This unique ability is part magic, part status condition. It is a temporary ability with a time limit for cleansing. Because of its unique type, it does not have progression stages, only a series of guidelines for the deterioration of the affected character. Not for the faint hearted!
Your wolf has been imbued with a powerful toxin. When they touch others, they pass on this toxin, causing severe sickness and sometimes even death. However, it seems the vessel is not immune. Your mortal body cannot contain the toxin, and your health slowly deteriorates, unless you use your touch to infect others, which seems to soothe your symptoms for a while. But the sickness always returns, and the writing on the wall soon becomes clear - this magic is a curse, and it will end you.
TIER RATING
This is a tier three temporary ability and a status condition, which has a time limit of 12 months. The ability MUST be cleansed within 12 months via purchase of a Cleanse or use of a Cleanse Token.
GUIDELINES
This unique ability functions as a curse. The infected character has the power to inflict severe sickness on other wolves by touching them, but the infected character is also not immune to the symptoms of the sickness. In fact, their own symptoms will increase in severity if they don't touch others and spread their curse.
The ability MUST be cleansed within 12 months via purchase of a Cleanse or use of a Cleanse Token. The player may depict the cleansing in any way they feel narratively suitable - for example, their wolf could actively seek a cure in game, or feel they have been saved miraculously.
If the ability is not cleansed within the limit indicated, the character will succumb to their symptoms and pass away.
Wolves who are touched by the infected do not gain Wolfsbane. They suffer the symptoms indicated below, appropriate to the infected's current timeline, but their symptoms persist for 1 month only. Symptoms could begin within minutes, or hours of being touched by the infected wolf - the speed of infection is up to the player, but may not exceed one day from the exposure.
The infected character gains some respite from sharing their curse. The respite process resets with each occasion of sharing the curse - a selfish or indeed a desperate wolf could infect a great number of others in search of relief from their own symptoms.
Regardless of how many times the curse is shared, the affected wolf remains tied to the time limit and the agreed consequences will apply no matter what.
The infected wolf, and any wolf they touch, feels mild nausea, body aches, and fatigue. For the first few months, they may be unaware of their infection.
If they spread the curse via physical touch during these months, they have 1 month of respite and feeling healthy.
The infected wolf, and any wolf they touch, continues to feel constant nausea. They begin to suffer from intermittent headaches. Their bones feel brittle, and they may be more prone to fractures.
If they spread the curse via physical touch during these months, they have 2 weeks of respite and feeling healthy, followed by 2 weeks of the months 1-3 symptoms.
The infected wolf, and any wolf they touch, begins to suffer from vomiting. By now they will struggle to keep food down and begin to lose weight. Their eyesight begins to worsen, becoming blurred.
If they spread the curse via physical touch during these months, they have 1 week of respite and feeling healthy; 1 week of months 1-3 symptoms, 1 week of months 4-6 symptoms, then return to months 7-9 symptoms.
The infected wolf, and any wolf they touch, now cannot keep down any solid food and as a result they lose weight rapidly. They suffer near constant headaches and they begin to feel short of breath from mild exertion such as walking.
If they spread the curse via physical touch during these months, they have 3 days of respite and feeling healthy; 3 days of months 1-3 symptoms, 1 week of months 4-6 symptoms, 1 week of months 7-9 symptoms, then return to months 10-12 symptoms.
In these final three months, it is possible that if they spread the curse, the symptoms they share could result in death for the wolf they have infected.