Foreword by the Librarian

This manuscript was written and widely issued everywhere on the atlas in some form or another. It was created in response to the 2nd Great Fanguar Plague. It is called the second, but in reality, it never fully stopped.

THE FANGUR PLAGUE

The turn of the millennium opened a new, dark chapter when the Fangur Plague ravaged the lands of the airworldlers. Whilst the seaworldlers never came much in contact with the dangerous illness, a shroud fell over the humans on the surface and in the caves. The second greatest plague only comparable to the Skyfewer in cruelty had arrived.

FALLING ILL

If you fall ill yourself it is best if you still have control over your motor functions to ask someone to kill you or to kill yourself. Fangur is yet uncurable and whilst Medicus Mages of many orders are working on the cure they have done so for almost a hundred years without much success. You can spot that you are ill by small episodes in which your arms or legs start moving completely on their own without your command. These periods last for several seconds but become much longer as the illness progresses. The longer these phases hold on the more energy it costs to regain power. In addition, people around you can get the disease once you have fully lost control if they come too close to you. As it is usually difficult to predict when exactly you will lose your motor functions fully it is best to entirely avoid close contact with people. There are places on a groveyard in any big city which are prepared for Fangur deaths. When you approach the groveyard make sure that no one nears you by much more than shouting distance. The common code that everyone should know is the raised hand and the shout “Fangur” repeated every 10 seconds by the infected. When you reach the groveyard one of the guards will be shooting you at a spot you pick for yourself. This might seem cruel but it is to the best of the community and yourself. Dying with late-stage Fangur is by observation of the victims clearly a drawn-out and painful process. But there are also other reasons why you should want to be killed in case of infection:

SPOTTING A VICTIM

It can best be observed when spotting a victim who has died of late-stage Fangur. It is of the utmost importance to not get anywhere close to the deceased. Ideally in areas that are currently heavily affected you would avoid passing through narrow passages or below trees or other places with any significant high ground to speak off. Because the dead will find a high place where they will lie down and after their death, they will spread the illness with the wind. One can often observe a light yellow film on the surroundings as well which are tiny pollen-like elements that can infect a human upon touch. Some people who were already infected did us a favor in the past and moved toward late-stage victims, documenting the state in which they died. Their body is often dried up. They have lost all their strength and resemble in many ways a skeleton with a little skin on their bones. Most notably a big fungus in the shape of a high and thin mushroom grows out of the victim's chest which is the organism most clearly visible which has taken over that human. During the course of the illness, the victim loses its motor functions over to the parasite which then guides it to the next best highest spot and there kills the host. After that, the yellow film is created around the victim. It is widely believed that the parasite uses the victim's bodily strength after it was laid down to its final resting place to grow. We also believe that the person is consciously aware of her body being overtaken and moved elsewhere.

SOUL SERVICE

But probably most freighting this insidious disease manages to suppress the soul from rising from the body of the dead. As such no soul tree forms around the dying. Early-stage infected can have this problem solved for them by being shot before the Fungus can take over but late-stage victims need to be cared for differently. In their case, they need to be jailed or hindered in some sort of way and a pile of burning logs needs to be created as only fire can now burn away the parasite. This is usually called “Soul Service” and is a dark tradition born out of necessity that due to the above-described norms has to be ever less frequently practiced. Shooting someone on a groveyard with Fangur who has made their peace is also broadly considered Soul Service although the use of the term varies from region to region. There are other more macabre ways of solving this issue but in order to not risk the lives of others and a more painful death it is recommended that once symptoms are spotted one immediately finds the next groveyard.

FINAL WORDS

If you would like to join us in finding a cure for this horror, please approach any Mage Order or Guild with your request. There is open communication between Medicus Mages on the issue and anyone providing insights or ability to further push the boundaries of Medicus Magic is welcomed.

We hope you have been sufficiently informed. Revisiting this information frequently can help spot symptoms or approach dangerous areas which are known for their high rate of infection.

We wish you the best of luck,

Our best wishes,

Altenja Arkham

Vice Head Maka of the “United Orders of the Frost”