Red Rot

Red Rot is the specific medical condition created by the parasitic, magical fungus attributed to the Rot.

NOTES: Red Rot + Rot is a bit confusing, this is still a WIP. Also need a better name for Infected as it makes it confusing between those infected with the fungus and an actual Infected (capital I) creature.

Transmission & Vectors

Simply travelling through an area of Rot is not enough to be infected. Only specific flora and Infected fauna/people can spread the Rot.

• Rot Pustule: Certain flora and rarely Infected fauna/people may have a rot pustule on them that can burst and issue forth a pus that is highly infectious even with skin contact.
• Rot Infected: Perhaps the most common form of infection comes from the living hosts of fauna and people who have succumb to the fungus, becoming Infected. Bites and scratches have a small chance of infecting a wound.

Symptoms

Physical

Initial infection is evident at the point of contact by blood veins becoming visible with a red tone with some black tinges. Eventually all the veins on the body close to the surface of the skin can be seen clearly with that colouration that mimics the Rot in general.
Other physical symptoms can include coughing, fever, chills, pain in the limbs closest to the infection, increase in appetite.
Mycelium threads spread throughout the body as the fungal parasite grows, devouring and replacing the tissue within. Internal muscle is replaced first followed by skin. Organs are often left for last as they aid in the spread of the parasitic spores within the blood while the mycelium threads burrow through flesh.
Those who succumb to the parasite become the Infected. While their body may maintain some semblance of their original form, their flesh and organs are replaced entirely with only the skeleton beneath remaining much the same. They cannot pass for their former selves and are clearly Rot Infected.

Mental

Intelligent creatures suffer from dreams/nightmares about the Rot and often hear whispered voices while they are awake. The voices seldom make any intelligible sense, but are always in a language that the creature understands. This begins almost immediately upon infection and grows stronger as the infection progresses. No known reason has been identified for this, but there are theories that the Rot has an awareness of it's own. Attempts to divine the true nature of this relationship have all failed.
Progression of the infection eventually fills the subject with acceptance of their condition and the overwhelming desire to find a source of Rot to go to and fully give themselves to the infection.

Magical

The Primal nature of Rot grants the infected with resistance against magical healing and the ability to cure the infection outright is more difficult. This begins at the onset of infection. Itself, while magical in some regards, seems to almost exude an absence of magic when methods of detection are used upon it. Since research into the Rot is incredibly dangerous, little is understood about this phenomena.

Treatment

• Cleanliness is important in care for the infected as soap (particularly soap made of Barilla's Folly) can help to slow the progress of the parasite.
• Crushed common Barilla's Folly is the most useful treatment for early stage infections.
• Those exposed to extreme heat or fire can kill the parasite - there are obvious side effects.
• Those exposed to extreme cold can kill the parasite - there are obvious side effects.
• Healing magic is capable of treating the early infection, but it is a limited window. Within 12 hours for a lesser spell and within 18 hours for a greater spell.
• Cure: Beyond magic or divine intervention within the initial stages of infection, the only other known cure is the rare, silver variety of Barilla's Folly. Given it's rarity, the fact it's only found in the wild, and the fact that it cannot be grown domestically even by the most experienced gardeners and druids, it can be quite difficult to acquire. This is beyond the fact that the cure itself is quite difficult to concoct. Even once administered, healing can be painful and often limbs must be amputated that were already replaced by mycelium threads.
• The fully Infected cannot be cured.

Sequela

A cured survivor will still retain the occasional dream/nightmare of the Rot and possess a preternatural awareness of nearby sources of Rot. Some even report hearing unintelligible whispers. Depending on the stage at which they are cured, they may also be missing a limb. If they were healed by magic or divine means, they may still suffer from chronic pain for the rest of their lives. Normal recovery is a slow and painful process.

Hosts & Carriers

All Infected carry and can spread Red Rot.

Prevention

The easiest way to prevent infection is to avoid the Rot. If one cannot avoid the Rot there are a few ways to protect and deal with it.

• Soap can be used as a preventative measure and is said to combat the natural spread of small batches of Rot in the wild, but is not effective as prevention once a creature is already infected. Soap made from Barilla's Folly and applied daily can provide an advantage against being infected.
• Magical amulets and spells that protect against diseases can provide an advantage against being infected even if one has absorbed, ingested, or been bitten by an Infected.
• Some rare cases of infection have been staved off by severing the limb at the point of infection, but some have still become infected. Whether this was because they waited too late to take the limb or not is up to some debate and not widely known due to the small sample size.
• Sources of Rot are often countered by controlled burns in the area to destroy it or slow its already slow growth.

Epidemiology

Perhaps the one benefit of Red Rot is that it is not spread by a single infected individual. An infected individual cannot spread the Rot themselves until they fully turn into one of the Infected.
It is not airborne except in spore form, but spores are clearly visible, incredibly rare, have a short lifespan, and can be avoided as they are only spread in a small area. Even if an individual is infected and being treated, simply touching or tending to them will not spread the parasite.
Rot Pustules, however, can burst outward 5 feet in every direction and infect anything coated in the liquified rot.

History

The Rot, like the Everwood, has always existed as far as anyone can say, but it has always remained in small pockets never having spread to any wide areas.

Cultural Reception

The Red Rot and the Rot in general is feared and anyone infected is banished despite their inability to spread the parasite in it's early life cycle. Some cases where it is clear the infected person will turn, they will be killed and the body burned along with their possessions.

Type

Fungal

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Common