Glitterlung

Glitterlung is a debilitating lung condition suffered by some desert dwellers or travellers who have been caught in sandstorms blowing from the southwest of the Desert of Desolation, bearing magically charged sand from the Plains of Purple Dust.

Causes

Glitterlung is caused by breathing in too much of the magically-charged sand blown off the Plains of Purple Dust in sandstorms. The dust, which is actually a fine crystalline powder, settles into the lungs and starts to transmute the lung tissue into more of itself.

Symptoms

Sufferers have difficulty breathing, developing purplish lips and tongues, and when they cough, sparkles fill the air around them as the charged magical particles in their lungs are expelled to react with the air.

Treatment

The only way to end the Glitterlung affliction is for Dispel Magic to be cast on the victim, immediately followed by Remove Curse and Greater Restoration cast simultaneously. Even then, the victim will still have razor-sharp shards or lumps of crystal in their lungs depending on how far the disease progressed before it was cured. Further restorative magic is required before they are permanently free of its effects.
The condition can be readily cured so long as the victim can reach magical help in time. This can be difficult given the extended travel times within the desert. The duration of the disease is greatly dependent upon how much sand was inhaled, but those who have seen its course before can usually judge based upon the difficulty breathing experienced by the victim, and the amount of glitter produced as they exhale or cough. Small amounts of sand inhaled will allow the sufferer to live for around a week from onset.

Prognosis

As the disease progresses, the sufferer's body starts to turn to translucent purple crystal, starting at the lungs and progressing outward, and they suffocate. Their body continues to turn to crystal after their death, and when the metamorphosis is complete, it resembles a crystal statue. The slightest disturbance to fully-changed crystal is enough to shatter it into a heap of tiny razor-edged particles of crystalline dust, ready to be lifted into the air on any puff of wind and repeat the process.

Sequela

If it is treated in time, glitterlung is fully reversible. Until the follow-up treatment to remove the now-inert crystal shards from the lungs is completed, the victim continues to suffer the physical side-effects, even if their lungs are no longer transforming. Depending upon how far the disease progressed before being cured, potentially large portions of their lungs may be crystalline, with all the accompanying breathing difficulties. When the victim coughs, they will produce bloody froth instead of the glitter particles as the crystal shifts within their chest.
Once the follow-up treatment(s) are complete to remove the crystal and regenerate the lungs, the victim returns completely to normal; so long as they survive long enough for that to be done.

Prevention

All that is necessary to avoid glitterlung is to not breathe in any of the magically-charged sand particles blown off the Plains of Purple Dust in sandstorms originating there. This can be more difficult than it sounds in a severe sandstorm, so experienced desert travellers carry fine, closely-woven scarves which are wrapped tightly around the head and neck when a sandstorm blows up.
If there is sufficient time, taking shelter within a tightly-closed tent is an even better defence. As glitterlung affects animals as well, all camels and desert-bred horses are trained to lie still with their heads within the tents while sandstorms rage.

Epidemiology

Glitterlung only spreads from person to person if the second victim directly inhales enough of the glittering magic particles expelled in the sufferer's coughs, as the magical sand is converting their lung tissue to crystal. As the particles are extremely reactive, the flashing glitters are caused by their interacting with the air itself to become inert mere feet from the sufferer.

History

The Plains of Purple Dust are the remnants of an eons-ago war of eradication between two magical kingdoms. Experimental magical weapons and curses interacted with one another in unexpected ways, creating the terrible wild-magic zone known as the Plains of Purple Dust from the shattered remnants of the two realms. As the magic in the dust gradually converts non-magical matter around it, the Plains have gradually expanded.
Rituals cast by druidic circles and allied clerics have been able to slow and even reverse the transformation at the edge of the Plains, but they are never able to make enough headway before the winds rise and the casters are forced to end the rituals and take cover. Several druidic circles and churches repeat the rituals every year, as often as their strongest casters are able, ensuring the spread of the Plains is kept to a slow and inexorable creep.
When the sandstorm winds blow from the south-west, they can form looming purple walls, with the stormfront crackling with lightning-like discharges of wild magic. The discharges earth themselves quickly unless travellers are within the Plains themselves, leaving the shimmering wall of glittering sand particles sweeping across the desert to envelope travellers.

Cultural Reception

Glitterlung creates fear and horror within onlookers who know what they are seeing. As it is not readily contagious, onlookers will usually do whatever they can to assist sufferers to survive until magical help can reach them.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare