Shard Spasms

The Shard Shroom has two primary defenses, its spores and its toxin. Shard Spasms occur after inhaling the spores of the fungus. Painful and slow, the disease spreads from the lungs up through the esophagus, while simultaneous affecting the humors.

Transmission & Vectors

Shard Spasms are transmitted via the spores of Pneumocystis Speculo. Any inhalation of the spores, even minuscule amounts, can lead to infection of an individual.

Causes

Inhalation of the spores results in a lung infection. Initially, the belief was that the infection could only spread while exposed to the energies around Valur's Scar , however, to the misfortune of the first healers to encounter the disease, it was quickly discovered that this was not the case.

Symptoms

The earliest symptom is random and uncontrollable muscle spasms. Some patients, before their deaths, have mentioned that they thought nothing of the spasms, as they were infrequent and little more than a shudder. The spasms become more and more severe over the course of two weeks, culminating in seizures, loss of bowel control, and loss of dexterity. At this point in the diseases progression, current medicines and practices are ineffective and it is recommended that infected patients seek out divine intervention.
After the disease has progressed to this point, symptoms rapidly increase in severity and frequency.
The next symptom to display itself is hoarse, painful coughing, often accompanied by blood, lacerations are visible on the lips of patients, as well as inside the mouth and visible portion of the throat. Bowel evacuation becomes painful and bloody. While most symptoms remain, the coughing subsides after roughly a week.
A wide array of symptoms has been recorded following the onset of the coughs. Due to lack of study, it is impossible to discern if these are related to the disease or some other source, because of their random manifestation.
Ultimately, the final stage of the disease is confirmed. Typically 30 to 40 days from the onset of the disease, patients will lose vision and taste. Over the course of 10 days, they will lose their sense of smell and hearing. Pustules appear on the body, often containing glass like splinters inside. The body gives out.

Treatment

Aside from the potential of divine intervention, there is no known cure for the disease. healer's are advised to maintain their distance from patients during the second phase of the disease, when coughing is present, as this can result in cross infection. Once that symptom has subsided, ethical healers are recommended to apply any salves or poultice at their disposal that may ease the patients pain. It may also be considered that, at this point of the progression of the disease, their is no recovery for any who cannot afford the clergy's services, and it is acceptable to terminate the patient.

ADDENDUM 0248: DISTRIBUTED BY THE TEMPLE OF SYMPATHY dated 2 Rivergorge 1073 AE
Please relay this message to all towns and cities within the Empire. If administered within three weeks of the symptoms onset, it has been shown that a mixture of yew bark and Numaralumas Moondrop, when combined with alcohol and water, boiled to the point that all moisture is removed results in a decotion that upon inhalation will ease immediate symptoms. Pelleas Fenynore notes that continued use of decoction over the course of two months, using three times per day, has been shown to cure this terrible ailment.

Prognosis

If the disease is not diagnosed before the spasms have become uncontrollable, the only outcome is death.

Prevention

Stronger constitutions are resistant to the spores. The current working theory is that, when introduced to the body, the spores are able to mutate and form a new species that is able to survive outside of the region surrounding the mouth of Valur's Scar . In those who, as previously ascribed, have a stronger immune response, the spores seem to die before they are able to germinate. The spores seem to be able to survive outside of the body for at least two weeks, as the first healers to encounter the disease came to find out, so avoiding any who have traveled to the region within that time span is the best way to prevent infection.

Epidemiology

The disease can only be spread by spores directly from Pneumocystis Speculo, or through the coughing during the second stage of the disease. Because of the severity of the first stage, this means that most patients are usually not among the general populace during the second stage of the disease, so the chance of an epidemic is minimal.

Type

Fungal

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Rare