Bloodrot

Content Warning, this article contains mentions of blood and some grotesque descriptions.

Bloodrot is a painful blood disease that can cause the swelling and oversizing of muscles, organs or blood vessels depending on the type(s) the patient is suffering with. The disease can cause loss of limbs or function of essential muscles. The condition can be often misdiagnosed as Shrinking Bones, but unlike Shrinking Bones disease, bloodrot has no cure.

Transmission & Vectors

Bloodrot is not an infectious disease, and is thought to be widely genetic or received from living in Sanguin as part of a little understood phenomena known as Sanguin's Last Curse. The appearance of a victim with bloodrot can be very frightening, especially as dark, sticky blood sags and leaks out of the skin and orifices. The disease has a distinct smell of rotten flesh.

Causes

Due to diseases such as bloodrot, the people of the Sanguin Tribes are not viewed highly and their exports are often undervalued. As it is extremely rare for bloodrot to occur outside of Sanguin, it is thought to be either inherited by isolated Sanguin genes, or somehow received by living on the Sanguin continent. Pressure for finding a cure for bloodrot outside of Sanguin is very low and there is a great lack of awareness or sympathy for victims.

Symptoms

Bloodrot is a progressive disease. The victim may find their gums start to bleed on a regular basis, or find blood leaking from parts of their body, such as their nails or nose. Over time, certain muscles will begin to swell up, and they may find it difficult to swallow food and painful to walk.

Treatment

Many Sanguin tribes traditionally practice a form of binding treatment with some even using it as a preventive measure as soon as their natural growth ends. Mummifying the living body with tight bandages and local plant medicines is believed to slow down the progression of the disease and provide some pain relief. The bandages must remain permanently in place, as sudden removal can cause the body to spill and instant death.
As time passes, a special liquid is applied to the bandages alongside further plant medicine, and new bandages are applied on top. The liquid helps keep the new bandages in place, while adding an additional layer of protection from the air passing into the body.
Other kinds of treatment such as cutting off affected limbs is a risky treatment. It has at times, aided some of the afflicted. For the not so fortunate, it has caused further bloodrot to develop at the ends and creep once more towards the rest of the body. Over time, bloodrot will reemerge on those with severed limbs, though it may take years to develop.

Prognosis

The prognosis of bloodrot is fatal, though it may be slowed down with treatment.

Sequela

Bloodrot can cause several infections as it is hard to seal wounds. It is also incredibly difficult to deal with the disease, as life on Sanguin is challenging and demanding, while life outside of Sanguin can be incredibly bias and negative towards those suffering with the illness. Most prefer to live with their people and hope that their tribe will not abandon them.

Affected Groups

Bloodrot tends to develop in people as young as sixteen, occasionally older, occasionally younger. By the age of thirty the progression of bloodrot would have a serious impact on a person's life. Life expectancy is thirty five years old.

Origin

Natural

Rarity

Rare

Affected Species

• Human