Night Plague

Origin

When a warm blooded humanoid, animal, or monstrocity encounters the Skittering and lives, it is cursed by a plague. Because of the mysterious necromantic magic that allows such a large and uncontrolled hive mind of zombies, photosensitive worm-like parasites are able to thrive through even the sunny season of Epialos.

Habitat

Night Plague requires to be in warm blood in order to reproduce, however it can live in any warm liquid. Night Plague cannot live in direct light of any kind due to extreme photosensitivity similar to vampires.

Transmission

Humanoids are infected by Night Plague through the bloodstream. Animals and monstrosities can carry Night Plague, are infected through the bloodstream, and can infect humanoids through bites. The zombies of the Skittering can host Night Plague despite a lack of warm blood and infect humanoids they attack. 

Symptoms

About thirty hours from infection, the skin of the infected becomes pale and sensitive to all stimuli. After another thirty hours, the infected has a fever and an extreme hunger from the parasites taking the food eaten by the infected. At this stage, the infected show signs of photophobia and their skin feels like it is burning while in sunlight. This stage lasts for a week, if the target does not starve to death. At the end of the week, necromantic magic seeps into the infected and the infected has strong urges to attack humanoids to spread Night Plague. The magic gives the infected few days to live as their flesh rots. Only warm blooded humanoids exhibit symptoms.

Prognosis

After the infected dies from their flesh rotting, the necromantic magic reanimates them as a zombie. Otherwise, the corpse of an infected no longer has Night Plague within it after one hour.

Treatment

Powerful magic can remove Night Plague, but multiple castings within two days are required to completely cure Night Plague. Additionally, the new herb found in the Unexplored, Mother's Kiss, can be alchemically brewed with sunflower seeds, morning glories, sun ray bamboo leaves, and any abjuration rune to make a paste that can cure if an ounce per ten pounds of an infected is digested at once.

Prevention

The Skitterers clan that follows the Skittering is immune to Night Plague.

Mechanics

After hit by an infected creature, a DC 15 Con save must be made or be Infected with Night Plague. 30 hours after infection, creatures have disadvantage on Con saves and lose 1 hp at the start of their turn while in combat. 60 hours after infection, creatures infected gain 2 levels of exhaustion and must eat 8 times the amount of food normally required. Additionally, infected creatures must make a DC 17 Wis save or are unable to willingly be in bright light and they cannot concentrate on spells while in bright light. After an additional week, infected creatures take 2 levels of exhaustion, or one on a successful Con save, at the start of every day. If killed in this stage, the infected reanimate as a zombie 1 minute after. Skitterers are immune. A total of 25 levels or more of magic of at least level 3 must be used within 48 hours of each casting in order to cure. 1 dose of ground sunflower seeds, 2 doses of morning glories, 1 dose of ground sun ray bamboo leaves, 3 doses of ashes of Mother's Kiss, and one abjuration rune must be alchemically brewed in a greater alchemy claw for 10 hours. The product must be ingested at a rate of 1 oz to 10 lbs of the infected for it to cure, but if at least 1 oz is ingested, the infection does not progress for 24 hours. after the 24 hours, the infected may benefit from this medicine again.

Type

Parasitic