Shatter Bone Fever

Shatter Bone Fever is a curse based disease that inflicts those infected with severe fever, followed by swollen bones that often shatter from the swelling. This disease usually leaves victims crippled or dead.

Transmission & Vectors

The initial infection is usually delivered by the consumption of cursed foodstuffs. Secondary infections are spread by skin on skin contact between an afflicted individual and others.

Causes

Mischevious Elffen are known to curse random edible items as a joke among their kind. The curse is mildly inconvenient amongst the Elffen, but is often deadly to humans. The obvious enjoyment Elffen get from watching bones nearly explode as they shatter, has clearly inspired them to curse more edible items in and around human settlements.

Symptoms

The first symptom is typically fever, although several cases have reported upset stomachs before the fever presented. The fever will last for about three days, then the danger begins. After the fever subsides, the swelling begins. The infected person's bones begin to swell. Quite often the small bones in the fingers and toes will shatter with an explosive pop. In more severe cases, the larger bones may shatter as well, often leading to death.

Treatment

Recently, about two years ago, a group of alchemists of the lore caste discovered a cure for shatter bone fever. A noxious brew of several carnivorous plants was found to alleviate the worse aspects of shatter bone fever if it is administered during the fever stage of the disease. If the cure is not administered before the fever breaks, it is ineffectual at preventing the deadly stages of the disease.

Prognosis

Without the recently developed cure, Shatter Bone Fever is often crippling, if not deadly.

Sequela

Those who survive the disease are immune to further infection. It is also believed that those treated with the cure are also immune to re-infection.
Those who survive Shatter Bone Fever often have their hair turn green. This is believed to be an innocuous secondary interaction with the curse, and not life threatening in any way.

Prevention

The most effective way to avoid Shatter Bone Fever is to not gather food in areas known to be infested with Elffen. Also, try to keep Elffen from infesting areas where food is grown or stored.

History

There were a handful of isolated cases during the Age of the Founders. The first real outbreak happened in the year 92. Shortly after a new settlement was founded near an Elffen infestation. Over a hundred years would pass before the lore caste would discover the connection between Elffen and Shatter Bone Fever.

Cultural Reception

Those survivors afflicted with green hair are considered sources of luck by other folk. The thinking goes that the presence of the survivors will frighten off Elffen and keep them from throwing curses in the settlements direction.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Uncommon