Strigoilă

Strigoilă, Strigoi Sickness, the Volanian Plague, or simply Vampirism, is a parasitic disease that is transferred primarily through bites from the already afflicted or drinking stagnant, contaminated water around the Menijaskan northland swamps.

It was first discovered in volani, but any species can become infected with this disease. As of now, there is no possible way to cure it. However, a saving-grace of Strigoilă is that the afflicted are rendered completely immune to any other disease.

Victims are usually called Strigoi or Vampires.

Symptoms
Strigoilă mainly effects the victim's digestive system. The parasite takes over all digestive functions within the body and causes the victim to crave blood as a nutritional source, making any other food or drink indigestible and unpalatable. The blood must be relatively fresh, but it can come from any source including (but not limited to) sapient humanoids.

The disease also causes a physical change in the facial features of the afflicted, causing the teeth to elongate and sharpen.

After the strigoi's first feeding of blood, the scelera of the eyes will also begin to change from white to a blood-red color, making it obvious that the person is infected. The iris of the eye is unaffected and maintains its original color.

If a strigoi goes long enough without feeding, they will go into an aggressive, hunger pain-induced, feverish delirium and the parasite will give them urges to seek out and kill the closest living thing and devour it.

Further Information

 * Despite rumors of the contrary, Strigoilă does not make people immortal. The afflicted will starve to death if they do not ingest blood, and will still only live as long as their species usually does if regularly fed.