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5차 대재앙이 남긴 불행 중 가장 슬픈 것은 많은 불쌍한 영혼들이 페렐던을 덮친 어둠의 피조물에게서 살아남았음에도 불구하고, 대재앙의 역병에 희생되고 말았다는 점이다. 우리는 새, 늑대, 심지어는 곰까지도 이 타락에 당해 생각 없는 껍데기로 변해 버리는 과정을 본 적이 있다. 그리고 슬프게도, 인간 역시 예외가 아니다.

어둠의 피조물의 피에 닿거나 직접적으로 감염되어 즉사하지 않은 자들은 열병으로 미쳐버린다. 몸에 있는 털이 빠지고 상처를 동반한 기형화가 시작된다. 광기에 완전히 사로잡히기 직전, 대부분의 희생자는 다른 이들에게는 들리지 않는 속삭임이나 노랫소리가 들린다고 말한다.

희생자들에게 노랫소리가 들리기 시작하면, 고통을 빠르게 끝내 주는 것이 중요하다. 대재앙의 타락에 미쳐버린 구울이 주변 사람들을 공격하고 타락을 더 멀리 퍼뜨린다는 이야기는 페렐던 전역 어디를 가도 들을 수 있다. 타락한 구울의 끝은 결국 죽음이지만, 이 불쌍한 생명체가 죽기 직전에 발휘하는 힘은 어둠의 피조물과 대등할 만큼 위협적이다.

그들은 더는 우리의 친구, 가족, 이웃이 아니다. 그들은 대재앙의 희생자이고, 우리는 이들에게 헤사리안이 안드라스테에게 그랬던 것처럼 신속한 죽음으로 자비를 보여주어야 한다.

—도르카스 게린 수녀 저, 대재앙의 상흔에서 발췌

 

Among the saddest legacies of the Fifth Blight are those poor souls who survived the darkspawn attacks across Ferelden only to succumb to the corruption of the blight itself. We have seen animals—birds, wolves, and even bears—corrupted into mindless ruinations of their former selves, but humans are by no means immune.

 

Those unfortunate victims not killed quickly by contact with darkspawn blood or disease become mad with fever. Their bodies lose their hair and become misshapen with sores; in their last lucid thoughts, many speak of hearing whispered words, or a song that no one else can catch.

 

It is vital that once victims begin hearing such things, they are put out of their misery quickly and mercifully. There are stories across Ferelden of these ghouls, maddened by the corruption of the blight, attacking their friends and spreading the corruption further. While it is likely that the sickness will eventually kill a ghoul, the dying strength of these poor creatures makes them nearly as great a danger as the darkspawn themselves.

 

They are no longer our friends, our family, or our countrymen. They are victims of the Blight, and must be given the same mercy Hessarian showed Andraste: a swift sword.

 

—An excerpt from Marks of the Blight by Sister Dorcas Guerrin