Desert Thorn Mycosis

Desert Thorn Mycosis

Other Names:
Dune-Rose Infection, Sandbinder’s Blight, Vein-Climb

Classification:
Subcutaneous fungal infection

The first sign was always subtle. A tiny, glassy bump, almost like a dropped bead of sap or gel, pressing against the skin where a thorn had grazed her arm. By the second cycle, the nodules had begun to climb in a delicate, creeping line, following the invisible pathways beneath her flesh. The skin over them shimmered faintly, catching the harsh desert light like fractured crystal. It itched at first and then hardened, stubborn as the dunes themselves. By the third, fatigue sank into her bones and her joints stiffened. As if the desert itself were laying claim to her limbs. Healers spoke in hushed tones of the Sandbinder’s Blight, warning that those marked by its climb carried more than scars: they carried the desert’s memory.

Overview

Desert Thorn Mycosis is a slow-spreading fungal illness native to the deserts of Va’nu. It enters the body through minor puncture wounds and migrates through lymphatic pathways, producing a distinctive trail of hardened lesions beneath the skin. While rarely fatal, the disease is persistent and difficult to treat in its advanced stages.

It is most commonly contracted by those who work among Va’nu’s thorned flora and crystalline desert growths.

Cause

The illness is caused by a heat-adapted fungal organism that survives dormant in Va’nu’s sand and on the spines of desert plants. The fungus activates when exposed to bodily moisture and establishes itself within subdermal tissue.

Once embedded, it spreads gradually along lymph channels rather than through the bloodstream.

Transmission

• Puncture wounds from thorned plants
• Cuts contaminated by spore-bearing desert sand
• Handling untreated flora or scavenged materials without protective gloves

Desert Thorn Mycosis is not transmitted between individuals through casual contact.

Symptoms

Early Stage

• Small, painless nodule at the site of injury
• Skin thickening or discoloration, often ignored

Progressive Stage

• A chain of hardened nodules extending away from the wound site
• Lesions follow lymphatic pathways in a visible, linear pattern
• Skin may appear translucent or faintly iridescent

Advanced Stage

• Ulceration and secondary bacterial infections
• Joint stiffness and reduced limb mobility
• Persistent fatigue and low-grade fever

In rare cases, the infection may spread deeper into joints, lungs, or bone tissue, particularly in off-worlders or those with compromised immune systems.

Diagnosis

• Visual identification of ascending lesion patterns
• Tissue sampling cultured under controlled moisture conditions
• Diagnosed by scans at military bases and hospitals

Treatment

• Long-term antifungal treatments calibrated for Va’nu’ian biochemistry
• Surgical drainage of advanced lesions
• Strict moisture regulation to prevent accelerated fungal growth
• Nanite use at military bases and hospitals/medical outposts

Early treatment significantly improves outcomes. Advanced infections can persist for cycles if untreated.

Prognosis

With early intervention, full recovery is common though scarring is permanent. Late-stage cases may result in chronic pain or partial loss of limb function.

Death is rare but has occurred in cases involving systemic spread.

Cultural Significance

• Desert laborers wear treated hand-wraps and gloves as standard protective gear
• Caravan routes through high-growth zones are marked as infection risks
• Healed scars form vine-like patterns that are sometimes mistaken for deliberate markings

A common Va’nu’ian saying warns travelers:

“If the scar climbs, the desert has marked you.”