Sunbleed

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of blood, bleeding, and death.

Sun, sun, go away
So we can live another day
You give us crops and give us light
But for our bodies you're not right

— Children's rhyme to warn against sunlight

Sunbleed is a condition that exclusively affects Suncursed. It is a fatal and fast-moving condition, and the threat of it prevents the species from going outside in the sun. Its effects are gruesome and unpleasant, and can last a lifetime even with treatment, depending on the duration and intensity of exposure.

Transmission & Vectors

Sunbleed cannot be transmitted between two individuals. It is not at all contagious, though many angels treat sufferring Suncursed as though they are. They avoid Suncursed in general, but their treatment of Suncursed afflicted with sunbleed is particularly abysmal.

Cause

Sunbleed is caused by an overexposure to sunlight - or, more specifically, the UV rays contained within it - and the amount of exposure required before beginning to suffer from sunbleed varies greatly depending on the individual.

Symptoms

The most common and first symptom of sunbleed to appear, and also the source of the condition's name, is the cracks on a Suncursed's skin beginning to bleed. As these cracks are all over their bodies, it is incredibly difficult to stop this bleeding once it has started, and there is a very high risk of bleeding out. The other symptoms of sunbleed are mostly derived from this one, and can include things such as tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, headaches, and cold hands and feet. Some other symptoms of the condition, not caused by blood loss, include a bloodshot appearance to the eyes, muscle weakness, and fevers.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Common

Affected Species

• Suncursed

Related Technologies

Blood Coolant

Treatment

The primary treatment for sunbleed is the use of blood coolant, which can be used over a long period of time to mitigate the effects of the condition. Though the solution is neither fast nor comfortable, it helps prevent death, as well as lessening some of the pain caused by the condition. Sunbleed has a very low rate of being cured, and whether or not it is even possible to cure depends on the length and intensity of the exposure to sunlight that caused it in the first place.

Prognosis

When untreated, sunbleed is a fatal condition, resulting eventually in death due to blood loss. Thankfully, most cases of sunbleed are treated, and modern deaths due to blood loss from sunbleed are incredibly rare.

Sequela

Having sunbleed does make a Suncursed much more exposed to blood-borne diseases. As such, individuals with Sunbleed are quarantined, despite not being contagious, while they are in this vulnurable state.

Prevention

The best way to avoid sunbleed for the Suncursed is to completely avoid exposure to sunlight or UV light in any forms. While this is traditionally done simply by staying indoors or in shadowed regions during the day, some Suncursed choose to risk going outside and protect themselves via specialised parasols that block all UV rays. The danger with these, however, is that they must be angled appropriately to block the sun at all times, otherwise the Suncursed risks sunbleed through multiple short exposures to sunlight.

History

Sunbleed first reared its head when the first Suncursed came to be, long ago. It has been a known fact to the species since the dawn of their creation, and the risks of the condition are taught as soon as children are old enough to understand. The existence of the condition has driven multiple scientific discoveries and technological advancements, as the Suncursed work to mitigate the risk of their population dying out entirely due to the disease. This includes advancements directly relating to the disease, such as blood coolant, as well as other innovations that are seemingly unrelated. For example, collision-repellent shields, at first glance, seem to have nothing to do with sunbleed, but they exist because the difficulty of movement for the Suncursed renders them incapable of leaving their islands should they face a threat of destruction, at risk of exposing themselves to sunlight, essentially forcing them to remain sedentary.

Cultural Impact

The mere threat of sunbleed is a major part of all Suncursed societies, as the most present threat to their health and well-being. This lingering danger in their minds informs their science, their architecure, their attitudes towards those in their community, and even their fashion. These influences are apparent to outsiders in the many differences in angel and Suncursed culture.

Affected Groups

Sunbleed disproportionately affects young teens, a demographic known for their defiance of societal rules and customs. Many Suncursed youth do not take the threat of sunbleed seriously, underestimating its effects or thinking of it as a tale told to scare children. This prompts them to head out into the sunlight, heedless of the warnings, and get themselves inflicted with the disease. Efforts have been made to introduce teens to those affected with sunbleed, to show them the importance and seriousness of the disease, but the individuals able to meet and talk with them are the ones that fare the best and are well enough to do so, and this lessens the intended impact of a meeting.