Elles Fever

Pronounces Elle-ess, this fever is native to the lush jungle-like forests that make up the Usulli Wilds, and is a product of the Sprites' obscure medicine making practices. Taking the form of a deep delirium, the Fever is a withdrawal symptom from the Fey substance Iksubel, commonly known as Faerie Salts. The salts resemble small crystalline cubes superficially resembling sugar that, when ingested, have a strong hallucinogenic effect and are also a mood lifter.
Faerie Salts are, however, highly addictive and very dangerous. Withdrawals set in quickly, and over time the user's mind degenerates until Elles Fever takes root, at which point there is little help that can be given to the afflicted save a swift death. The key symptoms of the fever are, as one would expect, an alarmingly high body temperature combined with loss of fine motor control - affected peoples often lose the ability to hold objects steadily, speak with a pronounced slur due to not being able to articulate their jaw or tongue accurately and in severe cases even struggle to walk. People with the fever are often compared to rabid animals, as they will attack any being they see, demanding to be given more salts, being utterly convinced that everyone has the substance but is refusing to give it to them.
A person with Elles is capable of living for a very long period of time, however their body will constantly be racked by the pains of withdrawal and they will wander blindly in desperate need. Nobody has been able to hold a conversation with a sufferer, even though they are usually capable of speech, as they inevitably attack any who approach. Clinicians have tried to find a cure for the diseased minds of these individuals, but outside of divine intervention or extraordinary feats of magic that are beyond the means of the smallfolk, this seems impossible.
It is said that unseelie Fey will try to feed unwanted visitors to their land this substance, disguised as sugar, and as such the folk tale of never accepting food or drink from the fey was born to avoid such trickery. It is also rumoured that they keep the afflicted as pets, but this is unconfirmed.

Type

Physiological