Aztreonam is a member of the Beta Lactam Clan, and like others in the family, Aztreonam can take down a range of Lords. She is often sent into battle when the use of her great father Penicillin and his relatives risk more harm to the land than their protective efforts can justify. Thanks to the unique structure of her Beta Lactam, however, Aztreonam can fight alongside other Beta Lactam warriors without causing further damage to the land. She is most effective against Lords of the Gram Negative Legion, as she can is not fit to battle with Soma’s Gram Positive or anaerobic foes, who are usually better matched by Penicillin.

Unlike many of the Apothecaries, Aztreonam are not able to enter Soma via Buccal Bay, but instead must penetrate the world’s boundary aerially through the Respiro Forest, or hydraulically, appearing on the banks of Soma’s rivers and following their tributaries to the heart of the battle. Alternatively, she came spring from below, infiltrating the world in the vast stretches of countryside, then moving to the nearest waterway to travel to the site in need.  But once she reaches the Lords’ infestation, her quick strike is powerful and effective. By inhibiting the Lords’ ability to build their protective armor, Aztreonam renders Soma’s nemeses vulnerable to the attacks of the Defenders. On rare occasions, however, her attacks can cause collateral damage among Soma’s peaceful inhabitants, particularly at the Wall and along the aqueduct, which can disrupt its flow from Buccal Bay to Faex Inlet.

Nocardia asteroides are wicked foes that can wreak havoc on nearly every inch of Soma’s once serene habitat. They can live harmoniously around the rim of the Buccal Bay, but when they begin to meander inland, particularly to areas already under attack by other Lords, the consequences can be devastating. One of only two Lords in the Gram Positive Legion that can grow in both size and number, and armed with a handful of weapons, including the dreaded cord factor wielded by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that obstructs the activation of Soma’s valiant Defenders, N. asteroides can spread their wrath to each of Soma’s major cities. They commonly attack the Great Respiro Forest, leading to minor earthquakes and sudden wind storms in the region, and can choke the land’s supply of the Blood River’s life-giving magic. From there, N. asteroides often make their way to Left and Right Heart Cities, causing inflammation at the cities’ limits as Defenders gather to guard their inhabitants from the impending menace. The opportunistic Lords can also travel to the Sententia, where they ravage Soma’s Axonias and threaten the country’s harmonic alliance. And at the crater wall that surrounds the island, N. asteroides can cause lesions that expose the world to other fearsome intruders.

Protecting Soma from such a formidable enemy is no easy task. N. asteroides can thrive in a wide range of climates, and once they take hold throughout the land, are often a lasting presence. Though many Apothecaries are often called to the job, it can take up to a year of constant defensive fronts to finally defeat the persistent N. asteroides.

…To be continued

They sat in a circle staring into the fire and pondered their impending defeat.  With such limited numbers, the Apothecaries knew that spawning offspring was unlikely.  There had to be another solution.  Then, it happened – like a smooth drink of spring water, the “Ancient One” flowed into their camp like an answer to their prayers.  Princess Hygiena had returned!

At first glance, her unassuming demeanor made her appear fragile.  The Apothecaries, however, knew better and rose to greet her. With humble bows, they praised her return.  She had never really left, she had always been there for them, but it was not in her powers to do battle unless she was summoned.  In order for her magic to work, she had to be called on often.  One missed summon, and her spell would be broken.  Princess Hygiena was the most ancient and powerful of all of the warriors.  She was well versed in the old magic.  She reached into her satchel and produced the ingredients for a powerful potion.  The sacred twin hydrogens were cleaved with the omnipotent oxygen in a blaze of glory.  She retrieved a sprig of Cholorgalum pomeridianum root from the ancient soap plant and carefully mixed the brew.  The Apothecaries looked on while the mixture coalesced in a bubbling iridescent swirl.  A dram of this tonic could indiscriminately wipe out dozens of colonies in mere seconds.  As the sun began to rise, they steeled themselves for another day of battle….To be continued.

