The Withering Ink

Indica Macula

The Withering Ink, or indica macula, is a sickness that comes from merithal, a very dangerous but useful mineral. The disease used to only be prevalent in miners in Zirconia, but in recent times it has been spreading to the ordinary citizens of the Domain of Zirconia and Valoros.

Transmission & Vectors

When merithal is broken or refined, it releases particles of pure magic into the air. If someone were to have an open wound while said particles were in the air, it would begin the infection. If the magic of merithal can end up in your bloodstream, the infection will begin to take hold.

Causes

Having potent, unfiltered magic in one's circulatory system is never good. The immune system will recognize the particles of magic as a pathogen, and the immune system will fight the pathogen. However, magic has it's own defenses. It will confuse the immune system into attacking itself and anything else in the bloodstream. This causes necrosis to slowly spread from the point of exposure.

Symptoms

The first symptoms are a oppressive smell of fear coming from the afflicted and swelling at the laceration that was exposed to the magic of merithal. The next stage happens a few days after the intial exposure. The veins of the afflicted begin to turn inky blue and welps with the same color will begin to form as the infection spreads. A fever will begin to develop during the third stage as the body is trying to kill the pathogen but in the process will kill itself. The fourth stage is where the afflicted goes into a lethargic state while the body tries to fight of the infection. If the infection spreads to any vital parts of the body during the fourth stage, there is no hope for the afflicted.

Treatment

The only sure way to stop the spread of the infection is to remove the infected tissue from the body. Many of the elite Zirconian population have taken to replacing their infected appendages with advanced scienctific and magical automotous parts. Others are left to make do with missing parts of their bodies. The people of Valoros have developed ways to fuse their bodies with plant life to create a suitable replacement.

Prognosis

If the infection is not removed from the afflicted body, it will spread to vital organs and the necrosis will shut the body down entirely. Death by the Withering Ink is an extremely painful and a long process. Once the fourth stage has begun, it will take a few weeks before the afflicted passes on. I know of no one who has survived once the infection began the fourth stage.

Prevention

The magical herbs, angel's valor and seraphim's sorrow, from the garden of Diris of Mount Simthriall can slow the process of the infection. However, the The Valkyrie, the Warriors of Mount Simthriall, have stopped bringing those herbs outside of the borders of their valley, Rotunda. My contact with the Order of The Valkyrie says the Eina say The Valkyrie cannot leave their border unprotected from monsters like the mahkra by sending out their finest fliers to be couriers. They also confirmed that they are using the herbs to keep these monsters at bay.
People have taken to fighting over what is left of angel's valor and seraphim's sorrow, but usually it is the elite and the rich that end up with it. I assume there is a underground market for these herbs, but who is running it I don't know.
Some people of Zirconia believe that The Fulcra of medicinal pratices, The Mender, will protect them and have taken to carrying the symbols of The Mender. People have taken to secretly praying to The Fallen of illness, The Waning, to spare them. In order to please The Waning, a cult that has risen and they will try to cut others and purposefully get them infected. They call themselves the Gardeners, but others call them terrosists and the Cowed. I assume the thought process is that if they get enough people infected and suffering, The Waning will spare them.

Epidemiology

In recent years, the air has become polluted with dangerous magic from merithal refinement. The foul magic seems to orginate from the Wold but I have not heard of anyone successfuly finding this refinery. Zirconia and Valoros have been affected the most by the pollution. The people of Valoros have withdrawn into the deepest parts of the Wold.

History

It used to be only miners that would get the Withering Ink and The Valkyrie would constantly supply angel's valor and serephim's sorrow. Immediate application of the herbs would slow the infection down enough to where the infected miners would only have to cut off a bit of of their skin.

The Common Perspective

Many people do not know of merithal. Therefore, many people do not know what is causing the Withering Ink. The miners of Zirconia only know of a dangerous substance in the mines that if the break it, they will get the Withering Ink. Though the higher ups of the government of The Domain of Zirconia know what the problem of the Withering Ink is. They were the ones who ordered the production of merithal afterall.

Type

Magical