Ghast Fever
Ghast Fever, also known as Shaolun's Desease (after the Prabaiian doctor who discovered it) is a magical disease originating with the Elves of old.
Origin
Ghast Fever originated presumably after the outbreak of the The Abyssal Flu and the following near-extermination of the elven race at the final culmination of the Age of Creation. It is theorized that when the infested clouds of that disease came over West-Argo, some of the elves hid away to the underground, taking mines, caves and abandoned Dwarven and Agðonnun cities as their hideout. In there, to solve their lack of food, they resorted to canibalism to feed themselves, landing in a cycle of procreation for the sake of nutrition gathering. It happened here that some magical curse befell them (Dr. Shaolun marks this as demonic influence, but since Prabaiians classified all magic as demonic, the souce is unreliable on the matter), which turned them into the first Ghasts, carrying the disease both purely congenital at first, but as it mutated, around the 5th century AZ it had mutated to be able to be acquired by infection as well.Transmission & Vectors
There are two ways in which Ghast Flu can be transmitted. The first one is congenital; when an infected individual procreates, the individual's child may be born a ghast, commonly called a ghastborn. When both parents are infected, this chance is 100%, otherwise the odds are about 50%. Note that this can happen even if the individual is cured of the disease and/or is asymptomatic. Commonly this is the way in which the disease spread to new areas.
The second manner of transmission is by infection. A stage 3 ghast will be able to transmit the disease by it's bite alone. The bitten patient will gain the disease within seconds and if mortal, succumb within days to weeks, depending upon the patients strenght of body and mind, after which he turns into a new stage 1 ghast.
Prognosis
Ghast Flu has terrible and long-lasting effects, with the patient turning into a true horror over the course of years, with his suffering being prolonged to centuries, possibly millennia. The prognosis of a typical acquired infection (by bite) is as follows:
- Pre-Stage 1: The patient will grow sick and show symptons not uncommon for a common cold, bitewound will fester and start smelling like rotten peaches. Patient will progress to Pre-Stage 2 within 6 hours.
- Pre-Stage 2: The patient's metabolism will slow down, nutrients will not be absorbed properly into the body. Physical starvation will occur within 12 hours, after which the patient enters Pre-Stage 3.
- Pre-Stage 3: The patient's body will start burning own fat and muscle, leading to the rapid decline of bodily strenght. Patient will lose ability for heavy bodily tasks within 4 to 8 days, after which the patient enters Pre-Stage 4.
- Pre-Stage 4: The patient will grow even weaker over the next 4 to 8 days. afterwards have lost all bodily strenght and is unable to move. His heart will slow down to a near-halt and the patient enters coma. Patient will then move on to the Inter-Stage.
- Inter-Stage: The patient will pass away, at the next midnight, the patient will enter Stage 1. From that point, about 30% of patients die within the next month, the other 70% will carry on to Stage 1, they are from that point lost and officialy declared a Ghast, with no healing being able to cure them.
- Stage 1: The ghast will wake again, although extremely emaciated the ghast will have abnormal strenght and dexterity returned to his body, although his brain has often suffered great damage in the Inter-Stage. Great hunger occupies the mind of the ghast, with the ghast trying to gain nutrition by any futile means neccecary. The ghast will carry on into Stage 2 within 1 to 2 weeks.
- Stage 2: The ghast will start mutating, with it's skin coloring pale white as a first sign, as well as claws growing. The ghast will enter Stage 3 within 1 to 2 months.
- Stage 3: The ghast will mutate further, with his face deforming and pointed teeth forming. The ghast is from this stage able to transmit the disease with his bite upon others. Ghasts typically stay in Stage 3 for at least a century before moving on to Stage 4.
- Stage 4: The ghast will grow thick layers of callus on it's skin, protecting it from external wounds. The ghast will also typically become smarter, wiser and much faster and stronger, with it's claws growing so strong it is able to climb vertical walls. Ghasts typically stay in this stage anywhere from 1000 to 1500 years, the duration somehow being depending on how much humanoid meat they ate during this time.
- Stage 5: Few ghasts have ever been observed that entered Stage 5, yet they seem to mutate even further into most dangerous creatures, becoming able to climb across ceilings without effort, as well as bolstering both their natural armor as well as gaining unnatural defenses that are common under other undead.
- Stage 6+: Hypothetically, ghasts are immortal. There are only scarce and unreliable accounts of ghasts of Stage 6 or higher, but it is commonly believed that at least theoritically they exist. It is unknown however what abilities these ghasts would posess. Any living ghasts above stage 5 would be among the first ghasts to ever be conceived, making them many thousands of years old.
Type
Magical
Origin
Mutated
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired & Congenital
Rarity
Rare
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