Helicobacter pylori are formidable members of the Gram Negative Legion that primarily affect the central regions of Soma’s aqueduct.  They take advantage of the waste produced by Soma’s natural aqueduct inhabitants to generate the energy they need to survive, and have adapted to the relatively low oxygen levels of the semi-aquatic environment. They use their tentacled appendages to burrow into the aqueduct’s lining, avoiding the acidity secreted by the upper part of the aqueduct, which has its own defenses in its lining to prevent erosion.

As the aqueduct sheds its lining, a continual process to ensure the purity of Soma’s main water line, H. pylori sense the increasing acidity and burrow further into the wall. They also protect themselves from the toxic chemicals found in the aqueduct’s flow with specialized scales that break them down. The resulting byproducts, however, are known to damage the land. Indeed, while many strains of H. pylori can live quietly in the aqueduct, others can cause severe damage to the aqueduct walls. Moreover, the influx of laborers to repair the damage, and the slew of supplies they bring to the site, can have the paradoxical effect of rendering the region vulnerable to more serious injuries, as communication breakdowns can lead to utter chaos. On occasion, debris from the repair site can even get washed away into the rivers or Canals of Lymph, lodging some distance downstream to wreak havoc elsewhere in Soma.

These violent forms of H. pylori are identifiable by distinct attributes often picked up from other threatening Lords, that turn the peaceful creatures into ruthless enemies of Soma. In addition to the damaging byproducts they produce, they are also armed with toxins of their own that alert Soma’s Noble Sentry to their presence. The ensuing battles often leave the aqueduct’s lining irritated and inflamed, which can result in the increased acidity of the aqueduct’s contents and further damage to the lining.

Cefazolin is one of the mighty patriarchs of the Cephalosporin family. He was once a great warrior, defeating the likes of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus Lords with ease, but many of these beastly threats have evolved to avoid Cefazolin’s predictable attack. But the legendary Apothecary is not retired yet. He is still a formidable weapon in the fight against S. pneumonia, E. coli, P. mirabilis, as well as those Lords that infest—and can turn violent on—Soma’s boundary wall.

Cefazolin defeats the Lords by concocting a special potion that prevents them from repairing damaged or generating new body armor. This eventually causes Soma’s attackers to literally lose their form, collapsing to the ground as their insides spill over the earth.

Mercifully, Cefazolin is one of the most peaceful defenders of the Soma, rarely causing any collateral damage to the land itself or its inhabitants. Like some of his fellow Apothecaries, he usually enters Soma through the river system or from underground somewhere in the remote countryside, rather than the more common entry point at Buccal Bay. He then follows the world’s tributaries to battle, alongside Soma’s Noble Sentry.

Proteus mirabilis are unusual in their swift, swarming attacks. They travel synchronously through the Aqueduct, and occasionally across the land, like a tight-knit bird flock or school of fish. The effect is the amoeboid-type movement of the crowds in a large city, and the devastation they leave in their path quickly takes its toll on Soma.

Of the Gram Negative Legion, P. mirabilis can actually live harmoniously in the Aqueduct. But when they reach damaged areas of Soma’s outside wall or occasionally the Respiro Forest, they can cause significant damage. The most common site of P. mirabilis battles, however, is the Aqueduct exit into the Southern Seas, a common region of infection by the vicious E. coli troops. This is a particular risk when long-term construction projects on the Aqueduct require the insertion of a makeshift exit drain from the Southern Dam. Once there, P. mirabilis change the water chemistry of the Lower Aqueduct, breaking down urea and releasing ammonia, causing a spike in pH. Indeed, alkaline water is a strong indicator that P. mirabilis is hiding somewhere nearby. If the Lords are not banished quickly, they begin to sculpt crystals that aggregate into massive effigies, which can cause severe damage to the Aqueduct lining, or even block the waterway altogether.

The Lords can also move up the aqueduct to the water filtration plant, where they can cause severe upset to the entire Aqueduct system, generating currents that reverse the water’s flow and purging the Aqueduct’s contents out through Buccal Bay.

