Deep Blindness
Related in some ways to Lowlands Madness, Deep Blindness is the condition that some explorers will develop after spending a long time in the deepest parts of the world. The possibility of it is a source of great anxiety for some, a ridiculous concern for others.
Causes
Deep Blindness is only found in the lowest parts of the world, in deep darkness. Originally it was thought to be a lack of light that caused the blindness. While this is a factor, the actual blindness comes from a bacteria that settles in the brain and destroys the optical nerves. The bacteria can only survive in conditions of near total darkness. Any amount of light will weaken it, and sunlight will destroy it outright.
Symptoms
There are minimal symptoms leading up to the blindness. It comes on fairly steadily, beginning with an itchiness of the eyes, and some pain. This will turn into what feels like sinus headaches, and blurry vision (which can be difficult to spot if the person is in significant darkness)
Treatment
If caught before total blindness, the correct treatment is to put the person in as much light as possible, particularly sunlight. This kills the bacteria. The vision problems, however, are more difficult to manage. If caught early enough, they will heal naturally. After a certain point, however, the damage is permanent, with total blindness as the end result.
Prevention
Taking plenty of light sources when exploring the depths prevents most cases. There are some people developing better flashlights to ensure that no one has problems.
Cultural Reception
Historically, there has been a great deal of stigma associated with this particular condition. Becoming blind wasn't necessarily catastrophic, especially considering that the Erevets were bred as guide animals. But it was seen by some as some kind of personal failing, that someone wasn't good enough to survive the deeps, that they had somehow been claimed by darkness.
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