The Reapers Markings

Considering the name you probably allready guessed that its not very nice to get infected with this nasty disease. Luckily the reapers marks are a very very rare disease. Well most of the time. It strucks every few centuries in many places of Aar. Most of the time it follows famines, wars or groups of refugees. Thus its association with the cloaked fellow. But sometimes it also strikes in cities of trade, especially those that are frequented by many tradesmen from around Aar.

The course

As I allready mentioned, the marks are rare. But when they show, they allways come in great numbers. At first people just dont feel that well and seem to be nautious most of the day. But at some point, the black bumps start to appear all over the body of the doomed fellow. From now on it at most takes a week until the infected person is dead. They slide into the other realm with increasing speed - even though some tried to feed their loved ones in the fruitless hope to save them - no matter how much they forced down their throats - the still starved to death while eating for two and finally die. This only gets them one or two additional days. Eventhough the marks are infectious long before they actually show, when they show, they are the most infectious. Then its enough to just breath near the doomed ones to get infected yourself most of the time.

The origin

Some scholars blame rats and other creatures associated with dark aetherials and filth. It has been suspicious that the disease tends to flare up in towns or refugeecamps where its extremly dirty. The best conditions seem to be when its wet, cold and dirty.
But most people think the marks show the presence of the reaper. When he remains for too long in one place because of war or famine, his presence causes the marks and attracts all the nasty creatures associated with him. Or when the rich get to greedy he is send out to punish their pride and greed by putting his mark on them. Sadly, most of the time it tends to spread throughout the whole city then like a wildfire in a dry summer.

Is there a cure?

Well, yes and no... Some rumor has it that some witches with their sprouts were able to cure people, some say the dark aetherials will lift the marks for ... a sacrifice... But everybody knows that the gods can actually cure it. Unfortunatly they are to absent or busy to deal with it most of the time. Its said that once the now forgotten founding goddess of a small city in the glowing mountains cured the whole town after outlaws brought the marks to the city gates, but that happened a long time ago, so you have to decide for yourself if you will believe this fine tale.

Syptoms	Tiredness, increased appetite combined with weightloss, later on the black marks
Incubationperiod	Around one week
Cure	Devine Blessing, Potions made from rare sprouts
Origin	Unknown

Type

Bacterial