Bone Rust

Causes

What a shame The Almighty used iron for our bones and salt water for our sweat and blood. As any sailor can tell you, salt water makes iron rust faster than a pig runs from a Brustich bachelor.

Symptoms

The first sign is tenderness. Most will whack their funny bone and say, "Hey, that's even less funny than usual." Then they'll start feeling themselves over and start to notice spots that didn't get much attention before. Elbows, knee caps, ribs, anywhere the bone is easily accessible. Maybe they'll tap one of these too hard.
Once they hear the snap, they'll have a couple seconds before the pain hits them.
The Rust can only spread from there. The smart will retire to bed while they still have the abilty to walk to the bathroom. The fools... Well. One break will become two, two become three, so on, so forth, until the afflicted is bedridden, now a complete burden on their families.
Even when they've confined themselves to the bed, it's just a waiting game. One day they'll go to turn the page of a book and find their finger pointing at their wrist. Or they'll partake in a feast day and split their pelvis in half while sitting on the toilet. Maybe they'll think of days when they weren't useless lump of flesh and bone and take a deep sigh, popping ribs free from their sternum.
Bone Rust isn't a quick death. Nor is it painless.

Treatment

Alcohol and opiates for the pain. Everything else is just false hope.

Prognosis

Terminal.

Sequela

Denial comes first. You'll see Ol' Uncle Jo limping one day, saying he slept on it wrong. The next day he's breathing funny because of acid reflux. Nothing to worry about.
The anger will follow. His arm is in a sling be cause you didn't catch that hay bail. Or your cousin made the bail too big. You idiots are the cause of all his problems, not him! Now fix it!
Religion is next. Uncle Jo will spend a lot of time at the iglesia, begging the padre for access to the baptismal vent. Let him talk to The Almighty himself. Or if he already can't get out of bed, he'll spend a lot of time with his head bowed, willing The Almighty to notice his silent prayers.
Depression rides quickly on religion's heels. Uncle Jo will get real quiet. He usually can't move much at this point, and the stillness will steep into his voicebox. Some days he won't eat. You'll have to force broth down his throat so that he'll survive.
If he makes it through that, you'll find him accepting his fate. He'll eat and take his medication as you give it to him. You might even see glimpses of the Uncle Jo you knew, the one that told dirty jokes and liked a pipe full of tobacco when the days work was done. This is the time to make your peace with the man.
He joins His ranks soon.

Affected Groups

Most common in those over the age of fifty, but has been know to strike those as young as eighteen.

Prevention

Followers of Sein Eisen have a lower rate of diagnosis than other faiths, leading to the theory that regular exercise can prevent the disease. The Followers of Sein Eisen themselves attribute the immunity to the sacred whey root they use for communion.

Epidemiology

As far as is known, it cannot be spread from person to person. Time is the only vector.

Cultural Reception

Kills more people than cancer in Elcadaver.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Divine

Cycle

Chronic, Congenital

Rarity

Common

Affected Species

• Human