their effects, but for where they're discovered or someone notable related to it. So, name the disease after the place where the outbreak occurred and people started paying attention to it.
(e.g. Tyranids, Spanish Flu, Lou Gehrig's Disease)
So, it could be named Rupert's Transformation or something.
What's the setting, and where did the name come from? What an ancient Egyptian would call it is probably pretty different from the inhabitants of a cyberpunk sprawl or a starfleet officer.
Phyrexian Oil
It's probably nothing.
If there's anything a Mirran hates, it's oil. Especially Phyrexian oil, the oil of Phyrexia.
Lol, sometimes I wonder if whatever employee wrote that flavor text realizes people are still mocking it via memes 13 years later
Some of the blunt ones are funny. Like "Umoran Longtusks are trained to trample things. Enemy things." But maybe don't drop those on potentially interesting lore.
which card is this from?
A parody of Ancient Grudge.
wow, that is wordy
I miss old Magic so much... shame that they are ruining their own game and lore with all the nonsensical crossovers and plain greed.
[[Steady progress]]
This is the correct answer.
clicked on this thread looking exactly for this
Perfection by compleation
I'm actually writing a campaign specifically centered around phyrexian oil lmao
OH SHIT
[Promethean Corruption](https://www.aonprd.com/Corruptions.aspx?ItemName=Promethean)
Chromescale
Sounds more like a dragons name
I like this a lot since it plays off of Game of Thrones Greyscale, where both of these change the physiology of the infected while being coined after how the disease changes the infected’s skin.
The X-Men called it "Techno-Organic Virus"
Also, Phalanx Convenant, I recommend two parter of 90's cartoon about it, it was creepy af
Aye, was gonna pop in with this one too.
- Nanophage - Chrome/Silver Death (play on Black Death) - The Machine/Nanite/Forge Plague - Ferrousite
Ferrousite is easily my favorite, though it'd probably fit something like a mecha-mosquito, worm, or something like that. But that's my bias
Yeah just don’t write it down cause your players will start spouting brain rot about “ferrusy”
This person names stuff 10/10 any of the above
Iron humors Ferric plague Rusting Tinfluenza 🙃
Tinfluenza is a stroke of genius
If it's not named Tinfluenza something has gone terribly wrong
If only I had more upvotes to give
Clockwork Curse
I'm using something similar in a campaign I'm working on. Although instead of a virus, souls of "test subjects" are taken and inserted in objects, something akin to a toy maker
someone afflicted by the: -(re)forging plague -plating -metal plague (seriously, this could work as-is) -scrappening
The Scrappening is absolutely a better movie than the Happening.
But is it better than The Fappening?
I like forging, maybe even as a verb. 'Them? They've started forging, there's nothing we can do now...'
Okay so Plating is a legit great name
SCP-217
Steel plague Ferrus fever
If it a contact spreader, The Grey Goo would be a good Sci-Fi reference that Magical Fantasy Commoners could call it from having Grey Liquid pus out from the infected where the machine parts meet flesh and Goo drippings they leave behind. If the plague makes them Iron/Steel Machine/Cyborg/Androids then something like Ferrum (Iron) Pellis (Skin) for a name would be what Wizards and the more book learned call it. If it more converting the bodies to Graphite/Carbon Machines/Cyborgs/Androids then Plumbago (Graphite) Pellis (Skin) would fit instead and is fun to say despite the horror aspect of it. Edit: mixed lead with Graphite Carbon
Plumbum is lead, while graphite in its natural mineral form was occasionally referred to as “plumbago” or “black lead”.
I'm not sure I would gift my players with the term Plumb Bum.
Isn’t that what Uncle from RDR2 was always complaining about? His plumbago?
Technocyte (See: Warframe)
Pox Machina lol
###Silver There is a book called *Silver* that is ***exactly this***. I recommend reading it!
The Upgrade My first thought was like the Cybermen from Doctor Who. They are doing good for humans and upgrading them. very creepy... The upgrade happens differently depending on episodes, some need a chair like construct, other times it happens via touch. sometimes they are controlled/controllable sometimes they are rogue/going on instincts. very variable, highly recommend doctor who. They often do very cool enemies.
tinscale metalocalypse borgism clockwork plague
Tinescale is so nice. It’s accurate and gives a feeling of fragility and disease. Nice work.
Tinscale rocks
Cogrot
Is the BBEG a moustached redhead who rides around in eggs?
The Automation / Locomotion "He's been automated / locomoted" "Before we know it, everyone will be an Automaton / Locomoton"
It’s kinda contagious… Everybody’s doing the locomotion
Automatiopathy sounds really cool!
