Rahigi Lung Rot

A Slow and Insidious Killer

Best steer clear from that enormous cloud there. I hear that those who breathe in that dust end up coughing it back out for the rest of their lives and we’ve got more important business to attend to.

— Valīris Kagilopo, merchant from Alminthas

Rahigi lung rot is a chronic condition that causes the afflicted individual’s respiratory system to degrade until they can no longer breathe properly. The condition affects everyone who sucks in the grey dust that fills the air around the desert that the Rahigi people inhabit. Over time, the natives of those lands have learned how best to avoid the dust, but still there are some who develop symptoms of lung rot.

The Grey Death

The Rahigina is known for many dangers, and the clouds of grey dust that sweep over vast swaths of land are just one of them. The locals are unaware where such grey, seemingly metallic particles originate from, but they all know to avoid them. Yet despite their efforts, it still ends up in their lungs, even if they avoid all the dust storms. Particles of the grey death that stalks the land are ever-present, bringing suffering to the land’s inhabitants.

Symptoms

high fever

chest pain

difficulty breathing

coughing

weakness

weight loss

Prevention and Treatment

To prevent the dust from getting to their lungs, the Rahigi cover their faces while travelling through the desert sands. Many of them only reveal their faces when they reach more habitable areas of the Rahigina. While this is a common practise, there are still some who are more reckless and only cover their faces when a storm is imminent. As of the 16th century, there are still no efficient treatments that cure the condition. Those who have it can only do their best to prevent it from getting worse.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare

Folk Remedies

The lung rot is a slow killer that has caused the Rahigi pain and anguish for centuries. Many attempts have been made to find a reliable cure, all of which have so far been unsuccessful. Despite the lack of clear results, some of these folk remedies are still in use by those who believe in the efficacy.
Some of the common remedies involve eating the lung of another person, having multiple people blow air into the afflicted individual’s mouth, and drinking lots of alcohol. While the drinking approach might be ineffective, it at least helps numb the pain.
Scams involving merchants who offer miracle cures for hefty prices are common, especially as more people from foreign lands learn of the Rahigi and the ailment that afflicts their people. Merchants like these are often led into the desert and abandoned without guidance once it has been discovered that they’re a fraud.