I have a save in Bits and Pieces in Solitude, when I leave my character has some kind of weird black smoke coming from just in front of him. I can see it in both first and third person.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/cixwow/ScreenShot2.png is an image showing the problem.

Anyone know how I can get rid of it/what's causing it?

Check your active effects for herpes

The tests came back negative. Still hurts when he goes to the bathroom, though.

In all seriousness, though. There is nothing unusual in the active effects page, and unequipping all items does nothing. I'm wondering if maybe it's some hidden spell effect. The thing is I haven't done anything that would cause any effects like that. I'm just doing some shopping in Solitude. The only things I could find via Google is that the Ebony Mail and one of the sneak perks can cause a similar effect, but I have neither of those.

Have you tried cleansing yourself at a shrine?

Just tried it then, it didn't work.

Do you have the ebony armour? Maybe you could try equipping it and unequipping it to trigger whatever it is that made that happen?

No, I don't. I'm only around level 12 and the equipment I have in the screenshot is all I have. All I've done in this playthrough is the dragon quest in the dragon quest in Whiterun, and then traveled to Solitude. (And the first Legion quest)

Interesting. And you say it occurred just as you left Bits n Pieces? Do you have anything listed at all in Active Effects? Does it harm NPCs when you're up close?

I have some general enchant effects (carry weight, etc) and effects related to Frostfall and TRO Basic Needs. It seems to have no effect on NPC's.