Atrophlysis

Spreading from unknown sources, Atrophlysis is a deadly plague that has torn through much of the population of Tharon Tald’oara. Colloquially known as the Jade Sickness, it forms and reforms in stages, slowly tearing apart its host piece by piece. The process is incredibly painful, and severely limits any form of mobility.
It is important to note that these stages are not independent of each other, as different areas of the body can be infected at the same time. The rate of progression through these stages varies wildly, even in the same person, depending on where the infection takes root. Age, species, and many other common factors seem to have little to no effect on the rate of the illness’ progression.
Thousands have died to the Jade Sickness–primarily the peoples of Tharon Tald’oara. No cure has been found. The few who have survived caught it early, amputating limbs before the sickness can truly take root. The main issue in attempts to cure the disease are its inconsistencies–while it is not actively evolving, the illness seems to be ever-altering.


Stage 1: Jade Skin
From the moment of contracting this disease, infected persons show symptoms of extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, and fever. The severity of these symptoms can range wildly between different people, though the fatigue is most often the worst.
Some time after, small patches of skin of the afflicted person(s) begin to turn a shade of forest green, often starting at the tips of the fingers and slowly spreading up the limbs. These patches can start as small as a pin prick, and can slowly grow to envelop the entire body.
If caught at this early stage, spread of the plague can be prevented, or at least subdued, as the illness has yet to become contagious. Infected persons at this stage are encouraged to seek authorities as soon as possible, and submit to be taken to Isonoris’ medical centres for care. If no such authorities are accessible, they are encouraged to quarantine in a designated sector to prevent the illness’ spread to the community.
If the Jade Skin is confined to a small enough area, amputation by a medical officer is likely, along with a period of quarantine to ensure that the illness has truly been cut off from the source. Rarely is it truly effective, though it remains the only possibility to prevent the illness from running its full course.
Stage 2: Transmutation
After its effect takes grip over its host, the green tinge across the skin slowly starts to transform into something of a wood-bark. And, should an open wound be present to any capacity, the bark will tread deeper into the body, hastening the progress into its third stage almost immediately.
This is when the Jade Sickness becomes truly dangerous, and even more painful: the bark, while forming, can be easily torn through, shredding through deep tissue with so much as a small laceration. Not to mention that in this stage and onward, inhalation or ingestion of the bark presents an extremely high risk of contracting the illness.
Close investigation of the material reveals shockingly similar properties to real tree bark, save for the fact that the tissue is living, breathing, and animalistic–not plant like. However, a specimen that is fully formed, before reaching the third stage, can survive some time on its own before shriveling up into a husk. Such a specimen, as removed from its host, is incredibly rigid, and much stronger than typical wood.
Stage 3: Disintegration
As the skin finishes its transformation, the wood-bark begins to crumble, tearing away first only the flesh, until the cycle renews, and the bark has corrupted deep tissue and even bones, rendering entire limbs without function. This process can take days, months, or even years to fully tear apart infected persons, with seemingly no pattern. The fever and lightheadedness tend to be lessened by this stage, though the fatigue remains extremely prevalent.
When it crumbles, the bark tears itself apart, leaving dust-like particles that drift through the air for a time. This is the highest risk of spreading the infection: anyone who inhales these particles begins to experience symptoms within mere days. Moreover, any contact with infected areas will cause damage to the wound, as if applying pressure to rotted wood. The bark will split and expel the aforementioned particles.