Direism

The most dangerous contagious illness in the world, Direism can rapidly affect the long-term health of a creature. When an animal, sapient or beastly, becomes afflicted with Direism, their anatomy and psychology change in drastic ways. Once their transformation is complete, there is very little that can be done to help a dire creature.  

Transmission

Direism is transferred from one infected creature to another through contact of saliva or blood. A bite, scratches, or other wounds can be at risk of infection around dire creatures. Make sure to clean all wounds properly, with both magical and mundane methods, to avoid transmission.  

Early Signs of Infection

Those afflicted with the beginning stages of direism will begin to notice psychological changes first. They may lose time, memories, or sense of place. Increased fear or aggression are very common as well. These are transient, however, and can appear for a few hours before disappearing. The first physical symptoms tend to be reddening of the eyes, increased saliva production, and rapidity of breathing and heart rate.  

Becoming Dire

After two-to-three weeks of early infection, the infected animal will begin to experience far more severe physical changes. Their posture begins to shift to a lower stance as bones in their shoulders and spine reinforce and develop plates or spikes. The jaw begins to extend, teeth grow longer than their normal maximum, and hands and feet will extend in length. Musculature develops next, building upon the new structure to increase the overall strength of the creature. Changes to mentality become permanent fixtures as fear and aggression override other emotional responses. Higher level thinking deteriorates, reducing the intellect of a sapient species to that of a beastly predecessor.   Dire creatures tend to lash out or attack those immediately around them, before fleeing to relative isolation. Fully dire individuals are often found hiding on the fringes of society, chasing away or violently attacking those who get too close, and killing for sustenance.  

Treatment

If caught early, dire creatures can be treated and the disease removed from their bodies. This is especially viable with sapient animals, who can alert others to the early psychological symptoms before any physical signs arise. Treatment with herbs and poultices can take close to a week, though other magical means can hasten the recovery time.   By the time someone's bones are changing, it is usually too late to help them.