Wavegut

For those unaccustomed to ocean travel, a trip on a freesailing boat often comes with unpleasant side effects: dizziness, disorientation, nausea, headaches, trembling, all adding up to the condition of wavegut.

Causes

There are three sensory systems that coordinate to inform the body of its orientation: the aura, the balance organs, and the eyes. When the balance organs and eyes disagree, the aura response to the body's surroundings overrides one or the other to resolve the conflict. If the aura reinforces the incorrect system or otherwise overreacts, wavegut is the result.

Symptoms

The most commonly described symptom of wavegut is the nausea that gives the condition its name. In cases of episodic wavegut, this is usually the only symptom. Persistent wavegut is marked by the addition of dizziness and headaches, and severe cases include full disorientation, tremor, and regurgitation.

Treatment

The simplest treatment is to match your visual sense to your balance sense. If it's safe to do so, get out of the passenger hold, stand at the side of the boat, and fix your gaze on the horizon or some other feature that moves relative to the boat. For severe and persistent wavegut, there are medications that can reduce the worst of the symptoms. The first dose must be taken a day in advance of getting on the boat in order to be fully effective.

Prevention

The only truly effective prevention for wavegut is to not take a trip on a freesail boat. Ever since the opening of the conduits, the number of reported wavegut cases has dropped sharply. Because they're attached to a track and don't require wind, conduit boats are a much smoother way to travel between islands.

Affected Groups

About half of all islanders who have traveled on freesailing ships report experiencing some form of wavegut. The majority of cases are associated with active ocean conditions and sudden movements of the boat, fading when the water calms. Ten percent of the records describe severe symptoms occurring under normal sailing conditions, though the actual percentage and severity differ between populations.

Tideriders

Unsurprisingly, Tideriders take pride in being unaffected by wavegut. This doesn't necessarily mean they're immune, however. Tideriders on land suffer from a disequilibrating effect that is very much like mild wavegut, feeling unsteady and queasy while they are on solid ground. If they stay grounded for an extended time of months or years and then return to the ocean, they may briefly experience wavegut until they reacclimate to the motion of water.

The Middle Isles

The 10% rate of wavegut is most accurate for residents of the major islands contacting the Inside Sea. Although the Galtern medical records initially focused on communicable disease, they began keeping records on wavegut late in the fourth Volcanic century when other islanders coming to attend to Stolc's medical schools complained of the condition.

Aktergea

"Keet foot" is a similar condition that affects specifically Aktergean lumber miners. It's extremely rare, since miners seldom leave the island, but has a much higher rate of occurrence. Within half a day of switching from native to foreign water, an Aktergean becomes uncoordinated, unable to hold her limbs steady, walking in a zigzag path with a lurching gait. Re-equilibration takes two or three days. If during this time she is on a boat, the added instability increases the chances of experiencing wavegut to nearly a certainty.

"It was the sickest I've ever been in my life. I couldn't even sit upright. It wasn't worth eating because nothing stayed down. After the first day I was sure I was dying, and after the second I was looking forward to it."

— Lysiddea, describing the combination of keet foot and wavegut.

Eihlari

Like Aktergeans, Eihlarians rarely leave home, so it's difficult to get accurate statistics. From my personal experience and those I've talked to, we experience wavegut more often, but less severely. As a population, we're known for our high rate of dormant aura--80% was the most recent figure--so it would seem that while we don't get the benefit of the regulation, we aren't susceptible to the extreme reaction of its failure.

The Eddy

I have never met a Water Seeker who complained of wavegut. The aura control they learn effectively prevents mistakes in sensing the environment. Without that training, however, water-sensitives are just as likely as anyone else to be affected.

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Uncommon