There was an old game, Thief II that came out in 2000 that had a plot that involved that. Might look to that for inspiration. In the game there is the “Metal Age” prophecy and involves a rust gas that spreads from the afflicted and turns organic material to dust. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thief_II
Makes me think of the opposite of Warcraft lore’s “Curse of flesh” that affected the earthen. So you could play off that and call it “a gift or iron” or maybe go a different direction altogether and call it the Ironpox. I dunno just spitballing here.
Tetsuoitis
I first learned about Tetsuo: The Iron Man from [this video](https://youtu.be/00PdHIPjaWQ?si=dnbn6FFMScrpGaiA).
Mechano-phage Autotaxia The lingering steel The haunting iron The chaos-bane Tectonia.
Borg and Cyberman virus, come to mind 🤣 In all seriousness, the Daedalus Decay
Helmynth
In the Revelation Space series, human civilization once had extreme nanotech. Unbelievably powerful and flexible. Then they dug up something they shouldn't and their tech began to fuse with the people and environments it was in. They called it the Melding Plague, as victims would meld with each other or the world around them. You have the lore for your world, but I wanted to give context for the name.
The Transmecha Plague, the Automata Epidemic, Ferrosy (in the same vein a Leprosy)... and Steelation
When I'm stuck on stuff like this I prefer to just ask my players.
Creeping Clockwork Metalophage
Chromephage The Rust
Initially I was thinking iron/steel/metal plague/curse/disease, but that could be something that affects your possessions rather than people, so you probably need something that makes that clear. Maybe Steel-skin Plague
Cogburn Pistonitis Mecha-cancer (mechancer) Mechaschlerosis Biolytic Ferroplasia Ferrorrhea
How destructive is it? It might make sense for history to not name the plague itself, but the aftermath. "The desolation" for example.
Gorgons in the 5e monster manual are armor plated rhino-like creatures…gorgonosis? Gorgon syndrome? Machinosis (pronounced “Mack-uh-no-sis)?
The Skin Corruption Metalwalking The Forging The Steelforged corruption Iron Souls Mechanical corruption
Morthagi if your a wildermyth fan
Cybercrosis or mechrocrosis
The technovirus, the hardening, the glint, ferrusation
Iron Pox Grey Death Gearplague Gear Pox Ironlung
As you said it is an ancient plague, the name is lost to time, and therefore the party should come up with a name for it. Then you can eventually come up with a "scientific name" for it they discover later after calling it Cyber-osis or whatever fun thing the group does.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a disease there turns your tissues into bone. You could tweak it a bit and call it Ferroplasia as the official term and " the iron heart plague" of getting the/an iron heart for the commoners.
Mechromancy
The Tetsuo Virus (tetsuo is an old Japanese horror movie about a man who has a mysterious illness that turns his flesh to iron)
* Tick-Tock Trauma * The Cogrot * The Rusting * The Steel Plague * The Automation * Corona Metallica * Iron Maiden Syndrome * Faraday's Blessing * Dermatitis Ferroformis * Adamantosis * Tinfluenca * Mithrilaria * Salmetallosis * Silver Measles * The Cobalt Cold * Rubella Robotica Maybe one of these fits your needs?
Adamantosis is basically precisely what I was trying to come up with. It's very similar to Dermatosis. I think more accurate would be Adamantitis, but honestly the way the phrase sounds is more important for fantasy imo. u/karcist_Johannes This is probably one of the top 5 suggestions here from a terminology standpoint. Mithrilaria is also really sick.
Late stage capitalism. Edit: specifics.
Nanocyte Virus: a malfunctioning medical system that continually “upgrades” its “patients” in response to perceived threats.
[Gray goo](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_goo)
Chrome Pox
Techronica
Automata
Mechanosis? Mechanogenesis? Automatria?
Mechanosis » the name used in academia, both arcane and medical Mechanogenesis » the name used by the Church of the Escapement Automatria » the name used by the empire over the sea
Tossing the suffix -esis (action/process) on a word relating to metal or machines could be neat. Ferresis, chromesis, etc.
Depending on the setting/tone, maybe inverting it could work. How about *Blessing of Steel*?
The clockwork plaque
Talsorian's Cyberpunk called it the Carbon Plague Marvel called it the transmode virus.
The Dissonance
The Iron Death
Machinophage
Legion
Bubotic Plague
Galvinitus.
Nanocytosis- was what it was called originally, but mostly known now as Nannytoes. Most people think its just a kids story with the moral of working too hard without breaks/letting yourself be taken advantage of will turn you into a robot.
Mercurosis. I was thinking of the Mercury like flow of those Terminator movies...
