The Black Milk of Kali Kaal

Kali Kaal is the Mother of the race of Ghouls.
It is said that each year year, in the brief dark space between the turning of the last to the first of the constellations placed in the sky by the God of the Stars to protect against the Elder Darkness, she swells with foul fertility and gives birth to a score of young.
Those that displease her are slain, and so her favour, ever difficult to attain, some of her black milk always remains.
This she gifts to her most ruthless assassins, 'The Daughters of Darkness' as a venom for their weapons.
The thick black milk when applied to a sharpened blade or point acts as a unique toxin.
To anyone wounded by a blow from such a prepared weapon, paralysis is nearly assured, the victim falling to the ground and their skin rapidly becoming pallid, clammy and grey. But to those who wield arcane powers, such a blow is twice cursed, for unless their life-force is sufficient to resist, they will in the first seconds of night nine days hence become Ghouls themselves, still capable for wielding their magics, but slaves to the will of Kali Kaal.
To a wielder of arcane magics, there is no more fearsome a legend as that of the Black Milk...

Transmission & Vectors

A toxin which takes effect only when introduced to the bloodstream.

Causes

The necrotic magic within the Black Milk is anathema if introduced into the blood of a living humanoid. The progression of it's effects are detailed in the Symptoms section.

Symptoms

Immediate collapse and paralysis. On the following round the skin grows cooler, turns clammy pale and grey.

Treatment

Purgation of the magical poison and all stages of it's effects cannot be achieved by a normal anti-toxin or medicine. Only magical means will rid a victim of the Black Milk of facing their doom in 9 days time. If no magical means are applied and the victim manages to succeed in their save/resistance roll, the paralysis breaks.

Prognosis

Immediate onset - collapse and paralysis. Secondary onset (the next round) the skin grows cooler, turns clammy pale and grey. Tertiary onset (nine days later unless purged as a magical poison) either the target makes a save/resistance check against poison one last time or one of two things happen. 1. If they are not a wielder of arcane magic they loose 1 point of Constitution permanently. 2. If they are a wielder of arcane magic they become a GM controlled NPC Ghoul (of equivalent power, HP etc.) with the capacity to wield magic as they did in life - and utterly enslaved to the will of Kali Kaal.

Sequela

Regardless of whether the victim recovers naturally or through the application of curative magic, the victim will still have to naturally recover as if severely fatigued over the subsequent three days.

Affected Groups

Any living humanoid.

Hosts & Carriers

N/A

Prevention

There is no known way to protect against the effects of the Black Milk except by the avoidance of being wounded by a bloodletting weapon with it applied.

Epidemiology

It is used only by the Daughters of Darkness and then only against those targeted by Kali Kaal for reasons of her own.

History

This is unknown. Kali Kaal is the mother of Ghouls, and her existence is referred to as if she has always been a curse upon the world in even the oldest written records.

Cultural Reception

Victims are both feared and pitied. It is common enough that should magical healing not succeed, or simply not be available that one so afflicted will be killed and their body burned to ash before the 9th day to prevent their rise as a potent undead servant of Kali Kaal.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Unique