Fire-Blood Fever

The Adventurer's Curse

Fire-Blood Fever is a poorly understood illness that inordinately affects those who follow an adventurers lifestyle. It is often called "The Adventurer's Curse" because adventurers tend to be the majority of those afflicted by this illness.

Transmission & Vectors

It is assumed that Fire-Blood Fever is caused by repeated or extensive contact with undead creatures, such as skeletons, zombies, and vampires.

Symptoms

The first stage sees the onset of fever, fiery stabs of pain shooting throughout the body, and bleeding from the eyes. These symptoms present in all three stages of the illness.
The second stage of Fire-Blood Fever begins with the afflicted showing signs of extreme, almost lustful, hunger for meat, preferably raw.  Also an increase in homicidal thoughts have been documented.
When the afflicted begins sweating blood, they have entered the third and final stage. Those who reach this stage often vacillate between raving madness and catatonia before death sets in.

Treatment

Herbalists use angel's wort to fortify the blood of those afflicted with Fire-Blood Fever
A new treatment known as Tincture of Onimus has begun to be used by some Loremasters with promising results.

Prognosis

Left untreated, death is the most common result from Fire-Blood Fever.
Those who recover from their illness during the first stage seem to return to full health with only a few exceptions.
Those who recover during the second stage often descend into irrevocable catatonia after the fever breaks, although it is not uncommon for some to return to near full health.
Those unfortunate to reach the third stage of the illness are more than likely going to die. Those that do survive the final stage are almost assuredly changed into raving bloodthirsty maniacs with no sense of humanity left.
There are many rumors that claim those who have died from Fire-Blood Fever will rise as undead on the next new moon.  Few communities are willing to take that chance, so the remains of the afflicted are typically cremated.

Affected Groups

Adventurers and others who have come into close contact with the undead.

Prevention

An herbalist will tell you the best way to prevent Fire-Blood Fever is to not go adventuring.
A loremaster will advise you to make it back to their laboratory before you die, so they can study the disease's progression as you pass on.

Cultural Reception

Most people give this disease little thought, as they aren't adventurers

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Human