White Fever (Hoax)

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White Fever is supposedly a disease firmly rooted in Valachan, although isolated cases occur elsewhere. The name is derived from the paling visage that marks the fever. Normally manifesting similarly to a cold with relatively minor symptoms, a victim can usually recover with enough bed rest and proper dieting. However, White Fever can be fatal under certain circumstances, as with several past wives of Baron Urik von Kharkov. They reportedly perish due to the especially potent insects in Castle Pantara. The historical record of Valachan (such as it is) has it that the old Vaasi accidentally brought the disease with them when they first conquered Valachan, its effects savaging the native population whom had no resistance to this newly imported disease. During the Great Epidemic of 736 BC, the disease turned fatal for many people in Ungrad. Today, White Fever perseveres in epidemic within Valachani society, though thankfully not as fatal for most of the infected[1].

Suspected causes for the disease include insect bites and exposure to Misty Border infused fog. In truth, the disease is no disease at all; it is the result of the shallow feeding of Baron Urik von Kharkov, a nosferatu vampire, and his vampire spawn[2].

White Fever is sometimes conflated with Ashen Fever of Sithicus, but the two are entirely separate phenomena, with Ashen Fever being an actual disease[3].

References

  1. Ravenloft Gazetteer IV p. 90-91, 94
  2. Ravenloft Gazetteer IV p. 94-95
  3. Ravenloft Gazetteer IV p. 113-114

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

Secrets of the Dread Realms
Domains of Dread

Secrets of the Dread Realms - p57
Domains of Dread - p45
Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p32
Realm of Terror - p81