A small worm-like parasite of perhaps an inch or so in length that thrives in stagnant, turbid water, including the muddy filth that collects in gutters, ditches, and, of course, trenches. It writhes about when disturbed, searching frantically for soft tissue to burrow itself into, and if given time, such as that which is available inside a water-logged boot, embeds itself there. Once a foot becomes infested there are often more worm burrows than skin, and efforts to remove the creatures individually by hand are often met with sloughed off skin and an exposed wound that is more dangerous than the worms! If one wants to keep their skin, the worms must be killed all in short succession and carefully extracted before wrapping the foot to let it heal, with subsequent treatment to stave off infection and rot from within.

Exposure occurs after an extended period in stagnant water bearing the worms, such as in a trench, without water-proof feet coverings. A humanoid so exposed must succeed at a DC 10 Constitution save or be infected. Dragonborn (and other scaly things) are immune to infection.

Infections manifest with a day or so of exposure. Over the course of the duration, the infected humanoid’s Movement Speed is halved. Success in a DC 15 Medicine Skill Check by a caregiver with access to surgical tools, access to fire, and bandages can cure the infection outright.

A creature so-cured will regain their Movement Speed after a long rest.