Serj Aerials

Serj Aerials are a species of migratory pathogenic fungus native to the Syllva Cirros, but are now found all across the planet since the cessation of Hesper's rotation. Infected individuals become dehydrated and eventually seek areas with temperature and humidity suitable for growth of the fungus' fruiting bodies, where they remain until death.

Pathogenic Infection

Unlucky animals or travelers that come into contact with the spores without quickly and thoroughly cleaning and washing the affected area will find themselves to be infected. Within a day the individual will start to feel the earliest symptoms: headaches, nausea, blurred vision, and fatigue.

As the infection proceeds, the symptoms will increase in severity and may now include blurred vision, hearing and vision loss, blurred vision, tinnitus, "brain fog", vertigo, and loss or impairment of fine motor control. At this stage, signs of the infection are now outwardly visible, with major veins and arteries (particularly those in the head, face, neck, and shoulders) now have a silvery-blue tint to them.

Around one week after initial contact the most dangerous symptoms begin to manifest. The victim begins to feel the effects of dehydration and mild heat exhaustion, causing them to seek sources of freshwater as the infection spores absorbs much of the water in the victims body. This seeking out of fresh water ultimately proves fatal, as when the fungus senses optimal environmental conditions, it will enter the secondary growth stage. Once triggered, a Serj Aerial infection at this stage will rapidly grow to take over the body of the victim, causing brain death in as little as 12 hours.

Victims tend to die at the banks of a river, lake, or other source of freshwater, an optimal environment for the fungus to grow into it's mobile form. A roughly two foot diameter sac, filled with bio-available hydrogen gas, forms from the body of the victim. The lifting sac slowly inflates with the lifting gas and the mobile form lifts off from the corpse of the victim. Once free, it continues to grow and inflate to it's full size before releasing it's spores again to begin the cycle anew.

Treatment

The fungus cannot typically survive indefinitely within the body of the infected, and will eventually die off if the blooming stage is not activated. Individuals that have been infected with the spores of the Serj Aerial and given proper treatment can typically clear themselves of the infection within 2-4 seasons. Strict rationing of water intake, a diet high in salt, and avoiding environments that could trigger the fruiting bloom stage of the fungus are key to surviving infections of the spores. Some blends of Vekra are known to have anti-fungal properties and are widely used to help inhibit growth in infected individuals.

Stones Throw Serj Temple and Community

Within the hot and arid environment on the desert-side outskirts of Stone's Throw there exists a community of Hesperians that have been afflicted with the spores of the Serj Aerial. Members of this small community have come together to support each other in dealing with the symptoms and maintaining the lifestyle necessary to prevent the blooming stage in an environment hostile to the spores. At the center of the community is a Seeker Clinic and Temple, currently run by a Mehune man named Malakian, a Seeker of the Key god. The Temple provides services to the community by providing both housing, the necessary diet, and meditation guidance, which all serves to promote health, prevent triggering the reproductive bloom stage, and lessen the negative impact of the side affects of the infection. Services of the temple are provided without cost, though patients of the clinic that have recovered are encouraged to donate to the Church, and patients that are healthy enough are expected to partake in chores on the temple grounds, such as food preparation and grounds-keeping. Malakian himself is one of the most published authors of scientific and medical study of the Serj Aerial lifecycle, effects of the spores, and proper treatment. He is a calm and bookish monk, never one for flowery words or language. He is sorely lacking in bedside manner, but is without peer in knowledge for his area of study.