Ghyll:Zygotic Dermatosis

Zygotastistic Dermatosis (or Zygotic Dermatosis for short) is the abrupt change of the skin on a creature from one substance (namely skin) into another. The new substance is determined by the means in which the creature obtained the zygotastistic dermatosis. One of the known ways in which a creature can obtain this illness is through the use of a snotgun loaded with an apollzygojustapyxie snot slug. Another possibility is for the creature simply to die.

Naturally, a creature's skin abruptly changing into another substance would be enough to kill said creature, but the illness also modifies the metabolism of the creature so that it can survive with it's skin in the new form.

The first known case of zygotic dermatosis was in -128 EC when a cow was discovered with a skin composed of milk. Just how the skin was made to be composed of milk is not known at this time, but the cow lived for an additional year before finally dying. It is important to note that the cow's skin acted just as real milk should act: it soured in a few weeks time and dried into a crusty substance. The cow, still alive throughout this process, did not appear to be in any pain. It is theorized that the zygotic dermatosis was continuously changing the metabolism of the cow to live with its new skin, but there have been no studies done to verify this theory.

In -100/5/10 EC, another case of zygotic dermatosis was studied wherein a person named Phyllis Creanie was found living as a mud puddle. The person was able to communicate normally and could consume food and drink, but was unable to move due to their volumistic nature. This further showed that the skin of the creature is the only organ which is physically changed by this illness.

The years between -100 EC and -20 EC allowed no new findings in regards to zygotic dermatosis; however, in -19 EC, four unrelated instances were reported and subsequently silenced. There are no known records for these instances and no one seems to recall anything about them happening. The only information obtainable was a quip from a song written at that time:

O! The joyous spring surrounds me
As I sing with new-found bounty!
My skin, once flesh, has formed anew
And now my skin is sought by you.

My skin is mine and mine it is
And no one else shall have it!
When I shall die in this years time
Well, then you can have it.

The rest of the song could not be found and the author is unknown. It is also unknown whether the song might be referring to someone 'hunting' the author or if it's just a work of fiction based on someone having zygotic dermatosis.

Citations: Apollzygojustapyxie, Phyllis Creanie, Snotgun.

--Trousle Undrhil 17:35, 16 Apr 2005 (CST)