Fog-Stricken

(Legacy Content)

It's so surreal. Like, being adrift in a sea of silver clouds, and surrounded by unknown horrors. Well, almost unknown horrors, 'cause there is the damned Foguntiir that stole you there right in front, in all its ugly disgusting glory.

— Firsthand account of Epilogue from a victim of a Foguntiir 

Fog-Stricken is a unique form of condition caused almost entirely by the avatars of the Foguntiir - large, metallic spider-like creatures that possess the body and head of a snake in place of the head of a spider. The condition itself is primarily caused by the venom of such creatures, and is used by them as a simpler method of extracting the souls from their victims directly so they can be consumed. 

Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments 

Fog-Stricken venom is entirely administered through injection via the fangs of the Foguntiir. The venom swiftly seeks out the core bindings of the soul throughout the victims body, loosening its connection to its material form. Once the venom has run its course, the Foguntiir uses its inherent connection to its home plane to tear the soul from the body, oftentimes resulting in bleeding from the wound while the body remains comatose.
These are, in fact, the only observed symptoms of the venom, as the comatose caused by the injection only lasts for as long as the soul - or any soul - remains beyond the limits of the body. Once a soul inhabits the body, it is immediately brought back to consciousness. This does not always happen of course, since the soul is vulnerable to consumption by the true form of the Foguntiir.

Prevention

The manner by which an individual can prevent themselves from becoming Fog-Stricken is simply by avoiding areas of dense fog, as they are often where the creatures lurk. If they are unfortunate enough to find themselves within the reaches of a Foguntiir, then they must simply avoid being bitten by such a creature, as its venom is the only method by which one can become Fog-Stricken.

History

The history of Fog-Stricken is deeply intertwined with both the history of the Foguntiir and the known history of Epilogue. It is believed that the Foguntiir, and by proxy Fog-Stricken, first arrived in our world from somewhere in the Misted-Hollow, as that local is known for having weakened planar boundaries. From there, the Foguntiir took advantage of the numerous examples of mass death and violence throughout the history of Alore to spread across the world, primarily to naturally foggy locations, as well as deep underground. While their numbers are rather few in comparison to other dangerous creatures, their presence has spawned many myths and legends regarding themselves, their venom, and their home plane throughout the world.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Uncommon

Additional Details 

Once a soul inhabits the body, it is immediately brought back to consciousness...

This part of the condition is especially interesting and concerning, as it has led to numerous cases throughout the world of individuals swapping bodies with each other, provided they are Fog-Stricken around a similar time. Additionally, should a soul of someone who had died in the past - regardless of how long ago that was - remain in Epilogue long enough, evade its denizens, and come across a Foguntiir that had caused a victim to become Fog-Stricken, it is not unreasonable to assume that such a soul could inhabit the comatose body. No known cases of this have thus far been recorded, but that isn't to say it has not, or will not happen at some point.