Udsundach
A condition that prevents Ichtýd egg shells from solidifying.
Transmission & Vectors
Surviving children are highly likely to inherit the condition.
Causes
To date, neither Nimýric nor Pereqaian science has an explanation for this disease. Apart from being inherited, it also seems to affect random women without any warning. Once it manifests, it persists for the rest of their lives.
Symptoms
The egg shells are gelatinous and tend to burst when the eggs are laid. Even if they do not, they cannot provide sufficient protection for the embryo.
Treatment
Eggs which survive the laying are placed in special casings to compensate for their lack of protection. These are made from brass or wood and lined with thin leather that has been treated with a specific mixture of herbal essences. The outer shell of the lid is perforated, allowing the embryo to breathe through the lining.
Prognosis
Without the protective casings, about 90% of the eggs die. The casings reduce the mortality rate to about 65%, but there is still a high risk of the eggs becoming infected with germs or fungi.
Sequela
Children born from affected eggs are likely to have congenital defects such as sensory impairments or malformed limbs.
Cultural Reception
In ancient times, women laying "liquid eggs" were blamed for their apparent failure and often abandoned by their partners. In some regions, the condition was considered a divine punishment, while in others the women were accused of willfully dooming their offspring.
Over the centuries, this view slowly shifted towards considering it a tragedy. Cirredon de Nimýrhém set an example when he chose to marry Lahania de Ebvóa despite this condition running in her family, and their daughter Philénua de Nimýrhém was the first child ever to be saved by the newly-developed casings. When Philénua adopted her cousin's orphaned clutch and decided against having children of her own, many people even came to regard her condition as divine providence.
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