The Shivers

"Don't you go out in the cold rain without your coat!  You'll catch your death of cold. You don't want to catch the Shivers like your great uncle, rest his soul."

The Shivers is a rare and mysterious disease that is also known as "The Death Of Cold".  It is characterized by uncontrollable shivering that accompanies severe physical feelings of cold and unusual emotional feelings of overwhelming darkness, fear, and foreboding.  Although the disease has been afflicting people for thousands of years, and despite intensive research, little is actually known about where it comes from, how it affects individuals, and what treatments are effective.

Transmission & Vectors

The transmission and spread of this mysterious disease is completely unknown.  Fortunately reports from the major cities show that The Shivers have continued to decline decade after decade.

Causes

Although speculation has run rampant, the true cause of The Shivers remains a mystery.  Many theories cover a wide range of explanations.  Some have suggested that rare and dangerous contaminants in long forgotten caves and ruins are to blame.  Others think that the afflicted are cursed and being punished for some hidden crimes.  A few suspect that encounters with the undead and their negative energies have affected the very souls of the stricken.  Many others believe that the only logical explanation is that anything unexplainable must be magical in nature.  Currently the healers of Bartolara are researching all possible explanations, with little results so far.

Symptoms

Symptoms usually begin with fatigue, muscle soreness, goosebumps, chills, and an odd feeling of hopelessness.  These quickly progress into exhaustion, aches, fever, darkening vision, feelings of extreme cold, uncontrolled quivering and shaking, and feelings of serious dread.  The final stages result in extreme shivering, extreme sweating, hallucinations, and feelings of paranoia, before either reversing course and recovering or finally succumbing to death.

Treatment

There is currently no known natural or magical remedy for this disease. The best hope for an affected individual is to have a healer, cleric, or apothecary treat the symptoms, make the person as comfortable as possible, and let the disease run its course.  Those seeking cures and treatments often resort to taking dangerous elixirs, partaking in dangerous magical rituals, undergoing questionable religious ceremonies, as well as many holistic and spiritual remedies.

Prognosis

Conditions will continue to worsen over time for up to six straight days, after which the affected person either begins to recover on their own or falls unconscious and succumbs to the disease.

Affected Groups

All humanoid species are capable of being affected by this disease.  With humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes being the most susceptible.  Research into historical medical records seems to curiously indicate that only sentient species are affected.

Hosts & Carriers

There is no known flora or fauna that carry this disease, however examples from all sentient humanoid organisms have been known to be carriers.

Prevention

The prevention of this disease is near impossible because no one knows for certain where it comes from or what causes it to occur.  Each belief about its origin entails its own treatment and prevention practices, none of which are consistent or reliable.

Epidemiology

Although there is great fear about possibly spreading this disease in the populace, it usually only infects one person at a time and seems to run its course before another person acquires it.  Contamination and spread appear to be very slow, at least for the most recent accounts.  Historical accounts do tell of masses of people and entire villages afflicted with the disease with most ending in tragedy.  Why the modern disease seems to be less contagious and less lethal are still unknown questions.

History

Official cases of The Shivers are very rare in recent years but have been steadily turning up from time to time.  Outbreaks have been found in all climates, locales, and economic regions.  According to the research done by the Aric Batran the Vir Doctus of Bartolara, the number of infections that had diminished greatly over the last few centuries has made a sudden turn around and has begun to once again climb towards their old numbers from ages past.

Cultural Reception

Reactions to the infected usually range from concern to avoidance, but brave healers are generally ready to assist the victim and make them comfortable during their sickness.

Type  Unknown
Origin Unknown 
Cycle Short-term 
Rarity Extremely Rare

Affected Species

• All Humanoid