Tuono's Kiss
Tuono's Kiss is a deadly disease that riddles the infected's skin with gaping wounds surrounded by scaly brown skin. The condition spreads great fear throughout populations where it springs up due to its highly deadly nature and mysterious infectiousness, those who contract it often being persecuted and cast out from cities and towns where they live. Kind and religious souls who roam the hospitals looking to care for the ill that often congregate there will meet their fair share of sufferers from Tuono's Kiss, and if they are unlucky, may become one themselves.
Transmission & Vectors
Though most are still unaware of its simple nature, Tuono's Kiss is spread via bacteria within the infected's skin. The infected may spread the bacteria via their sweat and on contact with others, the bacteria managing to survive for up to several days on some surfaces. Water sources are the most dangerous source of spread for the disease as if the infected bathe in the same water as the uninfected, transmission is highly likely.
Causes
The disease finds its origins in a symbiotic relationship between the bacteria that affects the infected and the fly who benefits from the morbid results. The common Beanfly, a small, round, brown fly, often lays its larvae within bites it places on livestock such as sheep or, more rarely, cattle. The bacteria is found in the spittle of the fly and produces open wounds on the animals from which the larvae of the flies can eat at the dying flesh. Though very common, the beanfly does not target humans and seeks only to bite suitable animals, however, when a human does find themselves bitten by a beanfly, the consequences are dire. Though in animals the spread and symptoms of the disease are more subtle to keep the host alive through the life cycle of the larvae when the bacteria finds itself present on an unfamiliar host, its progress in spreading becomes greatly accelerated.
The Beanfly generally breeds in the wet months at the turn of winter, with many of its larvae hatching in the summer months. Generally, the warmer the weather, the more prevalent the beanfly population.
Symptoms
The condition would begin with very small and pale bumps on the skin, easy enough to simply mistake for goosebumps or pimples, as the condition progresses. It may be this way for a few days before the skin surrounding the bumps beings to swell and become red and itchy. At this point, the infected may feel sensations of itches or a slightly hot pain beneath the skin. After this point is when the condition begins to become particularly infectious as the skin scales and starts to break apart to reveal the raw flesh, it will proceed over a week or so until large wounds in the flesh have been revealed. The victims who reach this stage may have large portions of their features eaten away by the disease, parts of the body becoming rotten from the lack of blood flow due to the loss of flesh.
Treatment
At the initial stage, water being poured over the skin greatly comforts the infected, easing the itching and burning sensation, however, as many do not realise they are infected, this can often lead to worse consequences such as water sources being fouled with the bacteria. As the seriousness of the infection increases, the infected may have to resort to having parts of their flesh or even entire limbs amputated, this often leads to death as a complication of the surgery.
History
Tuono's Kiss has a long history of affecting those within the grasslands and beyond, at times becoming akin to a plague that widely affected populations and devastated the countryside, though mostly a deadly sideshow to the ongoing miseries of life. The disease is thought to have been present since the early years of humanities existence, being mentioned in many of the old canons of the gods, even several conflicting origins stories such as it being a punishment granted by Myrkory. For much of its existence, regardless of prevalence, the disease has been thought to signify an impurity in those who it affects. Being fairly rare amongst the rich and noble classes, those who fall to the harsh symptoms of Tuono's Kiss have been said to be those who commit grave acts that offend the gods. In the particular case of King Olwen of Durabryn, it would only be through his high profile succumbing to the illness that other origins of the illness were discussed such as being the victim of cruel games by the more devious gods.
Cultural Reception
Tuono's Kiss is a greatly feared disease and as a result, those who suffer its touch are treated poorly if not with outright contempt. Due to the moral implications of the religiously inspired origins of Tuono's Kiss, people generally see the afflicted as suspect as they would bandits or thieves. Those with Tuono's Kiss are often banned from entering the walls of large settlements as well as any services such as goods stores or ferries and the like. This leads to the vast majority of the afflicted having no choice but to beg in the countryside or seek refuge within the few monasteries that would take them.
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