Blush of Death
disease based on Ranaviruses
In years past, travelers of the swamp would sometimes come across clusters of dead reptiles and amphibians such as alligators and salamanders. The only clue to these unexplained die-offs were the red, blotched appearance of those animals affected. While an unpleasant sight, it was an uncommon one with little impact on local fauna as a whole, and therefore, of little care to most.
An enterprising naturalist by the name of Carlton "Pat" Smith has since proven this disease to be of bigger concern than originally thought, but as it is decimating the population of bullywugs and lizard men, it is harder to make anyone care about it. Unlike the local fauna where death is swift and population reduction is minimal, in the more advanced species, it seems to have evolved a more painful and direct demise, and has wiped out far more.
While no one is certain how Carlton gained access to the tribes of these various swamp inhabitants, he did manage to gain useful information. According to his writings, those unlucky individuals infected with this disease first become very lethargic and slightly swollen. Their ability to swim is soon impeded, with those who can still swim unable to swim straight and often simply going in circles. Once the red blotches appear, they are shunned as it is an inevitable sign of impeding death. It is the very characteristic that gives the disease its name: Blush of Death.
If it can be cured, no one knows. Carlton had no means to try to cure the disease and an inability to convince anyone to see if it can be cured. As it is, some of his critics claim his writings false for the simple fact that all know bullywugs and lizard men would kill you first before you had a chance to observe them in any detail.
