Plaga



"A Plaga is one macroparasite genus that's native to Spain, and that's hence its name too. They're known for turning many humans into either Ganados or Majinis. Well, I don't know if Los Iluminados have to use these type of parasites as secret weapons, but I can try to stop them while I can."

--Su Ji-Hoon, The Plagas Retribution

Plagas (プラーガ purāga?) are a genus of macroparasites native to Spain, where they are known as "Las Plagas", itself a borrowing of the Latin word meaning "plagues". Plagas can use various animals as hosts such as dogs, though they are more known for their parasitization of humans, who are referred to as "Ganados" or "Majini". Plagas typically take over the host's nervous system so as to take control. However, due to the repeated attempts to genetically-modify Plagas for use as a bio-weapon, the exact relationship between Plagas and their human hosts varies.

Los Iluminados, a Spanish cult with undefined connections to bio-weapons circles, was the first organization to seriously research the Plagas, of which they genetically-engineered at least two new subspecies: one which could influence decisions of the host or even hijack its body, and a second, the "Dominant subspecies", which would instead issue commands from its host to the other subspecies, and would mutate the host's body if necessary. This allowed a hierarchy to form, wherein a small cluster of people chosen to harbour the second subspecies would be able to control the others. Research on Bio Organic Weapons was derived as a consequence of research into the Plagas' effects on the human body.

TRICELL Africa is known to have obtained samples of both subspecies, which were further modified upon and cloned to create three new species of parasitic bioweapons. The "Type 2" would hijack the human host akin to Los Iluminados' research. "Type 3" was a modified "Type 2" with genes spliced from Los Iluminados' Dominant subspecies. "Type 3" therefore behaved the same as "Type 2" in taking over a host's body, but also mutated it. The third species was a mutant Dominant Plaga, of which only one is known to have existed.

In the years following TRICELL's research, Plaga development was continued by third parties. During the Eastern Slav Republic's civil war, there were another two subspecies, taking hold similar tendencies as before. One was a subservient Plaga subspecies that would hijack the human body, placing them into a Zombie-like state without consciousness. The second was another Dominant subspecies, able to issue commands by the host to the others. However, an intentional flaw in the Dominant subspecies' design was engineered, wherein it would eventually hijack the host's body and make them act the same as the others.