Lammaster Will's Guide to the Ills and Maladies of Ratmen
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Lammaster Will's Guide to the Ills and Maladies of Ratmen
"…The cycle of those afflicted by the rat disease are tied in closely with the cycles of the moon. This is important when attempting to cure those bitten and under the influence of the disease.
No symptoms appear until the first night of the moon. But on that night, the afflicted involuntarily assume the form of rat and man combined, becoming a ravenous beast and abomination against nature, violently raging against all in their site. No amount of reason to their human side soothes them.
Living with this terrible disease yields no safety from their affliction. The poor person is subject to involuntary mutations into their rat-man form, especially under the rays of the full moon and whenever threatened by mortal harm. Many of these transformations are preceeded by a building sense of rage from within the afflicted. Anyone having this disease is a threat to others, regardless of previous relations.
Curing the rat disease is not easy and requires great stamina from the afflicted. In our experiments, weakened humans failed to survive.
Those bitten within the hour can be cured by digesting a sprig of Belladona, avoiding the rays of the moon, praying evey turn of the hour and lancing the bite with a silverblade. Following the hour, the infected must bathe in holy water for at least two days. It is imporant to note that the Belladonna be freshly picked.
Those who have fallen well under the affliction must take more desperate measures. Those who have had the disease in their blood for three days or less can be healed only by an ordained arch priest. The priest can perform a holy ceremony to remove the disease. The subject must not be in contact with the rays of the moon during the ceremony and must be securely contained to avoid the afflicted's rage and transformations. Molten silver on the afflicted's bite has been used by some priests to aid in the cure.
In more advanced cases of rat disease, the only known cases of curing have been during the stages of a fullmoon and under the direction of a competent priest. The afflicted must be tied down, must avoid the rays of the moon, must be bathed in a holy water and Belladonna mix while the priest prays for his cure. During the priests incantation to remove the curse, the subject must be force fed holy water mixed with Belladonna. SIlver coins are secured to the subject's lids and dropped in the holy water. No other food or water should be permitted. If the afflicted still lives after 3 days of confinement, he or she should be made to see the moon's reflection in a bowl of holy water. If the subject rages in anger or transforms into their hideous rat state, the subject is not cured and the process should be repeated at the next cycle of the full moon. These steps should be followed precisely until either the subject is cured or dead. This will, either way, relieve your community of a serious threat."