Lycan's Disease / The Howling

Transmission & Vectors

Lycan's Disease is believed to be most commonly transfered from host to host via exchange of bodily fluids, be that saliva, blood, or sexual intercourse. Though as studies have shown that this method is not 100% guaranteed to infected the other creature, medical staff with prolonged exposure to the infected have shown a near 0% infection rate other than in cases where they have somehow come into contact with infected fluid.

Causes

Lycan's Disease is perhaps incorrectly named as it is neither a disease nor is it caused by, or mostly affects, lychanthropes. It is, in fact, a parasite that lives in the brain and feeds off a creatures sentience, until it is a primative version of its race.

Some speculate that the increase of Lycanthropes who can control their transformations and who no longer submit to a full moon lead to the evolution of this parasite. There is belief that the wild, beastial side of the Lycan and other were- creatures was its own being, and that it evolved to become a parasite in order to more effectively feed itself.

This reasoning would then have the origin of this affliction be Lycan based, however further study is needed before a conclusion can be satisfactorily reached.

Symptoms

Lycan's disease begins with an itch without a rash being present. It is slight enough to not cause alaram, and has been recorded as an irritant, like dust mites or wet grass.

During the second stage, one or more of the following symptoms can develop:

• Thickening of hair where hair is already present
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Increased appetite
• Sensory sensitive above what is their norm

This stage begins to affect the persons relationships and mental wellbeing, with those close to them noticing a change in behaviour and personality.

The third stage is where it becomes clear that the person has contracted Lycan's Disease, if they hadn't been diagnosed with it already. Symptoms include:

• Erratic behaviour
• Increased aggression
• Quick to anger
• High alertness
• Painful sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells
• Decreased cognitive function, mainly comprehension and linguistics
• Yellowing of the whites in the eyes
• Night terrors
• Night wailing
• Night sweats

Once at this stage, though the parasite can still be removed or killed through medi-magical means, permanent damage has been done to the persons sentient nature and they will need to be cared and catered for for the remainder of their life.

If cured in this stage, the symptoms fade but never completely disappear, so the individual will continue to suffer from sensory overstimulation, an unpredicatable emotional state, and occasional night terrors.

The final stage is beyond curing. The parasite has consumed all traces of sentience from the host creature and now drives the host to infect another viable host so that the parasite can continue to feed.

Symptoms of this stage include:

• Severe agression towards other sentient creatures
• Overwhelming sensitivity to sound, light, and smell
• Pacing
• High body temperature
• Violent outbursts towards their environment
• Complete loss of linguistical comprehension
• Primitive base responses

It is during this stage that the infected will also begin to howl, almost constantly, the symptom that gives Lycan's Disease is layman name - The Howling.

Those in the final stage of Lycan's Disease show no aggression to others infected, nor to animals and creatures of low awareness. Indeed, towards other infected individuals there has been observed a type of pack mentality. Past events have made it far too dangerous to keep the infected in the same rooms, as they use this pack mentality to hunt other sentient creatures much more effectively. It is almost as if the pack gains more cognitive ability the more infected there are in close proximity to each other.

At this stage, the only place for these individuals is Hollow's or the morgue as they have no place in society, nor will ever have again at this stage of medical advancement.

Treatment

Treatment varies by the progression of symptoms and, occasionally, on the infected creatures race. As sensory sensitivity is a dominate symptom, a combination of magical herbs, incense, sound vibrations and bursts of light are used to weaken and disorientate the host and the parasite.

While this initial ritual is carried out, a second is conducted by which a small portal is opened in hosts forehead, providing access to the parasite that lives in the frontal cortex of the brain.

The gas-emitting, black parasite is then removed carefully, coxed into an enchanted beaker that drowns out all external input, acting as a lure for the parasite who is overwhelmed by the ongoing sensory stimulus around it. The further the patient is along the progression of the 'disease' the harder it is to remove the parasite, and the longer it takes.

Those in the first stages have yet to develop a sensitivity to sound, lights, or smells, and so can cooperate with the medics throughout the removal. Second and Third stage hosts actively fight against the initial ritual and need to be restrained and even drugged for the removal to be successful.

Past attempts to remove the parasite from a final stage host have all resulted in failure, the host either dies during the process, or escapes the bindings and attempts to infect one of the practioners present.

Prognosis

Initial prognosis is a positive one. When caught early those infected with a Lycan parasite can make a complete recovery within a matter of days.

Second stage hosts take longer, but are also able to make complete recoveries with bed rest and a tincture that aids in flushing the system of whatever foul substance the parasite leaves behind after long habitation within the brain.

Third stage hosts are dependant on how far into the stage they are, and sometimes what race the host is. The most common prognosis for Third stage hosts are that they will need to be cared for the rest of their lives, and have the cognitive abilities of someone either very old, or very young. They can contribute to society doing simple tasks that do not overwhelm the senses, such as certain trades and manual labor. Night work is particularly favoured due to the lack of light and decrease in noises and smells.

The prognosis for a Fourth stage host is bleak. They will either be killed, die from exertion, or spend the rest of their lives locked in the asylum at the Hollows.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare

Credits

Frustrated Young Man Screaming in Fear
Photo by Usman Yousaf

The rising gaseous texture of dry ice inverted to appear black.
Photo by Munro Studio