Fortunately, many Apothecaries are successful and reigning in Proteus mirabilis infections. Once the Lords are identified, the appropriate warrior can be sent to battle, and barring the presence of other Pestilence creatures, should be able to clear the offenders within a week.

Bacteroides fragilis are widespread in Soma. They can live peacefully along the aqueduct, where they feed on the nutrients and other resources that flow down from Buccal Bay, and are among the most common residents below the Southern Dam and near Fecal Outlet. They can even be beneficial to Soma’s health, partaking in important metabolic activities along with the other peaceful inhabitants of the aqueduct. But at heart, they are nasty beasts, turning on the land when the opportunity presents itself, and can be found in the vast majority of anaerobic battles. They are also capable of escaping the attacks of many of the Apothecaries, including the great Penicillin, making them a real and ever-present threat to Soma’s well being.

B. fragilis abandon their harmless lifestyle after other Lords or enemies of Soma cause physical damage to the aqueduct lining, allowing them to travel to nearby towns and cities, where they unleash a suite of deadly poisons. Among their weapons is a toxic bomb—an enclosed capsule loaded with an acidic venom that paralyzes Soma’s Noble Sentry, preventing them from reaching the site of battle. If the appropriate Apothecaries are not deployed in time, B. fragilis and their collaborators can be fatal.

Furthermore, B. fragilis don’t just fight side-by-side with other Lords of Pestilence, they also share their secrets. Thanks to its close living quarters with other aqueduct-dwelling Lords, in particular E. coli, B. fragilis commonly trade the weapons that are most successful against Soma’s inhabitants and defenders, as well as defenses that allow the Lords to evade the Apothecaries’ attacks.

We’re planning on releasing this game for free – with the ability to purchase expansion decks as we continue to build out our game world. Free?!? I happen to love Free! Anyhow, since we’ve seemingly caught the free bug, we’ve decided to also give away our medical mnemonics app for the iPhone away for free, too. (that smacking sound you’re hearing is the sound of our accountant facepalming – repeatedly). Anyhow, we’ll keep on keeping on with the Apothecary Healer / Lord of Pestilence profile updates on this blog and stay tuned for more news about the upcoming digital version of the game. In the mean time, to further whet your appetites, here’s a trailer of the awesome ‘Shadow Era’ from Wulven. Why not check it out, too?! After it’s also Free to play! (smack! smack! smack!)

Mycoplasma pneumoniae are Soma’s silent hunters. They lurk undetected in the world’s forests, phantoms ever haunting Soma’s peaceful communities. Their elusory presence even once led the Apothecaries’ strategists to mistake them for another class of foes that haunt the land—the dreaded viruses—a suspicion supported by the irreparable damage they can cause to some of Soma’s most vital cities. Their ghost-like nature affords them the ability to slip undetected through the city walls that often block their less sly brethren. But M. pneumoniae‘s greatest defense is their peculiar skin, which lacks the telltale signals that many Apothecaries use to recognize the offenders and bring them to their knees. Thanks to the skin’s unique composition, the Penicillins and other Beta-Lactam warriors are completely ineffective against the Lords’ fearsome attacks.

M. pneumoniae tend to invade the Spira Forest from the northern shores, and can establish themselves there, or enter the Life Blood Rivers and travel throughout the land. Once they replicate themselves into large enough armies, they can inhibit the Forest’s ability to filter the air, causing serious damage to the Brain and the twin Heart Cities, and even kill the flora and fauna of the regions they infect.

And though there are a handful of Apothecaries that can conquer the beasts, M. pneumoniae do not go down without a fight. More than any other Lord, they need the land for their own survival. To achieve their diaphanous guise, they’ve given up some of the assumed luxuries of life, such as a completely autonomous metabolism. M. pneuomniae have lost the ability to sustain themselves without a host, and thus will never stop attacking the lush world of Soma.