Hazriar's Hand
"Describe a condition in your world that has a permanent impact on physical appearance"
Hazriar's Hand is the most terrible plague that torments our world. Originating with the Goddess of death, Hazriar, herself and her ill-fated journey to the mortal plane, it ensures near-certain death to all who are infected.
Symptoms vary, and may be influenced by the spiritual state of the patient, but certain physical alterations are consistent:
Blue lips are visible in all patients, although the severity of the colour change may vary from a vague bluish tint to clear blue staining. Some of those with more severe blue-staining may also develop blue eyes where there would normally be white.
Pale and cold flesh is an early indication of the disease, and is often combined with rigidity of the limbs or poor blood circulation to the extremities.
The progression of the disease varies greatly. Some patients fall dead only a month after infection while others may live with the affliction for many years. This latter category of patients is vastly more concerning than the prior, for the onset of symptoms is generally slow amongst them and they are, therefore, very likely to spread the infection while unaware of its presence in their bodies.
Certain permanent alterations to the physical state can be attributed to Hazriar's Hand, including, but not necessarily limited to:
Blue eyes
Blue lips
Partial or full rigidity of the body or limbs
Pale appearance
Cold skin
Unnatural curvature of the spine
Increased night vision coupled with blurry vision in light
Decreased appetite, which is unaccompanied by a significant loss in weight
The development of boils in the underarm and groin areas, which do not heal with time
Slowed ability to heal wounds
Decreased amount of blood loss from wounds
Hair loss
Sudden greying of hair
Increased likelihood of bone fracture or break
Development of bags beneath eyes, coupled with erratic behaviour as the result of ongoing insomnia
Aversion to certain food groups - most especially, root vegetables, including onions, and seafood
Unrelated to the previous point, some patients develop difficulty processing certain foods, standardly those high in potassium, phosphorous and/or sodium, which standardly would indicate failure of the kidneys, but this is typically accompanied by no observable change in kidney function
Increased nausea, often accompanied by chronic fatigue
Intense, prolonged headaches
Jaundice
Accumulation of blood in the mouth, standardly from an unidentifiable source
Sudden onset of malnutrition, without related diet change
Sudden neuromuscular degeneration, which typically results in perpetual shakiness but may extend to seizures and automated, violent motions of the arms and legs
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