Zorak

Zorak came to Clan Sparkfyre because he was afflicted with the same creeping malady that had affected Ginny. Other healers and magicians had tried to help him with some mild success. He was given potions to drink daily, sachets of potent herbs to keep under his pillow, and a number of magical trinkets that he was advised he must never ever take off. These things all had the effect of slowing the disease. Even as Zorak's shoulders crusted over with chitinous plates, his mind stayed clear. But he could feel the beast within baying and knew he had only slowed its take over, not halted it. He was running out of time. He'd heard of a miraculous cure from a clan by the sea and was desperate to try it before he was completely transformed into a giant mindless insectoid monster.

Zorak nearly made it too. He collapsed just half a day's travel from the clan's territory. That might have been the last anyone heard of Zorak, except that his sister sent a letter to the clan asking for word. He had promised to let her know when he arrived and she'd heard nothing and was frantic with worry.

They knew no such dragon had passed through the clan but they recognized very clearly the condition that the letter described. They had only dealt with one other such advanced case but they could guess at the effects of extreme progression of the condition. Clan leaders had a brief discussion and the medical team was finally able to shed some light on the strange chittering beast that foragers had heard lately, but not yet seen.

An expedition was mounted and traps were set to catch the creature. After a few days they discovered that the best bait was live dragon so Alfie, a spry fae, pretended to have a broken wing and fluttered desperately near the trap, crying loudly and generally creating a ruckus. It was enough to draw out the predator.

With the snap of a rope a net was drawn tight around Zorak. He hissed and thrashed and clawed at the netting but could not escape and he was dragged back to civilization. He was brought straight to Daedalus, who had healed Ginny and the other afflicted clan members. Daedalus brushed a claw across Zorak's face and his hissing and chittering stopped and he went limp. He slept for 3 days and when he woke his mind was clear again, but some of the chitin remained. Daedalus proclaimed that he'd done all he was able to do by passing on Stormcatcher's gift. The other healers conferred and ran scans and tests and decided that perhaps Zorak was simply too changed to make a full recovery. Ginny was left with scars after all and she had not been as badly affected as Zorak.

So Zorak is resigned to his unnatural armor and his stronger than average craving for bugs. He doesn't take the potions anymore, but he hears an unearthly whispering whenever he takes off his other protective charms. He doesn't mind looking part bug (there's stranger folk in the Shifting Expanse after all), but he doesn't want to risk losing himself again so he keeps his charms close at all times.

The good thing that's come of this is that Zorak met Ginny. She knows best what he went through and can commiserate. She also hears the whispering. Sometimes she whispers back. But when Zorak and his charms are near the whispers stop and she can focus on her circuit boards again.