Rotten Heart Disease

Rotten Heart is a blood-transmitting disease. Infected blood comes into contact with open wounds, and nasal, optical, and digestive systems. Corrupted blood from the Realm of Blood brings this disease firstly into the other realms where it slowly but steadily can spread. Individuals who have been infected with this can carry it for decades giving it down per birth or injury.   An individual with stage 2 of the disease is infectious.

Corrupted blood spilled during The Rift became tainted with magical discharge and the unyielding desire to see everything rot. Over the years, the blood mutated from something unnatural to something natural, lessening its effects on the body but making it much more likely to be transmitted and spread.

In this stage, the Rotten Heart manifests rarely as anything different than pocks. Initial effects are very hard to pinpoint. It gets easily misdiagnosed as chickenpox and vice versa. In this state, many people easily survive it, though the older an infected individual is the more likely it will progress into the second and third stages.   The infected may have one or more of the following effects to report:

• Easier out of breath during exercise
• Coughing that might stay a little too long
• High fever that waxes and wanes over 3 days
• Pocks

  Albeit incredibly rare cases have been recorded posthumously, where the infected had shown a net of black veins like food poisoning, it doesn't take long before it rapidly went into Stage 3.       While the first stage can go unnoticed and be assumed to be a kind of chickenpox, it only gets dangerous once the disease hits its second stage. At this stage, the inflicted creature might experience one or more of the following symptoms additionally to those from stage 1:

• Difficulty to breath
• Shortness in holding their breath (The affected creature has a -1 Constitution to holding their breath)
• A weakened constitution (The affected creature's Constitution Score is reduced by 1d4. An amulet of Health hides this side effect)

From this stage on, the blood of the infected is infectious itself. Open wounds, nosebleeds, and similar circumstances allow for a transfer of the disease.       This stage is lethal. Once Rotten Heart hits the heart of the infected creature, which usually takes 1d4 months since stage 2 occurred, the heart of the creature stops having rotten in the body while the infected person is still alive. In the last week, this has been incredibly painful as the heart is beating just enough to keep the infected alive while also hurting through the rotten state of the muscle.   Interestingly enough a creature in its last months will find itself not afflicted by another disease after stage 3 occurred. Neither does it need to sleep, eat, or drink for an so far unknown reason.

Different stages of Rotten Heart as well as the age of the infected require different treatments. Some are harder to come by than others. Periapts of Health are the most common way to help with this.   In stage 1, the treatment mainly consists of easing the symptoms. For children, the treatment is aimed at letting the immune system handle the disease while for adults the treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms with medical herbs and teas as the infection is more severe.   A lesser restoration spell can clear the infected person easily, though they won't form a natural resistance to it through that.     In stage 2, the treatment mainly consists of battling symptoms head-on. Fever is tried to keep down, exercising is not allowed, and so on. A Lesser Restoration spell eases up symptoms but doesn't manage to cure it. If the affected creature manages to overcome this stage, the body has managed to build up a natural resistance with its immune system.   A Greater Restoration spell or healing magic of greater power is needed to cure an infected creature, though it won't provide a natural resistance. A Periapt of Health can help extend the time until funds or a person of sufficient magical power can be found.     In stage 3, the treatment is back to easing the symptoms. Many different types of hallucinogenics, painkillers, and similar remedies of natural and magical nature are used to reduce the pain that the infected creature is experiencing. Conventional healing magic may ease the infected creature but doesn't relieve it of its condition.   A Periapt of Health can help extend the time until funds or a person of sufficient magical power can be found, though it will not reduce the pain that has been already inflicted upon the body.   A Regenerate spell can regrow a new heart if it survives the procedure of cutting out the heart, while the blood flow is kept going with a magical device that swaps out the infected blood with fresh blood and cleans the old one as well. The infected creature will start back at stage 1 of its disease.   If the creature does not survive this or doesn't wish to try, a Resurrection spell is the only relief they can find at this stage. The last months are then used to gather the funds for a resurrection. As painful as the last stage is, its drawbacks prove their usefulness, as the inflicted creature can use more of its remaining time to gather the funds needed or prepare for its funeral.

During stage 1 the prognosis is that 1 out of 1.000.000 children, equivalent to a human age of up to 16, will advance into stage 2. Only 1 in 500.000 children will go over into stage 3.   During stage 1 the prognosis is that 1 out of 500.000 young adults, equivalent to a human age of 16 to 30, will advance into stage 2. Only 1 in 250.000 young adults will go over into stage 3.   During stage 1 the prognosis is that 1 out of 50.000 adults, equivalent to a human age of 30 to 60, will advance into stage 2. Only 1 in 20.000 adults will go over into stage 3.   During stage 1 the prognosis is that 1 out of 10.000 old adults, equivalent to a human age of more than 60, will advance into stage 2. Only 1 in 1.000 old adults will go over into stage 3.

Unless fully cured in stage 3, an infected creature can expect to find a weakened constitution and shortness of breath.

Creatures of the Rift as well as blood pools may hold this disease. They are infectious even if they are not affected by it themselves.    From there any creature that came into contact and got into stage 2 and further will be able to inflict the disease onto others.

Periapts of Health can prevent afflictions.