The Dread Plague

The Dread Plague (also known as Sunset Fever, the Black Cough, and the Creeping Death) was an immensely deadly disease that existed in Lorian through the First and Second Ages. While it rarely cropped up, when it did it unleashed untold devastation upon the continent. It's origins were not exactly known, with some pointing to it being a bioweapon.

The disease was so lethal that it often burned itself out, killing sufferers too quickly for them to spread it over large distances. As such the virus would often wipe out an entire city before disappearing again. Why it would go through period of dormancy was not known. The Dread Plague vanished before the end of the Second Era, possibly due to advances in medicine and a decrease in population due to constant war. However, many feared the disease could still be out there, waiting to make a resurgence...

## Symptoms

The Dread Plague was an immensely violent and lethal virus that devastated the bodies of those infected. It gained it's moniker of "Sunset Fever," from anecdotal stories stating that someone could "Be fine in the morning and be dead and cold by sunset." The disease was extremely fast acting, literally liquefying vital organs in sufferers and causing death in mere hours after infection. The most common symptoms were a hacking cough, difficulty breathing, internal bleeding, weakness, high fever, and confusion. These symptoms would intensify until the victim literally bled from every orifice. This turned out to be a massive problem, as the virus was *extremely* contagious. Those who cared for the victims or disposed of the corpses had a high chance of catching the disease themselves, resulting in panic as bodies would pile up during outbreaks.

Though some could survive the ravages of the disease, it would leave their bodies so weak and debilitated that they would often expire son after due to other complications.

## Occurrences

### First Era

* An occurrence of the disease devastated the cities of Tunita during the mid 40,000s PC. While Pthumerian slave-keepers were mostly unaffected, the hobgoblins were nearly wiped out due to the disease. Estimated death toll: ~10,000,000.
* Another occurrence in 36,050 PC completely depopulated the city of Erenbas in what would become Alteria. Estimated death toll: 780,000.
* An outbreak of the disease in 8500 PC swept across the entire continent, killing an estimated 50,000,000; the deadliest single disease event in world history. Following this massive die-off, the disease disappeared for several thousand years.

### Second Era

* The disease briefly breaks out in Gallacia from 1118-1123 AC, claiming around 20,000 lives.
* The disease resurfaces in Dun Kerma in 1450 AC. The disease quickly spreads along the trade caravans in Tunita, largely by asymptomatic carriers. This leads to a three-century ban on elves and half-elves from entering the country. Estimated death toll: 1,000,000.
* Santeria is completely quarantined from 1776 AC to 1778 AC due to an outbreak. Estimated death toll: 15,000.

* Disease makes a brief appearance in the Lotherian countryside, killing 5,000 over the course of two months in 2015 AC.

## Famous Sufferers

* King Lestrellen Uraciel (790 - 1120 AC)
* Khan Mudhimm (1402-1450 AC)
* Emperor Tiber III (1700 - 1777 AC)

## Immunities

* The Pthumerians were completely immune to the disease.
* Elves seemed to maintain some degree of resistance from their ancestors. While not immune, they were commonly asymptomatic carriers of the disease, being contagious while showing no symptoms. When they did develop symptoms, they did seem to have some resistance to the disease (~70% mortality).
* Non-humanoids seemed unaffected by the virus. entirely.
* Warforged, being composed of non-organic material, were completely immune.
* Vampires and Lycanthropes seemingly had an immunity to the virus.