The Death Curse

Causes

The death curse is the result of the archlich Acererak's machinations to create a god of undeath. In order to transform the atropal Eshowdow into a new deity, Acererak constructed a massive soul well called the Soulmonger. Now, whenever anything dies, its soul is whisked away to the Soulmonger to become food for the growing atropal. The curse also shares the secondary purpose of targeting powerful individuals who might otherwise be able to oppose Acererak themselves, if they knew he was behind the scheme, since only the wealthy and well-connected, or heroes, can afford resurrection magic. Thirdly, it cuts out some of his 'competition', as liches find themselves unable to harvest souls from their phylacteries, and no one hoping to become a lich can complete the ceremony without first dying.

Symptoms

Someone afflicted by the death curse break out in painful sores and begin to waste away. Their throats dry so that their voices become weak and raspy, their skin pales and feels cold, and they may find it takes greater energy to do simple tasks. Eventual, their health drains away, and they die.

Treatment

There is no current treatment, and most patients are given palliative care, or cover their sores with wraps. If the Soulmonger were to be destroyed, the effects of the death curse would lift, and those afflicted by it would fully recover over several days.

Prognosis

This condition, as one might expect, is lethal.

Affected Groups

Those who have been previously raised from the dead by magic.

Cultural Reception

Most people are not aware that the death curse is even something to worry about, since it only targets those who have previously been resurrected from the dead. Still, news gets around, especially when high-profile personages are being hit by a disease that no one can cure. People are worried, but it does not touch much on the lives of common people.
More troubling is the response of the various powers and their clergy, who have noticed the lack of souls traveling to the afterlife, and that their resurrection magic is suddenly ineffective. This, too, serves Acererak, as it erodes trust and belief in divine powers.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Rare