Zefki/Giantism

"The patient will experience acute fever, hunger, and thirst as their very soul attempts to repair damage that does not exist"

— Syndromes

Transmission & Vectors

The disease appears to infect individuals at random, with no clear pattern among those infected. Carriers do not infect those around them and it does not appear to be more or less prominent within any particular race, sex, class, or even family.

Causes

Nobody is certain what causes a soul to develop Zefki. Some believe that it is a curse whereas others believe it is simply a quirk of how some souls work.

Symptoms

The disease causes the soul to attract nearby life energy more strongly, often siphoning it off of other nearby souls or objects with excess life energy stored within them. Those who are exposed to an untreated carrier for too long may experience rapid aging or even death as their souls are sapped of their essence. The carrier themselves will experience a nearly constant fever and will have an unnaturally large apatite as the soul attempts to increase the size of the body to better house it. The most alarming symptom of the disease is the growth that it causes in carriers. As the soul gains more life energy, it will attempt to increase the size of the body, primarily the head, leaving many to become deformed if they go too long without treatment. Even those who are treated can never return to their former size, the best that the healers can do is even out the carrier's proportions, leading to Giantism
A giant's symptoms will vary depending on the severity of their condition; Those with a mild case will simply be a few centimeters taller and will have relatively few adjustments to make whereas those with a severe case can suffer from near constant hunger, frequent fatigue, and back and hip problems. However, Giants are also known for their increased strength and lifespan due to their increased stature and enlarged souls. This leads to some giants being well received by their communities and many have found fame as adventurers and soldiers. However, the random nature of the disease makes becoming a giant on purpose impossible.

Treatment

Many kinds of mystical healers are capable of treating Zefki, though they cannot reverse the effects, causing giantism. The healers will have to place the soul in a state of dormancy, causing the body to fall into a coma, the healer will often then guide the soul throughout the body with Star gems to allow the different parts of the body to grow to proper proportions before removing the soul from the body. The soul must be kept stored in suspension for at least five days, during which time the body is starved and parched. after five days the soul will have reverted to a stable state and is re-inserted into the body, which will awaken shortly thereafter.

Prognosis

Those who are diagnosed with Zefki disease should seek treatment as soon as possible as the longer they wait, the more their body will grow and the more they will harm those around them. The disease can be difficult to discern from the flu in many cases, leading to many forgoing mystical treatment. Within two days of contracting the disease, the carrier will be craving as much as four times their normal daily food intake and will likely notice growth of up to five to six centimeters a day. The amount of food that carriers require to stay physically capable makes travel difficult and the travel time for those who live in rural villages means that even those who are quickly diagnosed may go days or weeks without proper treatment.

Sequela

Those who get treatment are left to deal with the effects of Giantism. Giants will require much higher food and water intake and will need to sleep for longer each day in addition to their slowed movement. However, those who are treated properly will be stronger and more durable than their peers and many treated carriers go on to become impressive warriors, if their society doesn't shun them. Due to the increased size of their soul, treated carriers often have longer lives than others as well.

Giant Classes

by Jordo_707

Giants are generally divided into three classes; False Giants, Goliaths, and Behemoths.

False Giants

False Giants are a bit of a misnomer as they are indeed giants but have simply not grown to unusually large proportions. As a result, False Giants are often seen simply as tall people and not as giants. False Giants are generally able to adapt to life with their condition very easily and rarely suffer from health complications following treatment.

Goliaths

Goliaths are the most well-known class of giant as they are the most common that are widely known to be giants. Goliaths are typically classified as being between 210 cms and 300 cms. Goliaths are typically subject to more pronounced health issues following treatment.

Behemoths

Behemoths are the largest of the 'standard' giants, typically classified as being over 300 cms tall. Behemoths are quite rare but are well-known due to their impressive stature. Behemoths are afflicted with the worst of the post-treatment health conditions including bone problems and poor blood flow, though a particularly skilled healer can reduce these issues substantially as in the case of Jarl Mavyir who is described as being unnaturally agile and mobile for her size.

Affected Groups

The Disease seems to infect randomly, with no apparent tendency towards any one species, ethnicity, sex, lifestyle, or age.

Hosts & Carriers

Any species is capable of contracting the Zefki disease.

Prevention

The magical nature of the disease makes it almost impossible to preemptively protect against. The only effective protection is quick identification and quick treatment.

Epidemiology

The disease seems to infect people at random and is non-communicable. However, carriers will involuntarily siphon off the life energy of nearby souls, leading to many either quarantining or even killing carriers who cannot be treated.

History

Stories about the disease can be found as far back as the early Serene Era, though the abundance of magic users in that time left the disease easily detectable and treatable. With the dawn of the Liberty Era, the number of magic users has drastically fallen and the rural population has skyrocketed, leading to the disease being much more of a concern than in the last era.

Cultural Reception

Untreated carriers are almost instantly ostracized from their communities and either quarantined or killed if treatment is unavailable due to the danger that the carrier posses to nearby souls. Those who could realistically get treatment in time are still quarantined as the healer is usually the one to make the journey as exposing the carrier to the city streets would affect a large number of people and cause the carrier and their soul to grow even more rapidly.


Treated individuals are perceived differently depending on their culture; Demians, Chol, and Raski will usually welcome a treated carrier back with open arms and may even revere them whereas Sheboi or Xinu may consider the individual to still be a danger to those around them and continue their isolation or even kill them.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare