Tixan's Rage

She could see his silhouette under the lamplight, huddled in a trembling heap a stone's throw away. He clasped his hands to his ears, and a terrible shriek seemed to wrench itself from his throat as though giving voice to the most terrible pain one could experience. He stood stiffly, and pivoted to face her. But his eyes were not the same. He was gone.

Tixan's Rage is a deadly infection which is caused by bacteria that are said to have been released from Tixan herself before she was vaporized a second time by her own son, Xonnir. Popular legend suggests it was her final revenge from the Era of Creation, a last weapon released against the mortals that Tixan so hated.

Tixan's Rage is a highly infectious bloodborne pathogen. It can be spread by small, bloodsucking creatures such as fleas or mites, but also into open wounds, which is the main method of transmission.

Upon contraction, the patient begins to feel slightly nauseous and develops a fever. These symptoms are easily treated by herbs and medicines, but many medical professionals recommend letting the fever run, as it has a higher chance of stopping the disease's progress. It is still a very slim chance, however, and in most cases the fever rises to deadly temperatures unless broken before reaching such a threshold. Surviving the fever, the patient begins to lose focus and mental control. At this stage, it is not uncommon for those affected to lose the ability to communicate clearly or to control fine motor movements.

As the disease progresses, it begins to truly take hold of the victim. All self-control is gone and the victim experiences an excruciating pain. Many fly into a rage, lashing out and attacking anything within reach. If the patient can reach a living creature, the tendency is to grab a hold of them and bite with abnormal strength until blood is drawn. Contact of the saliva with an open wound allows the bacteria to spread from one organism to another.

Tixan's Rage causes severe damage to the nervous system including the brain, and eventually leads to death when the patient can no longer keep vital organs operating. If the disease is halted, the mental damage is still sometimes enough to keep the patient in a state of sever mental dysfunction, some unable to feed or take care of themselves without help. Many revert to the mental state of a young child if the progress of the disease is not checked in time.

The early symptoms of Tixan's Rage can be relieved with many common medicines, but these do nothing against the bacteria still living inside the patient. The only known cure for this disease which can completely kill the bacteria is the Ice Blossom flower. Its sap contains a certain component which can somehow break down the bacterial cells while leaving the patient's cells intact.