Hollowing
In the years following the Cataclysm, a disease known as 'Hollowing' appeared. Nobody quite knows how it is transmitted or what caused it, but it starts with the victim feeling intense lethargy and a blinding headache along with an intense temperature. Within a week of the first symptoms being expressed, the victim's soul leaves their body, leaving behind a hollow shell of a body. Still alive, but devoid of all will and personality.
Symptoms
It starts with the subject feeling intensely tired. Often unable to bring themselves to get out of their bed. Within 24 hours, the subject will begin to experience a blinding headache and their temperature will spike dangerously. Within a week, the subject is made hollow.
Treatment
Currently there is no known treatment.
Prognosis
The disease starts with an intense feeling of lethargy. Next their temperature will spike dangerously and they will suffer from intense headaches as their soul slowly peels away from their consciousness. Over the course of the week, the headache will slowly grow less painful as the soul becomes less and less connected to the body. During this time, the temperature will slowly reduce as well, until eventually both the headache and the temperature will completely disappear as the subjects soul leaves their body completely.
The Victim at this time is considered 'Hollow' and are unable to feel emotion and are utterly devoid of will. While in this state they can be kept alive through forced feeding or intravenous injections, however, no-one has ever made a recovery.
Prevention
Because no vectors have been found, no known effective countermeasures are known. However, in the Empire and the Imperium all those who turn hollow are quickly placed in quarantine and their bodies burned once the soulless subject dies.
History
The first case of this illness was recorded by an elf mage after the cataclysm. He came across a village of hollow faries and dedicated his life to studying them. All cases of hollowing seem to be sporadic and with little reason. 5-10 people in a small area will go hollow, only for no-one else to go hollow anywhere in the city for another 10 years. It seems random and unpredictable.
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