Sortilago
"Sortilago was an interesting weapon, as elegant as it was insidious."
~Suc'mor the Griefless
Transmission & Vectors
Sortilago is granted by close contact, typically fluid transfer from an infected victim at the fifth stage of infection.
Causes
Sortilago was intentionally and magically constructed inside the body of Lephyria Mythraxis.
Symptoms
Sortilago begins as a markedly low body temperature, often accompanied by sluggishness and lethargy.
After 2-8 days, the color begins draining from the victim's skin. They experience a profound exhaustion at this phase.
After 2-8 more days, the victim experience mild hallucinations, mostly centered around a belief that they can cast spells. Holy symbols cause panic attacks during this time.
After 1-4 more days, a blue, scaly rash appears in seemingly random patches across the body. This rash is cold to the touch, and develops a hard, renewable chitin that is difficult to cut through.
1-6 after the rash appears, the victim's rashes combust with an unquenchable flame.
The conflagration is fast, but horrifying to see and potentially lethal to the victim. When the fire subsides, the scaly patches have been replaced by livid scars in perfect transmutation circles. The victim's energy returns at this point, and their body temperature returns to a semblance of normalcy.
After a day, the victim appears cured in every way of the disease, despite the scars which will persist until they are physically removed. So long as they carry these scars, they are contagious and the disease will alter their perceptions to maximize its own spread, or to convince them to take actions to hide their condition from others as needed.
After the first stage of the infection, the disease can burn the blood of its host to power increasingly powerful magic as it progresses. If left alone, it is unlikely to do so, but it will counter any magical attempt to cure it and lash out with violent spells and insidious curses at any physician.
Treatment
Curing this disease by magical means after the first stage is nearly impossible, due to its unique abilities. Any attempt to cast curative magic will be subjected to counterspells cast from the victim's blood itself. The process is painful, and can do potentially lethal damage as the blood evaporates in their veins in sacrifice to the magic. If the victim survives an attempted but failed treatment, the blood may begin to cast malicious magic on the physician in order to ward them off.
Mundane treatment is more often than not fatal to those trying to provide relief to the victim, unless the treatment takes place in a Null Magic Area to avoid magical reprisals by the disease. Treatment typically involves various methods of raising body temperature and purifying the blood of the victim; blankets, warm soups and stews, alcoholic beverages, steam showers, and certain spices have all been used. In the end, while these treatments can maximize the chances of success, even the most effective cannot guarantee freedom.
Prognosis
Many who acquire this disease defeat it in the first or second stage and make a full recovery. Those for whom it persists after the second stage rarely get better on their own and the treatment rapidly becomes more difficult and dangerous over time. Victims who suffer into stage 5 lose a portion of their free will, with their perception of the world becoming filtered by the whims and desires of the disease itself.
Sequela
If the disease is cured, a discolored rash may appear now and then though rarely as severe as the original infection. Some descendants of sufferers may exhibit signs of magical taint such as sorcerous abilities or even the birthing of Genasi.
Prevention
Avoiding close contact with a victim's fluids is the only effective way of preventing infection.
Epidemiology
Even in the days when Lephyria Mythraxis was actively spreading the disease, true epidemics of it were rare. Victims in the late stages tend to fall into a paranoid state and actively hide their infections, targeting those in positions of power and influence to spread it.
History
Sortilago was magically gestated by Lephyria Mythraxis in her own body. She used this as a weapon to seed an insidious cult of personality and criminal blackmail web that elevated her own wealth and power until her defeat at the hands of Suc'mor the Griefless.
Cultural Reception
With Lephyria Mythraxis defeated long ago, it is unlikely that most would know what the scars or scales mean when looking at a victim of the disease. When it was a known disease and a true worry for humanity, the victims would be killed on discovery unless they submitted to increasingly horrific cures.
Type
Supernatural
Origin
Magical
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Affected Species
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