Sight Rot

"Of all the conditions and ailments I have treated, few are as insidious or painful as that known as Sight Rot. We must be grateful it seems to remain in the wilder areas of the world for I fear where it ever to reach our fair city we would have an epidemic of catastrophic proportions on our hands" - Doctor Oswinus Lubin

Transmission & Vectors

Sight Rot is transmitted through water tainted by dark magic. Creatures that drink this water are not guaranteed to be infected immediately and those with a strong constitution may resist infection completely.

Causes

Sight Rot is caused by a curse being placed on a source of water. Due to the magical nature of this disease, there are no obvious signs that water has been tainted, other than the presence of infected creatures in the area.

Symptoms

The first symptoms to manifest are a blurriness of vision, nausea, and headaches. Several days after infection the eyes of the creature will begin to bleed, causing the victim great pain. This will steadily worsen if left untreated until the victim is left blind. This will typically take between five days to a week

Treatment

A victim who has reached the point of blindness can be cured through magical means such as Lesser Restoration or Heal. For those without access to such magic, an ointment can be created from the rare flower known as Eyebright. which grows in some swampy regions. This ointment must be applied to the eyes of the victim daily for four nights to relieve the symptoms and cure the disease.

Prevention

There are many local superstitions and beliefs around how to prevent an infection of Sight Rot, ranging from wearing protective amulets to offering sacrifices to the gods. However, there is little evidence that these will reliably work thus the best preventative action one can take is to carry their own supply of water when venturing into the wilderness.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Uncommon