Faethropy

Faethropy is similar to lycanthropy but instead of the wolf, a humaniod is infused with the essence of the feywild.

Causes

Faethropy is caused by prolonged exposure to the feywild. This occurs in races that are neither natives to the feywild nor have ancestors from the feywild.

Symptoms

The symptoms seem to vary from person to person and it deepens on the length of time a person is exposed to the feywild. Most exhibit some negative reaction to cold iron as the first sign. The reaction can go anywhere from itchiness and irritation of the skin to burning and even to death if the iron is not removed from the person's body. Other common symptoms are bumps growing on the shoulder blades and later insect-like wings growing in those spots. Others may experience sections of their skin turning odd vibrant colors such as shades of green, purple, or blue. 
Longer exposure can start to change the person mentally and psychologically. People with long exposure seem to struggle with their emotions, often becoming extremely emotional and that emotion changing quickly. People may become bluntly honest, unable to tell the simplest of lies.

Treatment

Treatment can be done in the earlier stages of faethrophy. Typically if it is caught early enough, removing the person from the exposure can reverse the effect. There are also certain spells that can affect the disease in the early stages such as Lesser Restroration and a Paladin's touch. Later stages will need stronger and multiple spells. A person who has been exposed to the feywild for a massive amount of time may not be able to be cured but some spells can make the effects lessen, such as the reaction to cold iron. The sooner treatment is done, the more likely treatment will be effective.

Prevention

By monitoring the feywild's effects on the current realm and mapping out the tearing to the veils can help be proactive and shift populations away from these tearings. Creatures with fey ancestors such as firbolgs, gnomes, and elves have helped monitor the veil between the material realm and the feywild. By limiting the exposure risk, effects of faethrophy will lessen and can be caught earlier on.

Epidemiology

Races with fae ancestors seem to be immune to these effects and will experience only mild memory loss, emotional distress, and disorientation from the feywild which is typical to non-natives. Races with blood from other realms such as Genasi and Tiefling have a resistance but can still be affected.

Cultural Reception

People outside of Paelum seem to be fearful of the disease. Much like others fear lycanthrophy, people also fear faethrophy. This may because of the unknown and unpredictable nature of the fae but it also may because of the lack of awareness around it.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Goliath
• Dragonborn
• Human
• Half-Orc
• Tiefling
• Tabaxi
• Halfling