Witherthorn Rot

Witherthorn Rot is a rare and dreaded affliction appearing only in the shadowed territories surrounding the The Scarlands - a place where wild magic pulses unchecked and nature itself has turned against its origin. Though unknown in earlier centuries, The Rot has emerged in the last few decades, baffling scholars and terrifying the common-folk.

The rot is contracted not through touch or blood, but by inhaling the putrid, silver-grey vapours released by a corrupted flower known as the Witherthorn lily, which grows in the crag-ravines bordering the Scarlands. Though deceptively beautiful with its pale lilac petals and bioluminescent core, the Witherthorn lily exhales a reeking fume that distorts Aether and infects the body with unnatural decay.

The condition lies dormant for several days before erupting violently.

Despite efforts to contain the area, Witherthorn lilies are erratic, appearing unexpectedly in places recently thought clear, especially after magical storms or seismic disturbances in The Scarlands.

Incubation Period: 3–7 days (shorter in those with high Aether affinity).

Without the intervention of a master-level Aetheri healer trained in anti-corruption arts, the afflicted will invariably perish - horribly.

Early Symptoms:

• Jaw tightness and severe facial cramps.
• Hypersensitivity to sound - sufferers often scream or cover their ears in agony at the softest noise.
• Sudden bursts of laughter, weeping, or aggressive outbursts.
• Fever, glowing veins (especially around the temples and neck), and muscle spasms in the limbs.

Advanced Symptoms:

• Body contortions, locked joints, and arching of the back.
• Hallucinations of "howling spirits" that only the afflicted can hear.
• Compulsive scratching or tearing at one’s own flesh, as if something is burrowing beneath the skin.
• The voice distorts into a ragged, echoing rasp—as if two voices are speaking from the same mouth.
• Mind begins to fray - memories dissolve, identity becomes fragmented, and eventually, total madness takes hold.

Terminal Stage:

• The body begins to necrotise while the sufferer still lives.
• Skin splits along the spine and neck, revealing lesions filled with oozing grey-black fluid.
• The eyes gloss over completely with an opaline film.
• The sufferer will often crawl or drag themselves to the wilds, screaming or laughing until they die.

Only the most powerful Aetheri healers - those trained to work directly with wild, corrupted magic - can reverse the infection. Even then, intervention must occur before the terminal stage begins.

If the patient reaches the final stage, not even death can stop what remains of them.