Mist Petrification

A mystical petrification that comes about by trying to travel through the mist that surrounds Mah'Lo for nine years once every hundred. Within ten days of breathing in the mist the afflicted's body slowly starts to turn to stone starting at the extremities and working its way towards the center of mass. The last thing to turn to stone is the head, the central nervous system, and the heart.

Transmission & Vectors

The petrification occurs after breathing in the mist that is supposedly produced by the Primordial Alessia that surrounds the island of Mah'Lo.

Causes

The nine-year mist that surrounds the island of Mah'Lo if it comes in contact with the skin or is breathed in it affects the person who comes in contact with it.

Symptoms

Fever, Shortness of breath, inability to eat, stiffness of the joints, slow petrification of the body, eventual total petrification.

Treatment

The only known non-magical treatment is a brew made from the roots of the Elawood, Coral Shavings, A bit of Polymoprhic Blood, Saphire Dust, and Dragon Fruit Wine. However, if the stomach has been petrified the brew will not function as it needs to be processed by the liver. A problem with the cure is it is fatal in 12% of all cases of those who drink it.

Prognosis

The condition at first starts as a fever that makes the one who contracted it feel sluggish, a foolish person would assume it is just the flu. As the days progress the joints will begin to feel stiff, eventually the feet and hands will start to petrify. Slowly and painfully the petrification will continue across the skin, turning the afflicted to stone usually 32 days in is the no return point, the time by which if they have not gotten treatment non-magical recovery is impossible. Finally by 36 days after becoming afflicted most will be fully stone.

Sequela

If treatment is attempted after the 30th day it is more likely to die from the treatment, the fatality in those cases increases to 44% of all who take the medicine.

Affected Groups

Anywho have skin with pores or require breath in order to live should they expose themselves to the mist will develop the symptoms of Mist Petrification and eventually turn to stone should they not seek treatment.

Hosts & Carriers

It is believed that the only host of the disease is Alessia the supposed primordial that sleeps around the Island.

Prevention

One of the few ways to prevent contraction of the Mist Petrification is to cover every inch of exposed skin so that the mist cannot enter the pores and to use a mask to clean the air that is breathed in. Another method of prevention is to wear an item known as a Coral Shard, a necklace with Coral from each of the four points each embedded with a different type of jewel and blessed by a priest of Alessia.

Epidemiology

It only affects those that enter the Mist during the Mist-Time. So long as one avoids going through the mist during the nine years nobody would be affected.

History

The first recorded cases of the Mist Petrification go all the way back to the beginning of the empire, it is claimed that the origin of it is the primordial that sleeps around the island as part of its duties to protect the island of Mah'Lo.

Cultural Reception

As it has been a part of the island since the foundation of the empire, the people have come to have morbid respect for the mist. As a kindness for those that have been turned to stone by the mist several tombs filled with the petrified ones have been erected in hopes that they may one day be returned from their stone prison. For five years after the Mist-Time ships are sent out to scour the ocean to find any who have been turned to stone and bring them to the tombs for the petrified ones.

Type

Magical