Blackwaste

Blackwaste is a chronic, magical disease caused by prolonged exposure to certain byproducts of arcane experiments. This disfiguring disease is not contagious, but is extremely discomforting and wasting to those who contract it. It is seemingly most common in The 3rd District  but can be found in almost any of the districts, as people try and distance themselves from the source of their plague or are unlucky enough to be exposed outside of the relative wasteland. While the disease itself is not very deadly, many who contract it often commit suicide after prolonged suffering both social and physical.

Transmission & Vectors

Blackwaste is most often contracted via exposure to contaminated food, water, or soil that has itself been exposed to the toxic waste left over from magical experiments or attacks. Usually brief exposure to minute amounts is not enough to inflict the condition, but either prolonged exposure over the course of weeks or months or direct exposure to a large source of waste can lead to Blackwaste developing on a person.

Symptoms

Blackwaste manifests itself in 4 stages, with increasingly dire symptoms as it progresses.
Stage 1: Blackwaste is asymptomatic for the first week a subject is inflicted with it. Minor symptoms may surface, such as headaches, mild nausea, or fatigue. Many who contract Blackwaste never progress past stage 1, instead regressing back to safe levels of toxicity after distancing themselves from the source, but many unlucky others often end up drinking more water to stave off the minor side effects, often contaminating themselves further.
Stage 2: Blackwaste begins manifesting itself more physically in the second week of contraction. Black crystals begin forming on the body, often on extremities, but sometimes in less conspicuous places, such as the chest or back. Mild discomfort begins to settle in, as well as a constant state of light fatigue. Depending on the level of exposure, this stage can last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks. A patient who reaches stage 2 of Blackwaste still has a chance of regressing, if given time and distance from the contaminant, as well as decent medical attention. If caught early and treated properly, a patient will, at most, have light scarring from the removal of the crystal growths.
Stage 3: Blackwaste begins spreading far more rapidly after week 3-5, with the crystals growing to cover more of their body and forming more complex growths. Affected flesh will lose its feeling entirely, with intense itching and pain where flesh meets crystal. The patient will be extremely tired when not in pain, and find it difficult to move or perform dexterous tasks. It's still possible to save someone in stage 3, but it requires immediate quarantine from the polluted area, as well as intense medical care for an extended period of time. Even if the person is cured, they will be bedridden for a long period of time, and have a good chance of being permanently affected by the disease in some way, either through an injury or potential amputation of limbs or fingers.
Stage 4: After 6 weeks of infection, Blackwaste has almost always progressed to a chronic degree. The symptoms are quite similar to stage 3, but any crystal growth removed quickly grows back within 24 hours, and often portions covered are rendered unusable by the patient. Some would consider those whose vital organs cease to function to be the lucky ones; many only have semi-essential organs cease working, crippling them but not killing them, and the vast majority lose complete use of their arms or legs. The crystal may stop growing past a certain point on their body, but will never be able to be fully removed from the portions it does cover, leaving them covered in sharp, jagged stone over the majority of their body. Resting, standing, moving - all options, even if technically possible, are rendered painful and difficult, the afflicted having to move at a snail's pace to avoid stabbing themselves or to accommodate for their non-functioning limbs. In addition, they're often rendered more vulnerable to other, more mundane diseases.

Treatment

The treatment for Blackwaste varies on the stage it's reached within the patient's body.
Stage 1: Bedrest and a safe distance from the toxic material. Chicken soup helps the soul recover from the boredom of forced bedrest, but is otherwise optional.
Stage 2: Extended bedrest for at least one week, distancing, and light surgery. The surgery can be performed by almost anyone with a sharp blade and a steady hand, as it only entails cutting off what crystal growths are visible.
Stage 3: Quarantine in a safe environment and expert surgery. Amputation is often required on more crystallized extremities, but often a specialist in the field of medical surgery is required. The patient is often extremely susceptible to a relapse if re-exposed to the original waste, so safely relocating them is often a high priority.
Stage 4: Wish for a miracle. Nothing save high-level and/or expensive magic can save a patient who's progressed to this point.

Sequela

Patients afflicted with Blackwaste are almost always afflicted with some form of emotional distress, between the losing basic functions of their body, the foreboding nature of their disease, and the increasing social isolation from people as they're both quarantined and shunned by a society that doesn't understand them. Past that, stage 3 survivors are often left vulnerable to mundane diseases, and even though they're 'cured' are frequently left physically disfigured, with long scars covering their limbs, bodies, and faces. Many unlucky folks even lose full use of their afflicted limbs, with the surgery having severed important tendons or nerves and leaving them crippled.

Affected Groups

Blackwaste doesn't affect one age group more or less than the other, as it affects all in an area relatively equally. The old and infirm, though, often experience the most severe symptoms and expedient progression. However, it does most often affect the impoverished, those who can only afford to live in areas of high contamination or who can't afford to distance themselves from the contamination when they begin expressing symptoms. Outside of the slums, however, people who work in the Magitech profession do frequently develop Blackwaste, but the bountiful resources of The Clankwhirr Foundry often help to protect those who do come down with it from developing severe symptoms.

Prevention

The best way to not catch Blackwaste is not to enter areas where waste known to inflict it is. However, if that is not an option, avoiding prolonged exposure and fully recovering from any incidents of it before re-entering the area are prime options as well. Past that, there's few foolproof ways of avoiding exposure. Only organic structures are susceptible to Blackwaste, and there is some evidence to demonstrate that those who are resistant to magical effects are significantly less likely to contract Blackwaste, as well.

Epidemiology

Blackwaste only very rarely spreads from person to person, and is mostly limited to the patient coming in to prolonged contact with a contaminated source, such as a water supply, infected meat or produce, or proximity to a piece of waste that would inflict it. Usually a localized population will begin showing symptoms in proximity to the source, with the symptoms becoming expressive in a larger and larger area over the course of a few weeks before becoming endemic to the area. Past that, without moving the source of the contamination, Blackwaste doesn't travel through a population very much.

Cultural Reception

Generally speaking, the citizens of Doreymos fear and shun those who are afflicted with Blackwaste, refusing to do anything directly to assist them. While there are many factions that do their best to ease their suffering and provide much needed services to those who cannot afford them, most people will avoid eye contact, cross to the other side of the street, or even vocally harass them. Even though there is much research in to the subject, the majority of citizens either don't have the education to understand it, or don't care enough to learn, leading to those who need help the most finding little emotional or physical support.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Uncommon