The Red Plague

The Red Plague is a terrible affliction, spread from its home on the western side of Miðgarr, driving Foundlings to a fate worse than death when it befalls them. Beginning as seemingly a simple illness, it progresses quickly and it is often too late by the time the severity of the disease is realized, especially for the first few patients in an outbreak. While fever, chills, nausea, and bleeding from the gums are all common symptoms, they are just the beginning. By the end of the lifecycle of the disease, the plague will have totally converted the afflicted into a wretched fleshy monster. Then, it will run, making its way back toward the heart of the disease - trapped behind towering walls, the plague grows larger each day as more victims are subsumed. A little known side effect of the plague presents extremely rarely. Particularly hardy or magically inclined individuals may find they develop powers instead of descending totally into the disease. These abilities include the ability to manipulate their blood, others' blood, and increasing control over the shape and form of their own body. In extremely rare cases, the individual may find themselves descending into a similar state as those normally afflicted, but with total control over their new fleshy form. In general, this rare case is not without its own downsides. It is common for a loss of empathy and attachment to occur when individuals undergo this process. They typically acquire a desire to consume living creatures to increase the size of their body, and by extension, what they can form into. Rare instances of prolonged retention of self have occurred, but in all cases the subject eventually descends into a calm, cold, calculating state of directed consumption. At that stage, the only course of action is termination, or else they will quickly grow out of control.