Greying

"Seeing a person with Greying is always a difficult thing. The lack of colour, the consternation on their face. I feel sorry for them."
— Extract from letters by Bukahnah Travelling Vault

Causes

When a Vellikkian eats a fruit, vegetable or other plant which has been affected by The Shading. While the Shading can affect any plant which has been touched by solar light when the solar event occurs, it is not always obvious that a plant has been impacted until a few days afterwards. When the infected vegetation enters the digestive system of a person, it begins to impact the person.

Symptoms

A person affected by Greying is likely to experience the following symptoms:

a dull pain in their abdomen
tightness in the digestive system
an inability to pass gas and/or difficulty defecating
loss of colour or ability to change colour
vomiting
explosive diarrhea

Treatment

There are two treatments for Greying, both of them have varying levels of success. For some people it is possible to just let it pass. These are people who don't experience the vomiting or explosive diarrhea. The other symptoms can last up to a week, and then it passes without an incident. They have to avoid strenuous activity for the period which they are experiencing the symptoms, and stretching and stomach massages can help, but these are the only treatments needed. However, for those who reach the vomiting and diarrhea stage, a more serious treatment is required. This includes swallowing small stones and pebbles in an attempt to force the vegetation which is causing the problems through. This can either make the vomiting worse, which speeds up the recovery time, or it can stop it all together and force it through the other end. There are a few people, perhaps 2% of those who end up swallowing stones, never fully recover. They are sluggish and are likely to suffer from abdominal pains and trouble passing gas for the rest of their life.

Prognosis

For most people it only lasts between one to three weeks, and it is not something that anyone has died from by itself. However, if a person with Greying doesn't get the correct nutrients or drink enough fluids while they are suffering from it then it could become more serious and lead to eventual fatality - in the same way that not drinking water for an extended length of time will eventually kill a person.

Affected Groups

The Shading can occur anywhere on the continent, but it most commonly happens on the East side of Vellikka, along the Lanips Mountains as far south as Kolesta. As such, anyone who lives in these areas could be affected by Greying.