Baker's Demons

Baker's demons is the term given to a condition that is known to affect multiple persons at a time with a variety of symptoms that can include sleeplessness, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, even death.
The name derives from the discovery in one outbreak that the affected persons had all frequented the same bakery, and in subsequent outbreaks the victims have also been identified to frequent a particular bakery. In severe cases the victims suffer from terrible hallucinations that the Temple of Justice has identified as demonic possessions: Hence the name.
While nearly everyone fears contracting baker's demons, it is the bakers themselves who most fear this condition. Any bakery that is identified as having been the source of an outbreak of baker's demons is declared by the Temple of Justice to have someone that is under the control of a demon handling the bread, which places the entire bakery under the scrutiny of the Temple of Justice.
In such cases everyone that works in the bakery is questioned to determine if they are under the influence of a demon, all of the food and staples in the bakery are destroyed in a fire in the street, and the entire bakery is cleansed of demons by the Justicars before it is allowed to resume business. More often than not, the expense of needing to repurchase all of the flours, oils, grains, and other necessary ingredients for the baking of breads results in the bakery closing permanently.

The people's belief that the source of the disease is demons is strengthened by the ability of some bakeries to reopen without incident following the execution of suspected staff and the burning of the bakery's inventory and pantry stores.

Treatment

The Justicars treat baker's demons by separating those affected from the general population to prevent further spread of the demonic infestation. During this separation, the infected are questioned on their knowledge of the Book of Laws and the teachings of the Temple of Justice, with any lack of knowledge of the laws or temple teachings being taken as a sign that it is a demon and not the infected person that is speaking.
In severe cases people are restrained to chairs or beds to prevent them from thrashing, with clerics of the Temple of Justice reciting prayers intended to dispel the demons that the afflicted claim to see.
Those deemed unable to be cured of their demonic possessions are taken away by the Justicars and never seen again.

Epidemiology

Outbreaks have been most often traced to bakeries thanks to the sheer number of persons affected when an outbreak occurs, but as of yet the exact cause of the outbreak can only be speculated upon. That speculation, and the symptoms of the outbreaks, has lead the Temple of Justice to determine the outbreaks are the result of demonic possession of one or more persons in the bakery having used demonic magic to attempt to use the breads to infect others with demons that then attempt to latch onto their souls, causing the symptoms of the disease to manifest.

Hallucinations & Deaths

While severe cases of baker's demons can cause death, there is also the threat of death from the victim harming themselves. People suffering from baker's demons have been known to attempt to harm themselves in various ways to escape the demonic attacks. Some have gone so far as to throw themselves from windows, no matter the drop, to escape their visions.
“I have seen healthy men and women suddenly become terrorized, ripping their bedsheets, hiding themselves beneath their blankets to escape hallucinations,” quote by a cleric of the Temple of Justice.
A villager named Gabriel Veladaire repeatedly screamed, "I am dead and my head is made of copper and I have snakes in my stomach and they are burning me,” before attempting to throw himself in the river. Other persons reported visions that include great cats stalking the victim and seeing men with grinning skulls for heads.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare

Symptoms

The symptoms of baker's demons generally disappear over a 12-hour period.
Early symptoms of baker's demons include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• muscle pain and weakness
• numbness
• itching
• rapid or slow heartbeat

It can progress to more severe symptoms that include:

• gangrene
• vision issues
• spasms
• convulsions
• unconsciousness.

In some cases, baker's demons can result in death.