Foot Rot

Cause

Foot Rot comes about when the feet are injured with deep cuts or become soft and malleable, as is the case with old age. Soft feet often has the problem of layers of outer skin peeling away. With open wounds, fungi that live in the soil where goblins live can take hold and spread throughout the body.

Symptoms

Pain in the feet and legs are the first warnings of Foot Rot, and it eventually spreads to the rest of the body, an excruciating process that hampers the goblin's immune system and makes them weak physically. If left untreated, it often becomes fatal.

Rings of fungi show up under the skin and decay living flesh, turning it into mush. The decay has a powerful and disgusting scent.

Treatment

Foot Rot isn't easily treated, due to the low technological level of the goblin tribes. The most common choice for afflicted are amputations, which forever puts the goblin into intensive care. Amputations make it incredibly likely worse diseases can affect them, but it is culturally accepted for goblins to get amputations and make their own prosthetics.

With those that interact more commonly with other societies, anti-fungal salves can be applied to those who have gotten injured as a preventative whilst they heal, or applied right after an infection sets in. This sees some benefit, but doesn't always work, and is expensive for the poor goblins to acquire.

Prevention

Shoes (and lots of clothes in general) aren't common amongst goblin populations, but shoes would be a great way to prevent Foot Rot. A few goblins have started wearing shoes in an attempt to keep themselves safe, but suffer when hunting since it allows them to be heard easier by prey, and gets them mocked by their tribe for looking silly.

Type

Fungal

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Common

It's hurtin' like nothin' else in the world, but I can't see a damn thing wrong with me! Doc, don'tell me I'm already Rottin'...