The Kiss of Gold

The Kiss of Gold comes suddenly and leaves the same way. Named for the metallic color to which a victim's skin turns, the Kiss chooses individuals seemingly at random. No one knows who will be taken and who will be spared.

Transmission & Vectors

In its pure chemical form, the Kiss of Gold is a harmless golden dust, as fine as powder, that is found in some soil. The dust is particularly prevalent in Lannita and some parts of Malcera.

Causes

Breathing in or even ingesting the dust is perfectly safe. However, if even a small amount of dust enters an open wound, an individual is at risk of contracting the disease. Some experience no ill effects whatsoever, while others become fatally ill within minutes. There is no way to know which individuals are susceptible to the disease; fate alone decides.

Symptoms

The main symptom is the golden color to which the skin around the entry wound turns.

Treatment

Technically, there is no treatment for the Kiss of Gold. Some Lannitan healers, however, have begun using a liquid made from the leaves of a plant commonly known as Demonsheart. Though some have recovered from the disease thanks to this remedy, its effectiveness varies, like the disease itself, from person to person.

Prognosis

Within hours of contracting the disease, the skin around the affected open wound is turned a clear metallic gold. This first symptom is often referred to as the "first kiss."
From the first kiss, the disease acts rapidly, taking its entire course in less than half an hour. The Kiss of Gold saps the strength from its victims, leading to extreme weakness and exhaustion. The victim eventually slips into a coma, and, as the individual ultimately loses the strength to keep breathing, death always follows.

Affected Groups

Anyone not naturally immune to the disease can contract it. Natural immunity happens at random, making it impossible to know if an individual is immune or not until they are exposed to the disease. Even within the same family, some members are immune and others are not. However, more females are naturally immune than males. Animals are not susceptible to the disease.

Hosts & Carriers

The disease is spread by soil which contains the golden dust.

Prevention

There is no prevention for the Kiss of Gold. However, some individuals are naturally immune to it.

Epidemiology

The Kiss of Gold is not a contagious condition. It is spread only through the entrance of the golden dust into an open wound.

History

The first recorded case of the Kiss of Gold is unknown. Due to the rarity of the disease, there have been no known epidemics. Oddly, the Anzora family seems to be especially susceptible to the disease. At least six members of the family are known to have died from the Kiss, a staggering number considering how rare the disease is.

Cultural Reception

Owing to the extremely low survival rate of the disease, those few who have survived due to the Demonsheart remedy are seen almost as living miracles.

Type

Chemical Compound

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Extremely Rare