Flesh's Rot
"He screamed and screamed from the locked door, until the screaming stopped and the leaking began." -from Skinblight, by Harris Maximus
A dangerous and unpredictable disease, Flesh's Rot turns those who are stricken by it into rotting corpses. Despite recent advancements in medicine, Flesh's Rot has continued to show itself as a danger to all species. Consisting of 5 increasingly violent stages, any person, animal, or monster that contracts the disease is almost certainly good as dead.
Transmission & Vectors
Mysterious Transmissions:
At the current time, no known transmission of Flesh's Rot is known. While some villages have been wiped out by a sudden spread, others have only lost a single inhabitant. The spread of Flesh's Rot is a mystery, despite tests on the illness.
Causes
Unknown Cause:
Flesh's Rot appears at sudden and unpredictable times. An individual can be completely healthy one day and contract it the next. So far no known cause has been confirmed.
Symptoms
Stage 1- Coughing and Fatigue:
Stage 1 of Flesh's Rot disguises itself as a common allergies. The infected will begin to feel fatigue and a heavy, wet cough. This stage continues and gets progressively worse for 3 days to 2 weeks before Stage 2 Begins
Stage 2- Vomiting, Sensitive Skin, and Pain: After 3 days to 2 weeks of the first symptoms, infected individuals will begin to heavily vomit and feel intense pain in one of their limbs. The infected will begin to bruise very easily and cannot hold down solid food. This stage is the shortest, lasting only 1 to 3 days.
Stage 3- Rotting Begins: After stage 2 finishes, the individual will feel immense pain in the previously sore limb. This limb (as well as any bruises from Stage 2) will then begin to rot. The skin and bones will begin to slowly melt away from the body, resulting in extreme pain for the infected. This pain has regularly sent infected into shock or comatose states. This rotting lasts for up to a week before stage 4 begins.
Stage 4- Rotting slows: After the rotting begins to slow after a week, the infected will have completely lost use of their rotted arm. However, due to the sudden immense pain, many individuals are unable to feel the rot creeping up their arm. Vomiting and fatigue return in full force, leaving even the most hardy infected bed ridden. This is the longest stage, lasting anywhere from a month to years. During this time, infected individuals are unable to move or eat without assistance and their thoughts are swirled, turning the infected into a quieter and lesser version of themselves. At this time, keeping the infected alive is torture, and most nations allow euthanization at this stage.
Stage 5- Death: The most sudden stage. At any point during stage 4, infected will suddenly begin to shake in their bed, vomiting and defecating on themselves. This is the start of the final stage. This shaking will continue for up to 4 hours as the rot takes a sudden increase in speed. As the rot increases in speed, so does it in severity, rotting straight from the bone as it spreads. This brings immense pain to the individual, normally resulting in screams for death or the Gods. This rot continues until it reaches the heart or brain, resulting in immediate death for the individual as their organs turn to a vile smelling mush.
Stage 2- Vomiting, Sensitive Skin, and Pain: After 3 days to 2 weeks of the first symptoms, infected individuals will begin to heavily vomit and feel intense pain in one of their limbs. The infected will begin to bruise very easily and cannot hold down solid food. This stage is the shortest, lasting only 1 to 3 days.
Stage 3- Rotting Begins: After stage 2 finishes, the individual will feel immense pain in the previously sore limb. This limb (as well as any bruises from Stage 2) will then begin to rot. The skin and bones will begin to slowly melt away from the body, resulting in extreme pain for the infected. This pain has regularly sent infected into shock or comatose states. This rotting lasts for up to a week before stage 4 begins.
Stage 4- Rotting slows: After the rotting begins to slow after a week, the infected will have completely lost use of their rotted arm. However, due to the sudden immense pain, many individuals are unable to feel the rot creeping up their arm. Vomiting and fatigue return in full force, leaving even the most hardy infected bed ridden. This is the longest stage, lasting anywhere from a month to years. During this time, infected individuals are unable to move or eat without assistance and their thoughts are swirled, turning the infected into a quieter and lesser version of themselves. At this time, keeping the infected alive is torture, and most nations allow euthanization at this stage.
