The Miaelean Disease was named after Miaelea Ikara, wife of the Erpheronian merchant Silas Ikara. After she died of this terrible sickness, Silas poured much of his wealth into researching the disease, and finding a cure. It is sometimes called the “Undead Disease”, due to the seemingly unnoticed wounds that its victims may receive. Although rare, it is extremely painful, and in most cases fatal.

Symptoms. The first symptoms of the illness are a lack of motivation and energy, which causes its victims to appear listless and lazy. Next, the victim’s responses and senses are limited, i.e. one could touch them lightly and they would not notice, or say something and they would not hear. This progresses randomly throughout the body, to the point where an injury could be sustained to the victim and they will not feel it. In some extreme cases, people stricken with this disease have lost entire limbs, and only realized it when someone pointed it out to them, hence the “Undead” nickname. All of the life-energy and feeling in the body slowly contract itself towards the head, numbing and weakening as it progresses, causing skin to fall off and massive bleeding to occur. Then, in the last stages of the disease, the energy explodes back outward, bringing with it all the pain from lost limbs and bleeding that was not felt before, etc. Some people die immediately from shock at this point, depending on how serious the initial wounding is. In the worst-case scenario, the pain is enough to torture beyond all belief, but not enough to kill. From this point, the pain progresses until its victim finally succumbs to it.

Effects. As the life-energy contracts, it bursts blood vessels as it passes, giving the skin a mottled look; the same happens in the eyes as well, giving them an extremely bloodshot look. After a while, the skin will turn a sickly gray from the lack of life. A victim of the Miaelean Disease will be bleeding at least ten different places, on average, giving caretakers an extremely difficult time. In most cases, the caregiver will wrap the entire body in bandages, just in case. Once the feeling rushes back into the body, the victim will become half-crazed with pain, lashing out against foe or close friend. Hallucinations are very common.

Cure/Prevention. The only people with enough knowledge and skill to begin a healing process are the Dalorin priests, also called White Nethorians, dedicated to the Santharian God of Healing, Nehtor. They cannot prevent wounding entirely, but can cause a binding effect on an already opened wound, ensuring that the bleeding will not return to the same spot. They also have a method of “massaging” the victim’s life-energy back into the body. This cannot be done completely, but it does help greatly. Once a Dalorin is on the job, the person’s chances of survival are drastically multiplied.

Rumours tell that the twisted mages of the Enclave on the continent of Nybelmar might know of a complete cure of this disease, yet the risks involved by dealing with these mages might surpass the benefits of that cure... - There have also been reports that priestesses on the far western banks of the continent restored large masses back to perfect health during the 19th century b.S. Unfortunately, as all contact with their mysterious civilization was severed after the Year of Darkness, the rumors were never confirmed.

Vector/Cause. The cause of the Miaelean Disease is very difficult to trace, as it may change from person to person. There does not seem to be a pattern in who it will pass to, as it appears to be dependent on many different factors, accounting for its rareness.

Endemic. There have been no major outbreaks of this disease, due to its selective victimization. Also, its history is difficult to trace as well, because of its rare occurrence.

History/Epidemics. Although the Miaelean Sickness is an extremely infrequent visitor of the southwestern Nybelmarian peninsula, an advanced form of the disease claimed hundreds of Anpagan merchants and Rebel Forces in 1950 b.S. The High Temple of Ankriss held the Witch Queen of Marmarra responsible for the pandemic, but due to Déárán Sáládor’s intervention an open confrontation was avoided.