Scorched Plague

The Scorched Plague is caused by a fungus found underground in Appalachia in 2102.

Background
Research logs at Arktos Pharma seem to suggest that the Scorched Plague was created by them before the war. Whether it was designed as a bioweapon or accidentally created as a byproduct of other experiments is currently unknown.

The Scorched Plague is spread by a fungus found underground in Appalachia. It was spread to the surface by scorchbeasts and was influential in creating the Scorched, causing crystalline green growths in the latter.

The plague is responsible for the destruction in one way or another of almost every human faction that had existed in Appalachia, from the Responders and Free States to the Brotherhood and Raiders.

Characteristics
The Scorched plague is a highly contagious mutagenic virus that has infected almost all of West Virginia's human population, turning them into the scorched; beings similar to feral ghouls that retain enough presence of mind to wield weapons and armor to assault any uninfected humans unfortunate enough to cross their path. Creatures infected with the plague will not be hostile towards other infected creatures, regardless of race.

The plague is also responsible for mutating the local pygmy bat population into scorchbeasts; giant bat creatures who, having overpopulated the underground caverns they lived in, spread the plague to the surface. The scorched plague also infected other species of local wildlife, but hasn't mutated them anywhere near to the extent of the scorchbeasts. A few species such as mole rats, wolves, and feral ghouls are noted to have a particularly strong resistance to if not complete immunity from the plague.

At least in humans, the scorched plague continues to grow inside of the infected, causing green crystal like growths to cut through their skin, eventually overtaking the host and killing them.

The Scorched plague also seems to have become symbiotic with the scorchbeasts because these beasts retain their individuality while other infected creatures become part of a hive mind, connecting them to the beasts and giving the beasts the ability to control infected beings to some extend.

The plague is so powerful even that it is able to co-exist in a host for a wendigo spirit, connecting the wendigo to the hivemind in a weak way while the host continues to have the lust for human flesh and characteristics of a wendigo. The plague and the spirit would supposedly fight over possession of the host until the host perishes.

The plague also has some form of relationship with ultracite, as ultracite and scorched plague victims give off a similar radiation signature. In addition, scorchbeasts have been observed guarding ultracite deposits and the Responders' Fire Breathers division discovered that munitions laced with depleted ultracite crystals deal extra damage to infected people and creatures.

Appearances
The Scorched Plague appears only in Fallout 76.