Thaw

=== Thaw is a disease in jotuns which is fatal if not treated very early. It occurs when a jotun stays in an environment persistently warmer than 20 degrees Celcius. The affected jotun usually does not realise they have Thaw until it is too late to treat. ===

In jotun myth
It was said that Thaw was brought to Jotunheim when the Muspelheim army invaded for the first time. According to legend, the army, led by the great ancestor of their royal line, Surt, attacked the royal halls and ravaged Utgard. Laufrey killed Surt, and with his dying breath, Surt cursed Laufrey and his people with his fire and heat. This let the protozoa not only be manifested “genetically” (loss of the chemical which allows them to survive in cold weather through inbreeding) but also transmitted.

Thaw in jotuns
The early symptoms of Thaw in jotuns are often simply mood swings and increased sweating. Fever is probable. As the victim continues to be affected the fever will worsen and the victim will begin to cough. This is the preferred treatment stage. Soon after the coughing begins the host will become fatigued. As this worsens the immune system will weaken, making the victim more vulnerable to other diseases. In some extreme cases skin lesions will appear late in this stage.

Fluids accumulate in the lungs and cause suffocation in rare cases, but the immune system attempting to cure the disease makes this condition worse. Scars appear inside the lungs and internal hemorrhage causes death in some severe cases. However if the blood loss is not severe the victim will succumb to necrosis and die.

Symptoms of mutated Thaw (Putefactra febris)
Cases of a possible sister diease to Thaw or a mutated Thaw present in humans has recently been discovered. Its first symptoms are almost the same as Thaw, but Putefactra febris is far more fast-acting than its sister disease. It begins in the same way, with increased sweating and coughing. However, in humans dry skin and insomnia is soon developed alongside the fever. Unlike its sister disease Putefactra is known to make its victims hyperactive, paranoid and in some cases insane. As the immune systems weaken pneumonia takes hold of the host's lungs, leading to scarred lung tissue. The nature of the disease sets the bodily functions haywire and possibly cancerous tumors may develop. Necrosis develops and the host dies.

Possible vectors of Thaw
It's believed bears and foxes are vectors of this disease but it's possible for any animal who lives in colder environments to carry the disease. This is because their adaptions are far more similar to jotun anatomy than animals adapted for warmer environments.