Stage 5- Death: The most sudden stage. At any point during stage 4, infected will suddenly begin to shake in their bed, vomiting and defecating on themselves. This is the start of the final stage. This shaking will continue for up to 4 hours as the rot takes a sudden increase in speed. As the rot increases in speed, so does it in severity, rotting straight from the bone as it spreads. This brings immense pain to the individual, normally resulting in screams for death or the Gods. This rot continues until it reaches the heart or brain, resulting in immediate death for the individual as their organs turn to a vile smelling mush.
Treatment
Lowered Movement:
Staying in bed and not attempting to move can prolong the death of an individual in stage 4 of Death's Rot, increasing the stage's time by up to 6 months.
Euthanization: Euthanization is the only way to stop Death's Rot for good. Killing an individual in Stage 4 will avoid the pain of stage 5.
Euthanization: Euthanization is the only way to stop Death's Rot for good. Killing an individual in Stage 4 will avoid the pain of stage 5.
Sequela
No Resurrections:
Infected individuals who die from Death's Rot have shown themselves to be incapable of being brought back from the dead.
Affected Groups
No Known Immunities:
Death's Rot has been recorded in almost every single intelligent species, and many monsters and animals. While humanoid cases are most known, dragons, Purple Worms, and even Beholders are not immune from the illness.
Prevention
Avoidance of Infected:
Death's Rot is an unpredictable and untreatable illness, however avoiding those infected lowers your chances of infection.
Protective Amulets: Magical amulets that protect against disease have shown themselves to be useless against Flesh's Rot.
Protective Amulets: Magical amulets that protect against disease have shown themselves to be useless against Flesh's Rot.
Cultural Reception
Asmodeus' Rot (Holy Church of the Gods):
Due to the ability of Death's Rot to shirk magical protections, the Holy Church of the Gods has dubbed the illness "Asmodeus' Rot", and kills any who contract it on the island. This thought has spread across Dasani, with many families putting down their family members out of fear, love, or hope that they can live again with the gods. This has forced many nations to legalize euthanasia when Stage 4 takes set due to the high number of killings.
Copper Dragon's Curse (Ascor): The people of Ascor have nicknamed the illness the "Copper Dragon's Curse" due to the rot taking a copper like coloring on many reptiles. This has led Ascor to ostracizing any who are struck ill, believing that the infected bring bad luck and are due to their secret following of the original red dragon. This nickname has long angered many true copper dragons, who have been known to take in the infected.
Skinblight (Eldia): Eldians have long called Flesh's Rot by the term "Skinblight". Those with Skinblight in Eldia are avoided and are prone to have rumors spread on them. Some poor villages execute their infected, with reports stating they are treated as if they were garbage. Despite King Fritz's attempts at shutting down this vile act, many villages and even some larger settlements continue this practice, leading many to hide their symptoms from everyone outside of their family.
Copper Dragon's Curse (Ascor): The people of Ascor have nicknamed the illness the "Copper Dragon's Curse" due to the rot taking a copper like coloring on many reptiles. This has led Ascor to ostracizing any who are struck ill, believing that the infected bring bad luck and are due to their secret following of the original red dragon. This nickname has long angered many true copper dragons, who have been known to take in the infected.
Skinblight (Eldia): Eldians have long called Flesh's Rot by the term "Skinblight". Those with Skinblight in Eldia are avoided and are prone to have rumors spread on them. Some poor villages execute their infected, with reports stating they are treated as if they were garbage. Despite King Fritz's attempts at shutting down this vile act, many villages and even some larger settlements continue this practice, leading many to hide their symptoms from everyone outside of their family.
Type
Magical
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Rare
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