Crawler's Gloom
Notebook entry #8; patient #00572; day 11 post contagion.
Symptoms congurent as stated in present literature. Patient exhibits further decline in speech pattern. Even more aphatic than yesterday. Spends his time lying on the floor face down. Proceeding antibiotherapy.
Notebook entry #12; patient #00572; day 17 p.c..
Symptoms worsen. Patient not responding to treatment. Eyesight noticably fading. Subject refuses dietary intake - repeatedly claims to see no point in self preserving actions. Preparing subject for cryostasis.
Notebook entry #17; patient #00572; day 21 p.c..
Preservation process planned for today. Nursing personal summoned me to patient's holding cell. A human-sized hole can be seen in the ground. Patient #00572 chewed through reinforced conrete. Another one lost to the Gloom.
Crawler's Gloom is a supernatural condition transmitted through Jellyray dung. Affected individuals initially experience changes in their psychological behavior akin to depression. If not treated in time, however, the disease usually leads to irreversible physiological changes as well.
Causes
The bacteria of the Bulky Crawler are excreted after its digestion and while the beetle maintains a symbiotic relationship with these bacteria and the Jellyray can repel them in its digestive tract, they colonize and multiply rapidly in humans. In most cases, the infection can be traced back to excessive and careless handling of Jellyray excements that are inadvertently ingested.
Symptoms
Acute symptoms of Crawler's Gloom Stage I such as exaggerated melancholy, significant decline in motivational drive and withdrawal from interpersonal relationships are immediately recognizable. Family members often describe major changes in the person's behavior, such as lamenting and general sadness. Suspects often express the desire to hide away from the hardship of existence.
Eventually the untreated condition transitions to Stage II, which leads to physiological changes such as the formation of chitin-like plates on the skin, blindness, light- and tremor sensitivity as well as superhuman strenght. At some point, afflicted individuals leave their familiar habitat and venture underground.
Treatment
Early detection is essential because, without treatment, the condition usually worsens and becomes chronic. Stage I of the infection usually responds well to a combination of antibiotics and psychotherapy. To this day however, no cure has been found for Stage II of Crawler's Gloom. In the hope of finding a solution to the problem in the future, patients are usually put into cryostasis.
Prevention
As displayed on the labeling of legally supplied magic components, one should wash his/her hands excessively after handling Jellyray byproducts and seperate their work place from their dining space. Alternatively, one should feel inclined to purchase a pair of overprized Gilbert's latex free rubber gloves for safely handling your feces.
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