Roten

Rothen is transmitted exclusively through direct physical contact with disformed beasts. The beast’s spectral aura carries infectious agents that penetrate the skin upon touch. Indirect transmission through contaminated surfaces or fluids is considered negligible. The beasts primarily inhabits dense, shadowed forests and twilight marshes, making these environments high-risk zones for exposure.

Stage 1 (Incubation): Lasts 3-5 days post-exposure; subtle fatigue and occasional muscle twitching begin.

Stage 2 (Onset): Trembling paralysis and muscle weakening intensify; joints begin to stiffen painfully. Victims may start coughing uncontrollably when recalling the beast.

Stage 3 (Advanced): Severe paralysis limits mobility; respiratory distress from persistent coughing develops; vitality is critically depleted. Without treatment, death from respiratory failure or systemic collapse is common within weeks.

Recovery: With early and consistent treatment, most patients regain partial to full mobility and vitality over several months, though some experience lingering joint stiffness and mild neurological deficits.

The primary treatment involves potent herbal infusions called Silverthorn Draughts, which stabilize the nervous system and reduce muscle tremors. Frequent baths in mineral-rich waters with crushed Moonpetal blossoms ease joint stiffness and restore vitality. In advanced cases, ritualistic healing by trained Boylas can speed up recovery by cleansing residual pressence.

Stage 1 (Incubation): Lasts 3-5 days post-exposure; subtle fatigue and occasional muscle twitching begin. Stage 2 (Onset): Trembling paralysis and muscle weakening intensify; joints begin to stiffen painfully. Victims may start coughing uncontrollably when recalling the beast. Stage 3 (Advanced): Severe paralysis limits mobility; respiratory distress from persistent coughing develops; vitality is critically depleted. Without treatment, death from respiratory failure or systemic collapse is common within weeks. Recovery: With early and consistent treatment, most patients regain partial to full mobility and vitality over several months, though some experience lingering joint stiffness and mild neurological deficits.

Chronic fatigue, occasional muscle spasms, and heightened sensitivity to cold are common long-term effects.

There is no specific group is not being affected by the disease. Everyone is going to be affected if going around or being attack by it.

Magic mixed with veilrot beasts' true essence had them get affected by it themselves.

Avoid direct contact with the disformed beasts. Protective gloves woven from enchanted spider silk are recommended for those entering the beast’s territory. Carrying talismans carved from Veilroot wood, believed to repel the beast’s spectral aura, also reduces risk. Communities near Veilrot habitats practice nightly bell ringing to ward off the creature’s approach.

The disease is rare and geographically limited to regions where the disformed beasts dwells. They primarily are in Eldermoor’s shadowed forests and adjacent marshlands. Outbreaks occur sporadically, often linked to increased human incursion into the beasts habitat. The disease shows no preference for age or gender but is more prevalent among hunters, woodcutters, and travelers in the affected zones. Due to effective prevention measures and growing awareness, incidence rates have declined over the past century.

First documented over three centuries ago in the shadowed forests of Eldermoor. The rothen was linked to mysterious wasting illnesses following encounters with the magical disformed beasts. Early settlers lived in fear and isolation until herbalists and mystics identified symptoms and developed treatments, transforming a once-fatal threat into a manageable condition.

Rothen is deeply embedded in local folklore, symbolizing the dangers of hubris and disrespect toward the natural and spectral world. The Veilrot beast is both feared and revered as a guardian of the forest’s secrets. Survivors are regarded with a mix of sympathy and superstition, believed to carry a fragment of the beasts spectral essence.