Mortambulism
It seemed as if chaos was in the raindrops that battered the battlefield infirmary as clerics ran from dying soldier to dying soldier holding spell-books, magic items, potions of healing and aid kits, sewing wounds shut with string and spirit and praying over those that they could not save. But one man was there on his own mission, wading through the madness, treading through the mud and the blood and the tears towards a pale, candlelit tent where a nurse stood outside with a grim expression on her face. His was a mission of science; he was a man of the material, understanding that there were many things that magic could not achieve. A book of sicknesses was tucked under his arm and he wore a raven's mask over his face that told all others around him all they needed to know: A plague doctor has arrived.
"We don't know what it is doctor." The nurse said immediately as he approached. He brushed past her with a cold confidence and pulled the drapes of the tent open to reveal three men in their bloody uniforms lying motionless on three tables. "What is their condition." He said, his voice coming deep, gnarled and muffled through the mask. "That's just it doctor." The nurse said. "They shouldn't be in any condition at all. They died hours ago." She said nervously as he entered the tent, slipping a pair of leather gloves over his long thin fingers. "I have been told that these men are suffering from an illness, reports of which came from the western front as well." He said now slowly approaching the body on the central table with a grim determination, revealing a black leather bag from beneath his cloak and setting it on the table. "I don't know what to-" The nurse stuttered and clutched a silver pendant she was wearing on her chest. "By the gods it's just not natural, I can't be here!" And with that she ran off into the chaos outside as the doctor began his examination.
He brought his ear down to the corpse's chest and felt nothing. He reached into his bag and withdrew an incredibly rare device he had been given at the royal medical academy of Hephesta: A beautifully and masterfully crafted needle, there were only six such devices in the empire, and he carefully pushed this one into the flesh of the corpse's left arm and began to draw blood. The chemical that filled the thin glass tube was oily and black and the doctor let out a small sigh. He then brought his gloved fingers up to the corpse's eye and lifted the eyelid. The eyes were jet black and slimy and he reached back into his bag and brought out a small silver instrument about the length of his finger and the width of a pencil. He pressed the rounded edge of this instrument against the corpse's exposed tear ducts and from the ducts came more of the black oily fluid that seemed to coat the corpse's eyes and saturate its bloodstream. A single black tear ran down the corpse's face and rested just above its cheek. The plague doctor wasted no more time. He briefly cleaned his tools with a rag that was laying on the table and drew a large flask of oil from his coat pocket. He began emptying its contents on each of the three bodies and then around the perimeter of the tent at the base of its canvas. He grabbed one of the candles lighting the room and as he strode out of the tent he tossed it at the base, igniting the tent. He strode quickly now through the rain to his coachman who was waiting at his carriage with a messenger boy, grim expressions on both of their faces.
The plague doctor approached the two, placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and told him: "The sickness is here. Burn it all. Let nothing stand in your way." The boy ran off out into the darkness of the forest surrounding the infirmary and the doctor stepped up and into the carriage. The coachman quickly mounted the carriage and the two sped away down the only road leading out of that damned place, off into the pale moonlight. Moments afterwards the chaos of the infirmary was interrupted by a glow that seemed to be coming from every tree surrounding the camp, as if a thousand torches had suddenly been set alight at once. In moments an army of black clad men in that mask, that terrible mask, stormed the encampment and the sound of screaming, begging, pleading and agony filled the dark night.
Symptoms
The subject's blood turns into a black oily substance [a.k.a. Plague Bile] and the rest of the deceased's bodily fluids gain similar properties, most notably in the mucous membranes of the eyes which turn black and opaque. A common symptom that can be spotted is ejection of more black fluid from the eyes which makes it appear as if the subject is continuously crying black tears. (This particular symptom is often the first sign of Mortambulism in living patients.) While the subject is still alive, certain psychological and physiological factors begin to manifest themselves shortly after the primary symptoms (listed above) begin to show. A few hours after infection, the subject will enter the "low phase" in which they will begin to exhibit depression-linked behavior. Uncontrollable sobbing, incoherent ranting and other such phenomena are the most common within the first several hours of the low phase. Around ten hours after infection the subject will enter the "high phase" in which the reverse effect will take place (while the primary symptoms such as the black tears will still manifest themselves) By now the infection in the subjects bodily fluids is so severe that their eyes will be completely black and opaque, and they will exhibit such behaviors as: uncontrollable laughter, happiness, strange dancing and will posses an extreme exuberance at seemingly everything and nothing. Within about ten minutes after the high phase has begun, it will end, and the subject will go into cardiac arrest. (Most subjects that have been observed during cardiac arrest were still trapped in a fit of loud uncontrollable laughter during their cardiac arrest and did not stop laughing until death). The subject will then lie dormant for exactly seven hours and six minutes until their corpse is hijacked by a malevolent consciousness that is focused on one singular pursuit: death. The subject will kill at any cost, including its own second death, if only to draw the blood of the living.
Treatment
There is no known treatment.
Prognosis
No progress has been made in finding a cause for this disease.
Hosts & Carriers
It is believed that only humans can carry this illness, as every animal test that has been conducted has failed to infect the creatures involved.
Prevention
Prevent physical contact with the infected at all costs, especially their bodily fluids. It is believed by those studying the disease that the plague bile is the primary means of infection.
History
The first case of this disease was reported in 346 I.H.C. However, records of all affected areas are extremely limited, given the widespread devastation following the wake of an outbreak.
Type
Supernatural
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
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