Alolio

CW: epidemic, suicide, purposeful infection, painful death, suffocation, prejudice

The only thing worse than the suffocation is watching the slow death of those who can breathe but can't swallow.

— sprite diary, 1136

Alolio, also known as Mountain Throat, is a fungal infection which causes the throat to swell over the course of several days, until the infected person suffocates or dies of dehydration. It is best known for its use in the 1136 when human settlers won their battle against sprites by infecting the last settlement.

Discovery

Some of the earliest Linakran documents reference explorers in the Ward Mountains getting Mountain Throat and succumbing to a slow death after their throats swelled. It is likely that the proximity of Linakrans to these mountains is what led to the quick discovery that Grana root would both relieve and prevent the symptoms. This is likely why grana root is a common ingredient in much of Linakran cooking. As the use of grana root in cooking gave Linakrans a relative immunity, the presence of Broadbelt, the fungus causing the sickness, in the mountains warded off invasions from the north. Thus, the mountains got their name.

Symptoms and Treatment

The primary symptom of Alolio is the swelling of the throat, and sometimes other airways over a period of days. In some cases, the airways restrict so much that breathing becomes impossible and a person dies from lack of oxygen. In others, their airways do not become completely blocked, but difficulty swallowing prevents them from eating and drinking and they die from lack of food and water. It is not survivable without treatment.

The treatment for the disease is grana root. Upon discovering this, Linakrans took to grinding the root and using it as a seasoning in their cooking. The powdered version can also be added to a liquid for easier consumption or even eaten raw. Today, it can even be taken in the form of pills, and the prevalence of this cure has made Alolio far less dangerous. Usually grana root is consumed once or twice daily until the infection subsides.

The Pine Massacre

by Jaanus Jagomagi

In 1136, after centuries of Linakran settlements encroaching more and more into Sprite territory in Zenxon, Linakran leaders decided to use Alolio to destroy the city of Pine, the sprites' last stronghold. Due to the high elevation and dense forest surrounding the city, the Linakrans had been unable to take this last city. The city, however, was full to capacity, and sprites had to find clever ways to get resources. When the Linakrans discovered that the sprites would steal items from dead soldiers, a plan was formed. They had a small amount of Broadbelt shipped to Zenxon, and several volunteers agreed to stop eating grana root and infect themselves with Alolio. Their bodies were discovered in an Alol grove (giving rise to the term Alolio). The sprites raided them, and a few days later, infections started to rampage through the unprotected city of Pine. After two weeks, it had decimated the population, and the Linakrans came forth with a cure. The sprites surrendered in exchange for their lives, and the incident ushered in centuries of anti-magic and anti-sprite rulings that continue to affect the country today.