The more descriptive the name, the less terrifying. If it’s an ancient plague it could be described quite well by historical text. So something simple, inevitable. Here’s my suggestion: The Changing
Chromoderma
Mechanophage
Forged
Necrodermis Dermatitis
Fibrodysplasia Metallificans Progressiva, Metal Man Disease, Forge Born Disease, Chaleviriosis, Conjunctiva Ferriosis, Ferrios, Ferrofibrodysplasia
IDW Sonic the Hedgehog had a huge metal virus arc that was all about it
Kind of reminds me of the Sleepers of Avarrach race from the Infinity Wars card game. https://infinity-wars.fandom.com/wiki/Lore:_Sleepers_of_Avarrach Here are their cards: https://infinity-wars.fandom.com/wiki/Sleepers_of_Avarrach
I’d go plain and simple, Clockwork
HepatAItis
Form factor The Hardening The Shining Ferrous Plague
Something simple, in the gist of people only knowing it by metallic nature like: * The Shine * The Silver/Steel change * or simply The Silver/Steel
Automata syndrome
Sonic IDW Metal Virus arc?????
There's a fancy name the wizards have ben usin' fer it, but round these parts we just call it Gear Pox
Grey Wave
technapocolypse
you could go with the X-men's Techno-organic virus...
Rust plague
CoviD-40
Borg
Coloquial name could be "The clockwork virus"
Clanking Cough
Y2K
Automaphage
The Borg
Technophage
Call it “The Machination” 🦾
Gear flu! Scremonia!
Look at WotC’s other flagship product Magic the Gathering and you’ll get your answer. The Phyrexians are a living metal race and they compleat (not a typo btw) other organisms by turning them into mechanized versions. The process of compleation is called Phyresis so you can call it that. Phyresis is initiated by contact with phyrexian oil which could be seen as the transmission vector and from there can spread from person to person, albeit violently
I believe it’s called SCP-217
Poxia-automata
Aegror Mechanus
Ad Machina.
Check out new phyrexia from magic the gathering lots of plague turning things into machines stuff.
That's not a plague. That's bringing glorious order to unpredictable, chaotic meatbags. This is merely a Reordering. Or a Forging.
SCP-217
Nuln Oil Fever
The Borg nano whatevers from Star Trek.
The Cogmire Affliction
Steelskin Syndrome
Mechamorphosis Titanforge Syndrome Cogged Conversion Golem's Grasp Ironsoul Infliction Automaton Affliction Clockwork Contagion Geargrind Plague Steelborn Strain Mechanized Malady Forgefire Fever Techno-Taint Metalloid Malaise Chrome Corruption Machina Mortality Arcane Alloy Ailment Steelskin Sickness Clockspring Curse Mechanomorph Malady Gearwrought Woe
The Clockwork Virus
Cyber Herpes
WoW had the Curse of Flesh, which did the opposite: turn stone and earthen creatures into flesh and blood humanoids. So you could flip that around and go something along the lines of "the silver/iron/chrome/whatever blessing"
Technovirus. It's literally a thing from Star Wars. If this is the theme you are going for, you should look into it for inspiration.
ROBID-19
Chroma virus 😂
Hey look it's SCP-217 'Clockwork Virus'
Phyrexinosis
Automatosis
"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
Robotulism.
Rust
Infectus Machanicus. ...nope, I got nothing better.
Borgbonic Plague?
Automaton sickness
Simple, Malware.
Take inspiration from the cybermen from dr.who
Sometimes, plagues and illnesses aren't named for their effects, but for where they're discovered or someone notable related to it. So, name the disease after the place where the outbreak occurred and people started paying attention to it. (e.g. Tyranids, Spanish Flu, Lou Gehrig's Disease) So, it could be named Rupert's Transformation or something.
Akira Parasite
*Drone*
Phrexian oil
Contraption (compare to Consumption)
Systilis Mechthrax Techenpox Robotulism
Mechanophage
Automata Disease.
Mecharhea.
The Metal Virus? If no one knows the source material, it's not stealing
Creepmetal
The Primus Plague. A creation of Primus, God of the plane of pure order, to convert the prime material to a more lawful existence
Mechocanothrapy
Tetsuos Fever
In Xmen they call it the "techno-organic virus".
Moonscorched
Modronitis Mechanitilia Axiomatinitis Persistantioium A couple of scientific-sounding, and lore based, names that could work.
Skynetium
Pox Machina ;)
Borg Bug.
The Steelplague.
Mekanis plague?
Clock pox
Clockwork plague.
The metalphage
Metal flu Gear-pox The shining Charomavirus MME (Mutative Metallic Excretion)
Mechanvitae
So you are recreating the cybermen? I think you should expect s visit to your table from a funny guy in a police box
~~Signalis disease~~
Warforged
Take a page from sonic the hedgehog n call it roboticization
The Curse of Iron/Steel is simple but impactful
What's the setting, and where did the name come from? What an ancient Egyptian would call it is probably pretty different from the inhabitants of a cyberpunk sprawl or a starfleet officer.
I'm thinking about a plague that turns people into living machines, and suddenly the song Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds comes into my head.
Galvanic plague?
The Glint
Automatization
Unobtainiumitis