Atrophic Sickness

The first cases of atrophic sickness occurred as a result of a magical ritual gone wrong. citizens in the city of Kesper within the district surrounding the lord regional count's castle. However, more cases have been contracted by extended contact with an infected individual, especially when exposed to bodily fluids or when the contracted has an open wound.

The first signs of infection present themselves as a fever, nausea, lightheadedness, and fatigue. As the disease progresses over the next few days, the affected begins to feel pain and crackling sensations all over their body, their skin becomes discolored, turning paler and duller, and they suffer from brain fog. As it continues to progress, the pain becomes almost unbearable, the pulse slows and the body eventually succumbs over the course of a number of days to two weeks.

If caught early enough, prior to the second stage, a sufficiently powerful cleric or magical healer could cure the disease via incantation or ritual healing before it progresses without any side effects following transmission. Once stage two is reached and the patient may retain some side effects depending on the time it has taken for the cure to take hold.
  Once the patient has been revived by the disease, certain treatments, ointments, and spells can be placed on them to delay the effects of the decaying, but the disease has reached the end of its cycle and can no longer be cured.
  Even in the case of revival magic used on the deceased prior to the disease reviving them, the disease remains and the newly revived victim continues for minutes to days in the second stage of the disease again, often causing a worsening of their state after they are revived

Stage 1: The patient has contracts a fever and suffers from a number of generic symptoms such as lightheadedness, migraine, fatigue, and nausea.
  Stage 2: After two to three days, the patient begins to suffer from skin depigmentation, pain, and memory issues. As this stage continues, the pain will worsen, their heart rate will drop, and they will begin to grow colder to the touch.
  Stage 3: The patient succumbs to the disease, but the disease remains in the body, and after a few hours to a few days, the body is reanimated as an undead creature. The shorter time it takes to revive, the more likely the victim will retain their sense of self, most of their memories, and, presumably, their soul. The longer the entire process takes, the more likely the victim will rise as a mindless undead.

Mostly humanoids, however, some beasts were effected as well.
Few if any cases of this disease have left the borders of Kesper.

The best course of protection is limiting exposure. The disease is transferred by prolonged exposure or exposure of open wounds to the disease. To restrict the spread in the city of Kesper, those afflicted with the disease are segregated from the rest of the population in their own district. Additionally, the afflicted are often wrapped in bandages soaked in ointment and perfume to delay decay and help with the smell. Their faces are adorned with beautiful masks to hide their rotting visage beneath.

When Lady Florica Vopeşeau's husband died of mysterious causes, whether for love of him or desperation to keep the power they held - knowing the Duke of Ocharia to be likely to take her title from her and give it to another man - she sought out a powerful ritual to revive her husband. But the ritual did not go as planned, though her husband was eventually revived in some form. The effects were not immediate, but they became apparent over the next few days as the citizens of the city around the count's castle began to become ill. Actions were taken when the realization of what was happening became apparent, but at that time the damage was already high. The diseased were segregated to the area of the city surrounding the count's mansion and remain there to this day going about their newly undead lives.
It is believed the Lady still works to reverse the disease she unwittingly let loose.

Following the ritual and the discovery of the disease's effects upon the people, Lady Vopeşeau and her husband were censured by the Covenant and relegated to the title of Baron with many of their bordering territories and underling lords and barons leaving their service for that of another count or the duke himself. Though they still hold no small amount of influence and resources, their power has been forcibly diminished.
  The infected of this disease are relegated to one half of the city to prevent further spread, but the occasional outbreak still occurs. Few travel out of the city, and most only within a few days travel. Those that do travel must report their comings and goings to the lord who must in turn report it to the duke.
  Many believe that the punishment handed down from Duke Raithe was too lenient, expecting the complete dismantlement of the house rather than a demotion.