At'ars Curse

At'ar, the local name for Amauntor, the god of the Sun is both a kind and a cruel deity. His bright rays bless the day, providing warmth and light, allowing plants to grow and the salts to be drawn out of the water. Yet to some, the powerful heat and light is a cause for fear and loathing.
At'ars Curse is the name given to the madness that affects those who have become lost in the desert dunes, who are dehydrated and disoriented and have gone beyond panic and into desperation. Symptoms can range from fits of hysterical shouting or laughter to often brutal self-harm which transfers to those who try to help, in many cases. This can cause the sufferer to be ostracised and left alone to avoid their blows, their ear-shattering screams and their truculent raving.
When an afflicted person is rescued alive from the dunes, it is usually the priests and acolytes who tend to them, of no particular temple. It is known to the carers that the best cure is a cool, dark isolated room, with plenty of water and small amounts of sweet fruit to build up the strength. Recovery time can be from two to twenty days, dependent upon the depth of the affliction. Those who are restored to health generally seem to be unscarred by the experience, however, there are those who simply do not respond to treatment, who are too weakened or too injured to survive. Inevitably there are cases of sufferers dying out in the desert, undiscovered until many years later.
Such is the nature of At'ars Curse and only the most resilient are immune to the effects. The Cursed are held up as examples of what happens if travellers are ill-prepared for desert travel.

Causes

Dehydration and hunger, overheating of the brain.

Symptoms

Uncontrolled shouting, shaking, laughter and drooling. Self-harming, cutting and clawing of the flesh.

Treatment

Isolation in a cool, dark room. Rehydration and restoration of isotonic nutrients.

Prognosis

Full recovery is possible if the diagnosis is made quickly enough but treatment is not always successful.

Sequela

A few recovered patients exhibit sensitivity to light or recurring night terrors.

Affected Groups

All ages, races, genders and types are equally affected. The only common factor is becoming lost in the desert without supplies to survive.

Prevention

To avoid At'ars Curse, travellers should always be properly prepared for desert travel.

History

The earliest travellers to the open desert were particularly susceptible to At'ars Curse, having no experience of desert conditions and the psychological effects of constant heat, dust and wind. The affliction was seen as terminal and sufferers were sadly left to die.

Cultural Reception

Originally, those struck down by At'ars Curse were ostracised due to their belligerence and violence. Treatments were discovered by priests from Hajdib, who often had the accursed brought to them from the desert. Nowadays, the illness is treated and those who suffer are helped with kindness and sympathy.

Type

Mental

Parent

At'ars Curse

Children

• At'ars Curse

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare