Wrack
The superstitious citizens of the Elven fiefdoms believe this plague is a punishment from the gods whose silence is because they’ve turned their backs on Tairos. Others believe that The Autumn Queen was the rightful ruler of Tairos and a goddess who sought only to save their land. And they believe her murder has caused this blight. Others see it as the revenge of the Baradradi and the old College of Necromancy.
Transmission & Vectors
The Wrack is spread through contact with the fluids of infected victims
Causes
Wrack seems to crop up in communities along Lake Lunarch and seems exclusive to the Elven species only. The sickness lives in the fluids of the infected as well as those that perish from it. The exact cause is unknown but it seems to most commonly arise in communities that have had contact with necromantic magic, the undead, have poor sanitation and high mortality rates.
Symptoms
Early symptoms manifest as joint pain, aches, and other simple maladies. Later, it spreads to the spine and bones causing agonizing discomfort while blisters and boils form on the skin. Fever follows as do seizures. Eventually the infected succumb to the disease but this is not the end of their suffering. Shortly after expiring the victim rises as a flesh hungry corpse of some kind. This transformation generally results in a Ghoul, Ghast or zombie. Wights and Morghs are not unknown either. Spellcasters or those with Manacite in their systems at the time of death are prone to even more exotic transformations.
Treatment
Traditional treatments such as herbal remedies rarely prove effective in curing the disease but on rare occasions the right combinations have proved effective. Spells and divine magic have unpredictable effects on Wrack victims. Only the most potent spells and casters can reliably cure Wrack with their magic. Lesser spells have an almost equal chance of curing the disease or accelerating it.
Prognosis
The condition is almost always fatal. There have been rare cases of victims fighting through the ravages of the disease and surviving but these are virtually unknown in most communities. The end result is almost always death and the eventual reanimation as some form of undead creature
Sequela
While the disease runs its course the victim can transform into an undead creature should it be killed prior to expiring naturally as well. As victims become weaker they are also prone to physical injuries such as broken bones, torn ligaments and general exhaustion. Clotting is also hampered and victims with bleeding wounds can often perish due to blood loss
Hosts & Carriers
Elves and most coporeal undead
Prevention
Measures that prevent or limit physical contact with the fluids of the infected help lower the chance of contraction. Consuming certain herbal mixtures prior to contact with the infected is known to help lower the chance of contraction as well.
Epidemiology
Large gatherings are perfect places for the disease to spread especially since the early stages are so innocuous. Contact with large groups of infected undead can also accelerate the spread of the disease via injuries.
Cultural Reception
Those suffering from the Wrack are isolated at best or killed and burned at worst. Spread of this disease is one of the greatest fears the elven peasantry has. The leadership in Melanthris has closed their borders to the peasants and quarantined their communities.
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