The Black Cough

The Black Cough is an infection that is common among those that live in close proximity to the Blighted Lands. It primarily affects the young and the infirmed, but is seldom more than an irritation for those infected with it. It can, however, inhibit certain activities and skills and must be treated or it will persist indefinitely.
Diagnosis The symptoms of this infection usually begin as an itching, raspy cough that forms in the back of the throat. It is a dry cough, described by many patients as a feeling similar to breathing in dust. Visible effects are limited to the throat of the patient, and most often show as inflamed tissue in the mouth and throat, and in more advanced cases can be accompanied by spotty amounts of blood mingled with sputum. These symptoms are often accompanied by headaches, lack of sleep, and decreased appetite. While infected, the patient suffers -1 to all skill based checks and suffers from insomnia, unable to get a full rest until treated.
Pathology This condition is caused by the ambient particles that drift through the Outlands, most likely the results of the constant disintegration of matter that occurs within the deeper parts of the Blighted Lands. These lingering particles, which are nearly invisible to the naked eye, if inhaled for too long build up in the upper respiratory system and cause irritation and minor blockage in the lungs. The primary concern is the level of organic material in the particular matter can lead to a fungal infection. The fungus feeds off of the organic material in the lungs and causes minor irritation in order to bring the blood to the surface to feed on.
Epidemiology This is one of the ambient dangers of spending too much time in the Outlands without having the proper protective equipment. It is a common ailment among the fringe dwellers of the Outlands, and especially prevalent in the very young or the infirmed. While there is no direct pathogen associated with the infection, the fungus the sedimentary particles of the Blight carry is extremely damaging to the host. It is in no way communicable.
Etiology Treatment of this infection requires a skilled Benevolent to make a specialized breathing treatment from specific fungal agents found outside the Void that will actually counteract the invasive growth, causing it to wither and dry up, allowing the patient to expel the rest of it themselves. If applied once per day and the patient is removed from the environmental concerns that caused the infection, the condition should clear up in 1d4 days.
Thanatology This infection requires no special needs for destruction or preparation of the body should someone expire while infected.

Type

Fungal