The Iron Corruption is a supernatural curse, imposed on all inhabitants of Jarneyna, although the curse is mostly affecting Ironlanders.
Origin
Currently the true origin of the Corruption is unknown. It is believed, that some form of this corruption was always present in the people of Aard, and the powerful concentration of divine energy throughout Jarneyna is just intensifying this curse.
Corruption’s Cycle
Any living thing on Jarneyna is born with a seed of the corruption: The hunger for power and fortune. The corruption itself feeds on this hunger and demands more of its host. The iron acts as a catalyst to live out this hunger. From Iron, weapons are forged to dominate others and exert power. The hunger consumes all thoughts until only it remains, driving the host mad, paranoid and dangerous.
Prolonged exposure to iron will turn the iron in the blood crystalline, that can be visibly seen on wounds on the hosts body. Instead of healing, a skin of pure iron will form over the wound over time.
Upon the hosts death, it will turn the body into a new vein of iron, to be found by another host that turns it into weapons to satiate its hunger. And thus the cycle begins anew.
Cure
There is no direct cure for the corruption, as it is in the nature of the Ironlanders. However there is a way to coexist or delay the effects it has. This needs drastic changes in the way one is living and thus is far rarer.
Using silver has a calming and suppressing effect on the corruption, although the resource is much rarer and harder to work with.
Hreinsun
The Nat’las have a ritual called Hreinsun that can flush out the corruption and reverse its lasting effect. Altough effective, most recipients die during the ritual. It is said, that one has to swallow a cup of molten silver, but the full extent of the ritual is unknown.
Iron Mist
Shortly after the defeat of Zhan and the end of the Blood Wars, a mysterious Mist began to appear. It first appeared at sites were fierce battles had been waged and a lot of blood had been spilled. It also seeped from the tombs and graves from the dead that fought in these wars, no matter the side they were on.
The magic that inhabited the Iron Corruption had been fuelled over the years in the wars. With the sudden end, the stored energy had to go somewhere. So it concentrated and reappeared as the Mist.
Appearance
The Mist mostly appears at night. It seeps from the ground as sparse fog at first, but slowly turns into a dense white fog, that slightly sparkles when a light source is present. It can extend up to two meters from the ground.
As the sun rises it will slowly dissipate back into the ground. In rare cases, where the magical energy is at its strongest it stays longer into the day, or even never disappears at all.
Effects
As the mist originates from the Iron Corruption, its effect are very similar. However where the Corruption takes prolonged exposure, the same effect is achieved within hours or even minutes within the mist. It is the corruption in its most concentrated form.
In addition, if the mist has fully formed, it is almost opaque and no light source is able to penetrate it. Neither from the inside out or the other way around. Thus it can become quite disorientating to navigate through the mist.
Countermeasures
The mist is best avoided altogether. For regions that are heavily affected by the mist, this means to best stay inside at night and close doors and windows. It seems to somehow avoid most settlements directly, so they can be a safe place.
The Firstborn used their connection to the island and innate access to divine magic, to contain the mist and hinder it to appear. For that matter Rune Stones had been erected.