Bloodrot

Poisoning from dark petals of the twilight lily

Introduction

"Funny, isn't it? How a flower can produce the juice that may save your life... or the toxin that may end it in excruciating pain. I wonder how it has come to be..."

— The Night Echo

There are many dangers in nature: beasts, plagues, diseases, poisons. Among the latter, some lethal ones are often used by agents and assassins looking to end their victims quickly. But the Bloodrot poison is not one of those. With due treatment and a lot of endurance, a victim of bloodrot is likely to survive - if their mind doesn't break in the process. The pain this poison causes is one of legend, driving the victim insane, to the point they wish they were afflicted by a lethal, but quick, poisoning.

Details

Transmission & Vectors

The Bloodrot is a natural/magical poison produced by the Twilight Lily, a once rare flower of the East. The lily's petals bloom white, but then turn pitch black as they mature. Once in this final stage, they are highly poisonous and may be harvested to produce a flask of the substance.

Symptoms

As the name suggests, the bloodrot attacks primarily the blood, and consequently everything containing it: bones, muscles, organs, pretty much the whole body. It rots the cells and tissues, putting the victim in a state of agonizing pain. If left untreated, it may be a matter of days, or even hours, for the victim to decompose from the inside out.

Treatment

The treatment may only be done with intensive Light magic. While a Healing Potion may carry the same effects for most wounds, the bloodrot cannot be cured by it, as theoretically too many doses would be needed to accomplish that, which could carry harsh side effects - not to mention the potion is also made from the twilight lily, and as observed in the flower itself as it darkens, its healing substances are weaker than the poison.

While necessary for the victim to survive, the treatment does not take away the pain. All the healing does is close the wounds that open and try to prevent more rotting of tissue. Still, with the poison spreading through the body, it is inevitable that it will affect some other parts of the victim sooner or later.

Prognosis

Even if treatment is given, it is most likely that the direct area around where the poison was applied may need to be amputated. Healing magic may be able to prevent death, but it cannot bring back life - so once a large part of tissue dies, no treatment may recover it. And depending on how badly the area was affected, entire organs or limbs may be lost.

Type

Chemical Compound

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare

Vectors

Twilight Lily's dark petals

Causes

Rots the blood itself into poison

Mental Symptoms

None

Physical Symptoms

Excrutiating pain
Tissue decomposition

Treatment

Light-type aether, healing magic

Prognosis

A few days of tissue rotting before death

Sequela

Amputated members
Malfunctioning organs

Prevention

Don't anger people who have access to this poison

Epidemiology

Not contagious

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