Moonglow Fever

A stroll in the forest is usually not something one expects to have fatal repercussions - but the unexpected is all around us, and Moonglow fever is part of it. Caused by exposure to the toxins produced by the Wild Moonglow plant, the symptoms intensify rapidly over a span of 4-8 days and will prove fatal if not treated within this time. Because the course of the illness is so quick, more than two thirds of all cases lead to death.

It is possible to build up an immunity to the poison by consuming it in controlled doses. However this is extremely risky, as even a small amount can result in symptoms. Despite the danger, this method is sometimes employed by healers as they have a high chance of coming into contact with the plant.

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Transmission & Vectors

This condition is spread through the consumption of (or prolonged contact to) most parts of the Wild Moonglow plant, especially the round white berries. Poisoned persons are not able to infect others.

Due to the prevalence of the shrub in the forests of all three Isles, the rate of infection is remarkably high, particularly in rural communities, but also in professions such as healers, who often handle the plant to extract its (limited but rather potent) medical properties.
Once contaminated, the person in question will begin to notice symptoms very soon- the average is around 4 hours after touching the Moonglow.

Symptoms

There are relatively few symptoms of a Moonglow fever infection, but the existing ones are all rather severe. The following will be experienced over a period of 4-8 days:

• The most noticeable (and the earliest) symptom is the spread of rash-like patches across the body. These patches turn the skin a bright white and start to itch and burn after a day. They first begin to appear around the hands and wrists and swiftly fan out up the arms and across the rest of the body.
• Steadily rising temperature, overall feverish behaviour-e.g. delirium, fever dreams
• Acute headaches and dizziness appear towards the end of the 8 days
  
  If symptoms are recognised, treatment should be sought immediately. As mentioned above, if the affliction is left untreated this will invariably result in the patient’s death.

Treatment

The treatment consists of large doses of an antidote to the poison, as well as various salves to rub onto the white rashes. While these medicines usually secure the survival of the patient and somewhat lessen the pain, there is no way of stopping the symptoms altogether- that is, not before the aforementioned 4-8 days have passed. Patients will still need to endure them until the affliction naturally fades.

Medical therapy for Moonglow fever is largely successful. Yet there is no guarantee, the main problem being that the amount of the antidote needed to avoid death is not always easy to procure. Unfortunately, the areas in which Moonglow grows most frequently are also the areas where most people do not have access to sufficient medical supplies.
Even if, as is the case for most larger villages, there is a trained healer on hand, they may not have enough antidote. And if one comes into contact with the poison while travelling one one’s own through a forest, there will most likely be no chance of reaching help before it is too late.

Lasting effects

Survivors of Moonglow fever rarely have lasting health problems- surprisingly, for so deadly a condition- however they will not be immune to further Moonglow poisoning (though the symptoms will likely not be as severe). In most cases, the rashes will also leave permanent white marks on the person’s skin. The marks will not cause any pain and will fade slightly over time, but they will always be visible, at least around the wrists and forearms. In some communities they are seen as a sign of good luck, as the person has overcome the poison, while some others feel that they are a punishment for the carelessness of handling Wild Moonglow.

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Cultural Reception

Moonglow fever is one of the terrors of rural areas. Children are taught to beware the magical glowing plants in the forest with the same breath they are told to wash their hands before dinner and not to hit their siblings- a warning deeply rooted in society and yet forgotten all too often.

Since the sickness is not infectious, victims of Moonglow fever are not ostracised from society as would be the case with certain other maladies. However, as so few are cured, they are usually viewed as doomed and are mourned for, in smaller communities sometimes being considered dead even before they have perished. That said, attempts are still made to rescue them. Family members often pray to the moon deity for help- particularly on Osupemlaba, where the moon is after all the highest god. Survivors are seen as especially lucky individuals and are sometimes attributed divine favour, all the more special because there are so few.

In the world of the stage, an example of representation of a Moonglow fever victim is Samna from Laida Mabattan ’s play ‘A Starry Sky’.

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An example of a developing Moonglow rash

Also known in some parts as White Fever

Type

Chemical Compound

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Common

Wild Moonglow- a quick guide!

by Craig P. Burrows

Wild Moonglow is a dangerously beautiful plant common throughout the Isles, predominantly found in the cooler regions of Ilatma and Osupemlaba. The plant bears spherical clusters of tiny flowers, which become small white berries after pollination. The name of the plant comes from the bioluminescence of both the flowers and berries, seen at night as glowing white orbs in the undergrowth. Though magical to behold, almost every part of the plant is poisonous and should therefore be handled with caution- the roots, however, are a common ingredient in multiple medicines, so there is some reward to the risk.

More Information:

“I said to him, didn’t I, I said, ’My boy- don’t you get near those bushes, you hear me? Don’t you touch the glowing berries!” I told him, I did, but he never listened. And then one day he came back after he’d run off again, and said he wasn’t hungry, he’d eaten alright. And I should have known then. But then that night he came to me and was feeling all bad, and I took his hands and saw the whiteness, right enough. Almost like a bracelet, it was, and it would’ve been beautiful if it hadn’t been so damn terrifying. We went then, I took him to Maatli- that’s our healer, and all- and by then he weren’t acting right and she said there was nothing to be done. May he shine in the sky.”