Harboring Fungus

A relatively well known illness Harboring Fungus is an easily treatable if not the most treated illness to affect the inhabitants of Kalthorin. Highly contagious but scarcely deadly the Harboring fungus can be easily identified by a deep blue fungal infection most commonly found in the arm, shoulders, and back.
The fungus itself does not have any detrimental effect to most healthy adults, in fact it can sometimes be beneficial. The harboring fungus, if untreated, can grow as large as their host and when in bloom, can create a medicinal extract that can be used for a myriad of other diseases but also serve to spread its kin if one is not careful in handling it. And being that it has such a large cap it can also serve as sun protection during the hot summers of Kalthorin. It also eats waste material meaning that most infected with the fungus have a complete lack of or a remarkably decrease in a need to use the bathroom.
Though it doesn't mean it can’t. Children and the elderly can be killed by the very same fungus due to the increased hunger and thirst such an infection can entail. It also can weaken the immune system due to the poison it injects into the host to keep spores alive long enough to colonize its host. The fungus itself does not seek to cause harm though, most that are infected don’t experience pain, rather the fungus gently conjoins with their nervous system and tried to meld with them as best as it can to prevent injury to the host. Though this isnt always the case.
The most common treatment for the illness is a potent anti-fungal that slowly kills the roots that make their home in the nervous system. While uncomfortable it tend to be the best way to deal with it. The reason why is because since the fungus has merged with the immune system the host tends to feel its pain, which is magnified in older people and younger children. Early application of the medicine can altogether prevent colonization and if you cannot stop the colonization simply waiting out its relatively short life span for two months and self quarantining for another month should also do the trick.
Symptoms : When colonized most people experience the following symptoms, dizziness and lightheadedness. Growing hunger and less if not a complete loss of bathroom needs. Constant light itchiness of the shoulders, back, or arms. And growing pustules on the skin of the afflicted area.
Uses : The fungus itself, once the fungus has lost its connection with the nervous system and can be gently uprooted, the sap of the mushroom can be used to create potent antibiotics. Though it should be boiled first to kill any spores and prevent colonization of anybody else. The fungus itself actually has anti fungal properties of its own, most likely to prevent any other fungus from colonizing its host. It can also be used for health pots that can aid in speeding up healing rates and is commonly seen in many alchemy shops across the continent.

How It Spreads

When it colonizes its host the roots do a gentle and delicate dance through the nervous system as it spreads and carefully fuses with you;re cell biology as to not damage the host. When it reaches the stomach and intestines it gently weaves a filament like netting that catches waste material that could not be digested and breaks it down further and absorbs it. This also applies to when it roots in your bladder, but rather a net it instead forms special roots absorbs waste water. In short the fungus has hyper evolved have an almost symbiotic relationship with its host. Attempting to become one with the host as much as it can for its life time before it slowly dies after blossoming and the root system deteriorates in such a way that the host can absorb the fungus rather then having detrimental after effects of its passing.