The Wasting Sickness

The great plague of Caia

CW: Descriptions of illness and death

This article was written for Summer Camp 2024. Therefore it is unpolished and lacking formatting and information. Feel free to comment with any questions or requests for clarification.

The wasting sickness is a disease that is endemic to the continent of Caia, particularly in its southern regions where the weather is warmer. It spreads via contaminated water, commonly when it is used for drinking, cooking, or bathing. Much of the population of the south has a natural immunity to the disease through thousands of years of evolution, so outbreaks there, whilst relatively common, are generally containable.
The telltale symptom of the disease is that it prevents the digestive system from absorbing nutrients and energy. This means that, in short order, the body turns to burning fat for energy and then, later, muscle. People with the wasting sickness rapidly lose weight and muscle tone, and find it difficult to keep either food or liquids down. When the disease moves on to burning muscles, it becomes painful, with sufferers describing a sensation like the inside of their body is on fire.

by Michel Serre

The wasting sickness is fatal in around ninety percent of cases where symptoms manifest. Those who are larger are more likely to survive, as their body may be able to sustain itself on the fat or muscle reserves until the disease passes through the system. Many remedies have been tried through the ages to attempt to kickstart the digestive system into absorbing nutrients again, but so far none have been effective.
Twelve years ago, in 5334 EA, the wasting sickness made its way north. Though it has not been proven, many believe that it was brought into Serukis by Kaienese refugees. The Seruic, though descended from the Kaienese, had lost some of their natural immunity to the disease over the more than one thousand years of separation, whilst the native northerners such as the Koushan Mai had no natural immunity. The wasting sickness ravaged the north for over a year, spreading throughout Serukis and east into Caillah. Though it was eventually brought under control through strict water restrictions and new hygiene laws, thousands died. The epidemic still casts a shadow today, with lesser outbreaks often shattering communities.