Decay
i can't feel my hand
Decay is a terrifying condition that, although uncommon, can be brutal and, if unchecked, lethal to anyone who has been affected by it. Decay is akin to absolute cell death, causing the body to fall apart into dust. It starts with the skin beginning to flake and chip away, followed by flesh undergoing atrophy, which eventually culminates in the afflicted dying as they dissolve into dust, leaving nothing behind.
Transmission & Vectors
Decay, in occurrences when it does pop up in an individual, typically occurs as a result of reckless use of INFINITY; or as a result of being exposed to Scarred Ash for far too long a period of time. In both cases, one will know they're beginning to come down with Decay if they feel immensely ill without any clear cause. The good news, at the very least, is that both sources of Decay would require extended periods of times to begin affecting someone, oftentimes months.
Symptoms
When one is becoming susceptible to Decay, they'll begin to grow rather ill, oftentimes beginning to vomit, sweat profusely, or develop a high temperature. At this stage, most cases that would lead to Decay are prevented by the individual relenting on their use of INFINITY for a time, or being taken away from the Scarred Ash they had been near. Unfortunately, there are still those that would remain stubborn and not take the proper precautions to keep themselves safe. At that point, the other symptoms of Decay will begin to gradually develop:
If left untreated, it's very likely that the infected will die, their body finally turning into ash and dust when they expire.
Treatment
Thankfully, treatment of Decay isn't too particularly difficult in it's early stages. As long as one avoids using Requiem recklessly and constantly; causing their body immense stress, or as long as one gets away from any Scarred Ash or has it removed from their proximity, they will be okay after getting rest. However, when it gets to the later stages, more assistance ends up being needed. Emergency surgeries, attachment to life support systems, and the like are often administered to try and keep the body from breaking apart. Thanks to recent developments by ARC, the survival rate of those whom have entered this stage of Decay is around 65%.
Sequela
Those who've experienced the first stage of Decay, provided they achieve recovery as quickly as possible, will usually have no long-term effects aside from brief spells of sickness and exhaustion. Those whom end up suffering from Decay in it's late stages, however, will often have been psychologically and mentally scarred, as well as their very soul having received some damage. At this stage, Soulscar, Black Heart Sickness, and Wither are common conditions that these individuals will end up getting.
Physically, though, they'll be weak for a long while, requiring excessive rehabilitative treatment and medication for the pain. They'll be much more susceptible to experiencing Transmorphification Syndrome as well, their bodies having become extremely sensitive to Mana at this point.
Affected Groups
As previously said, typically those who have overdone it in using Requiem or have been exposed to Scarred Ash for an extended period of time will be the most likely to be affected. Unfortunately, with large areas across the realms covered in Scarred Ash, it has become an effort in of itself in keeping people advised and aware of areas to avoid. Soldiers in Terra Eclipsis often have to traverse through these areas despite everything, and as a result the rate of experiencing Decay is much higher for them.
Of particular note, is that during the onset of Sudden Firstborn Death Syndrome during The Withering, all those that were afflicted with it experienced a rapid onset of Decay from a seemingly unknown source. Research has been going on to figure out what this source of Decay is, though efforts remain at a standstill to this day.
Comments