Amber Lead

Amber Lead was a white ore of lead that was found only in the country of Flevance. Its fabricated products all give off a white shiny coat that made the material an instant success and a practical gold mine for the country, proving wealth and riches for the people. The products made from Amber Lead varies from wall paint to pottery as well as for make-up and weapons. The ore is also used up by plants giving them its white color.

This lead to the country being nicknamed the White City and its population lived wealthy lives but ironically enough, the ore was the cause of the downfall and ruin of Flevance. Over a century ago the World Government discovered in their geological surveys of the island that the ore when exposed to the surface becomes slightly poisonous but they and the royalty of Flevance decided to keep it a secret from the public because of the wealth it brings, allowing Amber Lead to accumulated over the years.

Amber Lead Syndrome


It is a non-contiguous disease caused by the accumulated build up of Amber Lead in the victim's body after constant exposure to the ore or material products created with Amber Lead. Amber Lead poisoning is unnoticeable in its early stages when it is in low concentration but its effects were noticeable given that each passing generation were given shorter lifespans. This is due to the fact that the level of Amber Lead concentration in a child is obtained from its parents leading to everyone in Flevance having the same but accumulating concentration of Amber Lead poisoning over a few generations.

When the concentration reaches worrying levels, signs and symptoms of the disease are easily visible on the victim. White spots will appear on the victim's body and their hair is bleached white. They also feel chronic pains all over the body where the white spots are, causing much suffering until eventual death. Because of the fact that everyone in Flevance have the same level of Amber Lead poisoning, everyone were dying at the same time causing the disease to be mistaken as a contagious disease and lead to the island's ruin.

Trivia

 * The Amber Lead Syndrome spreading throughout Flevance was akin to the bubonic plague, a fatal disease of its time that people came to fear it could be contagious.
 * The amber lead is quite similar to Asbestos, a highly profitable mineral that was once used all around the world, and can be found in all kinds of goods, but use of asbestos was discontinued when it was discovered to cause serious and even fatal diseases.