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Reptitilitus

Reptitilitus is a rather common plague through Battal. It can only be caught from another bearer of the disease, through exchange of bodily fluids (the novels mainly deal with Lizardmen bites, though theoretically any exchange of fluids would do).

In first stages of Reptitilitus, symptoms seem minor. They include

• Losing the ability to regulate body temperature. The disease-bearer will be forced to seek external sources to heat or cool themselves.
• The skin will become very dry and eventually crack, resulting in what appear to be scales.
• The tongue will elongate, becoming forked and significantly more flexible as it does.

Later on, the disease becomes more severe. The very bones of the disease-bearer will shift, resulting in an elongated, rectangular head, claw-like digits for fingers and toes, and a tail. The things that appear to be scales actually become scales. Several other features (eyes, tongue, etc.) change drastically.

At this point, the Reptitilitus will go away; however, the person who had it will be irrevocably changed into one of the Lizardmen, which is widely considered to be the most generic villain-monster possible in a fantasy setting. Even in ELOTH:TES.