Wave 4 | Prompt 7: A degenerative disease
Type: Condition
I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do for this prompt, so I used an AI writing assistant. I asked it to create a few short ideas for a degenerative disease that affects dragonkin. One of the ones it came up with was something called Scale Blight.
A fungal infection that targets the scales of dragonkin, causing them to flake away and expose the sensitive skin underneath. As the disease progresses, it creates debilitating pain, restricting movement and flight abilities. Healing is only possible through rare magical herbs that are difficult to find.
I used the name and general idea for this prompt, but I also based my condition on an episode of Monsters Inside Me I saw a long time ago.
Scale Blight is an exceptionally uncommon degenerative disease that primarily affects dragonkin with large osteoderm scales, or scutes. This fungal disease is pervasive across the land of Azlov and can impact all species of dragonkin.
The fungus targets the base of the scaleplate or scute, gradually advancing into the root and causing a progressive weakening of the scute until it eventually detaches. In addition to this, it inhibits the natural regeneration of scutes in dragonkin, resulting in the formation of open wounds. These open wounds pose a significant risk as they provide entry points for other pathogens into the body of the affected dragonkin.
Using the general idea from that AI generated description, I thought of the fungus somehow taking root and slowly cutting off circulation or something to the base of the scute / scale / scaleplate.
In the episode “Maggets are Eating Me”, a kid was injured in a tornado; it kicked up soil with this fungus in it; the doctors couldn't get his wounds to heal, and found out he had a fungal infection that was affecting the tissue, bone, and vital organs. They diagnosed him with Zygomycosis.
In the episode, they showed an actual photo during surgery; he had fungus growing on the bones of the ribcage, and this nightmare of an image had stuck with me ever since.
If it is suspected that the dragonkin has come into contact with contaminated soil, it’s important to thoroughly wash the them with soap and water to remove any potential contaminants. If a fungal infection has already developed, you can apply anti-fungal cream directly to the affected area to help treat the infection. If the infection is chronic and the scale has already fallen off, there are limited options for treatment, but anti-fungal medicine administered intravenously may be necessary to address the infection internally and prevent it from infecting other parts of the body.
I’m not really sure what they would do for the chronic infection. The best I could think of would be some kind of anti-fungal medicine administered intravenously. Of course, they would also cut away necrosed tissue and stuff.
To prevent the growth of fungus on dragonkin, it is essential to ensure that they are regularly bathed using a mild cleanser. Additionally, frequent checkups by a qualified dragonkin specialist will help monitor their overall health and identify any potential issues early on.
Scrub scrub scrub