Vættrskár (ˈvætːr̩ˌskɑːr)

"Should you ever pull a furred fish from the sea, burn it. And then pray for forgiveness and for mercy." - common wisdom among Eyjamaður fisherfolk

One of the greatest disasters that can befall a fishing community is the loss of their fish. This can be through overfishing, or through ill luck or bad weather. Among the Eyjamaður of the Northeastern Region, it is sometimes due to the scourge they call Vættrskár.

The Vættrskár is a plague that afflicts fish that live in the oceans near Eyju. It is a kind of fungus that infects the fish and rapidly begins to grow, consuming the flesh of the animal and sending spore laden filaments out through its skin. These filaments resemble white fur that covers the entire body of the fish, making it seem like it has a thick coat of fur all over its body.

Harbinger of Famine

The unsettling appearance of the fish is not what causes the Eyjamaður to dread it. The true curse is that the fungus is toxic and permeates the fish's entire body. No method has ever been found to safely eat one of the infected fish without incurring a horrible death, and even the smallest visible sign of the fungus means it is too late to eat any part of the animal.

The communities of Eyju are extremely dependent on fishing to survive. When the Vættrskár appears, it is a disaster that threatens every community that fishes those waters. The fungus spreads rapidly through the local ecosystem, and can infect nearly every animal the Eyjamaður depend on for food. Besides fish, it has been seen on octopuses, crabs, lobsters, and even inside shellfish. It also continues growing and spreading after the host is dead - a single infected fish in a net with a hundred others means the whole catch must be destroyed as unsafe to eat.

Punishment of the Gods

As the name implies, the Eyjamaður believe that the appearance of Vættrskár is a judgement upon them from the Vættir, the gods of the land and sea. When the curse comes to their waters, the people turn to the seiðkona to intercede with the Vættir and learn what must be done to lift the scourge. People have been put to horrible deaths in hopes of pleasing the Vættir. Wars have been fought to lift the curse. Eventually, there are no more white-furred fish in the nets, and people thank the Vættir for their mercy and pray to never again see their wrath.

Alternative Name

Scourge of the Gods

Unending Hunger

Occasionally, someone does eat one of the fish infected with the Vættrskár. Maybe they were desperate, or didn't know what the strange fur meant. Sometimes it's too early to tell the fish was sick, or they believed they could cut off a furry tail or fin. Regardless of how it happens, the result is the same.

Eating the furred fish is a death sentence, and not a kind one. The fungus will grow inside the person who ate the fish, lining the inside of their body in the same way it grows out of the fish. It also affects the person's mind. They become forgetful and irritable, snapping at anyone near them. As the fungus grows, they get hungrier and hungrier, and begin to eat anything they can get their hands on, including objects such as rocks, sticks, and even feces.

In the final stages, they lose all sense of identity. They do not remember who they are, or who anyone else is - but they do remember that people are made of meat. They aren't fast, and they aren't strong - most of them are close to death at this point. But they are driven and persistent and will attack anyone too weak to fight them off, biting off whatever they can cram into their mouths. Thankfully, death follows quickly after this, and the bites themselves do not transmit the scourge.