Lycanthropy

This is not something 'wonderful', it is not a gift from the Green Mother, this is a serious problem which will only get worse. You need to find those idiots before they do any more damage. If we're lucky, they're not capable of spreading it...

— Tomas Cross, Knight of Ravens

Among the oldest tales told in Erisdaire are those about people cursed to become beasts. Losing control of themselves, the cursed either live two lives - hiding their cursed existence - or embrace it and become murderous beasts who prey on others. The tales change in the details, but the broader parts remain much the same. And there are certainly those afflicted with this 'curse', which can be passed from one to another through bites. Recently, some healers across Erisdaire called the 'Covenant of Fennel' began investigating cases of lycanthropy and looking at it as though it were a disease to be cured. As fortune would have it, they were right - in a fashion. It can be cured, but this has not stopped lycanthropy from being an affliction which causes death, terror, and ruin.

It should be noted the original form of this affliction to be recorded concerned werewolves, but there are several different variations of the affliction which have their own linked animal taint. Rather than each one receiving a different name, they are considered variations on this one affliction due to much of the similar symptoms and effects involved. Treatment has not been tested on the variations, but it is assumed to work just as well as on the base form of the affliction. While there are some forms which might seem weaker or more fragile, the Covenant of Fennel cautions all to be cautious. As a supernatural affliction, the apparent weakness of the physical form is not always necessarily a reality. It takes reliable magic or silver to harm someone afflicted with lycanthropy, as anything else tends to be shrugged off if it is not immediately fatal. (Even then, steps should be taken to make sure.)

Causes

The cause of lycanthropy, in a historical sense, is still debated among sages. According to some records, the cause of lycanthropy is a curse on the spirit of a person. A punishment from the Gods, given to those who have shown wickedness to an excess. Other records suggest it is received from eating unclean meat, specifically meat from particular beasts. The Covenant of Fennel has not determined whether this is true or not, but they also are not willing to force another into testing this.

In a more practical sense, the Covenant has put together a few particular details which hint there are only two ways to contract this affliction. One must be bitten by a lycanthrope, or otherwise be cursed by powerful magic. Most often those curses are laid by divine entities or strong nature spirits, though most information on this is derived from rumor and myth. Divination techniques have only, thus far, suggested the original source of the affliction is not from Erisdaire and is certainly supernatural in origin.

Symptoms

The symptoms of lycanthropy are both not subtle and not exactly easy to spot, unless it is known what to look for. For the most obvious signs, there are three major ones which are easy to spot yet can be difficult to draw more serious conclusions from. First of all, a sort of fatigue sneaks into a person's body and mannerisms. This usually manifests after the first time they change, and persists for a long while. A second sign is an increased aggressiveness, sometimes with little provocation. Lastly, and perhaps most telling, is an aversion to silver which hides the detail of it being harmful to touch and handle. It is unknown exactly why silver is responsible for this, but several theories have been made throughout the years. These range from a connection with the moon, to silver being an inherently 'pure' material which cannot be endured by the unclean.

Several other, less-obvious symptoms take more effort to discover and yet can help properly narrow down the affliction. These include a preference for their meat cooked much less than usual, animals becoming uneasy around the afflicted individual, neglecting things which they once found important, and slowly drifting away from their friends. While these may be explained away, individually, caution should be taken if they are present with any of the primary symptoms. These things do also tend to follow other supernatural afflictions, due to the damage which is done to the spirit as well as the body, so caution is recommended before making a conclusion. Even after making a conclusion, it is advised to avoid claiming it as 'definitive' until absolute proof has been acquired.

Treatment

I'd say to pray for their souls, but I think we're not to that point yet. I'd rather save begging the Gods for help until we're sure it's the right time.

— Nale Dunwell, Covenant of Fennel

Lycanthropy is a rather peculiar affliction, as preventative measures don't seem to be capable of keeping it from taking hold. People who would otherwise be immune to such "curses" have succumbed, which is why healers belonging to the Covenant of Fennel decided to treat it as a disease. Since it was assumed to be supernatural in origin, many different types of magic were employed until progress was made. It is an unfortunate truth there were a great many afflicted captives who perished due to the experimentation, over the course of a dozen years. Not a few of these were volunteers, willing to suffer in the search for a cure - or if not, then a merciful end.

There are four distinct steps to properly cure lycanthropy, and most of them focus on specific applications of divine magic. Firstly, the origin of the curse must be destroyed. It is not necessarily easy to track down the source, as there may not be any special distinguishing characteristics. However, this step is crucial, as there is a binding link between the afflictions which must be severed. Simply employing magic to bar the way is not enough, as the connection re-establishes itself at the first opportunity. This means the curative procedure may be compromised at the first step, unknowingly. It has been highly recommended to rely on accurate divination magic to aid in this first step.

Once this is done, there must be a true period of atonement assisted with divine magic to contact the patron deity of the afflicted person. Whatever sacrifices are asked in exchange for forgiveness must be paid, and the atonement must be genuine for this part of the process to be done correctly. Alternatively, a new deity may accept an oath of devotion and set a condition before it can take effect. This is also a valid step, however it still needs to be a sincere and genuine change to the afflicted individual's path.

After the atonement, there is a necessity to apply two curative rituals to the afflicted. They are meant to both cure the physical disease and remove the spiritual curse. Only once these have been completed, can the healing of the soul begin. As unfortunate situations showed during the experiments, one spell might seem to be enough, and it will indeed appear as though it was successful. The healed body will deceive the "cured" individual into thinking all is well, until a few weeks have passed. Then the erosion of the spirit will manifest in a lycanthrope who is now immune to treatment, but mercifully is unable to force others to succumb to the affliction. Similarly, curing the spirit but not the body will result in the individual feeling as though the weakening physical symptoms will pass. However, one week after, the individual will experience muscle spasms and great pain as the transformation overtakes them, and burns away the last vestiges of civilized mindsets. As noted, this new lycanthrope will be immune to treatment - but in this case also a carrier which can infect others.

At the final stage, assuming all the rest of this has been done properly, a solution of aqueous vitae with silver powder mixed into it must be prepared and one glass taken daily for one full lunar cycle. This will result in a feeling of fatigue, and even possibly some lost sleep. However, this has been determined to be the affliction attempting one last time to convince the individual to give up trying to be cured. The unfortunate truth is, however, imbibing silver is not something the body is meant to do - if too much is taken in then other complications will arise which can prove fatal. If too little is taken in, then this step will fail. This is why it is important to have the solution prepared precisely by an alchemist the Covenant of Fennel can vouch for, and a regular amount is taken daily instead of an irregular amount taken infrequently. Should this step fail, the affliction does not resurface in a visible way. However, the reaction to silver which an active lycanthrope shows will return to an astounding degree - furthermore, those who have failed in this step have also reported nightmares not unlike those experienced when they were unaware of their true lycanthropic nature. Inevitably, this causes a peculiar mental state where the individual believes they are still a lycanthrope and willingly embraces the brutal excess without the ... questionable benefits and protections.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical