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root-of-theseus · 6 days ago

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Excerpts from Dr. Gale’s Principles of Internal Medicine - Physical and Digital Alike

There's a handful of diseases that're related to Traeh and its residents. The colours are indicative to which region is affected the most, but it can happen in any country under the right circumstances.

Leaf Atrophy (Asthenia Folia) - Effects Näcken, when the leaves on their head and shoulders start to turn yellow, orange, red, brown, or grey. Usually an indication of either stress on the body or an underlying disease, depending on the duration. Typical Näcken colouration is some variation of green. If they have reached the grey stage, it is usually a sign of end-of-life. Treatment usually requires identifying stressors or illnesses and treating them accordingly, or offering palliative care.

Flower Dropsis (Hydropisis Flores) - Effects Näcken, when in bloom season, and the flowers are not pollinated, they can produce berries which may or may not be painful depending on the type of tree they're based from. For example, an oak based Näcken will produce painful and blistering red berries, but a pine based Näcken will produce harmless blue juniper-like berries. Treatment can include either providing pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to pollinate the remaining flowers, and plucking the berries off. Some cultures find these berries to have healing properties. Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.

Wood Scar/Bruise (Ecchymosis Xylem) - Effects Näcken, Hulder, and other wood creatures and spirits. When a patient is injured via lacerations or fractures, the resulting skin tissue will grow back differently to the rest of the patient's body. The skin will be depressed and have the texture of bark, particularly based on their species. The skin will never grow back to its original colour. Severe cases will make it hard for the patient to perform normal activities. The disease is similar to Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), but instead of happening on the inside, it happens on the outside. Treatment errs on the side of prevention, since no cure has been found.

Heart Frost (Gelatio Cordis) - A rare type of heart cancer where the heart starts to harden over time until it eventually breaks. The disease is prevalent in wood based creatures and spirits, especially overly active patients. Symptoms include shortness of breath, low heart rate resulting in arrhythmia, unexpected weight loss, dizziness/fainting, and feeling a constant pressure on or around the sternum. Treatment has… A very low survival rate, with about 15% of patients surviving typical cancer treatment procedures. If the patient isn't responding to treatment, palliative care may need to be considered.

Mouth Death (Mors Os) - As simple as it sounds, the disease is similar to when your teeth fall out, as they do in dreams. There can be many causes for this, with some cases happening as a result of teeth being knocked loose, a failed/infected root canal, a result from phosphorus necrosis, or in rare cases scurvy or odontogenic tumours. Treatment errs on the side of prevention, but proper dental hygiene is recommended.

Hollow Weakness (Debilitas Cavum) - Effects Hulder primarily. The disease presents as an ache in their hollowed-out back, making it difficult to lean back or lay down. Mild cases tend to linger for a day or so, severe cases last for over three months. There are many causes, such as injury, strain, or exposure to materials that could irritate the open cavity. Treatment consists of bed rest, soaking the back in epsom salt infused water, and for severe cases, pain medication/soothing balms may be prescribed.

Brain Worms (Vermis Cerebri) - Similar to Lich/Zombie Delusion, but not quite. Patients with the disease feel as if worms are eating their minds, though no worms are seen on scans. It's unclear if this is a disease of delusion or a curse. There's no scientific explanation for this just yet. Treatment may need a shaman or mage. Further research is needed to see if any medicine is effective.

Scarlet Weakness (Debilitas Rubra) - The scientific name for Phoenix Pox. It is essentially a secondary Shingles infection. The symptoms are the same, a painful, burning, blistering rash that spreads from the back to the chest. Because of its intensity, it can also cause nausea and/or vomiting, insomnia, and generalised fatigue. Treatment consists of antivirals, pain relief/soothing balms, and bed rest.

Mutating Flu (Influenza Mutatio) - The scientific name for Morphing Flu. The disease starts off as a normal influenza case, but then morphs into a stronger version right before the patient recovers. This can happen with any strain of the virus, and it's cause is still unknown, but it affects the immunocompromised more often than most, resulting in walking pneumonia, high fever, renal failure, and myalgia. Treatment may include antivirals, antibiotics, pain relief/soothing balms, and bed rest.

Shining Atrophy (Asthenia Candidulum) - Effects Jellites, the membrane of their gelatin body becomes dull and matte compared to the usual glossy shine. Usually indicates illness, but can sometimes have no underlying cause. Unless paired with Membrane Ataxia, there is usually no cause for concern, but if the patient seeks treatment and there's no underlying cause, medicated balms and mycetozoa injections can typically reverse symptoms.

Membrane Ataxia (Ataxia Membranacea) - Effects Jellites, specifically the membrane of their gelatin bodies start to ooze and become difficult to maintain their form properly. It is usually a sign of the patient's end of life, and no treatment can be given. Only palliative care can be administered. Given the culture of Jellites, they will typically expel the bones and gemstones from their bodies to pass down to their kin right before death. The leftover membrane is then stored for burial.

Shining Gangrene (Gangraena Candidulum) - Effects Yanāpem, locals call this disease Kahēʻailia (Shine ailment) The outer layer of their rock bodies will start to shine, similar to thin-film interference on bubbles or oil. It's one of two symptoms of severe illnesses with this species. Causes are unknown, treatment is… Unconventional, but the procedure requires the patient to bury themselves in warm black sand for six hours.

Black Gravel (Glarea Ater) - Effects Yanāpem, locals call this disease О̄'nēve'ailia (Black sand ailment) The outer layer of their rock bodies will start to flake off into pieces as small as sand or as large as pebbles. It's one of two symptoms of severe illnesses with this species. Causes are unknown, treatment is yet again unconventional. The procedure requires the patient to bathe in a specially infused palm oil for a full day.

Sacred Burn (Ambustio Sacer) - Effects Magic Users, similar to Casting Injury. The patients typically present with a burn that is in a shape of an unnatural pattern on the body, either on the back or arms. Like all burns, the pain will depend on the severity. First degree burns will usually fade after a week. Second degree burns will partially fade after a month, and completely fade after six months. Third degree burns will partially fade for about six months, but they will be permanent. Fourth degree burns are only seen at autopsy, and the burns will not only affect the epidermis/dermis, but will go as far as bone. Treatment depends on the severity, with lesser cases treatable by aloe balms, and severe cases needing skin transplants. Treatments can prove to be difficult with species with soft skin like the Jellites, or rock-hard skin like the Yanapēm, so it is to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Magical Atrophy (Atrophia Magicae) - Scientific name for Cast Rot, effects Magic users. Patients typically find it difficult to not only learn how to use magic, but find it extremely difficult to control it properly. When patients try and use magic, it's an all-or-nothing approach. Either the magic barely registers, or comes out as an explosion of energy. Users will become more prone to Casting Injury or Sacred Burns if not careful. In rare cases, the patient will accidentally deplete their life energy instead of their magic energy, resulting in fatigue, injury, or in extreme cases, death. Treatment is experimental at the moment with two known methods.

Method 1, a master mage overwhelms the patient with magical energy, shocking their body to recognize the proper amount. This can be quite painful for the patient, and may not even work the first time. The patient may need multiple treatments to see results.

Method 2, a tincture made of potent and potentially poisonous ingredients is ingested in microdoses over a course of a week under supervision. This is, yet again, painful for the patient, and may not even work until a significant amount is injested. The damage to the liver is also a risk factor, and many cases of jaundice have been noted from this method.

Addendum: Method 3, a modern development, some have taken to using seling spell wrappings around the arms to direct energy properly. This is not nearly as painful as the other methods, and has shown to be just as effective, but has an air of stigma about it. Some refer to it as "training wheels" but its effectiveness in teaching the body to recognise proper magic output is unmatched. Additionally, the patient can be weaned off of them after using them for a period of time and retain the effects. Science has no explaination for this.

Mechanical beings can also be affected by diseases as well, though the classification of disease can be one of debate, these are all the known ailments for robots:

Capacitor Plague - A mechanical disease where internal components - primarily batteries and the electrolytes that power them - are manufactured and/or installed inproperly, resulting in the corrosive components to leak - or in extreme cases explode - onto the motherboard. Symptoms include lag, power fluctuations - including dangerous ESR levels, and a lingering burning smell. Replacement of faulty parts is necesary for treatment, and initiating a recharge sequence at 1 kΩ for 30minutes is reccommended to prevent further damage to the CPU and RAM.

Chassis Rot - Similar to capacitor plague, chassis rot is a phoenomena that affects the protective outer shell of robots, called the chassis, to either rust or deteriorate over time, depending on the material it's made out of. This is common for models older than 60 years old, models made of primarily metal components, or models that incur damage due to their tasks. Mild cases just require a single module to be replaces, but extreme cases will require a full body replacement, which could take up to a week to print with modern materials. If a robot finds itself with the starting stages of rot and want to temporarily patch up the area there are options. Specially made epoxy resin depending on the chassis are available, but replacement of the part is highly encouraged.

Polymorphic Viruses, Worms, and Trojans - Similar to how we become sick from viruses, bacterium, fungi and prions, robots also have to deal with a slue of diseases, however the origins are easier to trace since they are man-made. A brief description for each:

Polymorphic viruses are a type of virus that lay dormant in a robot's processor for an undisclosed period of time and slowly morph into a virus which can cause irreperable damage if not caught early. Symptoms may include display glitches, personality changes - most notably unfounded paranoia, irritability, and irrational thoughts - heatsink failure resulting in temperatures of up to 80°C (176°F), and forced system shutdown. Treatment is to isolate and remove the virus and scan it to make sure it's not infectious. Recovery depends on how early the virus is caught and can range from a couple of days to a month.

Worms are the most infectious type of virus that spread across a network rapidly. Their sole purpose is to overload processors, damage files, and steal information. Symptoms are varied depending on how advanced the worm is, and will usually be noted if there are more than 5 bots that are consecutively infected in a short period of time. The affected bots will be quarantined, scanned throughly to find the source, and have the virus manually extracted. Recovery is typically shorter than all the other infections, with it ranging from a few hours to a day at most.

Trojan viruses may sound like a combination of polymorphic viruses and worms, but their method of infection is unique. Instead of the virus being forced into the system, it is a virus that disguises itself as a legitimate program. Once infected, the virus will start to retain sensitive data, employ ransomware, or give a hacker remote access to a robots admin permissions. Symptoms are almost instant, with randsomware completely bricking a robot being a common factor. Treatment errs on the side of prevention, including only accepting files and updates from trusted individuals, backing up files, and multi-factor authentication for admin permissions. If infected, the virus is extracted, or if it's being persistant paying the ransom may be necessary. Recovery time is around the same as a worm.

Insufficient Updates - When a robot hasn't received a security update for over a year or more, it leaves them vulnerable to being infected with viruses, worms, and trojans. The longer a robot goes without an update, the less secure their system is. System updates usually take a couple of minutes when updated promptly, but if a robot has put off updates for a while, they will need to install each and every update from the last known update. Mild cases can take hours, extreme cases can take weeks, with breaks in-between updates to make sure the cognitive function hasn't been tampered with. The longest recorded case of a robot not updating is 10 years consecutively, the treatment took an entire month to implement, and another month for recovery.

Robots are built in a modular fashion, so most ailments will result in just one part or a number of closely related parts needing replacement and/or repair. However, in extreme cases, the only treatment could require a full-body replacement. However, most find this to be inefficient and expensive, so many choose to opt for self-deactivation. When robots "die" their bodies are separated into recyclable materials and smelted down to be used to build either new robots, or other machinery.

#fantasy world #worldbuilding #fantasy disabilities #fantasy diseases #country #Mechari #Oh baby it's a long one #This is the post I stayed up until 5am to make the other night lol lmao

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root-of-theseus · 9 days ago

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What are Keepers?

While the title goes by many names depending on where you're from, the idea is the same. A Keeper is the designated ruler of the respective country, and has a strict code of rules and ethics to follow.

In Vassatänder they're referred to as: Väktaren (Guardian) In Opadeaux she's referred to as: Prêtresse (Priestess) In Patria Magia they're referred to as: Praefectus (Headmaster) And in Mechari they're referred to as: Overseer

The rules for the Keepers are the same throughout each region from a book titled “The Keepers Guide to Peace - Maintaining Order Across Traeh” written by Lycoris in collaboration with the Keepers from the start of her reign. The rules are as follows:

Keepers are meant to be the protectors of the lands they are assigned to. They must do everything in their power to make sure that their people don’t war with each other, as well as other nations.

A trimonthly convergence between the Keepers of each nation is required so that news of what happens between each country is kept track of and historically recorded.

If you as a Keeper cannot attend the meeting due to illness or personal circumstance, it is best to let everyone know ahead of time. Failure to inform or show will result in an immediate wellness check.

(Although not stated, it's heavily implied that the position is lifelong, retirement isn't an option.)

A Keeper must make it their prerogative to learn everything within their nation - within reason - so that they can pass it down to the next generation.

Using local knowledge to increase your magical abilities is encouraged. You are only as limited as your ability to perform magic. (This is changed from magic to scientific for Mechari)

If there are forbidden pieces of knowledge, you must inform and warn the next generation that if they were to use it, that they could lose their position immediately.

Keepers should not target other Keepers. If found doing so, you could lose your position immediately or be put into a probationary period.

Grounds for being persecuted aren't limited to murder. If a Keeper is badly injured, disabled, cursed, or comatose; It is seen just as severe as murder.

(It's also not stated, but heavily implied that unless you can't perform your duties properly, you are still expected to work, or have the next successor work for you.)

The position of Keeper is typically passed down to the closest next of kin. If a physical descendant isn’t available, the previous Keeper needs to record proof of who they wish to hand the position down to.

While it is not limited as to who you can choose to take over your position after your death, the candidate will need majority approval to come into power.

You as a Keeper must always have someone in consideration to be your replacement because of the danger of this position. The person you choose must be aware of you choosing them, it cannot be sprung on them without prior knowledge.

In the event of a Keeper's death, a countrywide ceremony should be held in honour of their dedication and service. How that is performed is up to the culture and the wishes of how the Keeper wishes to be buried and memorialised.

Though it is morbid to think about, please write out your will and testament as soon as possible. This position makes you no stranger to making silent enemies.

In the event of a coup d’etat, it may be permitted to let the leader of the insurrection or the one who usurped the previous Keeper to be allowed to come into power should they request it. Murder and assassination aren't permitted as grounds for consideration. It has to be an organized effort.

A majority approval is still needed to be granted the position, and it is not guaranteed. If it is understood that the Keeper before was a tyrant, it could improve the chances for consideration.

You should consider your position to be one that holds great power and responsibility, and to never let that get to your head. It's recommended to not use your power to take advantage of people under you.

You cannot implement policies and rules to your country that would promote fascism, totalitarianism, or dictatorship. Your country should have and maintain separate branches of government to prevent this.

While not strictly forbidden, relationships outside your peers and countrymen are frowned upon, and will need absolute approval from all other Keepers to make sure there's no underlying political reason for doing so.

#worldbuilding #fantasy world #country #vassatänder #opadeaux #patria magia #mechari #keepers #rules #You can bet that these rules are going to be challenged later on - but this is how they start out

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