Pelrot

Pelrot is fungus which has the ability to consume one's entire body. Slowly creeping from the joints of the body, prominently the neck and elbows, pelrot is a sickness without cure. It can wipe out entire villages and even towns. Perhaps someday the rot shall spread beyond its regular range to those with no knowledge of the sickness, or the preventative measures for it. If this were ever to happen it could well wipe out entire cities.

Causes

the sickness is thought to have travelled from across the deserts of the east. Any outbreaks typically happen on orcish or sometimes elven land. Reports of it in the desert are reliably sourced, but information from those lands is scarce

Symptoms

Purple spots, growing to purple fungus, a slow loss of self as the sickness develops, and ultimately the body is exhausted to the point of complete structural collapse.

Treatment

There is no known treatment for those infected with pelrot, however there exist traditional orcish remedies that will prevent it's continued spread to infecting others. Orcish aromatics, carefully selected, can hang in the air and stop the fungal spores from reaching out to a new host. The infected however will suffer greatly being close to the aromatics, as they feel the death of the pelrot where symbiotically fused.

Prognosis

A purple spot develops on one of the largest joints on the body. Often this is the back of the neck, down the spine to the thigh, or on an elbow. This spot develops to a sprouting mushroom from the body, whilst other spots grow and similarly develop. The fungal growth will appear almost entirely separate from the body, but will be reported as feeling as if it is one with the patient. As the pelrot progresses, the growths release spores that will travel through the air to infect others. If a sufficient number are infected they will begin to act as a hivemind, and purposely seek out any who are not yet infected. The sickess attempts to actively self propagate, with increasing eagerness/desparation. if it is unsuccessful, then the pelrot shall unltimately outstrip its host and allow them to collapse and crumble inward. The free pelrot seeks a new host, but will likely fail at this stage, much like a hive of bees becoming a swarm and dying in a state of chaos.

Type

Fungal