Glacial Agony

The cold frigid north of Morhiel and beyond is home to many dangers. Aside from the weather conditions, numerous dangerous animals prowl the tundra and snow-laden forests, one of the most well-storied of these arctic predators is the Winter Wolf. While most fear these beasts simply for their large size and formidable intelligence, greater than those of more mundane wolf species, the real danger is invisible to the eye. Also known as Morhiellian Blight and Blizzards Kiss, Glacial Agony is a disease rarely transmitted through the bite of a Winter Wolf.

Symptoms

It takes several hours for the first symptoms to appear, typically beginning with nausea and uncontrollable shivering. Skin grows pale and the infected individual will begin to experience hot and cold flashes, varying in severity. Around the 4 hour mark from first displayed symptoms, the infected will feel freezing, stabbing pains emanating from the site of the bite and nausea will increase in severity, typically triggering bouts of vomiting.
Pain focused around the bite will begin to feel white-hot after another 2 hours, with the veins surrounding the wound site appearing dark purplish under the skin. This discolouration spreads out slowly, in severe cases eventually covering approximately half the body at the disease's height. During this time the infected typically drifts in and out of consciousness as a result of pain and nausea and thus is exceptionally vulnerable to external forces. Symptoms begin to fade typically after the 7-8 hour mark.

Morn, 15th of Night, 258 3E
The trek into Sikiun had been going well enough until those blasted wolves hit. Bigger than any I've ever seen before they tore right into the horses, taking Jorik and Berun with them. Both lads survived, thank the gods, but we've had to continue on foot without giving them proper time to rest and heal. We have to keep moving, lest we get caught up in a damn blizzard out in the open. They're strong boys, they'll pull through.

Midday, 15th of Night, 258 3E
We've been forced to stop to give the boys a breather, neither of em are looking too good. A bad case of the shakes and they struggle to put one foot in front of the other in this damn thick snow cover. I tried to check their wounds again, but Berun started screaming in agony whenever I reached out to the bandages. I ain't no damn healer, but both of the boys have got something bad, Berun worst of all. Onward we go, even if we have to carry them.

Treatment

The short-lived nature of Glacial Agony means that the easiest way to treat the condition is to simply let it pass, amongst a community or safe environment this is easy enough, the real danger of the disease comes from being infected when one is alone or far from safety. Afflicted individuals may simply pass out in the cold to be found dead by morning from hypothermia or opportunistic animals, else the continued nausea may cause them to fall and cause further injury to themself in that way.
Some restorative magic and/or painkilling medicines can be administered to make the experience less painful for the afflicted while waiting for the condition to pass. In severe circumstances, the removal of an infected limb before the discolouration spreads significantly shortens the duration of the disease and lessens the effects dramatically, though the cost of losing a body part is significant.

Eve, 15th of Night, 258 3E
I didn't want to do it, but I couldn't let both die. We checked the boys' wounds - horrid, like black veins creeping over their body. Berun wasn't going to make it and he was slowing us all down, it had spread all over him. I took an axe to Jorik's sword-arm, hoping it would by us some time, stop whatever that was spreading through his body. Berun was already out cold, too taken by the pain. So I slit his throat and buried him under the snow. We reached a small homestead that is now looking after Jorik. They say he'll make it. I'm sorry Berun, it was either you or your brother. May Kord guide you.

Type

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare

Immunity

Those that through magic or divine blessing are gifted immunity to diseases cannot contract Glacial Agony. Though no actual testing has been done, collected reports (including hearsay) comparing counts of Winter Wolf attacks and counts of Glacial Agony seem to indicate that people native to the Great North are less likely to become afflicted with the disease, implying the local population has some resistance to the condition. For this reason, extra care should be taken when Winter Wolves are removed from their native habitat, and exported to elsewhere in the world.

Awareness

Within the Great North, the low incidence of the disease has lent itself to not being a commonly discussed or known condition. This also contributes to the various names for the disease, with Northerners in some cases believing the names to refer to different conditions entirely. The fact that it is a rare condition amongst Northerners means that to them, Glacial Agony is often considered more of a folk tale than an actual threat.
Outside of the Great North, information concerning Glacial Agony is exceptionally rare and scattered. If anything the term Morhiellian Blight gets used colloquially by southerners to refer to any disease that they are unfamiliar with that they associate with the northern climate, such as conditions like hypothermia or frostbite. This, unfortunately, means that while visiting southerners are at a higher risk of infection than the locals, they know the less about it and have been known to jump to panic when dealing with the fairly survivable disease.