Gem Plague

In -1000 DE, The Chimera unleashed a terrible plague upon Desmia . Invisible at first, it infected mites, then  snakes, then, eventually, people. The mites spread beyond Desmian shores- on ships, cats, and snakes themselves. By 800ME, the Gem Plague had spread around the world.

Transmission & Vectors

Gem Plague infects small snake mites, that infect snakes in turn. The disease grows inside the snake and infects the venom glands for transmission into other animal life. Animals, sentient or not, bitten by an infected snake and exposed to its venom become factories for the bacteria. Mites that are exposed to infected animals pick up the disease in turn, perpetuating the cycle.

Symptoms

Infected animals have their lymph nodes converted into iron-hard gems over the course of years. This comes with plenty of derivative symptoms: decreased immune response, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain. Over the course of decades, gem plague typically kills its host. Some die from the reduced immune response; others die from the internal organ damage; some find that, after the lymphatic system hardens into gem-iron, the disease spreads through the rest of the body until nothing is left.

Treatment

Consuming Kilusha or healing potions can suppress the infection but requires consistent treatment to prevent a return. Visiting the Healing Tree of Ibith can permanently cure the Gem plague- nothing else.

Cultural Reception

Victims of gem plague are pitied in most places of the world, and often stigmatized. Lepers and gem plague victims often share similar status. More utilitarian cultures also seen an opportunity among the afflicted: gem-iron is consistently high quality for those who know how to carve it.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Divine

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Uncommon

Affected Species

• Haltia
• Chorical
• Human
• Half Prism
• Half-Dryad
• Kobold
• Cat
• Pearl Pangolin